William E. Swing

William Edwin Swing (born 26 August 1936) is a retired bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States. He was the Bishop of California, based in San Francisco, from 1980 to 2006.

Swing was ordained a deacon at Huntington, West Virginia, on June 11, 1961; he was ordained a priest at Wheeling, West Virginia, on December 20, 1961, and consecrated as the seventh Bishop of California at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, on September 29, 1979. He is the Founder and President of the United Religions Initiative (URI), an international NGO working to promote interfaith cooperation. He is an author and inspirational speaker and has received numerous awards for his commitment to service.

Born in West Virginia, Swing received a A.B. and D.D. from Kenyon College in 1958 and 1981, a M.Div. and D.D. from Virginia Theological Seminary in 1961 and 1980, L.H.D. from the University of San Francisco, 2005, D.D. Church Divinity School of the Pacific in 2007, a D.H.L from the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology in 2009. He was appointed curate of St. Matthew’s Church in Wheeling, West Virginia from 1961–63; vicar of St. Thomas’ Weirton, and St. Matthew’s Chester, West Virginia from 1963-69. Elected rector of St. Columba's Episcopal Church from 1969-79. Swing is the recipient of many honorary doctoral degrees including the Jesuit sponsored University of San Francisco.

During his time as bishop, Swing was a pioneer in responding to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and to homelessness. He served for over two decades on the board of the American Foundation for AIDS Research and was active in San Francisco on a daily basis with alcohol and drug rehabilitation, Latino immigrant ministries, and care for the elderly and homeless.

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