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]
Diocese of Central Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| Ecclesiastical province | Province III |
| Statistics | |
| Congregations | 61 (2023) |
| Members | 8,322 (2023) |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Episcopal Church |
| Established | November 29, 1904 |
| Cathedral | St Stephen's Cathedral |
| Current leadership | |
| Bishop | Audrey Scanlan |
| Map | |
 Location of the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania | |
| Website | |
| www.diocesecpa.org | |
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.
History
editIn 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] On October 19, 2024, the conventions of the two dioceses both voted to unify as the Diocese of Susquehanna, effective January 1, 2026.[5]
In the 1880s, the first boys' choir in the diocese was established at Christ Church in Reading, Pennsylvania.[6]
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.[7]
In October 2024, the conventions of the Dioceses of Central Pennsylvania and Bethlehem approved an agreement to reunify, with the merged entity to be called the Episcopal Diocese of the Susquehanna effective January 1, 2026.[8]
List of Bishops
edit| 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[9] |
1943-1966 (Third Bishop of Harrisburg) |
| 7th | Dean T. Stevenson | 1966-1982 (Forth and Last Bishop of Harrisburg & First Bishop of Central Pennsylvania after name was changed in 1971) |
| 8th | Charlie F. McNutt [10][11] | 1982- 1995 (Coadjutor Bishop 1980–1982) |
| 9th | Michael W. Creighton [12] | 1996-2006 |
| 10th | Nathan D. Baxter [13] |
2006-2014 |
| 11th | Audrey Scanlan [14] | 2015–present |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Diocese of Central Pennsylvania: Episcopal Appointments by Bishops Howe and Rulison." Reading, Pennsylvania: The Daily Times and Dispatch, March 6, 1886, p. 3 (subscription required).
- ^ "Central Diocese of Pennsylvania." Reading, Pennsylvania: Reading Times and Dispatch, June 15, 1881, front page (subscription required).
- ^ Journal of the Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church, Diocese of Central Pennsylvania Wilkes-Barre, Pa; The E.S. Yordly Co. title page, p.50.
- ^ "Dioceses of Bethlehem and Central Pennsylvania explore merger | Anglican Ink © 2024". anglican.ink. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ "Conventions approve Reunification – The Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania". Retrieved 21 October 2024.
- ^ "Training Boy Choirs: The First Boy Choir in the Diocese of Pennsylvania." Reading, Pennsylvania: Reading Times, July 5, 1889, front page (subscription required).
- ^ "Central Pennsylvania diocese elects Audrey Cady Scanlan as bishop", Episcopal News Service, The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society, 15 March 2015, retrieved 1 January 2022
- ^ Anderson-Cripps, Lauren (22 October 2024). "Dioceses of Central Pa. & Bethlehem Approve Reunion". The Living Church. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ "'Retired Bishop Heistand Dies' (Episcopal News Service: Press Release # 79352)".
- ^ "'McNutt Consecrated in Central Pennsylvania' (Episcopal News Service: Press Release # 80404)".
- ^ "'Episcopal Diocese Invests Its New Bishop' (Episcopal News Service: Press Release # 82148)".
- ^ "'Bishop Consecrated in Central Pennsylvania' (The Living Church)".
- ^ "Central Pennsylvania: Baxter consecrated as 10th bishop". Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
- ^ "Central Pennsylvania diocese elects Audrey Cady Scanlan as bishop", Episcopal News Service, The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society, 15 March 2015, retrieved 1 January 2022