Walter Dennis was born in Washington, D.C. and held degrees from Virginia State, New York University, and General Theological Seminary. Ordained a deacon in 1956, Dennis began his ministry the same year that the Brown v. the Board of Education case put an end to legal segregation. His first appointment that year was as curate at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City; he was the first Black clergyman on the Cathedral’s staff. Ordained to the priesthood in 1958, Dennis’s early work was marked by his commitment to youth ministry, which he used to create forums, bible schools, and conferences to bring white and Black students together for the first time. From 1956 to 1960, he assisted the Reverend Tollie Caution, Secretary of Negro Work, in developing a series of conferences on race relations.

In 1960, Dennis became the vicar of St. Cyprian’s Church in Hampton, Virginia, where he was responsible for the establishment of the first interracial team ministry south of Washington, D.C.. While serving at St. Cyprian’s, he opened the doors of the church to the Freedom Riders for civil rights. During that time he was also an adjunct professor of Constitutional Law and American History at Hampton University.

Dennis returned to St. John’s as a Canon Residentiary in 1965. While at the Cathedral, Dennis convened conferences to address topics including extremism and politics, homosexuality, racism, bio-medical ethics, abortion, abolition of the death penalty, legalization of marijuana, and divorce reform. At one of these conferences, Dennis brought together white southern rectors and Thurgood Marshall, who was later appointed the first Black justice of the United States Supreme Court.

Elected Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of New York in 1979, Dennis’ first focused on ministry development and the delineation of the ordination process. As bishop, Dennis became active in the national commissions of The Episcopal Church. He chaired the church’s Standing Commission on Constitution and Canons from 1982 to 1994, becoming known nationally for his writings on the issues facing General Convention. In 1985, he was elected to the board of the Episcopal Black Ministries Commission.

Dennis was one of the Episcopal lawyers and clergy who founded the Guild of St. Ives, created in 1966 to provide legal assistance to Episcopalians and examine legal matters of importance to the church. He was also a founding member of the Union of Black Episcopalians in 1968. Dennis was also active on the national board of Planned Parenthood, the Episcopal Society for Cultural and Racial Unity (ESCRU), the National Association for the Study for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, and the Society for Juvenile Justice.

In 1995, Dennis was elected vice president of Province II, and two years later he was appointed to the Standing Commission on Structure. He held the position of Bishop Suffragan until 1998.

Dennis’ personal papers are located at The Archives of the Episcopal Church.