Episcopal Church Bishop Jerry Alban Lamb, who oversaw a California diocese that experienced schism over the denomination’s increased acceptance of homosexuality, has died at the age of 85. His daughter, Kate Lamb, announced on Instagram that the bishop had “died peacefully” on Sunday morning following multiple health problems, noting his immense impact and lifetime of service while sharing that memorial services in Upland and Sacramento are being planned.
Megan Traquair, the bishop of the Diocese of Northern California, also paid tribute to Lamb by offering prayers of gratitude for his long life of faithful service and asking the community to keep his family and friends in their prayers. Born in Denver, Colorado, on September 4, 1940, Lamb earned a bachelor’s in philosophy in 1964 and a master’s in theology in 1966 from St. Thomas Seminary, followed by another master’s degree in counseling from the University of Oregon in 1973. Originally a Catholic priest until 1971, Lamb joined The Episcopal Church in 1977 and was ordained later that year in the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon.
He went on to serve as bishop coadjutor of the Diocese of Northern California in 1991 before becoming diocesan bishop in 1992 for 14 years, later serving as assisting bishop of the Diocese of Nevada after Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori was elected as the denomination’s presiding bishop.
The course of Lamb’s ministry was significantly shaped by the denomination-wide controversy and schism stirred in 2003 when church leadership decided to ordain the Rev. Gene Robinson as the first openly gay bishop. This decision set off years of tension within the Diocese of San Joaquin, culminating in December 2007 when a majority of convention delegates voted to leave The Episcopal Church entirely. Bishop John-David Schofield led this departure alongside disaffected clergy and congregations, ultimately affiliating with the more theologically conservative Anglican Province of the Southern Cone in South America.
In response, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori appointed Lamb as provisional bishop of the San Joaquin Diocese in 2008, a role he held until 2011. During his tenure, with Lamb’s support, the national denomination opted in 2009 to depose dozens of clergy within the diocese who had supported breaking away. Defending the heartbreaking decision at the time, Lamb stated that the individuals had chosen to abandon their relationship with the Episcopal Church and declined to ask for a release from their ordination vows, leaving him no option but to bring charges of Abandonment of the Communion. In July 2012, Lamb was hospitalized during the 77th General Convention of The Episcopal Church in Indianapolis after suffering what a spokesperson called two small strokes. He was preceded in death by his wife, Jane Mary Onstad Lamb, who passed away in 2023 at the age of 82 and was herself the daughter of an Episcopal Church priest.
Background on Gene Robinson
V. Gene Robinson is a retired American bishop of the Episcopal Church who made history in 2003 as the first openly gay bishop consecrated in a major Christian denomination believing in the historic episcopate. Born in 1947 in Kentucky, Robinson served as the Bishop of New Hampshire from 2004 to 2013, a tenure marked by significant controversy that contributed to the Anglican realignment and the formation of the Anglican Church in North America.
Before his episcopal election, Robinson was an active clergyman known for promoting clergy wellness, AIDS education, and civil rights for LGBTQ+ individuals. His consecration sparked intense debate within the Anglican Communion, leading to opposition from conservative churches globally, though he remained influential in the Episcopal Church’s subsequent decisions to affirm the ordination of gays and lesbians.
After retiring from New Hampshire, Robinson worked as a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and served as Vice President of Religion at the Chautauqua Institution. He currently resides in Washington, D.C., where he serves as Bishop-in-residence at St. Thomas’ Parish and is a prominent advocate for human rights and LGBTQ+ inclusion in religious communities.
