William H. Love

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 2021. From 2021 to 2025, Love served as assistant bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word. In 2025, he became assistant bishop of the Anglican Diocese in New England.

Love is known for his support for a traditional definition of marriage and for his opposition to the blessing of same-sex unions. In October 2020, Love was found to have violated Episcopal Church doctrine and rules due to his refusal to permit same-sex unions to be blessed by clergy within the Albany diocese. Effective February 1, 2021, Love resigned his position as bishop pursuant to a disciplinary agreement. He was later released from ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church.

Education, early career, and family 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.

Love was ordained a deacon in 1991 and a priest in 1992. Love was consecrated as bishop coadjutor by Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold on September 16, 2006, at the Empire State Plaza in Albany. 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." 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."

Love gained national attention at the Episcopal Church's July 2009 convention in Anaheim, California. At that convention, the Church passed a resolution allowing the blessing of same-sex unions. At a news conference organized by a conservative Anglican group, Love said, "It is breaking my heart to see the church destroy itself"; however, he vowed to remain within the Episcopal Church nonetheless. As of 2012, Love had granted Delegated Ecclesiastical Parish Oversight (DEPO)—a status where certain parishes remain a part of a diocese, but receive certain pastoral functions from a bishop outside that diocese—to three parishes: St. Luke's, Saranac Lake; St. George's, Schenectady; and St. John's, Essex.

Dissent, discipline, and departure In 2015, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church "sanctioned gay marriage across the American church but [allowed] the bishops of eight dioceses [including Albany] to opt out." In July 2018, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church passed a resolution allowing same-sex weddings to be performed in the eight dissenting dioceses. in an accompanying letter, Love wrote: "Recent statistics show that The Episcopal Church is spiraling downward... I can't help but believe that God has removed His blessing from this Church. Unless something changes, The Episcopal Church is going to die."

In response to Love's pastoral directive, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry placed Love on a partial ministry restriction. A June 12, 2020 disciplinary hearing was held to determine whether Love had violated church law by refusing to allow same-sex weddings to be conducted by Episcopal clergy in the Diocese of Albany. On October 2, 2020, a disciplinary panel ruled that Love had violated Episcopal doctrine and rules. On October 24, 2020, Love announced his resignation as bishop pursuant to a disciplinary agreement with church authorities. His resignation became effective on February 1, 2021. On March 30, 2021, Love announced that he would be leaving ministry in the Episcopal church to join the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). ) Four priests and four deacons left the Diocese of Albany in protest following Love's departure. Bishop Love was succeeded as Bishop of Albany by Jeremiah Williamson.

Anglican Church in North America The Anglican Diocese of the Living Word, a diocese within the ACNA, announced its appointment of Love as assisting bishop on April 3, 2021.

In January 2025, Love became assistant bishop of the Anglican Diocese in New England.