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Louie Crew Clay, a longtime advocate for the full inclusion of LGBTQ people in the Episcopal Church, died on November 27 at age 82 with his husband by his side, according to Eliza­beth Kaeton, a close friend.

Having earned a doctorate in En­glish, he taught at preparatory schools and universities in the United States, England, Hong Kong, and China. Most recently he taught at Rutgers University until his retirement in 2002. In 1974, he married Ernest Clay, though the marriage was not legally recognized until 2013.

Deon Johnson, an openly gay man, has been elected bishop of the Episcopal Dio­cese of Missouri. He will replace George Wayne Smith, who retires this spring after 18 years as bishop.

According to local press reports, John­son won the three-way election in a landslide—earning 113 of 164 delegate votes.

After the election, the husband and father of two spoke to the delegates by video, thanking them for the opportunity. “We are so looking forward to continuing this adventure that God has called us to with you and the amazing people who make up the diocese.”