He received his undergraduate education in English literature at the University of the South (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 1970), and his Master of Divinity from The General Theological Seminary (1973).
During his episcopate, the Alabama diocese was unusual in that it continued to grow in membership, unlike most of the rest of the Episcopal Church, and maintained a strong cohesiveness, with some exceptions, in the face of mounting controversies roiling the denomination over human sexuality and differing interpretations of the Christian faith.
On February 12, 2010, during his address at the 179th annual convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, Parsley announced his plan to retire as diocesan bishop.
He chaired the Standing Commission on Stewardship and Development from 1998 and the Church Pension Fund's Abundance Committee from 2001.
Parsley currently serves on the Board of The Ayres Center for Spiritual Development at St. Mary's, Sewanee.
[3] He has been married to the former Rebecca Knox Allison (Becky) since 1970 and they reside in Wilmington, North Carolina.
The younger Parsley and his wife work in management for the Broadway theatre, currently with the show Hamilton on tour.