The Episcopal Diocese of Eau Claire 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 northwestern third of

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. It is part of Province 5 (the upper

Midwest The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...

). The diocese comprises 20 interdependent congregations, mostly small and rural. The

see See or SEE may refer to: * Sight - seeing Arts, entertainment, and media * Music: ** ''See'' (album), studio album by rock band The Rascals *** "See", song by The Rascals, on the album ''See'' ** "See" (Tycho song), song by Tycho * Television * ...

and diocesan offices are in

Eau Claire, Wisconsin Eau Claire (; ) (French for "clear water") is a city mostly located in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin, of which it is the county seat, and with a small portion in Chippewa County, Wisconsin. It had a population of 69,421 in 2020, making it the stat ...

, with Christ Church Cathedral as the mother church. Christ Church in

La Crosse La Crosse is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, La Crosse County. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's populat ...

is the largest church in the diocese.

History

The roots of the Diocese of Eau Claire began in 1822 when the

Oneida Indians The Oneida people (autonym: Onʌyoteˀa·ká·, Onyota'a:ka, ''the People of the Upright Stone, or standing stone'', ''Thwahrù·nęʼ'' in Tuscarora) are a Native American tribe and First Nations band. They are one of the five founding nat ...

, removing from New York state, settled near Green Bay. The first annual council of the

Diocese of Wisconsin Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee, originally the Diocese of Wisconsin is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America located in the southern area of Wisconsin. It is in Province V (for the Midwest region). The Rt. Reverend ...

met in Milwaukee in 1847. In 1874, the

General Convention of the Episcopal Church The General Convention is the primary governing and legislative body of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. With the exception of the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Constitution and Canons, it is the ultimate authority ...

erected the Diocese of Fond du Lac from the Fond du Lac Deanery of the

. The remaining counties continued as the Diocese of Wisconsin until 1888, when it was renamed the Diocese of Milwaukee. Growth, time, and distance led to the erection of a third Wisconsin diocese. The Diocese of Eau Claire was created from counties of both the Diocese of Milwaukee and

Diocese of Fond du Lac The Diocese of Fond du Lac is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, encompassing the northeastern third of Wisconsin. The diocese contains about 3,800 baptized members worshiping in 33 locations. It is part of Province ...

in 1928. On October 22, 2011, the Diocese of Fond du Lac and the Diocese of Eau Claire voted to "junction" into one diocese. However, Russell Jacobus, Bishop of Fond du Lac, withheld consent because of the closeness and irregularities of the vote. In 2021 it was announced that the diocese of Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, and Milwaukee would contemplate entering an agreement of greater collaboration. With around 1,200 baptized members and most congregations having fewer than 80 members, Eau Claire is one of the Episcopal Church's smallest dioceses and the sustainability of its continued existence has been questioned. In October 2021 it was announced that the three diocese would be actively pursuing reuniting as one diocese in Wisconsin.

Bishops

On August 28, 2010, a special convention in the diocese elected Edwin M. Leidel, Jr. to be the bishop provisional. The diocese had been without a bishop since April 2008. On May 1, 2012 the diocesan bishop search committee announced it was accepting applications for the sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Eau Claire. On November 10, 2012,

William Jay Lambert III William Jay Lambert III (born October 2, 1948) is an American bishop of the Episcopal Church. He was the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Eau Claire based in the state of Wisconsin from March 2013 to December 2020. In October 2021 he became rector ...

was elected as the next bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Eau Claire. On March 16, 2013,

Katharine Jefferts Schori Katharine Jefferts Schori (born March 26, 1954) is the former Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church of the United States. Previously elected as the 9th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada, she was the first woman elected ...

presided over the consecration of William Jay Lambert III at Christ Church Cathedral, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, as the Sixth Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Eau Claire. Since Lambert's retirement on December 1, 2020, Matthew Alan Gunter has served as bishop provisional. Bishops who served the Diocese of Wisconsin: #

Jackson Kemper Jackson Kemper (December 24, 1789 – May 24, 1870) in 1835 became the first missionary bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Especially known for his work with Native American peoples, he also founded parishes in wha ...

(1847–1870) #

William Edmond Armitage William Edmond Armitage (September 6, 1830 – December 7, 1873) was a bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States. Born in New York City, Armitage graduated from Columbia College in 1849 and the General Theological Seminary in 1852. He ...

(1870–1873) # Edward Randolph Welles (1874–1888) Bishops who served the Diocese of Milwaukee, prior to creation of the Diocese of Eau Claire: #

Cyrus Frederick Knight Cyrus Frederick Knight (March 28, 1831 – June 8, 1891) was the fourth Bishop of Milwaukee from 1889 till 1891. Early life and education Cyrus Frederic Smith was born in Marblehead, Massachusetts on March 28, 1831, the son of Cyrus Smith and L ...

(1889-1891) #

Isaac Lea Nicholson Isaac Lea Nicholson (January 18, 1844 – October 29, 1906) was an American Episcopal prelate. He was the fifth Bishop of Milwaukee, serving from 1891 until his death. Early life and education Nicholson was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on Janu ...

(1891-1906) #

William Walter Webb William Walter Webb (November 20, 1857 – January 15, 1933), was the sixth Bishop of Milwaukee, from 1906 till 1933. Early life and education Webb was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, on November 20, 1857, the son of William Hewitt Webb and E ...

(1906-1933) Bishops who served the Diocese of Eau Claire: #

Frank Elmer Wilson Frank Elmer Wilson (May 21, 1885 – February 16, 1944) was an American bishop in the Episcopal Church. He was the first bishop of the Diocese of Eau Claire, serving from the creation of the diocese in 1928 until his death in 1944. Early life and ...

, First Bishop of Eau Claire, (1929-1944) #

William Wallace Horstick William Wallace Horstick (January 31, 1902 – May 27, 1973) was an American prelate of the Episcopal Church who served as the second Bishop of Eau Claire from 1944 till 1969. Biography Horstick was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on January 3 ...

, Second Bishop of Eau Claire, (June 29, 1944 - Resigned Dec 31, 1969) #

Stanley Hamilton Atkins Stanley Hamilton Atkins (March 8, 1912 – January 6, 1996) was an English prelate of the Episcopal Church, who served as the third Bishop Eau Claire, from 1970 till 1980. Early life and education Atkins was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England ...

, Third Bishop of Eau Claire, (1970-1980) # William C. Wantland, Fourth Bishop of Eau Claire, (1980-1999) # Keith B. Whitmore, Fifth Bishop of Eau Claire, (1999-2008)
* Edwin M. Leidel, Jr., Bishop Provisional of Eau Claire, (2010-2013) #

, Sixth Bishop (elected November 10, 2012, consecrated March 16, 2013 - December 1, 2020)Bishop Lambert
/ref>

Notes

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eau Claire 1928 establishments in Wisconsin Anglican dioceses established in the 20th century Eau Claire Episcopal Church in Wisconsin Organizations based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin Province 5 of the Episcopal Church (United States)