Stephen Hays Jecko
Encyclopedia
The Right Reverend Stephen Hays Jecko (January 15, 1940 – ) was the seventh bishop of the Diocese of Florida
and the 892nd bishop in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, a province
of the Anglican Communion
.
in 1964 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, married his wife, Joan and the couple had two sons, Sean and Bryan.
Jecko was called to the ministry while working as a draftsman. His workspace was near a window that looked down on a church altar with a painting of Jesus, which was his inspiration to join the clergy.
granted Jecko a Master of Divinity degree and he began serving in Binghamton, New York as curate
at Christ Church
. Two years later, he moved to Plainview, New York at St. Margaret's Church for five years as priest-in-charge. He was then hired by St. James' Episcopal Church in Warrenton, Virginia as associate rector for three years, followed by eight years as rector at Zion Church in Rome, New York. During his time there, he finished his dissertation and was awarded a Doctor of Ministry degree in 1982 from Virginia Theological Seminary
.
in 1984 and served there until he was named Assistant to Bishop Cerveny
in 1990. When Bishop Cerveny announced his plans to retire,
Reverend Jecko was elected Coadjutor bishop
on December 11, 1993 and consecrated
on May 7, 1994 as the 7th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Florida
.
Soon after his consecration as bishop, he was awarded a Doctor of Divinity
from the General Theological Seminary and Virginia Theological Seminary, then a third D.D. from Sewanee: The University of the South less than a year later.
and Trustee at University of the South, the official seminary
of the Episcopal Church, USA. He supported Christian Healing Ministries, created by Doctors Francis and Judith MacNutt in 1981, which was nurtured by his predecessor, Bishop Cerveny.
The bishop has an obligation to visit every parish in the diocese each year. He used his pilot's license to help fulfill that duty by flying to distant parishes.
Bishop Jecko was a member of the Order of the Holy Cross
serving as a priest associate, and the International Order of St. Luke the Physician
, volunteering as a chaplain.
The election and consecration of Gene Robinson
, an openly gay priest in the Episcopal church, was controversial, resulting in heated debate and intense feelings throughout the Episcopal Church in the United States. Bishop Jecko conducted a series of discussions and meetings for clergy, vestries and parishioners in an attempt to resolve the issue that was dividing conservative and liberal Christians. Privately, he was opposed the church’s position on the issue, and decided to leave the diocese rather than enforce the will of the national church.
where he accepted an offer to be Assistant Bishop at the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas
. The Jessie Ball duPont Fund
named Bishop Jecko as their Clerical Trustee. He was also a member of the National Advisory Board for Christian Healing Ministries and assisted the American Anglican Council
by acting as liaison for congregations wanting to break away from the Episcopal Church and Global South Anglican bishops offering to provide oversight. Bishop Jecko was also a leader in the creation of the Anglican Communion Network
in 2004.
Bishop Jecko was diagnosed with cancer in early 2007, and the treatments appeared to be successful. However, complications developed quickly and he died on June 7, 2007 at Baylor Regional Medical Center.
Episcopal Diocese of Florida
The Episcopal Diocese of Florida is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America . It originally comprised the whole state of Florida, but is now bounded on the west by the Apalachicola River, on the north by the Georgia state line, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and on the...
and the 892nd bishop in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, a province
Ecclesiastical Province
An ecclesiastical province is a large jurisdiction of religious government, so named by analogy with a secular province, existing in certain hierarchical Christian churches, especially in the Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches and in the Anglican Communion...
of the Anglican Communion
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
.
Early years
Stephen Jecko was born on January 15, 1940 in Washington, D.C. He learned to fly at an early age, unofficially soloed at 13 and was granted a private pilot's license at the minimum required age of 16. He graduated from Syracuse UniversitySyracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
in 1964 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, married his wife, Joan and the couple had two sons, Sean and Bryan.
Jecko was called to the ministry while working as a draftsman. His workspace was near a window that looked down on a church altar with a painting of Jesus, which was his inspiration to join the clergy.
New York
In 1967, the General Theological SeminaryGeneral Theological Seminary
The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church is a seminary of the Episcopal Church in the United States and is located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in New York....
granted Jecko a Master of Divinity degree and he began serving in Binghamton, New York as curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at Christ Church
Christ Church (Binghamton, New York)
Christ Church is a historic Episcopal church located at Binghamton in Broome County, New York. It is a one story bluestone structure with Gothic Revival elements. The church consists of a rectangular central section housing the nave and aisles, an apse and bell tower on the east facade, and side...
. Two years later, he moved to Plainview, New York at St. Margaret's Church for five years as priest-in-charge. He was then hired by St. James' Episcopal Church in Warrenton, Virginia as associate rector for three years, followed by eight years as rector at Zion Church in Rome, New York. During his time there, he finished his dissertation and was awarded a Doctor of Ministry degree in 1982 from Virginia Theological Seminary
Virginia Theological Seminary
Virginia Theological Seminary , formally called the Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary in Virginia, is the largest accredited Episcopal seminary in the United States. Founded in 1818, VTS is situated on an campus in Alexandria, Virginia, just a few miles from downtown Washington, DC. VTS...
.
Florida
Reverend Jecko was called to be rector St. Michael's Church in Gainesville, FloridaGainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
in 1984 and served there until he was named Assistant to Bishop Cerveny
Frank Cerveny
The Right Reverend Frank Stanley Cerveny was the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Florida and the 699th bishop in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, a province of the Anglican Communion.-Early years:...
in 1990. When Bishop Cerveny announced his plans to retire,
Reverend Jecko was elected Coadjutor bishop
Coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
on December 11, 1993 and consecrated
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on May 7, 1994 as the 7th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Florida
Episcopal Diocese of Florida
The Episcopal Diocese of Florida is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America . It originally comprised the whole state of Florida, but is now bounded on the west by the Apalachicola River, on the north by the Georgia state line, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and on the...
.
Soon after his consecration as bishop, he was awarded a Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
from the General Theological Seminary and Virginia Theological Seminary, then a third D.D. from Sewanee: The University of the South less than a year later.
Episcopacy
During his 10 years as bishop of Florida, Bishop Jecko served as board chairman for Episcopal Children's Services Inc., board member for Episcopal High School of JacksonvilleEpiscopal High School of Jacksonville
Episcopal School of Jacksonville is an independent, coeducational private college preparatory school in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. It was founded in 1966 by the Episcopal Diocese of Florida. The school has a middle school and a high school and enrolls about 900 students a...
and Trustee at University of the South, the official seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
of the Episcopal Church, USA. He supported Christian Healing Ministries, created by Doctors Francis and Judith MacNutt in 1981, which was nurtured by his predecessor, Bishop Cerveny.
The bishop has an obligation to visit every parish in the diocese each year. He used his pilot's license to help fulfill that duty by flying to distant parishes.
Bishop Jecko was a member of the Order of the Holy Cross
Order of the Holy Cross
The Order of the Holy Cross is an international Anglican monastic Order that follows the Rule of St. Benedict.-History:The Order was founded in 1884 by the Rev. James Otis Sargent Huntington, an Episcopal priest, in New York City. The Order moved to Maryland briefly before settling in West Park,...
serving as a priest associate, and the International Order of St. Luke the Physician
International Order of St. Luke the Physician
The International Order of Saint Luke is an inter-denominational religious order dedicated to the Christian healing ministry. It was founded by John Gayner Banks, an Episcopal priest, in 1947....
, volunteering as a chaplain.
The election and consecration of Gene Robinson
Gene Robinson
Vicki Gene Robinson is the ninth bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Robinson was elected bishop in 2003 and entered office in March 2004...
, an openly gay priest in the Episcopal church, was controversial, resulting in heated debate and intense feelings throughout the Episcopal Church in the United States. Bishop Jecko conducted a series of discussions and meetings for clergy, vestries and parishioners in an attempt to resolve the issue that was dividing conservative and liberal Christians. Privately, he was opposed the church’s position on the issue, and decided to leave the diocese rather than enforce the will of the national church.
Retirement
In 2004, he "retired" as Bishop of Florida and moved to Plano, TexasPlano, Texas
Plano is a city in the state of Texas, located mostly within Collin County. The city's population was 259,841 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth-largest city in Texas and the 71st most populous city in the United States. Plano is located within the metropolitan area commonly referred to as...
where he accepted an offer to be Assistant Bishop at the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas
Episcopal Diocese of Dallas
The Episcopal Diocese of Dallas is a diocese of the Episcopal Church USA which was formed on December 20, 1895, when the Missionary District of Northern Texas was granted diocesan status at the denomination's General Convention the preceding October. The Rt. Rev...
. The Jessie Ball duPont Fund
Jessie Ball duPont Fund
The Jessie Ball duPont Fund, "Florida's leading national foundation", is a charitable foundation that issues grants to organizations that received support from Jessie Ball duPont during the years 1960-1964 inclusive...
named Bishop Jecko as their Clerical Trustee. He was also a member of the National Advisory Board for Christian Healing Ministries and assisted the American Anglican Council
American Anglican Council
The American Anglican Council is an organization which exists to allow theologically conservative Anglicans to network with one another. It was incorporated in 1996 and is one of several key organizations in the movement for Anglican realignment and is a founding member of the Anglican Church in...
by acting as liaison for congregations wanting to break away from the Episcopal Church and Global South Anglican bishops offering to provide oversight. Bishop Jecko was also a leader in the creation of the Anglican Communion Network
Anglican Communion Network
The Anglican Communion Network is a theologically conservative network of dioceses and parishes working toward Anglican realignment.-Goals and structure:...
in 2004.
Bishop Jecko was diagnosed with cancer in early 2007, and the treatments appeared to be successful. However, complications developed quickly and he died on June 7, 2007 at Baylor Regional Medical Center.