The Right Reverend John Clark Buchanan
Interim Bishop of the Diocese of Southern Virginia

The Right Reverend John Clark Buchanan is the Interim Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia, having been appointed September 2006. He is the former Bishop of the Diocese of West Missouri (1989 - 2000). In retirement, he has continues to serve the Church in various capacities. He was the Assisting Bishop of Texas from 2004 - 2006 and the Bishop-in-Residence at St. Michael's Episcopal Church, Charleston, SC, from 2000 - 2004. Bishop Buchanan's parish experience from 1969 to 1989 included St. Barnabas' Church, Dillon, St. Matthew's Church, Darlington, and St. Andrew's Church, Mount Pleasant, in his native South Carolina. Bishop Buchanan is a graduate of the University of South Carolina (B.A., 1958 and J.D., 1960), the General Theological Seminary in New York (M.Div., 1969 and D.D., 1989), and the McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago (D.Min. 1975). Prior to his ordained ministry, he was a lawyer in private practice and in the insurance industry. Currently, he serves the wider church as the Parliamentarian for the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church. His board memberships include the Episcopal Evangelical Society and The Anglican Digest. The Bishop is married to the former Peggy Brown of Florence, SC., and they maintain their permanent home in Mt. Pleasant, SC. The Buchanans have two adult daughters-Mary Ryan Buchanan and Margaret Buchanan Bryant. The latter and her husband Tommy are the parents of their two grandchildren-John and Mary Ella.