Edmond Browning - Japan and Europe

Japan and Europe

In 1959, Browning and his wife moved to Okinawa and began what would become a 12 year span in Japan. He was priest-in-charge of All Souls Church, Okinawa, until 1963 when he and his wife went to Kobe to study at the Language School; they remained in Kobe until 1965. On returning to Okinawa, Bishop Browning served at St. Matthew's Church in Oruku until 1968. On January 5, 1968, Browning was consecrated the first Missionary Bishop of Okinawa.

He remained in that post until May 16, 1971, when he left Japan for Nice to assume the post of Bishop of the Convocation of American Churches in Europe. At the time of his appointment to the European See by Presiding Bishop John Hines, he was the first active, full-time bishop to be appointed to the post. Previously the position had been occupied by a retired Suffragan bishop. As bishop in Europe, Browning had jurisdiction over Episcopal churches in Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy and France. Browning oversaw the closing of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Trinity in Nice, in connection with the withdrawal of U.S. forces from France. The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, commonly known as the American Cathedral in Paris, had become the seat of the bishop-in-charge in 1922, but for various reasons, Browning chose not to move to Paris but lived in Wiesbaden, Germany.