Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Title
Date(s)
- 1962-2008 (Creation)
Extent
8.6 cu.ft. (12 boxes)
Name of creator
Biographical history
Born in Reigate, England in 1927 and educated at Oxford, Nigel Renton (sometimes known as Nigel Auld Lindsey Renton) emerged as a prominent lay leader in The Episcopal Church after settling in California in 1957.
Renton began his church service in the 1960s and 1970s as vestry member and Senior Warden at All Souls and Saint Mark’s in Berkeley. He soon moved into national church politics, first elected as alternate lay deputy to the 1982 General Convention and seated as a full deputy in 1985. From 1987 to 2006 he was a prominent presence in the House of Deputies, co-chairing the California deputation and earning the nickname “the Terminator” for his skill in closing debate. Between conventions, he served as a deputy to the Synod of Province VIII and, as Treasurer from 1994–1997, sat on its Executive Committee and Provincial Council.
In the Diocese of California, Renton simultaneously served as a Diocesan Convention delegate and as President of the Diocesan Council (1981-1983). He was elected to the Standing Committee for a four year term in 1990 and served as President from 1993-1994. He was appointed chair of the Diocesan Resolutions Committee in 1990, and served in that capacity until his election as Secretary of the Diocesan Convention in 1994. He filled that office from 1994-2006.
Renton’s church work centered on his passion for liturgy and the expanded role of lay participation in worship. As Chair of St. Mark’s Worship Committee, he emphasized that “liturgy is the work of the people.” For nearly three decades he shaped Episcopal services through roles on the Diocesan Liturgical Renewal Commission, the General Convention’s Legislative Committee on Prayer Book, Liturgy and Music (1991), the Associated Parishes for Liturgy and Mission, and the Association of Diocesan Liturgy and Music Commissions, which named him “Person of the Year” in 1990. He also wrote widely on worship for The Living Church, Pacific Church News, and other publications.
Nigel Renton died on January 10, 2021 in Berkeley, California.
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
The papers of Nigel Renton document his longstanding commitment to Episcopal liturgical revision and governance. Significant materials include records of his service as a deputy to General Convention (1982–2006), and his involvement with the Standing Liturgical Commission, the Associated Parishes for Liturgy and Mission, and the Association of Diocesan Liturgy and Music Commissions. Additional documentation reflects his formative work in liturgical experimentation at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Berkeley, and his writings for The Pacific Church News and Open. Together, the collection offers rare insight into the role of lay leadership in shaping Episcopal liturgy in the late twentieth century.
System of arrangement
General Convention, 1975-2006
Province VIII (Province of the Pacific), 1983-1997
Diocese of California, 1967-2006
California Parishes, 1962-2006
Associated Parishes for Liturgy and Mission Council, 1982-2007
Association of Diocesan Liturgy and Music Commissions (also known as Transforming Common Worship), 1980-2001
Church Divinity School of the Pacific, 1985-2008
Episcopal Church Foundation, 1974-1991
Church Pension Fund, 1988-2002
Correspondence, 1973-2005
Creative Work, 1984-2002
Fellowships in Theological Education, 1985-1993
Resource Files, 1975-1999
Printed Materials, 1964, 1972-1997
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
Access to Episcopal Church records is governed by the Archives Public Access Policy. Research requests must be submitted in writing.
Technical access
Conditions governing reproduction
The Archives is able to respond to limited requests for reproductions subject to copyright restrictions, internal policy, and the condition of the source documents.
Languages of the material
- English