Episcopal Diocese of Newark
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| Province | Province II | |
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| Bishop | John P. Croneberger | |
| Cathedral | Trinity & St. Philip's, Newark, New Jersey | |
| Congregations | 113 | |
| Membership | 27,600 | |
| www.dioceseofnewark.org | ||
The Episcopal Diocese of Newark is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America comprising the northern third of New Jersey in the United States. The Diocese represents the Anglican Communion, of which the Episcopal Church is a province, and presides over Episcopal parishes, missions, outreach ministries and schools in the New Jersey counties of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Warren, and one church in Union County.
In 2006, the diocese had 27,600 members, spread among 113 congregations.[1]
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[edit] History
Anglicans have been worshipping in the area since 1695. An Anglican congregation was established in Newark by 1729 and a church, Trinity Church, was under construction in 1742. Two other current parishes, Christ Church in what is now Belleville (1746) and Christ Church in Newton (1774), were established by charter of King George II of England. The church, with its association with England, suffered during the Revolutionary War, but by the time the first bishop of New Jersey was elected in 1815, there were 27 congregations. By 1832, there were 85 congregations statewide.
The Diocese of Northern New Jersey was separated from the larger Diocese of New Jersey in 1874. The boundary between the two dioceses is the Morris & Essex Lines of the old Lackawanna Railroad, now part of New Jersey Transit. The new diocese had 64 congregations and established Christ Hospital in Jersey City. The diocese took its present name in 1886, and by 1903 there were over 100 congregations. Despite the Great Depression that number rose to 153 by 1931.
In June of 1967, the region was rocked by the Newark Riots which began the diocese's growing role as a catalyst for social change. The first-ever national conference for black empowerment took place at Trinity Cathedral, and in 1969 Rev. Canon Dillard Robinson became the first African-American dean of any Episcopal cathedral. Bishop Leland Stark was also vocal in the peace movement during the Vietnam War and in favor of women's ordination to the priesthood. His successor, George Edward Rath, would during his tenure advocate adoption of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer and two of the Philadelphia Eleven (the first female priests ordained in the USA) eventually became priests of the Diocese.
The next bishop, John Shelby Spong, was and is a lightning-rod for controversy. In addition to his positions on war and the ordination of women, Spong advocated for the ordination of gay and lesbian clergy, a stance which drew much criticism and continues to be a subject for much contention in the church. Since his retirement, Spong has enjoyed considerable success as a writer and public speaker. Under Spong's watch, the Oasis Commission, the first diocesan ministry to LGBT persons, was formed.
[edit] Current agenda
Under the current bishop, John P. Croneberger, the diocese has continued to be in the vanguard of radical inclusion. Croneberger directed the creation of an established liturgy for the blessing of same-sex relationships, oversaw the massive diocesan response to the September 11th attacks, and brought the ownership of Christ Hospital back under diocesan control.
Croneberger also established a Canon for Congregational Development, which is helping churches with the challenging task of planning for the future. In the past 30 or so years the diocese has struggled to keep up with the growing population in the region. 23 congregations have closed (compared with a 2% increase nationwide) due to dropping attendance. A major obstacle is the concentration of churches, many of which are over 100 years old, in traditional population centers that do not reflect the growth patterns in the state. Numerous churches are within five miles of 15 other congregations. Another diocesan commission, the Bethsaida Team, helps churches overcome obstacles for people with disabilities.
Between 2000 and 2004, donations from parishioners increased 11.5 percent, but Sunday attendance decreased 11.8 percent since 2000. [1]
[edit] Tenth bishop
[edit] Bulletin: Beckwith wins on third ballot
Over 2005 and 2006, the diocese is electing its tenth bishop, who will be invested in January of 2007. The Special Convention arranged for the election is scheduled for September 23, 2006, with six candidates announced in June 2006: [1]
- Rev. Canon Michael Barlowe, congregational development minister for the Diocese of California
- Rev. Mark Beckwith, a former associate rector of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Morristown, New Jersey
- Right Rev. Dr. Carol Gallagher, assistant bishop in Newark and the first Native American female bishop in the Episcopal Church
- Rev. William A. Potter, rector of St. Luke's Church in Hope, New Jersey
- Very Rev. Petero Sabune, a former dean of the diocese's cathedral, Trinity and St. Philip's, in Newark
- Rev. William Stokes, rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Delray Beach, Florida
One candidate, Michael Barlowe, is openly gay.[1] A New York Times reporter said that the announcement of the candidate list coincided with two calls for restraint on the issue. The first plea was from the national church's 75th General Convention. The second was a proposal from Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams that could exclude provinces with gay bishops from full membership of the Anglican Communion.
[edit] Bishops of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark
- John Croes 1815-1832 (Bishop of New Jersey)
- George Washington Doane 1832-1859 (Bishop of New Jersey)
- William Henry Odenheimer 1859-1880 (1st Bishop of Newark)
- Thomas A. Starkey 1880-1903
- Edwin Stevens Lines 1903-1927
- Wilson Reiff Stearly 1927-1935
- Benjamin Martin Washburn 1935-1958
- Leland Stark 1958-1974
- George Edward Rath 1974-1979
- John Shelby Spong 1979-2000
- John P. Croneberger 2000-2007
- Mark Beckwith elected Sept. 23, 2006
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d New York Time, 2006. For New Jersey diocese, picking bishop means facing rift by Tina Kelley / New York Times, August 6, 2006. Retrieved from The Detroit News on August 30, 2006.
[edit] External links
- Diocese of Newark
- History of the Diocese of Newark
- Election of the 10th Bishop of Newark — with candidate biographies
- Louie Crew's Page on the Diocese of Newark
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Episcopal Dioceses in Province II |
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Albany • Central New York • Convocation of American Churches in Europe • Haiti • Long Island • New Jersey • New York • Newark • Rochester • The Virgin Islands • Western New York |
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Province I • Province II • Province III • Province IV • Province V • Province VI • Province VII • Province VIII • Province IX |
