Bishop E. Otis Charles (born April 24, 1926 in Norristown, Pennsylvania) is a retired American bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Utah.[1]
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Originally from New Jersey, he served first as a priest in Connecticut. From 1968 until 1982 he was a member of the Standing Liturgical Commission, which developed the 1979 edition of the Book of Common Prayer. In 1971, he was elected Bishop of Utah. He was active in the peace movement, and opposed Nevada and Utah being launching sites for the MX missile. In the House of Bishops, Charles was chair of the Prayer Book Committee and a member of the Bishops' Committee on Racism. Charles became Dean of the Episcopal Divinity School in 1985. Charles also has significant academic achievements, including a Doctorate of Divinity, and a Doctorate of Sacred Theology.
Charles was married for 42 years and has five children.[2] After his retirement in 1993, Charles publicly came out as gay, the first Christian bishop ever to take such a step.[3] Soon after he and his wife divorced. He currently resides with his same sex spouse in San Francisco, where he helped to found the California branch of the Oasis Commission.
| Episcopal Church (USA) titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Richard S. Watson |
8th Bishop of Utah 1971–1993 |
Succeeded by George E. Bates |