The Rev. David Bishop is a life-long Episcopalian who grew up in the Diocese of Olympia. As a teenager, David was very active in diocesan youth conferences, as well as Camp Huston where he worked as a counselor and where many of his closest friendships were formed. As a result of this formation and these friendships, David has visited and worshiped with many congregations throughout the Diocese.
As a young adult, David traveled extensively – witnessing the fall of the Berlin Wall and including two years on tour with the international service and performing group Up With People.
David completed his undergraduate education at the University of Puget Sound, majoring in Communication (with a concentration in semiotics). His capstone project centered around how people communicate with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, in Washington D.C. He also holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Design and Technology (Sound Design) from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
After working for several years as a sound designer for theatre and video games, David began his career as an educator. For the past 25 years, he’s worked in many different roles – at both the K-12 and postsecondary levels – as a teacher, advisor, coach, administrator, and 12th Grade Dean. During the COVID-19 pandemic, David served as the Director of Counseling and Wellness and led the Suicide Prevention Team at a PreK-12 school, supporting students and families grappling with the massive surge in suicidal ideation and self-harm. He is currently the Director of Learning Innovation at Tacoma Community College, where he and his team focus their work on instructional design and support that centers on equity and accessibility.
David’s favorite “thin place” is his family’s beach cabin on the Washington coast – where he loves to retreat, gather with family, read, write, cook, and play on the beach with their miniature Australian Shepherd named Hudson.
David felt a call to ordained ministry from a very young age and was ordained to the diaconate in 2022. He has been assigned to St. Luke’s, Tacoma since his ordination and will always be deeply connected to that congregation. He is married to Amy Eldridge Bishop, an intermediate school counselor of 34 years. They have been married for 30 years and have one adult son, Andrew, who is a college student, studying archaeology and anthropology.
David is looking forward to working with congregations across the Diocese to grow the diaconate and explore ways in which our deacons can be instigators of the Jesus Movement in a Post-Christendom world.