[Diocese of Southern Ohio] The Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio gives thanks for the life and ministry of its ninth bishop diocesan, the Rt. Rev. Thomas E. Breidenthal, who died May 14 surrounded by his family. He was 75. Elected bishop in 2006 and consecrated the following year, Breidenthal served the Diocese of Southern Ohio until his retirement in 2020. A theologian, teacher and pastor, he was known for his intellectual depth, his commitment to formation and his care for the people of the diocese. He was a leader in the wider Episcopal Church, notably for his support and leadership in the blessing of same-sex unions, including overturning a diocesan ban in 2009. In 2015, he was nominated for election as presiding bishop. Breidenthal advanced the church’s ongoing work of racial reconciliation through Beloved Community, commissioning a Task Force on Racial Reparations in 2020 that continues today as the Commission for Reparative Justice. He was a gifted teacher and writer, and the author of “Christian Households: The Sanctification of Nearness” and “Sacred Unions: A New Guide to Lifelong Commitment.” Before becoming bishop, Breidenthal attended Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, going on to earn his bachelor’s degree from Portland (Oregon) State University and his master’s degree in English literature from the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. He received his M.Div. from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, California, in 1981. He was ordained to the diaconate and priesthood in the Diocese of Oregon in 1981 and 1982, respectively, going on to serve congregations and an Episcopal school in Oregon; Oxford, England; and New York. He was an Episcopal Church Foundation Fellow at Oxford University, where he earned a Doctor of Philosophy in theology. From 1992 to 2001, he served as the John Henry Hobart Professor of Christian Ethics and Moral Theology at The General Theological Seminary in New York City, later serving as dean of religious life and of the chapel at Princeton University. Breidenthal is survived by his wife, Margaret, whom he married in 1984, as well as their two daughters, Magdalene and Lucy, and their families and friends. “Tom Breidenthal’s ministry in this diocese was marked by wisdom and theological commitment,” Southern Ohio Bishop Kristin Uffelman White said. “He challenged people throughout the diocese to think more deeply, to love more fully, and to follow Christ more faithfully — a witness to the transformational power of life in Jesus Christ. I am deeply grateful for his life and witness and for the care he shared with me, personally. I join with people across this diocese and the wider Church in commending him to God’s eternal care.” The diocese will share information about plans for his funeral as soon as it is available. Breidenthal requested that gifts in his memory be made to the Diocese of Southern Ohio’s Beloved Community ministries. Gifts marked in memory of the bishop may be mailed to The Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio, 412 Sycamore St., Cincinnati, OH 45202. An online giving portal is pending, and the notice on the diocese’s website will be updated once it’s available. Condolences may be sent to the family c/o The Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio, 412 Sycamore St., Cincinnati, OH 45202.
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