The Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, encompassing the state of Rhode Island. It is one of seven New England dioceses that make up Province 1.
The former episcopal seat of the diocese, the Cathedral of St. John is at 271 North Main Street in the see city of Providence. It has subsequently been closed. The bishop is the Right Reverend W. Nicholas Knisely, the thirteenth office holder.
The diocese reported 17,618 members in 2015 and 12,781 members in 2023; no membership statistics were reported nationally in 2024 parochial reports. Plate and pledge income reported for the 52 congregations in 2024 was $9,171,215. Average Sunday attendance (ASA) in 2024 was 3,171 persons. This was a relative decrease from ASA of 4,889 persons reported in 2015.
History 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).Register of the Records of the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island at the University of Rhode Island 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.
Bishops of Rhode Island
These are the bishops who have served the Diocese of Rhode Island:The Episcopal Church Annual. Morehouse Publishing: New York, NY (2005)
Samuel Seabury (1790–1796) Edward Bass (1798–1803) Alexander Viets Griswold (1811–1843) John P. K. Henshaw (1843–1852) Thomas March Clark (1854–1903)* William N. McVickar, Coadjutor Bishop (1898–1903) William N. McVickar (1903–1910) James DeWolf Perry (1911–1946)* Granville G. Bennett, Suffragan Bishop (elected 1939) Granville G. Bennett (1946–1954)* John S. Higgins, Coadjutor Bishop (1953–1955) John Seville Higgins (1955–1972)* Frederick H. Belden, Coadjutor Bishop (1971–1972) Frederick H. Belden (1972–1979) George N. Hunt, III (1980–1994) Geralyn Wolf (1996–2012) W. Nicholas Knisely (2012–present)
Churches of Rhode Island Bristol County
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
Kent County 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
Newport County 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
Providence County
St. George's Episcopal Church, Central Falls St. David's on-the-Hill Episcopal Church, Cranston Church of the Transfiguration , 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
Washington County 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)
See also Historical list of bishops of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America
Notes
External links 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