Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic States

Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic States
Coat of arms of the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic States
Coat of arms
Location
CountryUnited States
TerritoryVirginia, Deleware, Maryland, Washington D.C., West Virginia (except Cabell and Wayne counties), and the counties of Sullivan and Washington in Tennessee
Ecclesiastical provinceAnglican Catholic Church Original Province
MetropolitanMark Haverland
Information
DenominationAnglican Catholic Church
Established1979
Current leadership
BishopJeffrey Johnson
Website
https://dmas-acc.org/

The Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic States is the official organization of the Anglican Catholic Church in Virginia, Deleware, Maryland (including Washington D.C.), West Virginia (except Cabell and Wayne counties), and the counties of Sullivan and Washington in Tennessee.[1]

After the creation of the Anglican Catholic Church following the Congress of St. Louis, the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic States was formed in 1979 and held its first Synod.[2] Bishop Charles Dale Doren was the first bishop of the newly created diocese.[3] William J. Rutherford was elected in 1980 as bishop coadjutor, and consecrated on March 8, 1980.[4] In 1980, the diocese claimed 22 parishes.[5] Bishop Doren later left the Anglican CatholicChurch to form the United Episcopal Church of North America, and Bishop Rutherford became Bishop Ordinary from 1981 until his retirement in 1995.[6] In 1983, a number of clergy and their parishes opposed to the newly organized church and the adoption of the Constitution and Canons that were drafted in 1978 in Dallas, left with Bishop Robert Harvey of the Diocese of the Southwest, among whom was Fr. Lester Kinsolving.[7] Bishop Rutherford was succeeded by Bishop Coadjutor John T. Cahoon, Jr.[8] Bishop Cahoon was made archbishop of the Anglican Catholic Church in 1999, a position he held concurrently until his death in 2001.[9][10] He was succeeded by Harry Burgoyne Scott III,[11] who died within a year.[12] William McClean Jr. was consecrated March 15, 2003 to be the fifth bishop ordinary, and held that office until his retirement in 2011.

Donald F. Lerow, retired Bishop Ordinary of the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic States

Bishop Donald Francis Lerow was consecrated in 2012 as Bishop of the Armed Forces (ACC) and the episcopal visitor for the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic States (ACC).[13] He became the Bishop Ordinary in 2013, a post he held until he announced his retirement in 2024.Bishop Lerow, also a Captain of the U.S. Navy, has been the endorser of chaplaincy for the Anglican Catholic Church with the U.S. Department of Defense.[14]

Jeffrey Scott Johnson, Rector of All Saints Anglican Church in Saluda, Virginia, was elected in June 2024 to be the seventh Bishop Ordinary of the diocese. He was consecrated at St. Alban's Anglican Catholic Church in Richmond, Virginia on October 12, 2024.[15][16]

  1. ^ CANONS AND STATUTES OF THE ORIGINAL PROVINCE OF THE ANGLICAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, page 2.
  2. ^ "Synod Meets At Emory". Bluefield Daily Telegraph. June 18, 1979. pp. 16A.
  3. ^ "Traditional Episcopalians inaugurate new parish". The Frederick News Post. February 23, 1980. p. 25.
  4. ^ "Consecrating a new bishop of Anglicans". The Roanoke Times. March 9, 1980. p. 152.
  5. ^ "New Anglican Church forms". The Frederick News Post. June 2, 1980. pp. D5.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Briggs, Ed (October 21, 1983). "Anglican bishop suspended after ordaining deacon here". Richmond Times-Dispatch. pp. 17, 21.
  8. ^ "RELIGION BRIEFS". scholar.lib.vt.edu. Retrieved 2024-08-25.
  9. ^ "The Most Rev. John Cahoon Jr". The Frederick News Post. October 18, 2001. pp. A5.
  10. ^ "Anglican Catholic Leader John Cahoon Jr". Washington Post. 2024-01-17. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2024-08-25.
  11. ^ "ANGLICAN CATHOLIC PRIEST IN CHRISTIANSBURG IS ELEVATED TO BISHOP - Document - Gale OneFile: News". go.gale.com. Retrieved 2024-08-25.
  12. ^ "Scott". Lexington Herald-Leader. September 22, 2002. p. 21.
  13. ^ "Consecration Update". The Cathedral Close. 2012-02-01. Retrieved 2024-08-25.
  14. ^ Pilot, REV Thomas H. Harbold Special to The (2023-11-16). "Christ Church Anglican Hosts Autumn Clericus". The Pilot Newspaper. Retrieved 2024-08-25.
  15. ^ Sentinel, Southside (2024-10-11). "To Bishop or Not To Bishop • SSentinel.com". SSentinel.com. Retrieved 2024-10-14.
  16. ^ Sentinel, Southside (2024-10-23). "Becoming a bishop • SSentinel.com". SSentinel.com. Retrieved 2024-10-27.