Keith Ackerman

Early life and education

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 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 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. 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, and liturgy.

Ordained ministry

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 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 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. 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.

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

Election and consecration as bishop

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 retired as Bishop of Quincy on November 1, 2008.

Post-retirement

Ackerman is currently serving as interim vicar of St. Timothy's Anglo-Catholic Church in Fort Worth, Texas. He also works part-time at City Square Ministries in Dallas as a pastoral counselor.

Ackerman was previously (until 2012) the President of Forward in Faith North America, a conservative Anglo-Catholic movement operating in a number of provinces of the Anglican Communion. Forward in Faith is known for its opposition to the ordination of women as well as to liberal Anglican views of homosexuality.

Ackerman resigned as superior-general of the American branch of the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament in 2010: "I have recently been informed by the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church that I am no longer a Bishop in the Episcopal Church, thus making me ineligible to be a member of or to serve as an officer of the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America." After joining the Anglican Church in North America, Ackerman had used the title Bishop Vicar at the Diocese of Quincy. His successor in that ACNA position is Juan Alberto Morales.

Ackerman serves as episcopal patron and member of the board of trustees of the North American branch of the Society of King Charles the Martyr.

Writings

Ackerman has been a prolific writer, penning weekly columns for the Bentleyville Courier (1979–1985) and the Benworth Times (1983–1985), a monthly column for the Arlington Daily News (1990–1994), and numerous articles for the The Harvest Plain (1994–present), the newspaper of the Diocese of Quincy. He has also written several books, including To God be the Glory, a book co-written with his wife, Joann, which was published in 2001.

Published books