Episcopal Diocese of San Diego

Last updated
Diocese of San Diego
Location
CountryUnited States
Ecclesiastical province Province VIII
Statistics
Congregations42 (2021)
Members10,919 (2021)
Information
Denomination Episcopal Church in the United States
RiteEpiscopal
Cathedral St. Paul's Cathedral
Current leadership
Bishop Susan Brown Snook
Map
ECUSA San Diego.png
Location of the Diocese of San Diego
Website
edsd.org Diocese website

The Episcopal Diocese of San Diego is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America with jurisdiction over San Diego County, Imperial County and part of Riverside County in California plus all of Yuma County in Arizona. It is in Province 8 and encompasses some 50 congregations. [1] It was created in 1973 by splitting off from the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. [2] Its cathedral, St. Paul's Cathedral, is in San Diego. [3] The diocesan offices are located in Ocean Beach at 2083 Sunset Cliffs Blvd., San Diego, CA 92107.

Contents

List of bishops

The bishops of San Diego have been: [4]

  1. Robert M. Wolterstorff, (elected December 7, 1973, consecrated March 30, 1974, retired 1982) [5]
  2. C. Brinkley Morton, (1982–1992)
  3. Gethin Benwil Hughes, (1992–2005)
  4. James Robert Mathes, (2005–2017)
  5. Katharine Jefferts Schori (Assisting), (2017-2019)
  6. Susan Brown Snook (2019–present)

History

The Episcopal Diocese of San Diego was founded in 1974, over 100 years after the first Episcopal service took place in the region. The area which makes up the Diocese stretches from Sun City to the Mexican border, from the Pacific Ocean to Yuma, Arizona. Until 1975, it was part of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles.

After Episcopal bishop William Ingraham Kip, a New Englander, was shipwrecked with his wife off the coast of Point Loma, he celebrated his first Eucharist in California at the courthouse in Old Town on Sunday, January 22, 1854.

A separate diocese was formed from the Diocese of Los Angeles and Robert Wolterstorff, formerly rector of St. James by-the-Sea in La Jolla, was consecrated as the first bishop of the Diocese of San Diego in 1974, ending his tenure in 1982. When formed the diocese then had 37 congregations and nearly 20,000 members.

In 1985 St. Paul's was named a cathedral. In 1983, Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh visited St. Paul's.

The Episcopal Diocese of San Diego today consists of 46 churches and over 20,000 members across San Diego County, Imperial County, southern Riverside County and Yuma County, Arizona. The San Diego diocese is a part of the greater Episcopal Church which has 110 dioceses in 16 nations and is a member province of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Departures of Members

Since 2003 nine churches experienced the departure of large numbers of their congregation over growing discontent with the theological liberalism of the Episcopal Church. Women's ordination and the ordination of openly gay, partnered bishops have been the lightning rod issues that encouraged these members to leave. [6] Some dissident groups attempted to retain control of their church buildings and property, [1] but in 2008, the California Court of Appeal ruled for the Diocese and upheld the authority of Mathes to dismiss parish vestry members and clergy who sought to take a parish out of The Episcopal Church. [7]

Same-Sex Marriages

The Episcopal Church provides "wide pastoral latitude" to individual bishops on the subject of blessing same sex couples. [8] In 2010, Mathes approved a policy by which individual parishes could, after a self study period, choose to recognize LGBT couples in a blessing service. [9] [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles</span> Archdiocese in California

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is an ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. The archdiocese’s cathedra is in Los Angeles, the archdiocese comprises the California counties of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura. The cathedral is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, and its present archbishop is José Horacio Gómez Velasco. With approximately five million professing members, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles is numerically the single largest diocese in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson</span> Diocese of the Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southwestern region of the United States. It is a suffragan see of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santa Fe. The diocese was recently led by its seventh bishop, Most Reverend Gerald Frederick Kicanas, who retired on October 3, 2017. Its current diocesan bishop is Most Rev. Edward Weisenburger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles</span> Diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States

The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles is a community of 48,874 Episcopalians in 147 congregations, 40 schools, and 18 major institutions, spanning all of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties, and part of Riverside County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. Jon Bruno</span> American episcopal bishop (1946–2021)

Joseph Jon Bruno was the sixth Episcopal Bishop of Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. He died on April 23, 2021, of natural causes.

St. Paul's Commons is the administrative and ministry hub of the six-county Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange</span> Latin Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction in California, USA

The Diocese of Orange is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church whose territory comprises the whole of Orange County, California, in the United States. It may sometimes be referred to as the Diocese of Orange in California, to avoid confusion with the historical Diocese of Orange in Orange, France, which was dissolved in 1801.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Episcopal Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast</span> Diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States

The Episcopal Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, part of Province 4. The diocese was created in 1970 from portions of the adjoining dioceses of Alabama and Florida.

The Anglican realignment is a movement among some Anglicans to align themselves under new or alternative oversight within or outside the Anglican Communion. This movement is primarily active in parts of the Episcopal Church in the United States and the Anglican Church of Canada. Two of the major events that contributed to the movement were the 2002 decision of the Diocese of New Westminster in Canada to authorise a rite of blessing for same-sex unions, and the nomination of two openly gay priests in 2003 to become bishops. Jeffrey John, an openly gay priest with a long-time partner, was appointed to be the next Bishop of Reading in the Church of England and the General Convention of the Episcopal Church ratified the election of Gene Robinson, an openly gay non-celibate man, as Bishop of New Hampshire. Jeffrey John ultimately declined the appointment due to pressure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande</span> Diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States

The Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande is the Episcopal Church's diocese in New Mexico and southwest Texas, the portion of the state west of the Pecos River, including the counties of El Paso, Reeves, Culberson, Jeff Davis, Brewster, Presidio, Terrell, Hudspeth and Pecos. The total area of the diocese is 153,394 square miles (397,290 km2). According to the 2006 parochial report, there are 57 active congregations within the diocese. The see is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the diocesan cathedral is the Cathedral Church of St. John.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana</span> Diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States

The Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana, originally called the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan City, is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America with jurisdiction over the northern one-third of Indiana. It is in Province 5 and its cathedral, the Cathedral of St. James, is in South Bend, as are the diocesan offices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Episcopal Diocese of Utah</span> Diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States

The Episcopal Diocese of Utah is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States, encompassing the state of Utah, less that part of the Four Corners region which is in the Navajoland Area Mission. It includes a small part of northern Arizona. In 1867, the Episcopal Church was the first Protestant church organized in Utah. The diocesan offices and cathedral, St. Mark's Cathedral, are in Salt Lake City. The current bishop is The Rt. Rev. Phyllis A. Spiegel, whose consecration took place on September 17, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming</span> Diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States

The Episcopal Church in Wyoming is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America with jurisdiction over the state of Wyoming, except for one congregation in western Wyoming which is included in the Episcopal Diocese of Idaho. It was established in 1887 and is in Province VI. Its cathedral, St Matthew's Episcopal Cathedral is in Laramie while the diocesan offices are in Casper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Episcopal Diocese of Alaska</span> Diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States

The Episcopal Diocese of Alaska is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America with jurisdiction over the state of Alaska. Established in 1895, it has the largest geographical reach of any diocese in the Episcopal Church, with approximately 6,000 members spread across 46 congregations. It is in Province 8. It has no cathedral and the diocesan offices are located in Fairbanks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Episcopal Diocese of Lexington</span> Diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States

The Episcopal Diocese of Lexington is the diocese of The Episcopal Church with jurisdiction over eastern Kentucky. It was created in 1895 from the Diocese of Kentucky which continues to have jurisdiction of the western portion of the state. The cathedral for the Diocese of Kentucky is located in Louisville. The Diocese of Lexington is in Province 4 and its cathedral, Christ Church Cathedral, is in Lexington, as are the diocesan offices. The diocesan office is called Mission House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Episcopal Diocese of Northern California</span> Diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States

The Episcopal Diocese of Northern California, created in 1910, is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America with jurisdiction over the northern part of California. It is in Province 8 and its cathedral, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, is in Sacramento, as are the diocesan offices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Episcopal Diocese of Kansas</span> Diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States

The Episcopal Diocese of Kansas, established in 1859, is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America with jurisdiction over eastern Kansas. It is in Province 7 and its cathedral, Grace Cathedral, is in Topeka, as are the diocesan offices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Paul's Cathedral (San Diego)</span> Church in California, United States

St. Paul's Cathedral is an Episcopal church located in the Bankers Hill district of the city of San Diego, California. It is the formal seat of the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego. It traces its origins to the first Protestant church in San Diego, founded in Old Town in 1853, although the building itself was only completed in 1951.

Don Adger Wimberly was chancellor of the University of the South in Sewanee from 1997 to 2003. He also served as Bishop of Lexington and then Bishop of Texas in The Episcopal Church.

The Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California and Hawaii, is a diocese of the Coptic Orthodox Church, which was founded in 1995. It is currently headed by Metropolitan Serapion the bishop of Los Angeles, and Metropolitan of Southern California and Hawaii.

Susan Brown Snook is the fifth bishop of the Diocese of San Diego in The Episcopal Church. Following her ordination as priest in 2003, she served several parishes in the Diocese of Arizona. In 2017, she became canon in the Diocese of Oklahoma for church growth and development. On June 15, 2019, she was consecrated and installed as bishop in St. Paul's Cathedral in San Diego, California. She is the first woman to lead the diocese, which includes 43 churches in Southern California and Arizona.

References

  1. 1 2 Davies, Matthew (April 9, 2009). "Fallbrook congregation to return to church on Easter". Worldwide Faith News. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  2. "Horizons & Heritage: Marking New Milestones". Diocesan History Project. Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  3. Episcopal Church Annual, 2006, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Morehouse Publishing, p. 342-343
  4. Episcopal Church Annual, 2006, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Morehouse Publishing, p. 342
  5. "Robert M. Wolterstorff, first bishop of San Diego, dies at 92". Episcopal News Service. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  6. Cadelago, Christopher (December 28, 2010). "Church walks away from Episcopal Diocese of S.D." San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  7. New v. Kroeger, Case no. D05112, http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/revpub/D051120.PDF
  8. "Liturgies for Blessings". 76th General Convention. Episcopal Church. Archived from the original on 17 August 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  9. McCaughan, Pat (July 20, 2010). "San Diego: Bishop outlines process for same-gender blessings". Episcopal News Service. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
  10. "The Episcopal Diocese of San Diego - For Congregationssermons - Same-Sex Marriages". www.edsd.org. Archived from the original on 2013-07-07.