The Rt. Rev. William E. Swing

Strategic Advisory Council Co-Chair; Founder and President Emeritus of URI; Former Episcopal Bishop of California

San Mateo, CA USA

Faith Community: Christian; Episcopalian

Bishop William E. Swing is the Founder and President Emeritus of URI. As the 7th Episcopal Bishop of California (1980‑2006), he led significant engagement in homeless and immigrant ministries, HIV/AIDS response, and inter‑religious outreach in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1993, at the invitation of the United Nations, he convened an inter‑faith service to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the UN Charter—an event that catalyzed the formation of URI.

In his role on the SAC, Bishop Swing offers a visionary anchor for URI’s values of inclusive spirituality, inter‑faith dialogue and peacebuilding. His global network, deep experience in faith‑community leadership and institutional founding provide wise counsel for scaling daily inter‑religious collaboration, ending religion‑related violence and strengthening cultures of justice, healing and ecological stewardship.

URI Stories of Impact

Reflections On My Trip to Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina

The Right Rev. William E. Swing, URI President and Founding Trustee, shares personal reflections from his trip to Sarajevo for the URI Global Leadership Conference.

Gulf Oil Spill

I recently went to a fund-raiser for the URI CC Interfaith Power and Light. The speaker was the eminent American biologist and author about the global environmental crisis, Dr. E.O. Wilson. It was a fascinating conversation and it got me to thinking about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. What are we saying to God in the face of this catastrophe?