Ninth Bishop of Georgia (1995-2010)

(1938-2020)

The Rt. Rev. Henry I. Louttit, Jr.

Henry I. Louttit, Jr. was born in West Palm Beach, Florida on June 13, 1938. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of the South, he was married to Jayne Arledge Northway in 1962. Louttit was graduated from the Virginia Theological Seminary the following year. He was ordained as a transitional deacon in June 1963 and to the priesthood in April, 1964. He served first as the Vicar of Trinity Church in Statesboro, Georgia then as the rector of Christ Church Valdosta where he served from April 1, 1967 until his election to the episcopacy in 1995.

Bishop Louttit had long been interested in liturgical renewal and was involved in the creation of the Book of Common Prayer 1979. During his episcopacy, the Diocese of Georgia took renewed interest in planting new churches. He formed the new missions of St. Stephen’s, Leesburg; Church of the Holy Comforter, Martinez; King of Peace, Kingsland; St. Luke’s, Rincon, and the Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek, Waverly. He also worked with redeveloping the congregations of St. Luke’s, Hawkinsville and St. Patrick’s, Pooler.

Bishop Louttit served on the Board of Regents of the University of the South, chairing the Regent’s Committee on the School of Theology. He also served twice as president of the Georgia Christian Council (Ecumenical meeting place for the major churches in the state), and as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Virginia Theological Seminary. Henry Louttit’s father, the Rt. Rev. Henry I. Louttit, Sr., was the last bishop of the Diocese of South Florida before it was divided into three new dioceses.

Louttit was succeeded as Bishop of Georgia by Scott Anson Benhase. He died on December 31, 2020. His funeral was held at Christ Church in Savannah on December 29, 2021 with Bishop Frank Logue officiating and the Rev. Lonnie Lacy preaching. His remains were interred in a liturgy the next day at Christ Church in Valdosta.