Keith Ackerman

Keith Lynn Ackerman (born August 3, 1946) is an American Anglican bishop.

Consecrated as a bishop for the Diocese of Quincy in the Episcopal Church, he is currently bishop vicar of the Anglican Diocese of Quincy of the Anglican Church in North America and assisting bishop of the Diocese of Fort Worth.

Ackerman lives in Keller, Texas.

He has worked part-time as a therapist, assists the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, and served as Bishop in Residence at St. Timothy's Church in Fort Worth until September, 2021.

Ackerman was born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, on August 3, 1946, to Raymond Levan Ackerman (1909 - 1985), a first generation Swede, and Alberta Melba Pritchard (1912 - 2001), a first generation immigrant of Welsh and English descent.

His sisters, Adrienne Ann and Rae Levan died prior to his birth.

He has a brother, Jay, who was born in 1953.

Ackerman attended Centennial Elementary School, George Washington School, and graduated from McKeesport Area High School in 1964.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Marymount College in Salina, Kansas, in 1971 while working at the St. Francis Boys Home in nearby Ellsworth.

He also completed graduate studies in psychology under the supervision of Ronald C. Force of Salina, Kansas.

Before becoming a bishop, Ackerman was a curate at the Church of the Transfiguration in Freeport, Long Island, New York (1974–76), then as rector of St. Mary's Church in Charleroi, Pennsylvania (1976-1989), and then as rector of St. Mark's Church in Arlington, Texas (1989 - 1994).

He later received his Master of Divinity degree from Nashotah House seminary in 1974 and a Doctor of Divinity from the same institution in 1994.

His additional studies are in the areas of psychology, languages, liturgy and ecclesiastical architecture.

Ackerman was ordained as a deacon in 1974 at the Chapel of St. Mary the Virgin at Nashotah House in Wisconsin and to the priesthood the same year in Freeport, Long Island, by Bishop William Davidson of the Diocese of Western Kansas.

He served as a curate at the Church of the Transfiguration in Freeport, New York, and worked at the parochial school as an instructor, coach and counselor from 1974 to 1976.

While in Long Island he did additional studies in chemical addiction and worked as a therapist.

In 1976 he was called to be rector of St. Mary's Church, Charleroi, Pennsylvania, in the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh.

As rector in Charleroi, Ackerman served as president of the Charleroi Clergy Association and founded St. Elizabeth Chapel in nearby Bentleyville.

In 1983 he was awarded the "Excellence in Pastoral Care" award by the Bishop of Pittsburgh.

He established five outreach ministries and a Christian counseling service for the unemployed and also received the Ecumenical Award from Christian Associates of Southwest Pennsylvania in 1984 for his mediation in a labor dispute between union members and management at a local steel-related business.

He was active in diocesan life, serving as president of the standing committee and as deputy to General Convention.

He was also an active educator, teaching in several institutions including Chichester Theological College in Chichester, England, and Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.

He was also noted for media involvement and worked as a substitute host on several radio and television shows.

He was a guest lecturer at the Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge.

In 1987 he was named "Father of the Year" by the Mon Valley Independent newspaper.

He was also a recipient in 1988 of the Bishop of Pittsburgh's award for extraordinary service to the church.

Much of his ministry work was directed at assisting the unemployed and otherwise advancing the interests of local workers.

In 1989, Ackerman was called to be rector of St. Mark's Church in Arlington, Texas, in the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth.

While there, he served as president of the local ministerial association and was presented the "Minister of the Year" award.

He also served as a member of several diocesan committees, including president of the standing committee.

He served from 1992 until 2020 as a Member of the Board of Trustees (Directors) of Nashotah House, serving for 10 years as Vice-Chairman of the Board.

Ackerman was elected as the eighth Bishop of Quincy on January 8, 1994.

He was consecrated as a bishop on June 29, 1994, at St. Paul's Cathedral in the see city of Peoria, Illinois.

He was noted as a baseball pitcher there, and in 2005 he was inducted into the McKesport High School Hall of Fame.

He attended Pennsylvania State University and the University of Pittsburgh while working full-time for the United States Steel Corporation - Duquesne Works.

He retired as Bishop of Quincy on November 1, 2008.

He served as vicar of St. Timothy Church in Fort Worth from 2011 until 2021.

He has served as an Adjunct Professor and Visiting Lecturer at the Reformed Episcopal Seminary since 2011 and as an Adjunct to Cranmer House Seminary in Dallas Texas.

On May 30, 2020, he was awarded a Doctor of Divinity Degree by Reformed Episcopal Seminary in Blue Bell Pennsylvania.

In 2020 he was named an Honorary Trustee.