The Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi, created in 1826,[1] is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America with jurisdiction over the entire state of Mississippi. It is located in Province 4 and its cathedral, St. Andrew's Cathedral, is located in Jackson, as are the diocesan offices.[2]
Diocese of Mississippi Diœcesis Mississippiensis Diócesis de Misisipi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| Territory | Mississippi |
| Ecclesiastical province | Province IV |
| Statistics | |
| Congregations | 82 (2021) |
| Members | 17,648 (2021) |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Episcopal Church |
| Established | May 17, 1826 |
| Cathedral | St Andrew's Cathedral |
| Language | English, Spanish |
| Current leadership | |
| Bishop | Dorothy Sanders Wells |
| Map | |
 Location of the Diocese of Mississippi | |
| Website | |
| www.dioms.org | |
Episcopalians in Mississippi have, since the mid-20th century, been by and large progressive in their views about race, culture, and other social issues affecting the state and nation; their views on economics and politics, though, are more mixed. The Episcopal Church in Mississippi has usually tolerated freedom of belief and differing types of ritual practice (e.g., Anglo-Catholicism in Biloxi and a liberal orientation in communities like Oxford and Starkville where colleges have significant presences). As such, the fallout from the ideological and theological conflicts that beset the Episcopal Church between the 1970s and 2000s (such as the Gene Robinson controversy) has not been large in comparison to other Southern dioceses (e.g., Tennessee, Fort Worth, South Carolina).
As of 2013 the Diocese of Mississippi had 18,741 members, down from 20,925 in 2003, a decline of approximately 10 percent.[3]
Current bishop
editThe Right Reverend Doctor Dorothy Sanders Wells was elected as the eleventh bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi on February 3, 2024. Wells served as bishop-elect from May 2, 2024, until her ordination and consecration as bishop diocesan on July 20, 2024.
List of bishops
editThe bishops of Mississippi have been:[4]
- William Mercer Green (1850–1887)
Hugh Miller Thompson, bishop coadjutor 1883 - Hugh Miller Thompson (1887–1902)
- Theodore D. Bratton (1903–1938)
William Mercer Green (grandson) bishop coadjutor 1919 - William Mercer Green (grandson) (1938–1942)
- Duncan Montgomery Gray, Sr. (1943–1966)
John M. Allin, bishop coadjutor 1961 - John M. Allin (1966–1974)
Duncan Montgomery Gray, Jr., bishop coadjutor 1974 - Duncan Montgomery Gray, Jr. (1974–1993)
Alfred C. Marble Jr., bishop coadjutor 1991 - Alfred C. Marble Jr. (1993–2003)
- Duncan Montgomery Gray III (2003–2015)
- Brian R. Seage (2015–2024)
- Dorothy Sanders Wells (2024 - present)
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ See "About Us", Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi website, http://www.dioms.org/digital_faith/dfcfiles/850520 Archived 2013-04-25 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Episcopal Church Annual, 2006, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Morehouse Publishing, p. 264-265
- ^ "Episcopal Church membership stats" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-06. Retrieved 2015-08-14.
- ^ Episcopal Church Annual, 2006, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Morehouse Publishing, p. 264