Adapted from DioLog, a newsletter of the Diocese of Kansas
The Rt. Rev. Dean Wolfe, Bishop of Kansas, has appointed the Rev. Don Compier, dean of the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry, as canon theologian for the diocese. He will advise the bishop on a variety of theological matters and join him in making decisions about the diocese’s annual Tocher Lecture series.
“It is a great joy for me to announce that the Reverend Dr. Don Compier has accepted my appointment as canon theologian to the Bishop of Kansas,” Bishop Wolfe said. “The Reverend Dr. Andrew Grosso served with distinction as the previous canon theologian, and now that Father Grosso has joined the Nashotah House Seminary staff, we are fortunate to be able to make good use of Dr. Compier’s distinctive skill set. Having served as a member of the faculty of one Episcopal Church residential seminary and taught at seminaries of other denominations, Don has enjoyed a unique and rich ministry, and I look forward to being able to ordain him to the Sacred Order of Priests in January so that he may continue to expand his work for Christ and the church.”
Compier said of his appointment: “It is a tremendous honor for me to serve the diocese in this position. I am very grateful to Bishop Wolfe for entrusting me with this task. Bishop Wolfe and the people of the Diocese of Kansas recognize the importance of theology in the life of the church. Theology is careful teaching of and reflection on the Christian story. It supports the faithful and relevant witness of God’s people in today’s world. The episcopacy is the primary teaching office of the church. Canons theologian serve as advisers to bishops in the exercise of this vital role.”
Compier, who has a PhD in theology from Emory University, was named dean of the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry this summer. Most recently he led the graduate program in religion at Graceland University in Independence, Missouri, where he developed an innovative online curriculum.
He also taught courses in theology, philosophy, and modern Church history at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific and the Graduate Theological Union. He also has offered classes at St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas City and Eden Theological Seminary in Webster Groves, Missouri.
Image: Don Compier speaks during a chapel service at the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry. • Melodie Woerman/Diocese of Kansas
