Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island

The diocese was founded in 1790 by two clergy and five members of the laity, representatives of the four charter churches of the diocese, King's Church in Providence (1722), Trinity Church in Newport (1698), St. Paul's in North Kingstown (1707), and St. Michael's in Bristol (1720).^[1] Without sufficient resources to support a bishop of their own, they elected Samuel Seabury, who was bishop of Connecticut, to hold the office of bishop of Rhode Island as well. Under Rhode Island's third bishop, Alexander Viets Griswold, the Episcopal Church in Rhode Island expanded from 200 communicants in four parishes to almost 2,000 in seventeen parishes. This growth continued under the next two bishops, John P. K. Henshaw and Thomas M. Clark, and this trend was supported by the immigration of many English Anglicans. By the end of the 19th century, the diocese had grown to 35 parishes.

In the first part of the 20th century, the Episcopal Church in Rhode Island focused on urban ministry with a focus on social concerns, led by Bishop William N. McVickar. The first deaconess was ordained in 1890, and from 1910 to 1914 the number of women serving in this position and ordained by Bishop James D. Perry had grown from one to seven. Under Perry and his successor, Gaylord G. Bennett, the number of parishes continued to grow.

From 1955 to 1972, the diocese was led by John Seville Higgins, who started campus ministries and a number of other missions. Bishop Frederick H. Belden led the church through the transitions occasioned by the ordination of women to the priesthood, ordaining Jo-Ann J. Drake to the transitional diaconate in 1977 and to the priesthood in 1978, (Patrica A. Smith, ordained deacon by Bishop Belden in 1976, continued her studies for the priesthood and was ordained in 1980) and adoption of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. Belden was succeeded by George Hunt, who served as bishop from 1980 to 1994. Hunt led a crusade for accountability by the state government on the issues of corruption, organized crime and gambling. He also insisted that the process for ordination in the diocese not discriminate against anyone on the basis of gender or sexual orientation. In 1996, Geralyn Wolf was consecrated, becoming one of the few women serving as a diocesan bishop.

There are a few parishes with a sizable percentage of African-American parishioners, and some congregations that have become the spiritual homes for people who have fled the civil war in Liberia. There is an active Spanish speaking congregation in Central Falls and another in Cranston. Most congregations make a point of openly welcoming gay and lesbian members.

 

These are the bishops who have served the Diocese of Rhode Island:^[2]

1. Samuel Seabury (1790–1796)
2. Edward Bass (1798–1803)
3. Alexander Viets Griswold (1811–1843)
4. John P. K. Henshaw (1843–1852)
5. Thomas March Clark (1854–1903)
   * William N. McVickar, Coadjutor Bishop (1898–1903)
6. William N. McVickar (1903–1910)
7. James DeWolf Perry (1911–1946)
   * Granville G. Bennett, Suffragan Bishop (elected 1939)
8. Granville G. Bennett (1946–1954)
   * John S. Higgins, Coadjutor Bishop (1953–1955)
9. John Seville Higgins (1955–1972)
   * Frederick H. Belden, Coadjutor Bishop (1971–1972)
10. Frederick H. Belden (1972–1979)
11. George N. Hunt, III (1980–1994)
12. Geralyn Wolf (1996–2012)
13. W. Nicholas Knisely (2012–present)

 

 

• St. John's Episcopal Church, Barrington
• St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Barrington
• St. Michael's Episcopal Church, Bristol
• St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Warren - closed May 2010

• Church of St. Andrew and St. Philip, Coventry
• St. Francis Episcopal Church, Coventry
• St. Matthias's Episcopal Church, Coventry
• St. Luke's Episcopal Church, East Greenwich
• St. Mark's, Warwick
• St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Warwick
• All Saints' Episcopal Church, Warwick
• St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, Warwick

• St. Matthew's Parish, Jamestown
• St. Andrew's-by-the-Sea, Compton
• Church of the Holy Cross (Middletown, Rhode Island)
• St. Columba's Chapel (Middletown, Rhode Island) homepage
• St. George's School, Middletown
• Emmanuel Church (Newport, Rhode Island) homepage
• St. George's Episcopal Church, Newport - closed circa 2010
• Trinity Church (Newport, Rhode Island) homepage
• Zabriskie Memorial Church of St. John the Evangelist Church, Newport
• St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Portsmouth
• St. Paul's, Portsmouth
• Holy Trinity Church, Tiverton

 

• St. George's Episcopal Church, Central Falls
• St. David's on-the-Hill Episcopal Church, Cranston
• Church of the Transfiguration Archived 2014-07-14 at the Wayback Machine, Edgewood
• Church of the Ascension, Cranston
• Trinity Church, Cranston
• Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Cumberland homepage
• St. John's Episcopal Church, Ashton (Cumberland)
• Church of Epiphany East Providence
• St. Mary's Episcopal Church, East Providence
• St. Thomas, Greenville
• Christ Church, Lincoln
• St. James, North Providence
• St. Alban's Episcopal Church, Centerdale (North Providence)
• Trinity Episcopal Church, North Scituate
• Calvary Episcopal Church, Pascoag
• St. Luke's, Pawtucket
• Church of the Advent, Pawtucket
• Good Shepherd, Pawtucket
• St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Pawtucket homepage
• St. Martin's, Pawtucket
• All Saints' Memorial Church, Providence
• St. Martin's Episcopal Church, Providence homepage
• Grace Church (Providence, Rhode Island)
• S. Stephen's Church, Providence homepage
• Cathedral of St. John, Providence (closed)
• Church of the Redeemer, Providence
• Church of the Messiah, Providence (closed)
• St. Peter's and St. Andrew's Church, Providence homepage
• St. Mark's, Riverside
• St. Michael & Grace, Rumford
• St. James's, Woonsocket

• St. Ann's by-the Sea Episcopal Church, Block island
• Church of the Holy Spirit, Charlestown
• Saint Elizabeth's, Hope Valley (Hopkinton)
• St. Augustine's Episcopal Church, Kingston
• St. Peter's by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, Narragansett
• St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Wickford, North Kingstown
• Chapel of St. John the Divine, Sauderstown
• Church of the Ascension, Wakefield
• Christ Church, Westerly
• St. Thomas's, Alton (Wood River Junction)

• List of Succession of Bishops for the Episcopal Church, USA

• Official Web site of the Diocese of Rhode Island
• Official Web site of the Episcopal Church
• Journal of the Annual Convention, Diocese of Rhode Island at the Online Books Page