Consecration Set For Armed Forces Bishop
Episcopal News Service. January 27, 1978 [78021]
Garden City, N. Y. -- The Rev. Charles Lee Burgreen will be consecrated as the Presiding Bishop's Suffragan Bishop to the Armed Forces on Feb. 27 at the Cathedral of the Incarnation here in a service that will symbolize the two focal points of his ministry -- from the Church to the men and women of the armed forces.
Chaplain Burgreen currently serves as executive assistant to the present Suffragan Bishop to the Armed Forces, the Rt. Rev. Clarence Hobgood, whom he will succeed. He was elected to the episcopate at the 1977 interim meeting of the Episcopal Church's House of Bishops.
The chief consecrator at the 10:00 a.m. service will be the Presiding Bishop John M. Allin. Co-consecrators will be: The Rt. Rev. Arnold M. Louis, the first suffragan bishop to the Armed Forces; the Rt. Rev. Harold Gosnell, retired Bishop of West Texas and a chaplain in the Navy Reserve for 25 years; the Rt. Rev. William Folwell, Bishop of Chaplain Burgreen's home diocese of Central Florida and Bishop Hobgood.
The consecration is being held in the Diocese of Long Island at the invitation of the Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Robert Witcher. Chaplain Burgreen has served as a Sunday assistant at the Church of the Ascension, Rockville Center in the diocese since moving to New York four years ago. He will continue to make his home on Long Island.
In the service itself, the U.S. Army Chief of Chaplains, Maj. Gen. Orris E. Kelly will read the Epistle and Mrs. Pauline Sowley, secretary to the Bishop for the Armed Forces will read the Old Testament lesson. The Rev. Canon William A. Johnson, Ph. D. of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York will preach.
The litanist will be the Rt. Rev. Richard B. Martin, former Suffragan Bishop of Long Island and currently a colleague of Chaplain Burgreen at the Episcopal Church Center. The Gospel will be read by the Rt. Rev. Jonathan G. Sherman, retired Bishop of Long Island. The presenters will include the senior Episcopal Chaplains of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Veteran's Administration.
Dr. John Davis, organist and choirmaster at the United States Military Academy will perform the prelude and members of the USMA Cadet Chapel choir will be joined by the choir of the Church of the Ascension for the service music. The U. S. Maritime Academy will be represented by a brass ensemble.