Michael Williams (bishop)
Michael R. Williams | |
|---|---|
| Bishop Suffragan of the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy | |
| Church | Anglican Church in North America Anglican Reformed Catholic Church |
| Diocese | Armed Forces and Chaplaincy |
| In office | 2018–2025 |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | August 1989 (diaconate) September 1990 (priesthood) |
| Consecration | April 12, 2018 by Foley Beach |
| Personal details | |
| Education | Iowa State University Trinity School for Ministry |
Michael R. Williams is an American Anglican bishop. A retired U.S. Air Force chaplain, he served from 2018 to 2025 as bishop suffragan in the Anglican Church in North America's Special Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy (SJAFC).
Biography
Williams married his wife, Becky, in 1976,[1] and they have three daughters and five granddaughters.[2] In 1977, he received his B.A. in political science from Iowa State University.[1] He joined the U.S. Air Force as an officer after graduation.[2]
After receiving a call to ordained ministry, he attended Trinity School for Ministry and was ordained to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church in North Pole, Alaska, while serving at Eielson Air Force Base.[2] From 1991 to 1995, he served at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Grand Forks, North Dakota.[1] Williams joined the chaplaincy of the Air Force in 1995 and served until his retirement in 2009, at which time he joined the staff of the ACNA's Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy.[2]
He was consecrated as bishop suffragan alongside Mark Nordstrom on April 12, 2018, in Birmingham, Alabama.[3] Williams serves as director of education, training, and formation for the Anglican chaplains.[4] Like other JAFC bishops, his canonical residence was in the Church of Nigeria North American Mission until 2021, when the JAFC completed the canonical process for removing its residence in the Church of Nigeria and becoming canonically resident in the ACNA.[5] Since 2009, Williams has also been a priest or bishop-in-residence at St. George's Anglican Church in Colorado Springs.[1]
Williams and Nordstrom retired in 2025 and were replaced by newly elected bishops Jay Cayangyang and Marshall MacClellan.[6] After retiring in 2025, he was inhibited from ministry in the ACNA in January 2026.[6][7] He was indicted on canonical charges in the ACNA in May 2026, although by that point he had joined the breakaway Anglican Reformed Catholic Church founded by former ACNA chaplaincy bishop Derek Jones.[8]
References
- 1 2 3 4 "The Right Reverend Michael Williams". St. George's Anglican Church. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
- 1 2 3 4 "Two Bishops Elected to Strengthen the Ministry of Chaplains". Anglican Church in North America. Archived from the original on 26 November 2024. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
- ↑ "ACNA consecrates two suffragan bishops for the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy". Anglican Ink. April 14, 2018. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
- ↑ "Our Bishops". Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
- ↑ Atwood, Bill. "An Update on the Jurisdiction for the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy". Anglican Church in North America. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
- 1 2 "Welcome Two New Bishops to JAFC". Anglican Church in North America. June 24, 2025. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ↑ "News and Updates on The Special Jurisdiction for the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy". The Anglican Church in North America. 13 January 2026. Archived from the original on 25 January 2026. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ↑ Coles, Arlie (June 30, 2026). "ACNA Approves Title IV Overhaul". The Living Church. Retrieved July 23, 2026.