Franklin Delton Turner (July 19, 1933 – December 31, 2013) was an American prelate of the Episcopal Church who served as the Suffragan Bishop of Pennsylvania from 1988 to 2000. He was the first African American to serve as a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Pennsylvania.
Early Life and Education
Turner was born in Norwood, North Carolina, on July 19, 1933, the son of James Turner and Dora Streeter. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and History from Livingstone College in 1956. He later graduated with a Bachelor of Sacred Theology from Berkeley Divinity School in 1965, also earning a Master of Divinity. Between 1961 and 1962, he studied social work courses at West Virginia University. He married Barbara Dickerson, with whom he had two daughters and a son.
Ordained Ministry
Turner was ordained to the diaconate in June 1965 by Leland Stark, the Bishop of Newark, and to the priesthood later that same year. He served as vicar of the Church of the Epiphany in Dallas, Texas, and in 1966 became rector of St. George's Church in Washington, D.C., a position he held until 1972. He also served as Staff Officer for Black Ministries and was the Founder and President of the Washington Episcopal Clergy Association. Turner was a member of the Board of Directors of the Kanuga Conference Center and a member of the Board of Trustees of Berkeley/Yale Divinity School. He was an advocate for the recruitment of Black leaders for ministry and founded the organization of Black Episcopal Seminarians.
Bishop
Turner was consecrated as Suffragan Bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania on October 7, 1988, at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul in Philadelphia by Presiding Bishop Edmond L. Browning. He served in this role until his retirement in 2000.
Death
Franklin D. Turner died on December 31, 2013, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the age of 80.
