Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta explained
The Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, with jurisdiction over middle and north Georgia. It is in Province IV of the Episcopal Church and its cathedral, the Cathedral of St. Philip, is in Atlanta, as are the diocesan offices.[1]
History
The Anglican presence in Georgia was established on February 12, 1733, with Christ Church in Savannah, Georgia. By 1841, the Diocese of Georgia had been established. In 1907 the diocesan convention unanimously voted to divide the diocese, forming the Diocese of Atlanta. In December 1907, the Diocese of Atlanta held its first convention at Christ Church in Macon, Georgia.
In 2007, the diocese celebrated its centennial, and published a history of the diocese: The Diocese of Atlanta: Centennial Celebration 1907–2007, which is available from the Cathedral of St. Philip Book Store, Atlanta, Georgia.
For much of its history, the Diocese has been one of the fastest-growing in the South, if not the country, due to the almost-geometric expansion of the population of metropolitan Atlanta. Although evangelical and high-church alternatives have always existed, most congregations generally hold to a Broad Church, moderate-to-liberal theology and middle-of-the-road worship, with some parishes priding themselves on their progressive stances. The Atlanta Diocese is thus considerably more liberal than many of the dioceses in the Fourth Province, since the area is home to a large population of highly educated, affluent professionals and white-collar employees, constituencies that have long been a mainstay of the Episcopal Church and that are not present in such large numbers elsewhere in the South.
On June 26, 2015, Bishop Wright announced that congregations within the Diocese could perform same-sex marriages.[2]
Bishops
The current bishop is Robert Christopher Wright, who was installed in October 2012. The immediate past bishop is J. Neil Alexander, who was installed in 2001. On January 25, 2006, he was nominated for election as Presiding Bishop, but he was defeated at the 2006 General Convention by Katharine Jefferts Schori.
List of bishops
| Bishops of Atlanta |
|---|
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|
| 1907 | 1917 | Cleland Kinloch Nelson | Translated from Georgia. |
| 1917 | 1942 | Henry J. Mikell | Henry Judah Mikell (– 1942) |
| 1942 | 1951 | John M. Walker | |
| 1952 | John B. Walthour | |
| 1953 | 1972 | Randolph R. Claiborne, Jr. | Previously suffragan bishop of Alabama. |
| 1967 | 1974 | Milton L. Wood, suffragan bishop | |
| 1972 | 1983 | Bennett J. Sims | |
| 1983 | 1988 | C. Judson Child, Jr. | Suffragan bishop since 1978. April 25, 1923, in North Bergen, New Jersey – 2004 |
| January 1, 1989 | 2000 | Frank Allan | Coadjutor bishop from February 7, 1987, to January 1, 1989. |
| 1995 | 2000 | Onell Soto, assistant bishop | Previously Bishop of Venezuela. |
| 2000 | 2001 | Robert Tharp, assisting bishop | Robert Gould "Bob" Tharp (October 25, 1928, Orlando, FL – May 30, 2003); previously Bishop of East Tennessee. |
| July 7, 2001 | October 2012 | J. Neil Alexander | |
| April 2008 | present | Keith Whitmore, assistant bishop | Keith Bernard Whitmore; previously Bishop of Eau Claire |
| October 2012 | present | Robert Christopher Wright | First African-American elected to the position in the diocese. | |
Parishes and missions
The Diocese of Atlanta has 10 convocations (also known as deaneries) divided into 94 parishes and more than 55,000 parishioners.
- Chattahoochee Valley Convocation
- St. Mary Magdalene Church, Columbus
- St. Thomas Church, Columbus
- Trinity Church, Columbus
- St. Nicholas' Church, Hamilton
- St. Mark's Church, LaGrange
- St. John's Church, West Point
- St. Thomas of Canterbury Church, Thomaston
- Zion Church, Talbotton
- East Atlanta Convocation
- Macon Convocation
- All Angels' Church, Eatonton
- St. Andrew's Church, Fort Valley
- St. Luke's Church, Fort Valley
- Christ Church, Macon
- St. Francis' Church, Macon
- St. Paul's Church, Macon
- St. Stephen's Church, Milledgeville
- St. Mary's Church, Montezuma
- St. Christopher's Church, Perry
- All Saints' Church, Warner Robins
- Marietta Convocation
- St. Aidan's Church, Alpharetta-Milton
- St. Clement's Church, Canton
- Church of the Holy Spirit, Cumming
- Church of the Holy Family, Jasper
- Christ Church, Kennesaw
- Church of the Annunciation, Marietta
- St. Catherine's Church, Marietta
- St. James' Church, Marietta
- St. Jude's Church, Marietta
- St. Peter & St. Paul's Church, Marietta
- St. Teresa's Church, Acworth
- St. Benedict's Church, Smyrna
- St. David's Church, Roswell
- Mid-Atlanta Convocation
- North Atlanta Convocation
- Emmaus House Community Center, Atlanta
- Holy Comforter Church, Atlanta
- Holy Innocents' Church, Atlanta
- St. Anne's Church, Atlanta
- St. Dunstan's Church, Atlanta
- St. Martin in the Fields Church, Atlanta
- Church of the Atonement, Sandy Springs
- Northeast Georgia Convocation
- St. Gregory the Great Church, Athens
- Emmanuel Church, Athens
- UGA Center, Athens
- St. Clare's Church, Blairsville
- Grace-Calvary Church, Clarkesville
- Church of the Resurrection, Sautee-Nacoochee
- St. Elizabeth's Church, Dahlonega
- Grace Church, Gainesville
- Church of the Redeemer, Greensboro
- St. Alban's Church, Monroe
- St. Matthias' Church, Toccoa
- St. Gabriel's Church, Oakwood
- Church of the Advent, Madison
- Church of the Mediator, Washington
- St. Andrew's Church, Hartwell
- St. Anthony's Church, Winder
- St. Alban's Church, Elberton
- St. James' Church, Clayton
- Northeast Metro Convocation
- St. Michael & All Angels' Church, Stone Mountain
- St. Mary & St. Martha of Bethany Church, Buford
- St. Matthew's Church, Snellville
- St. Patrick's Church, Dunwoody
- Christ Church, Norcross
- Christ the King, Lilburn
- St. Columba's Church, Johns Creek
- St. Edward's Church, Lawrenceville
- Northwest Georgia Convocation
- St. Timothy's Church, Calhoun
- St. Peter's Church, Rome
- Church of the Transfiguration, Rome
- St. Barnabas' Church, Trion
- Church of the Ascension, Cartersville
- St. James' Church, Cedartown
- St. Mark's Church, Dalton
- Southwest Atlanta Convocation
- St. Paul's Church, Newnan
- St. Margaret's Church, Carrollton
- St. Andrew's in the Pines, Peachtree City
- St. Augustine of Canterbury Church, Morrow
- St. John's Church, College Park
- Church of the Good Shepherd, Austell
- Church of the Nativity, Fayetteville
- St. George's Church, Griffin
- St. Joseph's Church, McDonough
- St. Julian's Church, Douglasville
Schools
- Children of Grace Preschool, Gainesville
- Emmanuel Episcopal Day School, Athens
- Holy Innocents' Episcopal School, Atlanta
- Redeemer Episcopal Academy, Eatonton
- St. Anne's Day School, Atlanta
- St. Benedict's Episcopal Day School, Smyrna
- St. Laurence Education Center, Acworth
- St. Mark's Kindergarten, LaGrange
- St. Martin's Episcopal School, Atlanta
- St. Matthew's Preschool, Snellville
College chaplaincies
- Absalom Jones Episcopal Student Center and Chapel, Atlanta
- Emory Episcopal Center, Atlanta
- Episcopal Center at Georgia Tech & GSU, Atlanta
- UGA Episcopal Center, Athens
- Canterbury Club of Kennesaw State University, a ministry of Christ Church, Kennesaw
- Canterbury Club of Northwest Georgia for Berry College, Shorter University and Georgia Highlands College
- Middle Georgia Campus Ministry for Wesleyan, Mercer, and Middle Georgia State University
Ministries
- Appleton Family Ministries, Macon
- Chattahoochee Valley Episcopal Ministry, Columbus
- Church of the Common Ground, Atlanta
- Church of the Holy Comforter, Atlanta
- Emmaus House, Atlanta
- Episcopal Community Foundation for Middle and North Georgia, Atlanta
- Mikell Camp and Conference Center, Toccoa
- New Hope House, Griffin
- Path To Shine, Smyrna
- Society of St. Anna the Prophet, Atlanta
- The Road - The Episcopal Service Corps of Atlanta
See also
References
External links
Notes and References
- Book: Episcopal Church Annual . 2006 . Morehouse Publishing . 134–135 . Harrisburg, PA, USA.
- Web site: Bishop Wright OKs Gay Marriage in Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta. AJC Latest News. jtharpe54. ajc.
