HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina is a diocese of the Episcopal Church within Province IV that encompasses central North Carolina. Founded in 1817, the modern boundaries of the diocese roughly corresponds to the portion of North Carolina between
I-77 Interstate 77 (I-77) is a north–south Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. It traverses diverse terrain, from the mountainous state of West Virginia to the rolling farmlands of North Carolina and Ohio. It largely supplants the ...
in the west and I-95 in the east, including the most populous area of the state. Raleigh, Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and Durham are the largest cities in the diocese. The diocese originally covered the entirety of the state, until the
Diocese of East Carolina The Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States that covers most of eastern North Carolina. The diocese was formed from the existing Diocese of North Carolina on October 9, 1883, by action of th ...
which stretches to the Atlantic was formed in 1883, and the Diocese of Western North Carolina which lies to the west extending into the Appalachian Mountains was formed in 1922.


About the Diocese

The diocese has no cathedral, but its offices are located in the state capital of Raleigh. Representatives of the dioceses' 109 parishes meet annually at a diocesan convention in November. Between conventions, the diocese is administered by a Diocesan Council in conjunction with the diocesan staff who work under the bishop. The current diocesan bishop is
Samuel Sewall Rodman III Samuel Sewall Rodman III is an American Episcopal bishop. On March 4, 2017, he was elected as the 12th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, and was consecrated on July 15, 2017, by his predecessor, Presiding Bishop Michael Bruce Cu ...
. He was consecrated bishop on July 15, 2017, as the twelfth bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina, after the election of his predecessor, Michael Bruce Curry, as Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. The bishop
suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdictiona ...
of the diocese is Anne Hodges-Copple, who will retire in December 2022. The assistant bishop of the diocese is
Jennifer Brooke-Davidson Jennifer Brooke-Davidson (born June 29, 1960) is an American prelate of the Episcopal Church who is currently the Assistant Bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. Early life and education Jennifer Brooke was born on June 29, 1960 i ...
. Other bishops who have served the diocese since 1980 are the late Robert W. Estill (ninth bishop of the diocese), the late Robert C. Johnson (tenth bishop of the diocese), the late Frank Vest (suffragan bishop of the diocese who subsequently became bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia), the late
Huntington Williams, Jr. Huntington Williams Jr. (October 27, 1925 – January 28, 2013) was suffragan bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina from 1990 to 1996. Early life and education Williams was born on October 27, 1925, in Albany, New York, the son of H ...
(retired suffragan bishop), J. Gary Gloster (retired suffragan bishop), William Gregg (retired assistant bishop and previously the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Oregon), the late
Alfred C. Marble, Jr. Alfred Clark Marble Jr. (known as "Chip") (April 4, 1936 – March 30, 2017) was the Bishop of Mississippi from 1993 to 2003 and the Assisting Bishop of North Carolina between 2005 and 2013 in the Episcopal Church. Biography Marble was born on ...
(retired assisting bishop and previously the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi), and the late
Peter James Lee Peter James Lee (11 May 1938 - 2 July 2022) was an American bishop of the Episcopal Church. Ministry Lee, a former newspaper reporter, was ordained deacon in 1967 and priest in 1968. He served as deacon at St John's Cathedral in Jacksonvill ...
(formerly provisional bishop of the
Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina The Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States that covers most of eastern North Carolina. The diocese was formed from the existing Diocese of North Carolina on October 9, 1883, by action of th ...
and bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia). Congregations in the diocese vary from conservative to liberal and from low church to high church, but the diocese itself is generally considered moderate and is highly supportive of the Episcopal Church. Consisting of approximately 48,000 communicants, the diocese is the tenth-largest in the nation and has shown a 3% compound annual growth rate over the last ten years. The density of Episcopalians varies across the diocese but is highest in Wake County, the county of the state capital, Raleigh.


Programs and institutions

Principal programs of the diocese include campus ministries and social ministries: * Campus ministry (at
North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...
,
St. Augustine's University Saint Augustine's University is a private historically black Christian college in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was founded by Episcopal clergy in 1867 for the education of freed slaves A freedman or freedwoman is a formerly enslaved pers ...
,
Duke University Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist James ...
, Elon University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Wake Forest University, and
Davidson College Davidson College is a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. It was established in 1837 by the Concord Presbytery and named after Revolutionary War general William Lee Davidson, who was killed at the nearby Battle of Cowan†...
). In 2019, the diocesan programming extended to digital ministry with the launch of a smartphone app for young adults titled YEAH: Young Episcopal Adult Hu

* Social ministry, notably the
Episcopal Farmworkers Ministry Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese * Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United S ...
in Newton Grove, a joint venture with the Diocese of East Carolina. In a state with a growing
Latino population Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
, the diocese supports a Chartered Committee on Hispanic Ministry. The committee provides liturgical and pastoral resources, supports congregations' service and outreach among Latinas and Latinos, and advocates for immigration reform and other laws to protect the rights of migrant workers. The diocese no longer operates a camp and conference center, having sold its facility near Browns Summit, North Carolina to the State of North Carolina for use as
Haw River State Park Haw River State Park is a North Carolina state park in Guilford and Rockingham Counties, North Carolina in the United States. As one of the newest state parks in North Carolina, Haw River has limited recreational opportunities. Haw River Sta ...
."History." History , NC State Parks, www.ncparks.gov/haw-river-state-park/history. However, the diocese maintains an active youth program. The territory of the diocese includes independent schools with current or former diocesan affiliations including Trinity Episcopal School and Palisades Episcopal School in Charlotte, Canterbury School in Greensboro, and St. Mary's School and
Ravenscroft School Ravenscroft School is a coed independent school located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school enrolls students between PreKindergarten and 12th grade, and serves 1,239 students. The school has three divisions: Lower School, Middle School an ...
in Raleigh. Other major institutions affiliated with the diocese are Penick Village in Southern Pines, a retirement community; and Thompson Child and Family Focus in Charlotte, a youth services ministry.


Bishops


Notes


References


Further reading

* *


External links

*
Website of the Diocesan Committee on Hispanic Ministry
*
Journal of the Conventions of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of North Carolina
' a complete listing of diocesan conventions from 1817-1923, 1926-2003, 2010–12 {{DEFAULTSORT:North Carolina North Carolina Religious organizations established in 1817
Diocese of North Carolina The Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina is a diocese of the Episcopal Church within Province IV that encompasses central North Carolina. Founded in 1817, the modern boundaries of the diocese roughly corresponds to the portion of North Caroli ...
Anglican dioceses established in the 19th century 1817 establishments in North Carolina Province 4 of the Episcopal Church (United States)