Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic

The Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic is an Anglican Church in North America diocese, encompassing Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and northeastern North Carolina, with 38 congregations, including several church plantings.[2] The diocese was originally organized in 2006 as the Anglican District of Virginia when a group of Virginian congregations withdrew from the Episcopal Church. It achieved diocesan status on June 21, 2011.[3]

Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic
Location
Ecclesiastical provinceAnglican Church in North America
Statistics
Parishes38 (2022)[1]
Members8,083 (2022)[1]
Information
RiteAnglican
Current leadership
BishopChristopher Warner
Website
Anglican Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic

History

Founding congregations

The Anglican District of Virginia was organized on December 17, 2006, by nine congregations that broke away from the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia. These congregations voted overwhelmingly to leave the Episcopal Church and formed the Anglican District of Virginia as part of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA), a ministry to Nigerian Anglicans living in North America that had also become an agent of Anglican realignment. The district was led by Martyn Minns, the Missionary Bishop of CANA.

The founding congregations were:

  1. Church of the Epiphany, Herndon, Virginia
  2. Truro Church, Fairfax
  3. The Falls Church (Anglican), Falls Church
  4. St Margaret’s Church, Woodbridge, Virginia
  5. Church of the Apostles, Fairfax, Virginia
  6. Church of the Word, Gainesville, Virginia
  7. St Stephens (Anglican), Heathsville, Virginia
  8. Potomac Falls (Anglican), Potomac Falls, Virginia
  9. Christ the Redeemer (Anglican), Centreville, Virginia

Growth

A tenth congregation that had broken from the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia in October 2006, Church of the Messiah in Chesapeake, also later joined the district.

With the creation of the Anglican Church in North America in 2009, the Anglican District became a part of the new province while it continued to maintain its relationship with CANA. In May 2011, the district held a constitutional convention in Herndon, Virginia, where it voted to apply for formal diocesan status within ACNA and elected John Guernsey, USA Bishop of the Ugandan Diocese of North Kigezi and former rector of All Saints Church in Dale City, Virginia, as its first bishop.[4] The Anglican Church's provincial council approved its admission as a diocese on June 21.[3] Guernsey took office on September 10, 2011.[5]

Church of the Word retained its property and rejoined DOMA in April 2016. In July 2021, Church of the Word changed its name to St. Thomas Anglican Church. In 2021, the historic Christ Church in Accokeek, Maryland, disaffiliated from the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and joined DOMA while retaining its property.[6]

On October 15, 2022, Christopher Warner was selected as bishop-elect to succeed Guernsey. He was consecrated and invested in February 2023.[7]

Bishops
  1. John Guernsey (2011–2023)
  2. Christopher Warner (since 2023)

Parishes

As of 2021, the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic had 43 parishes. Notable parishes in the diocese include:

Church Image City Year founded Year completed Notes
Christ Church Accokeek, Maryland 1698 1747
Truro Church Fairfax, Virginia 1766 1959
Church of the Epiphany Chantilly, Virginia 1986 2018
The Falls Church (Anglican) West Falls Church, Virginia 2006 2019 Separated from The Falls Church (Episcopal). Largest church in the diocese (2022)[8]
Restoration Anglican Church Arlington, Virginia 2009 2014 Second-largest church in the diocese (2022)[8]

References
  1. "Congregational Reporting: 2022 in Review" (PDF). Anglican Church in North America. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  2. Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic, Find a church near you. Accessed August 24, 2011.
  3. Anglican Church in North America, "Anglican Church Adds Two Dioceses, Two New Dioceses in Formation", June 21, 2011. Accessed August 24, 2011.
  4. Anglican Church in North America, "Mid-Atlantic Anglicans Vote to Move Forward with Becoming a New Anglican Church Diocese", May 21, 2011. Accessed August 24, 2011.
  5. Anglican Church in North America, "Bishop Investiture and Consecrations to Take Place in September", August 9, 2011. Accessed August 24, 2011.
  6. Walton, Jeffrey (4 May 2021). "Christ Church's Amicable Episcopal Separation". Juicy Ecumenism. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  7. https://www.anglicandoma.org/bishop-elect
  8. "Synod Delegations" (PDF). Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic. 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
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