Custodian of the Standard Book of Common Prayer

The Custodian of the Standard Book of Common Prayer is a canonical office in some Anglican churches, including the Anglican Church of Canada and The Episcopal Church, responsible for maintaining official texts of the Book of Common Prayer.

Custodians in Canada

• William James Armitage (February 6, 1860 – 1929)

Custodians in the United States

The office was established in 1892 by the General Convention, when the First Standard Book was also adopted.^[1]

1. Benjamin Isaac Haight, 1868–1879
2. Francis Harrison, 1880–1885
3. Samuel Hart, 1886–1917^[1]
4. Lucien Moore Robinson, 1917–1933^[1]
5. John Wallace Suter, 1934–1942^[1]
6. John Wallace Suter, Jr., 1942–1962^[2]
7. Charles Mortimer Guilbert, 1963-1998^[3]
8. Gregory Michael Howe, 2000-2015^[4]
9. Juan M. Cabrero-Oliver, 2015–2022^[5]
10. J. Neil Alexander, 2022–present^[6]

References

1. "Episcopal News Service: Press Release # 74189". The Archives of the Episcopal Church. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
2. "Suter, John Wallace, Jr". An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church. The Episcopal Church. He succeeded his father, John Wallace Suter, as Custodian of the Standard Book of Common Prayer.
3. "Obituary -- Charles Mortimer Guilbert". The Living Church. 216 (18). May 3, 1998. The Rev. Canon Charles Mortimer Guilbert, custodian of the Book of Common Prayer for 35 years...
4. "RIP: Gregory Michael Howe, eighth custodian of the Book of Common Prayer". Episcopal News Service. January 28, 2019.
5. "9th Custodian to Oversee BCP". The Living Church He succeeded his father, John Wallace Suter, as Custodian of the Standard Book of Common Prayer.The Rev. Juan M. Cabrero-Oliver will be the 9th custodian of the Book of Common Prayer. July 21, 2015.
6. Michael, Mark. "July 9, 2022". The Living Church. As one in a series of appointments to positions of churchwide service, the House of Bishops also appointed the Rt. Rev. Neil Alexander, former Bishop of Atlanta and dean and president of the School of Theology at Sewanee, as the Custodian of The Book of Common Prayer.