The Diocese of the Free State is a diocese in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. It was formerly known as the 'Diocese of Bloemfontein'.
History The first service North of the Orange River to be taken by an Anglican clergyman was conducted in 1850 by †Robert Gray, the first Bishop of Cape Town. In 1863, Edward Twells was consecrated the first Bishop of the Orange Free State and the Diocese was born. This new Diocese covered the area North of the Orange River, West of the Drakensberg and as far as the Zambezi River in the North.
The bishop arrived in Bloemfontein on 1 October 1863, with three priests and two teachers. George Mitchell was the first priest ordained in the Diocese, in 1865. The cathedral was completed and consecrated in 1866. The Brotherhood of St Augustine of Hippo was established in the diocese a year later with Canon Beckett and seven members. Together they built the first Anglican church in Thaba Nchu, completed in 1868. This pioneering community established the Church's work in Thaba Nchu and in places as far apart as Wepener and Harrismith and continued faithfully from their house at Modderpoort until their work was taken over by the Society of the Sacred Mission in 1902.
The first Diocesan Synod met in 1872 and a good foundation was laid for the organizational side of the Church's work. Two years later the need for Sisters for nursing, teaching and visiting was recognised and the Community of St Michael and All Angels was founded in Bloemfontein. Furthermore, the Transvaal became no longer the responsibility of Bloemfontein when the Anglican Diocese of Pretoria was formed in 1878. Then in 1891 the scope of the diocese again changed with the formation of the Anglican Diocese of Mashonaland.
In 1899, the year the Anglo Boer war broke out (Boer Wars), the diocesan bishop, Wale Hicks, died. Allan Webb resigned the See of Grahamstown and came back to look after his old diocese until a new bishop could be elected.
The first missionary conference was held in the Cathedral in 1904. Some years later, to aid the mission work of the church and oversight, the Anglican Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman was established in 1911. This was repeated again in 1950 with the formation of the Anglican Diocese of Lesotho (then, Basutoland) and in 1952, with the founding of the Anglican Diocese of Matabeleland. In 2003 the diocese changed its name to the Diocese of the Free State.
The seat of the diocese is in Bloemfontein in South Africa.
Archdeaconries The Free State Diocese is divided into eight archdeaconries. The biggest archdeaconry being Goldfields. The archdeaconries are : Bloemfontein Greater Bloemfontein Sasolburg Goldfields Maluti South West Free State Far Eastern Free State Kroonstad
Parishes The diocese has a total of 69 parishes which are : St Agatha in Bultfontein St Luke in Hennenman St Peter & St Paul in Hertzogville St Michael in Hoopstad Holy Cross in Odendaalsrus St Mary in Odendaalsrus St Barnabas in Theunissen St Mark in Ventersburg St Alban in Virginia St Matthew in Virginia Annunciation in Welkom St Matthias in Welkom St Peter & St Paul in Welkom Church of Grace in Welkom St Clement in Winburg St Paul in Arlington St Aidan in Bethlehem St Augustine in Bethlehem St John The Baptist in Harrismith Transfiguration in Harrismith Tsiame in Harrismith St Matthew in Paul Roux African Martyrs in Phuthaditjhaba Holy Cross in Reitz St Mark in Vrede Church of The Visitation in Warden St Bernard The Martyr in Witzieshoek St Andrew in Botshabelo St Anthony in Botshabelo St Mary the Virgin in Botshabelo St Matthew in Botshabelo St Thomas in Botshabelo St Augustine in Thaba Nchu St Lawrence in Thaba Nchu Cathedral of St. Andrew and St. Michaels in Bloemfontein Holy Cross in Bloemfontein St Margaret in Bloemfontein St Patrick in Bloemfontein St Peter in Bloemfontein St Philip in Bloemfontein St Clare in Bothaville St George in Kroonstad The Resurrection in Kroonstad St Joan in Viljoenskroon Holy Redeemer in Clocolan All Saints in Ficksburg St Paul in Ficksburg St Mark & St George in Senekal St James in Ladybrand St Mary & St Joseph in Ladybrand St Columba in Marquard Tweespruit Anglican Church in Tweespruit St Stephen in Hilbron St Edward in Parys St Mary in Parys St Michael & All Angels in Sasolburg St Peter in Sasolburg St John in Fauriesmith St James in Jagersfontein Good Shepherd in Koffiefontein St Mary in Luckhoff St Oswald in Philippolis St Savior in Springfontein St George in Trompsburg St Felicitas in Dewetsdorp St Paul in Rouxville St Peter in Smithfield St John in Wepener St Athanasius in Zastron
List of bishops Bishops of Bloemfontein From Until Incumbent Notes 1863 1869 Edward Twells Resigned among public allegations. 1870 1883 Allan Webb Translated to Grahamstown; later Dean of Salisbury. 1886 1891 George Knight-Bruce Translated to Mashonaland. 1892 1899 Wale Hicks Died in office. 1899 1902 sede vacante: Ranulph Vincent, Dean of Bloemfontein was vicar general. 1902 1920 Arthur Chandler Retired to the United Kingdom. 1921 1935 Walter Carey Resigned due to ill health and returned to the United Kingdom. 1935 1951 Arthur Howe-Browne 1951 1957 Cecil Alderson Translated from Damaraland; translated to Mashonaland. 1957 1967 Bill Burnett Translated to Grahamstown, then Cape Town. 1967 1982 Frederick Amoore 1982 1997 Thomas Stanage Previously Suffragan bishop in Johannesburg since 1978. 1997 2003 Patrick Glover Previously suffragan bishop in the diocese since 1994. Bishops of the Free State 2003 2012 Patrick Glover Retired to Knysna in the Diocese of George. 2013 Dintoe Letloenyane Current
Assistant bishops Stanley Haynes was an assistant bishop of the diocese; from his consecration as a bishop in October 1923. Thomas Stainton succeeded Haynes in 1941.
Coat of arms The diocese assumed arms shortly after its inception. They were formally granted by the College of Arms in 1951, and registered at the Bureau of Heraldry in 1992 : Azure, a saltire Argent surmounted of a flaming sword erect proper; the shield ensigned of a mitre proper.
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