Diocese of Atlanta Diœcesis Atlantensis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| Ecclesiastical province | Province IV |
| Statistics | |
| Congregations | 91 (2021) |
| Members | 45,161 (2021) |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Episcopal Church |
| Established | December 4, 1907 |
| Cathedral | St Philip's Cathedral |
| Language | English, Spanish |
| Current leadership | |
| Bishop | Robert Christopher Wright Keith Bernard Whitmore (Assistant Bishop) Don Wimberly (Assistant Bishop) |
| Map | |
 Location of the Diocese of Atlanta | |
| Website | |
| episcopalatlanta.org | |
The Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, with jurisdiction over middle and north Georgia. It is in Province IV of the Episcopal Church and its cathedral, the Cathedral of St. Philip, is in Atlanta, as are the diocesan offices.[1]
The Anglican presence in Georgia was established on February 12, 1733, with Christ Church in Savannah, Georgia. By 1841, the Diocese of Georgia had been established. In 1907 the diocesan convention unanimously voted to divide the diocese, forming the Diocese of Atlanta. In December 1907, the Diocese of Atlanta held its first convention at Christ Church in Macon, Georgia.
In 2007, the diocese celebrated its centennial, and published a history of the diocese: The Diocese of Atlanta: Centennial Celebration 1907–2007, which is available from the Cathedral of St. Philip Book Store, Atlanta, Georgia.
For much of its history, the Diocese has been one of the fastest-growing in the South, if not the country, due to the almost-geometric expansion of the population of metropolitan Atlanta. Although evangelical and high-church alternatives have always existed, most congregations generally hold to a Broad Church, moderate-to-liberal theology and middle-of-the-road worship, with some parishes priding themselves on their progressive stances. The Atlanta Diocese is thus considerably more liberal than many of the dioceses in the Fourth Province, since the area is home to a large population of highly educated, affluent professionals and white-collar employees, constituencies that have long been a mainstay of the Episcopal Church and that are not present in such large numbers elsewhere in the South.
On June 26, 2015, Bishop Wright announced that congregations within the Diocese could perform same-sex marriages.[2]
The current bishop is Robert Christopher Wright, who was installed in October 2012. The immediate past bishop is J. Neil Alexander, who was installed in 2001. On January 25, 2006, he was nominated for election as Presiding Bishop, but he was defeated at the 2006 General Convention by Katharine Jefferts Schori.
| Bishops of Atlanta | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes |
| 1907 | 1917 | Cleland Kinloch Nelson | Translated from Georgia. |
| 1917 | 1942 | Henry J. Mikell | Henry Judah Mikell (c. 1866 – 1942) |
| 1942 | 1951 | John M. Walker | |
| 1952 | John B. Walthour | ||
| 1953 | 1972 | Randolph R. Claiborne, Jr. | Previously suffragan bishop of Alabama. |
| 1967 | 1974 | Milton L. Wood, suffragan bishop | |
| 1972 | 1983 | Bennett J. Sims | |
| 1983 | 1988 | C. Judson Child, Jr. | Suffragan bishop since 1978. April 25, 1923, in North Bergen, New Jersey – 2004 |
| January 1, 1989 | 2000 | Frank Allan | Coadjutor bishop from February 7, 1987, to January 1, 1989. |
| 1995 | 2000 | Onell Soto, assistant bishop | Previously Bishop of Venezuela. |
| 2000 | 2001 | Robert Tharp, assisting bishop | Robert Gould "Bob" Tharp (October 25, 1928, Orlando, FL – May 30, 2003); previously Bishop of East Tennessee. |
| July 7, 2001 | October 2012 | J. Neil Alexander | |
| April 2008 | present | Keith Whitmore, assistant bishop | Keith Bernard Whitmore; previously Bishop of Eau Claire |
| October 2012 | present | Robert Christopher Wright | First African-American elected to the position in the diocese. |
The Diocese of Atlanta has 10 convocations (also known as deaneries) divided into 94 parishes and more than 55,000 parishioners.
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