Episcopal Diocese of Alaska
| Diocese of Alaska | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
| Ecclesiastical province | Province VIII |
| Deaneries | Arctic Coast, The Interior, South Central, Southeast |
| Headquarters | Fairbanks, Alaska |
| Statistics | |
| Congregations | 49 |
| Members | 7,146 (2014) |
| Information | |
| Rite | Episcopal |
| Cathedral | none |
| Current leadership | |
| Bishop | Mark Lattime |
| Map | |
 Location of the Diocese of Alaska | |
| Website | |
| episcopalak.org | |
The Episcopal Diocese of Alaska is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America with jurisdiction over the state of Alaska. Established in 1895, it has the largest geographical reach of any diocese in the Episcopal Church, with approximately 7,000 members spread across 53 congregations.[1] It is in Province 8. It has no cathedral and the diocesan offices are located in Fairbanks.[2]
Bishop of Alaska
Following the resignation in 2007 of Mark MacDonald, Bishop of Alaska, to become the first National Indigenous Bishop of the Anglican Church of Canada, the diocese embarked on a lengthy discernment process about its future leadership. Recognizing that the vacancy would likely be lengthy, the diocesan convention elected as assisting bishop, Rustin R. Kimsey, retired Bishop of Eastern Oregon and former assisting bishop for Navajoland,[3] to exercise episcopal functions pending the election and installation of a new diocesan bishop. In 2009, the diocese announced a process for election of the 8th Bishop of Alaska,[4] and the 35th Diocesan Convention, on April 10, 2010, elected Mark Lattime, Rector of St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Geneseo in the Diocese of Rochester (New York), as the 8th Bishop of Alaska.[5] His episcopal ordination took place on September 4, 2010, at the First United Methodist Church in Anchorage.[6]
List of bishops
| Bishops of Alaska | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes |
| 1895 | 1942 | Peter Trimble Rowe | Died in office |
| 1943 | 1948 | John Boyd Bentley | (February 9, 1896, Hampton, VA – June 12, 1989, Hampton); previously suffragan bishop. |
| 1948 | 1974 | William J. Gordon, Jr. | Retired to Michigan as an honorary assistant bishop. |
| 1974 | 1981 | David Cochran | David Rea Cochran (April 9, 1915, Buffalo, NY – October 30, 2001) |
| 1981 | 1991 | George Clinton Harris | George Clinton Harris (December 19, 1925, Brooklyn, NY – May 7, 2000, Aberdeen, SD) |
| 1991 | 1996 | Steven Charleston | (born February 15, 1949, Duncan, OK); later Dean of the Episcopal Divinity School. |
| 1997 | 2007 | Mark MacDonald | Mark Lawrence MacDonald (born January 15, 1954); National Indigenous Bishop in Canada (2007–present); assistant bishop in Navajoland (2007–2009). |
| 2010 | present | Mark Lattime | |
| Source(s): [2][7] | |||
| Assistant bishops | |||
| 1931 | 1942 | John Boyd Bentley, suffragan bishop | Elected diocesan bishop. |
| 2007 | present | Rustin R. Kimsey, assistant bishop | Rustin Ray Kimsey (born 20 June 1935, Bend, OR); retired from Eastern Oregon; previously assistant in Navajoland. |
Resolutions of the 2007 Diocesan Convention
The 33rd Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Alaska, held in 2007, adopted several resolutions that may, in due course, markedly influence the ministry of the diocese.[8] These resolutions included:
Resolution 2007-01 – Indigenous Suffragan
- Therefore, be it resolved that the 33rd Convention of the Diocese of Alaska supports the Interior Deanery in calling upon the next Bishop of Alaska to call for the election of an Indigenous Suffragan Bishop to serve the Native peoples of Alaska within eighteen months of consecration. Be it further resolved that the Indigenous Suffragan Bishop will provide pastoral and spiritual care for our Indigenous Congregations.
Resolution 2007-02 – Suffragan Bishop Task Force
- The 33rd Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Alaska encourages our next Diocesan Bishop to consider a Suffragan bishop for Indigenous Ministries. Be it further resolved The 33rd Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Alaska establish immediately a Suffragan Bishop’s Task Force to develop a plan for implementation of this resolution, to be acted upon by our newly elected Diocesan Bishop, within 12 months of his or her consecration.
Historic parish churches
Several parish churches are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:
- Holy Trinity Church (Juneau, Alaska)
- St. Peter's Episcopal Church (Seward, Alaska)
- St. Philip's Episcopal Church (Wrangell, Alaska)
See also
References
- ↑ Episcopal Diocese of Alaska website
- 1 2 Episcopal Church Annual, 2006, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Morehouse Publishing, p. 124
- ↑ News of the Navajoland Area Mission
- ↑ Bishop of Alaska Timeline
- ↑ Episcopal Life Online item, April 10, 2010.
- ↑ Episcopal Life Online item, September 7, 2010.
- ↑ Bishops of Alaska
- ↑ Bishop Search Profile, 2009, p.20.
External links
- Official website
- Historical resources on Anglicanism in Alaska from Project Canterbury
- The Episcopal Church official website
- Journal of the Annual Convention, Diocese of Alaska
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Coordinates: 64°50′36.4″N 147°44′23.6″W / 64.843444°N 147.739889°W