Ecclesiastical provinces and dioceses of the Episcopal Church
The Episcopal Church is governed by a General Convention and consists of 99 dioceses in the United States proper, plus ten dioceses in other countries or outlying U.S. territories and the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, which is similar to a diocese.
Each is led by a bishop. A diocese includes all the congregations within its borders, which usually correspond to a state or a portion of a state. Some dioceses includes portions of more than one state. For example, the Diocese of Washington includes Washington, D.C. and part of Maryland.
Overview
| Province I Province II Province III | Province IV Province V Province VI | Province VII Province VIII Province IX |
The naming convention for the domestic dioceses, for the most part, is after the state in which they are located or a portion of that state (for example, Northern Michigan or West Texas).
Usually (though not always), in a state where there is more than one diocese, the area where the Episcopal Church (or Church of England before the American Revolution) started in that state is the diocese that bears the name of that state. For example, the Church of England's first outpost in what is now Georgia was in Savannah, hence the Diocese of Georgia is based in Savannah.
There are, however, many dioceses named for their see city or another city in the diocese. A few are named for a river, island, valley or other geographical feature. The list below includes the see city in parentheses if different from the name of the diocese or unclear from its name.
The see city usually has a cathedral, often the oldest parish in that city, but some dioceses do not have a cathedral. The dioceses of Iowa and Minnesota each have two cathedrals. Occasionally the diocesan offices and the cathedral are in separate cities.
Provinces
The dioceses are grouped into nine provinces, the first eight of which, for the most part, correspond to regions of the U.S. Province IX is composed of dioceses in Latin America. Province II and Province VIII also include dioceses outside of the U.S.
Unlike in many churches of the Anglican Communion, in which provinces are helmed by a primate or presiding bishop from the clergy, provinces of the ECUSA are led by lay executive directors or presidents. Decisions are made at each province's Synod of the Province, consisting of a House of Bishops and House of Deputies. Lay and clergy Deputies are elected, two from each diocese.
Provinces of the ECUSA are not to be confused with provinces of the Anglican Communion, as the ECUSA itself is one such province of the Communion.
Military Diocese
Dioceses no longer in existence
- Duluth reunited with Minnesota in 1943.
- Eastern Diocese comprised all of New England except Connecticut. By 1843, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Rhode Island had their own dioceses and the Eastern Diocese became Massachusetts[2]
- Quincy reunited with Chicago in 2013.[3]
- South Florida see Central Florida, Southeast Florida and Southwest Florida
- The Platte, renamed Laramie, Kearney, and Western Nebraska. In 1943 recombined with Nebraska
- Western Colorado reunited with Colorado in 1919.
Formerly missionary districts
The following were founded as missionary districts of the Episcopal Church but are now full, independent Provinces of the Anglican Communion.
- The Episcopal Church of the Philippines, established during the American Colonial Era of the Philippines
- The Anglican Province of Mexico
- The Anglican Church in Central America, formed from the missionary dioceses of Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama,
See also
- List of the Episcopal cathedrals of the United States
- List of Episcopal bishops of the United States
References
- ^ Episcopal Church in Micronesia homepage
- ^ The Episcopal Church Annual, 2004, Harrisburg: Morehouse Publishing, p. 246
- ^ "Chicago, Quincy Dioceses To Reunite on September 1". Episcopal Diocese of Chicago. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
External links
- Browse by Province — Provides a short description, map, and list of dioceses for each of the nine provinces.
- Cathedrals of California