Episcopal Diocese of Albany

The Episcopal Diocese of Albany is part of Province 2 of the Episcopal Church.

History

The Diocese of Albany began in 1674 with a chaplain assigned to the British military garrison at Albany, New York. In 1704 the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel sent two missionaries to the Mohawk Valley, where the first Anglican church was erected in 1711.

In 1708 the Diocese's oldest parish, St. Peter's, was founded in Albany. He extended his ministry to nearby Schenectady, and by 1763, St. George's Church was built in that town. In 1765 the last of the colonial parishes, St. John's in Johnstown, was established. By the beginning of the Revolutionary War, Anglican missions were springing up in surrounding counties. However, the War proved disastrous to the English Church which for almost ten years after remained leaderless and disorganized.

With the formation of the Episcopal Diocese of New York in 1785 (comprising the entire state), the Church in New York began to reorganize. By 1790, during the "Second Great Awakening" expanded missionary activity, begun under strong episcopal leadership, was largely sustained by a vigorous laity. By 1810, 14 priests served 25 parishes in buildings made possible by grants from Trinity Parish, New York City.

In 1868, nineteen counties in the northeastern quarter of the state were organized into the Diocese of Albany. Its first Bishop, William Croswell Doane, was elected in 1869 by a convention of 62 priests and 127 delegates. Bishop Doane's principles and personality had a profound and enduring effect upon the character of the Diocese of Albany. He organized the newly formed Diocese after the English model with a Cathedral See, and his "high" Churchmanship found expression in his establishment of St. Agnes School, The Child's Hospital, a community of women religious, and St. Margaret's House and Hospital for Babies.

In 2007, former bishop Daniel W. Herzog joined in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. He is only the second bishop in the history of the Episcopal Church to do so. [ [http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=576521 Times Union story] ]

Today

The Rt. Rev. William H. Love is the current bishop of Albany. He was elected bishop coadjutor in 2006, and installed in February 2007. He is self-identified as orthodox and is considered to be theologically conservative.

ee also

* Cathedral of All Saints

Bishops

*1869-1913: William Croswell Doane
*1913-1929: Richard Henry Nelson (also Coadjutor 1904-1913)
*1929-1949: George Ashton Oldham (also Coadjutor 1922-1929)
*1949-1960: Frederick L. Barry (also Coadjutor 1945-1949) - Suffragan bishops: David Emrys Richards (1951-1957), Allen W. Brown (1959-1961)
*1960-1961: vacant see
*1961-1974: Allen W. Brown (also was Suffragan as noted) - Suffragan bishop: Charles Bowen Persell, Jr. (1963-1974)
*1974-1984: Wilbur Emory Hogg
*1984-1998: David Standish Ball (also Coadjutor 1984)
*1998-2007: Daniel W. Herzog (also Coadjutor 1997-1998) - Suffragan bishop: David Bena
*2007-present: William H. Love (also Coadjutor 2006-2007) ["The Swan & Elk", February 2007, p. 10.]

External links

* [http://www.albanyepiscopaldiocese.org/index.html Diocese of Albany website]