Diocese of Mid-America (Reformed Episcopal Church)
Diocese of Mid-America (Reformed Episcopal Church)
The Diocese of Mid-America (DMA) is a diocese of the Reformed Episcopal Church (REC), a founding jurisdiction of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, it is among the largest and most geographically expansive dioceses in the REC, covering 27 states.[1] The diocese traces its origins to the founding of the REC in 1873 and to the subsequent formation of the Synod of Chicago under Bishop Charles Edward Cheney.
History
Synod of Chicago (1875–1995)
Following the founding of the Reformed Episcopal Church on December 2, 1873, the Rev. Charles Edward Cheney, rector of Christ Church, Chicago, was consecrated as the second Bishop of the Reformed Episcopal Church. Cheney had previously been deposed from the Protestant Episcopal Church in 1871 for deleting the word "regeneration" from the baptismal office, a cause célèbre in the evangelical Anglican movement.
The Synod of Chicago was formally organized in 1875 with Bishop Cheney as its first Bishop Ordinary. Cheney served in this capacity until his death in 1916, making his episcopate one of the longest in Anglican history in North America.[2] During his tenure, Cheney was a central figure in the REC's internal vestments controversy, defending the use of the surplice and episcopal robes as marks of authentic Episcopal identity against those who sought to abolish all vestments in favor of the plain black gown.
Bishop Samuel Fallows succeeded Cheney as Bishop of the Synod of Chicago from 1916 to 1922, also serving as Presiding Bishop of the REC. Following Fallows, the synod was administered by acting bishops under the Presiding Bishop until Bishop Frank V.C. Cloak was elected in 1931, serving until 1953. Subsequent bishops included Joseph E. Kearny, Howard D. Higgins, and Franklin Sellers, who served from 1974 until the synod's merger in 1996.
Special Jurisdiction of North America (1990–1996)
In 1984, Bishop Royal U. Grote, Jr. was elected Suffragan Bishop in the New York and Philadelphia Synod. As President of the Board of National Church Extension, Grote recognized the need for REC expansion west of the Mississippi River. At the 46th General Council (1990), the REC voted to establish the Special Jurisdiction of North America (SJNA), comprising all congregations not included in existing synods.
Grote was elected Missionary Bishop of the SJNA and relocated to Houston, Texas, where he planted the Church of the Holy Trinity and a daycare school. The jurisdiction grew rapidly from six parishes and four missions in 1990 to 33 parishes and missions by 1996. As the REC adopted diocesan terminology, the SJNA was redesignated the Missionary Diocese of North America (MDNA).
Formation of the Diocese of Mid-America (1995–present)
In 1995, with the approaching retirement of Bishop Franklin Sellers, the Synod of Chicago voted to merge with the Missionary Diocese of North America. The merged body was named the Diocese of Mid-America, with Bishop Grote elected as Bishop Ordinary. This merger united the oldest continuous REC jurisdiction (the Synod of Chicago, heir to Cheney's episcopate) with the newest missionary expansion body.
The 48th General Council (1996) endorsed the election of the Rev. Daniel R. Morse as Assistant Bishop, later elevated to Bishop Co-adjutor. In 2008, the REC restructured diocesan boundaries and formed the Diocese of the Central States from many DMA parishes; Bishop Morse was elected its first bishop.
The Diocese of Mid-America also gave rise to the Diocese of the West, initially under Bishop George Fincke. Following Fincke's stroke, the Diocese of the West returned to DMA oversight until it was reestablished through the affiliation of the Anglican Province of America's Diocese of the West under Bishop Richard Boyce. When Bishop Mott and a portion of that diocese voted to affiliate with the Missionary Diocese of All Saints, remaining parishes formed the Convocation of the West under DMA oversight. The Diocese of Western Canada & Alaska similarly joined the DMA upon Bishop Charles Dorrington's retirement.
Bishop Grote served as Bishop Ordinary until his death in November 2016. Bishop Co-adjutor Ray R. Sutton then assumed the office of Bishop Ordinary and continues to serve, also holding the office of Presiding Bishop of the Reformed Episcopal Church. At the 2017 Diocesan Synod, the Very Rev. Walter Banek was unanimously elected Suffragan Bishop, continuing to serve as rector of Good Shepherd Reformed Episcopal Church in Tyler, Texas.
Cranmer Theological House
In 1994, Bishop Grote and the Diocese of Mid-America founded Cranmer Theological House in Shreveport, Louisiana, as the third Reformed Episcopal seminary. The late Rev. Louis Tarsitano served as its first dean. Bishop Sutton relocated from Philadelphia to serve as dean from 1995 to 2002, during which time he was consecrated bishop (July 1999). Cranmer Theological House subsequently relocated to Houston, Texas, and has operated in the Dallas–Houston corridor under the deanship of the Very Rev. Curtis Crenshaw. The seminary provides biblical and Anglican theological formation, ordination training, and external courses nationally.
Mission and REC100
The Diocese of Mid-America has maintained an explicitly missionary identity since its founding as the Special Jurisdiction of North America. Bishops Grote and Sutton jointly developed REC100, a denominational mission and growth initiative for the Reformed Episcopal Church. Though Bishop Grote died before the initiative launched, REC100 continues as a legacy of his missionary vision.[3]
Bishops Ordinary and Missionary Bishops
| Bishop | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Charles Edward Cheney | 1875–1916 | First Bishop, Synod of Chicago; Second Bishop of the REC |
| Samuel Fallows | 1916–1922 | Also Presiding Bishop of the REC |
| Willard Brewing | 1922–1929 | Acting Bishop under Presiding Bishop |
| Robert L. Rudolph | 1922–1930 | As Presiding Bishop of the REC |
| Robert Westly Peach | 1930–1931 | As Presiding Bishop of the REC |
| Frank V.C. Cloak | 1931–1953 | |
| Joseph E. Kearny | 1953–1957 | As Presiding Bishop of the REC |
| Howard D. Higgins | 1957–1974 | As Presiding Bishop of the REC |
| Franklin Sellers | 1974–1996 | Also Presiding Bishop of the REC |
| Royal U. Grote, Jr. | 1990–2016 | Missionary Bishop 1990–1996; Bishop Ordinary 1996–2016 |
| Ray R. Sutton | 2016–present | Also Presiding Bishop of the REC |
Other Bishops of the Diocese
Walter Banek · Frank Brulc · Charles Camlin · William Culbertson · Charles Dorrington · George Fincke · Daniel R. Morse · Winn Mott · Gerald Schnackenburg · Sam Seamans
See Also
- Reformed Episcopal Church
- Anglican Church in North America
- Charles Edward Cheney
- Vestments Controversy (Reformed Episcopal Church)
- Cranmer Theological House
- Diocese of the Central States (REC)