He then completed training for the priesthood at the Episcopal Theological Seminary in Cambridge, Massachusetts, earning a Bachelor of Divinity in 1933.
[2] Gosnell was ordained deacon in April 1933 and priest in November 1933 by Bishop Charles Fiske of Central New York.
During World War II, Gosnell enlisted as a Navy chaplain and served two years in the South Pacific.
[4] Gosnell was elected Coadjutor Bishop of West Texas at a Special Meeting of the Council convened at St Mark's Church on May 1, 1968.
He succeeded as diocesan bishop on December 31, 1968, and remain in office until his retirement on March 1, 1977.