Episcopal Bishop Will Hand Reins to Successor on Jan. 31

The Rt. Rev. Frederick H. Borsch, an activist in civic affairs and a liberal in his church, said Wednesday that he will step down as bishop of the six-county Los Angeles Episcopal Diocese on Jan. 31.

Borsch, 65, informed priests and deacons of his retirement date during the Episcopal diocese’s annual clergy conference Tuesday in Long Beach. He will be succeeded by the Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno, 54, who was elected in November 1999 to succeed Borsch.

A New Testament scholar, author, and former seminary dean, Borsch has actively campaigned for a “living wage” law in Los Angeles and has been an outspoken advocate of immigrant rights during his 14 years as bishop. He has also served as a director of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council and as a trustee of Princeton University.

As head of the Los Angeles diocese, Borsch has overseen the most culturally and ethnically diverse diocese in the 70-million-member worldwide Anglican Communion.

In the 2.4-million-member Episcopal Church, he is regarded as one of the most liberal bishops. He supports the ordination of gay men and lesbians, including those in committed, monogamous same-sex relationships. He has also placed great emphasis on youth work.

After the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Borsch played a key role in the investigation of the Los Angeles Police Department by the Christopher Commission, which called for reforms. Warren Christopher, who headed the commission shortly before he became secretary of state in the Clinton administration, asked Borsch to coordinate testimony by the city’s religious leaders.

Borsch said he will formally relinquish the day-to-day operations of the diocese to Bruno on Nov. 30 at the annual diocesan convention. But Borsch will retain his title as diocesan bishop until Jan. 31. The two bishops have been coordinating their activities and working jointly on the transition.

Until he retires, Borsch said, he hopes to visit a number of the diocese’s congregations. He also plans to visit South Africa in September, where he will present a series of lectures.

After he steps down, Borsch said, he hopes to teach in seminaries and colleges in the United States and overseas. The author of 15 books, Borsch said he will also devote more time to writing. He said he and his wife, Barbara, plan to remain in the area.

“The hardest part of retiring is worrying about losing connections with an awful lot of friends,” Borsch said. “If we stay here, there are lots of ways we can continue with many friendships both inside and outside the Episcopal Church.”

Borsch was elected and ordained the fifth bishop of the Los Angeles diocese in 1988. He is a graduate at Princeton University and General Theological Seminary in New York. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Oxford University, and a doctorate from the University of Birmingham in England.

Bruno earlier said that he will be an “activist bishop” and that children and economic justice would be among his priorities. He also supports the ordination of non-celibate gay men and lesbians.

The diocese has 150 congregations, 40 schools and 12 other institutions. It has 250 active priests and deacons. It covers the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura and Santa Barbara.