William Howard Love (born August 14, 1957, in Dallas, Texas) is an American prelate. Love was the ninth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany, and he served in that role from 2007 until January 31, 2021. Beginning in April 2021, Love has served as Assistant Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word.
Love is known for his support for a traditional definition of marriage and for his opposition to the blessing of same-sex unions; this stance led to his departure from the Episcopal Church. In October 2020, Love was found to have violated Episcopal Church doctrine and rules due to his unwillingness to permit same-sex unions to be blessed by clergy within the Albany diocese. In response to that finding, Love resigned from his position as bishop effective February 1, 2021. Love later requested that he be released from ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church; that request was granted by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. In April 2021, Love was appointed Assistant Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word, a diocese within the Anglican Church in North America.
Education, family, and early career
According to the Episcopal Diocese of Albany, Love is a Texas native; he earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Southwest Texas State in 1980, a Master of Science degree in education from the State University of New York-Plattsburgh in 1988, and a master's degree in Divinity in 1991 from Nashotah House. Prior to becoming a priest, he served as an intelligence officer in the Air Force. Love was ordained a deacon in 1991 and a priest in 1992. He served as rector of St. Mary's Church in Lake Luzerne, New York for 14 years. Love married retired Air Force Colonel Karen Love in 1983; the Loves have two children and several grandchildren.
Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany
Love was elected bishop coadjutor of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany on March 25, 2006; he received the consent of the General Convention that summer in Columbus, Ohio. Love was consecrated as bishop coadjutor by Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold on September 16, 2006, at the Empire State Plaza in Albany. On February 4, 2007, Love was installed as the ninth bishop of Albany.
Love has consistently stood for an orthodox view of the Bible and for the stance of the Anglican Communion on matters of human sexuality. He asserts that "'the Bible is, in fact, the word of God. It’s not just some historic document that was written some 2,000-plus years ago, but [is] God’s revealed word.'" Regarding marriage, Love adheres to an orthodox interpretation of Scripture, affirming that sexual intimacy is reserved for marriage and that marriage is an opposite-sex union. Love takes the view that homosexually-oriented persons should remain celibate.
On January 19, 2008, Love celebrated the Eucharist at St. Andrew's Church in Albany while hosting a visit by Bonnie Anderson, president of the Episcopal Church's House of Deputies. A dialogue followed between progressives from Via Media and the more conservative representatives of the church, and "stressed unity and communication". Both liberals and conservatives in the diocese praised Love for attending the event. The national church's web site posted a story about the event, quoting Bishop Love and several of the 300 attendees at the event.
In June 2008, under Love's leadership, the Episcopal Diocese of Albany passed a resolution stating that only heterosexual marriages would be celebrated within the diocese. After the resolution was passed, Bishop Love was quoted as stating that "the important thing ... is that God loves all people, regardless of where they might be in their life. That doesn't necessarily mean he approves of all of our behaviors."