| Jurisdiction: | Diocese |
| Central Pennsylvania | |
| Country: | United States |
| Province: | Province III |
| Bishop: | Audrey Scanlan |
| Cathedral: | St Stephen's Cathedral |
| Congregations: | 62 |
| Members: | 9,115 (2021) |
| Established: | November 29, 1904 |
| Website: | www.diocesecpa.org |
| Map: | ECUSA Central Pennsylvania.png |
The Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania is one of the dioceses of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.[1] [2] It was established in 1904 as the Diocese of Harrisburg, separating from the original Diocese of Central Pennsylvania now known as the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem.[3]
The seat of the bishop and home of the diocesan offices is St. Stephen's Episcopal Cathedral at 221 North Front Street in Downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
In 1871, the original Diocese of Central Pennsylvania was established. In 1904, the Diocese of Harrisburg split off from the old Diocese of Central Pennsylvania, leaving the remainder to rename itself the Diocese of Bethlehem in 1909. In the 1970s, the name of Central Pennsylvania was re-adopted by the Diocese of Harrisburg. In October 2022, the diocesan conventions of Central Pennsylvania and Bethlehem initiated the process for exploring reunification.[4]
In the 1880s, the first boys' choir in the diocese was established at Christ Church in Reading, Pennsylvania.[5]
From October 2006 until May 2014, Nathan D. Baxter was the bishop of the diocese. Following Baxter's retirement Robert Gepert was named as provisional bishop of the diocese. On 14 March 2015, Audrey Scanlan was elected to become the next bishop of the diocese, and was consecrated in September 2015.
| Bishop | Dates | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Mark Antony De Wolfe Howe | 1871-1891 (First Bishop of Central Pennsylvania, present day Diocese of Bethlehem) | |
| 2nd | Nelson Somerville Rulison | 1891-1897 (Second Bishop of Central Pennsylvania, present day Diocese of Bethlehem) | |
| 3rd | Ethelbert Talbot | 1898-1904 (Third Bishop of Central Pennsylvania, present day Diocese of Bethlehem) | |
| 4th | James Henry Darlington | 1905- 1930 (First Bishop of Harrisburg after diocese was created in 1904) | |
| 5th | Hunter Wyatt-Brown | 1931-1943 (Second Bishop of Harrisburg) | |
| 6th | J. Thomas Heistand[6] | 1943-1966 (Third Bishop of Harrisburg) | |
| 7th | 1966-1982 (Forth and Last Bishop of Harrisburg & First Bishop of Central Pennsylvania after name was changed in 1971) | ||
| 8th | Charlie F. McNutt [7] [8] | 1982- 1995 (Coadjutor Bishop 1980–1982) | |
| 9th | Michael W. Creighton [9] | 1996-2006 | |
| 10th | Nathan D. Baxter [10] | 2006-2014 | |
| 11th | 2015–present |