Episcopal Diocese of Newark

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Location of the Diocese of Newark

The Episcopal Diocese of Newark is a bishopric of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America , which consists of the northern third of the US state of New Jersey , more precisely around Bergen , Essex , Hudson , Morris , Passaic , Sussex and Warren counties, and a single parish in Union County . The bishopric is in Newark .

In 2006 the diocese had 27,600 members in 113 parishes .

history

Anglican services have been held in the area of ​​the diocese since 1695. By 1729 at the latest there was an Anglican congregation in Newark, and in 1742 a church building, Trinity Church, was under construction there. Two other parishes that still exist today, namely Christ Church (1746), which is now in Belleville , and Christ Church in Newton (1774), were chartered by King George II and III. founded by England . Due to its close ties to the British state and the monarchy, the Church suffered some difficulties during the American Revolution , but when the first Bishop of New Jersey took office in 1815, there were 27 parishes in the state of New Jersey, a number that rose rapidly by 1832 85 grew.

The Diocese of Northern New Jersey was separated from the larger Diocese of New Jersey in 1874 . The newly formed northern diocese had 64 parishes and was responsible for running Christ Hospital in Jersey City . In 1886 the diocese was renamed from "Northern New Jersey" to "Newark". In 1903 there were more than a hundred parishes there, a number that rose to 153 by 1931 despite the Great Depression .

In June 1967 the region was shaken by the Newark Riots , which triggered the diocese's growing role as a catalyst for social change. The first national congress for "black empowerment" was held at Trinity Cathedral, and in 1969 Rev. Canon Dillard Robinson became the first Afro-American dean of an Episcopal cathedral. Bishop Leland Stark was an important part of the peace movement during the Vietnam War and a proponent of the ordination of women . His successor George Edward Rath made sure that two of the Philadelphia Eleven found employment in his diocese and advocated the revision of the Book of Common Prayer , which was introduced throughout the US Episcopal Church in 1979 during his tenure.

The next Bishop, John Shelby Spong, was and is very controversial. In addition to his position as an opponent of the war and a staunch supporter of women's ordination, Spong also worked to ensure that gays and lesbians as members of the clergy could be open, an attitude that brought him a lot of criticism and still causes a lot of resentment in the church today. Even after he retired, Spong still enjoys considerable success as a writer and public speaker. During Spong's tenure, the Oasis Commission was established as the first ministry of a diocese of LGBT people.

The episcopal see in Newark ( New Jersey ) forms part of the densely populated New York metropolitan area

Under the current bishop, John Palmer Croneberger , the diocese remains true to its line of radical inclusionism. Croneberger promoted the creation of a liturgy for same-sex blessing ceremonies , oversaw the diocese's massive response to the September 11, 2001 attacks , and restored ownership of Christ Hospital to the diocese.

Croneberger also established the post of a community development canon responsible for assisting parishes with the challenging task of future planning. For the past 30 years or so, the diocese has struggled to keep up with the growing population in the region. 23 parishes closed (compared to a 2% increase in the US as a whole) due to decreased attendance. One of the hurdles is the concentration of churches (many over 100 years old) in traditional settlement centers, which are not typical of the state's population growth. (That is, the churches are in problematic locations in urban areas where people are moving, rather than in the suburbs where potential parishioners will settle.) Many of the churches are within 5 miles of 15 other wards. Another diocesan commission, the Bethsaida Team, helps churches overcome problems that affect people with disabilities.

Between 2000 and 2004, member donations increased by 11.5%, while average attendance at Sunday services decreased by 11.8%.

On September 23, 2006, the diocese elected the Rev. Mark Beckwith , former Assistant Rector of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Morristown, New Jersey, to be its tenth bishop, who took office in January 2007.

List of Bishops of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark

Web links

Commons : Episcopal Diocese of Newark  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Footnotes

  1. ↑ a b For New Jersey diocese, picking bishop means facing rift by Tina Kelley / New York Times , August 6, 2006. Reprinted in The Detroit News on August 30, 2006.
  2. ↑ Christ Church