About Bishop James Scott Mayer
James Scott Mayer
Fifth bishop of the Diocese of Northwest Texas
Number 1035 in American Sucession
At the Special Electing Convention held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Lubbock on November 22nd, 2008, the Rev. James Scott Mayer, Rector of the Church of the Heavenly Rest in Abilene, Texas, was elected the Fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Northwest Texas. Fr. Mayer was elected on the second ballot.
Bishop Mayer was consecrated on Saturday, March 21, 2009 at First United Methodist Church in Lubbock. The Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori, was the chief consecrator and was joined by Bishops from around the Church.
James Scott Mayer is a native and lifelong Texan, born in Dallas on September 23, 1955. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas Tech University in 1977 and a Masters of Divinity from Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest in 1992. Prior to Seminary, he was a salesman for a broker in the automotive aftermarket. Bishop Mayer was ordained Deacon in 1992 by Bishop Donis Patterson and Priest in 1993 by Bishop James Stanton, both in the Diocese of Dallas. He then served as Curate at St. James' Episcopal Church in Texarkana, before being called to Church of the Heavenly Rest in Abilene--first as Associate Rector in 1994, and then as Rector in 1995. His continuing education has included participation in the Clergy Leadership Project, a ministry of Trinity Church Wall Street, 2001 to 2004; a Spanish Immersion Program at Forrester Institute, San Jose, Costa Rica in 2002; and the Shalem Institute in 2006, among other programs.
In 2015 Bp. Mayer was called to be the Provisional Bishop of the Diocese of Ft. Worth, succeeding the Rt. Rev. Rayford High, retired. Bp. Mayer led the diocese as they dealt with lawsuits brought by the breakaway Diocese of Fort Worth. At General Convention 80 held in July 2022, the reunification of the Diocese of Fort Worth and the Diocese of Texas was made official, and Bishop Mayer was made Assisting Bishop in Texas. Effective at the end of the year, 2022 Bishop Mayer ended his episcopal oversight of the North Region.
Please see Bishop Mayer’s letter to the region HERE.
Please see Bishop Any Doyle’s letter to the Diocese of Texas HERE.
In response to a Search Committee question regarding practices and influences that shape his spiritual discipline, Bishop Mayer concluded; "...for me the Holy Eucharist is central. For centuries Christians of all sorts and conditions have gathered with all the company of heaven to eat a piece of bread and drink a sip of wine, testifying to a Reality within and beyond these simple material elements. As the early church theologians tell us, in this sacred meal 'we become what we receive.' This is God's vision, and I count it a gift and a privilege to be called through both baptism and ordination to proclaim it."
Watch Bishop Mayer's Consecration Below:
