Kirk Smith became Fifth Bishop of Arizona in 2004. The son of a Presbyterian minister, he grew up in New Jersey and Phoenix, Arizona. While earning his bachelor’s in history at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, Smith broke from his family tradition and was received into the Episcopal Church. He went on to earn his Ph.D. in medieval church history from Cornell University in 1976, having spent an academic year at Oxford University studying and writing his thesis. He then studied for holy orders at the Berkeley Seminary at Yale, became a deacon in 1979, and was ordained a priest in 1980, through the auspices of his home diocese of Arizona.

In 1991, after serving in two parishes in Connecticut, Smith moved with his wife and young family to St. James’ Church, Los Angeles, a large urban multicultural parish with a K-6 school. While at St. James’ Church, Smith taught Anglican history at the Episcopal Seminary at Claremont, served as Diocesan Ecumenical Officer, and was made an honorary Canon of the Cathedral of the Diocese of Los Angeles. Smith was remarried in 1996, to Laura Fisher Smith, a graphic designer. He received an honorary doctor of divinity degree in October 2005, from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale.

Bishop Smith has authored two books. In 2013, he and three fellow ecumenical bishops (Catholic, Lutheran and United Methodist) wrote “Bishops on the Border: Pastoral Responses to Immigration” about their common experiences with key immigration issues, especially those being played out in the state of Arizona. In 2016 he published “Augustine’s Relic: Lessons from the Oldest Book in England.”

Bishop Smith will celebrate Holy Communion at the 8am and 10am services on the 16th. On July 23, Holy Communion will be celebrated at the 8 a.m. service, followed by Morning Prayer at the 10 a.m. service. A social hour with refreshments follows the 10 a.m. services. At 9 a.m. on Tuesday, July 18 and Tuesday, July 25, Bishop Smith will lead a discussion group on the church porch. All Saints welcomes visitors of all faiths.

An organ concert by Sean Fleming, organist at St. Andrews, Newcastle, and dedication for the chapel’s new Allen Organ will be held on Sunday July 23 at 4 p.m. Reception to follow.

All Saints by-the-Sea is on Southport Island on All Saints Road about 2 miles on your left as you drive south on Route 238 (look for the Episcopal Church sign by the side of the road). Parking is available along Route 238, or if necessary, in the limited number of handicapped parking spaces off All Saints Road. A golf cart will ferry persons from the handicapped lot to the church steps. You may also come to church by private boat or by the tour boat Novelty, which leaves Boothbay Harbor from Pier 8 at 9 a.m. Novelty picks up passengers from the church dock at 11:40 a.m. for return to Boothbay Harbor. The very beautiful and simple wood chapel is open for quiet prayer and meditation during the week.