The Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky is a

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...

of the

Episcopal Church in the United States of America The Episcopal Church, based in the United States with additional dioceses elsewhere, is a member church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is divided into nine provinces. The presiding bishop o ...

, encompassing the western half of the state of

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

History

The first verifiable religious services in Kentucky were held on May 28, 1775 under an elm tree at Boonesboro by Rev. John Lythe. After the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, in 1795, an Episcopal chaplain offered prayers at the beginning of the new state's first legislative session, and while one diocesan historian (the diocese originally comprised all of Kentucky) estimated that half of all early emigrants were Episcopalian, the church did not follow them for decades. Between 1803 and 1806, Rev. Williams Kavanagh, formerly a Methodist deacon but ordained by Bishop

John Claggett John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, held services in a log building at

Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...

used by various Protestant faiths, before he moved to

Henderson Henderson may refer to: People *Henderson (surname), description of the surname, and a list of people with the surname *Clan Henderson, a Scottish clan Places Argentina *Henderson, Buenos Aires Australia *Henderson, Western Australia Canada *He ...

. Instead, revival meetings dominated, but in 1822 some organized themselves into Christ Church, Louisville. Between 1824 and 1829, the state only had one clergyman, Dr. Chapman in Lexington. The diocese of Kentucky was organized in 1829, 37 years after Kentucky became a state. The following year,

Benjamin Bosworth Smith Benjamin Bosworth Smith (June 13, 1794 – May 31, 1884) was an American Protestant Episcopal bishop, and the Presiding Bishop of his Church beginning in 1868. Early life Smith was born at Bristol, R. I., and lost his father when he was 5 years ...

arrived to become rector at Lexington's Christ Church, although he had previously declined the position. In 1832, he became the new diocese's first bishop. However, at the time, the entire state only had three parishes: Louisville, Lexington and Danville. Nonetheless, Rt. Rev. Smith served until 1884, and as a result of his longevity became the ninth presiding bishop in 1868, after which time he was permanently resident in New York (though he had been partly resident there since 1866), episcopal duties in the Diocese of Kentucky being allocated to an assistant bishop. However, the diocese was the subject of a schism related to a new prayerbook, with adherents of the older Protestant practices withdrawing under assistant bishop

George David Cummins George David Cummins (December 11, 1822 – June 26, 1876) was an American Anglican Bishop and founder of the Reformed Episcopal Church. Life and career He was born in Delaware on December 11, 1822. Cummins graduated from Dickinson College, ...

. During the episcopate of the second bishop,

Thomas Underwood Dudley Thomas Underwood Dudley (September 26, 1837 – January 22, 1904) was an American prelate who served as the second Bishop of Kentucky in The Episcopal Church. Early life and education Dudley was born in Richmond, Virginia on September 26, 1 ...

, the diocese was divided to form the Diocese of Kentucky covering the western half of the state and the Diocese of Lexington covering the eastern half. The establishment of the new diocese took effect in 1895, when Dudley, who continued as Bishop of Kentucky, took Christ Church Cathedral in

as the episcopal seat. In spite of its history of nearly 200 years, the Diocese has had only eight diocesan bishops, including Smith's immensely long episcopate of 52 years, which is thought to be the longest single episcopate in Anglican history. There are 35 parishes in the diocese, with about 8200 baptized members. A majority of the members live in the Louisville area, with the remainder scattered throughout southern and western Kentucky, primarily in communities with more than 10,000 residents. The Episcopal Theological Seminary in Kentucky, the fourth seminary of the Episcopal Church, was established in 1834. Among the diocese's other major institutions, All Saints Retreat and Conference Center was founded in 1957 on Rough River Lake in Grayson County. Edwin F. (Ted) Gulick Jr., was consecrated and installed as 7th Bishop of Kentucky on April 17, 1994. In October 2008, Gulick announced his retirement plans and called for the election of his successor. On June 5, 2010, Terry Allen White, Dean of

Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral is an Episcopal cathedral in the Quality Hill neighborhood of downtown Kansas City, Missouri, United States. It is the seat of the Episcopal Diocese of West Missouri. History Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral wa ...

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

, in the Diocese of West Missouri, was elected on the second ballot. His consecration as the 8th Bishop of Kentucky occurred on September 25, 2010. He was seated at Christ Church Cathedral on September 26, 2010.Episcopal Life Online item, January 25, 2010

Bishops of Kentucky

Suffragan and Assisting Bishops

, Assistant Bishop, 1866-1873

References

External links

Official Web site of the Diocese of KentuckyChrist Church Cathedral, Louisville, Kentucky
*
Journal of the Annual Convention, Diocese of Kentucky
' {{DEFAULTSORT:Kentucky

Episcopal Church in Kentucky Christianity in Louisville, Kentucky Religious organizations established in 1832 Anglican dioceses established in the 19th century 1832 establishments in Kentucky Religious organizations based in Louisville, Kentucky Province 4 of the Episcopal Church (United States)

History

Bishops of Kentucky

Suffragan and Assisting Bishops

See also

References

External links