The Rt. Rev. Dr. Marc Handley Andrus
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Marc Handley Andrus is the eighth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California. He was installed as bishop in 2006 — a position of oversight for a diocese comprised of 18,000 baptized members in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties, and the cities of Los Altos and part of Palo Alto. Prior to his election as Bishop of California, Andrus served as Bishop Suffragan in the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama.
Marc Handley Andrus was born on October 20, 1956, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to Mary Frances and Francis Andrus, and was raised in Kingston, Tennessee. He received his Bachelor of Science in Plant Science from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1979, and a Masters in Social Sciences from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg in 1982. After receiving his master’s degree, Andrus went to work as a regional planner for the Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission on Virginia’s Delmarva Peninsula.
In 1987, Bishop Andrus was awarded a Master of Divinity degree from the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia. After being ordained deacon on June 20, 1987, Andrus became senior associate at Church of the Redeemer in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. While at Church of the Redeemer, Andrus was ordained priest on April 25, 1988. In 1990, Andrus became Chaplain at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia, until 1997 when he became Rector of Emmanuel Church in Middleburg, Virginia. He remained rector of Emmanuel until his consecration as Bishop Suffragan for the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama on February 7, 2002.
As Bishop of California, Andrus’ leadership has focused on key issues related to peace and justice, including immigration reform, civil rights for LBGTQ+ persons, health care, and climate change. A leading Episcopal voice on the environment, he leads the Episcopal Church’s delegation to the annual UN Climate Conference (COP) and serves as Presiding Bishop Michael Bruce Curry’s representative to the Anglican Communion Environmental Network (ACEN). Bishop Andrus was the first faith leader to join the We Are Still In/America Is All In Leaders’ Circle, a diverse group of ambassadors for U.S. climate action.
Bishop Andrus serves on a number of boards of Bay Area organizations, including the Episcopal Impact Fund, the Episcopal School for Deacons, Episcopal Community Services, the Bishop’s Ranch, St. Dorothy’s Rest, and the American Bach Soloists. He also co-chaired a community coalition that paved the way for the rebuilding of St. Luke’s Hospital in San Francisco. He received his Ph.D. from the California Institute of Integral Studies in 2019.
Bishop Andrus is married to Sheila Andrus, Ph.D., former director of the Sparkman Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Public Health, and they have two adult daughters: Chloé and Pilar. Bishop Andrus is scheduled to retire in July 2024.