Episcopal Diocese of Lexington
Diocese of Lexington Diocesis Lexingtonensis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| Ecclesiastical province | Province IV |
| Statistics | |
| Congregations | 34 (2024)[1] |
| Members | 6,186 (2023)[2] |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Episcopal Church |
| Established | December 4, 1895 |
| Cathedral | Christ Church Cathedral |
| Language | English |
| Current leadership | |
| Bishop | David Sibley (consents pending) |
| Map | |
 Location of the Diocese of Lexington | |
| Website | |
| diolex.org | |
The Episcopal Diocese of Lexington is the diocese of the Episcopal Church with jurisdiction over eastern Kentucky. It was created in 1895 from the Diocese of Kentucky which continues to have jurisdiction of the western portion of the state. The cathedral for the Diocese of Kentucky is located in Louisville. The Diocese of Lexington is in Province 4 and its cathedral, Christ Church Cathedral, is in Lexington, as are the diocesan offices.[3]
The diocese's greatest membership strength is in the Bluegrass region in and around Lexington, with a smaller pocket of strength in the Northern Kentucky suburbs of Cincinnati. The diocese has several small congregations in the Appalachian portion of the state. In 2024, the diocese reported average Sunday attendance (ASA) of 2,027 persons, down from 2,854 in 2015.[4] Reported membership declined from 6,923 in 2015 to 6,186 in 2023.[5] No membership statistics were reported in 2024 national parochial reports.[6] The 34 reporting congregations of the diocese had $6,607,328 in plate and pledge income in 2024.[7]
Bishops of Lexington
| Name | Date | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | Lewis W. Burton | 1896-1928 | |
| II | Henry Pryor Almon Abbott | 1929-1945 | |
| III | William R. Moody | 1945-1971 | Addison Hosea, bishop coadjutor 1970 - 1971 |
| IV | Addison Hosea | 1971–1985 | Don A. Wimberly, bishop coadjutor 1984–1985 |
| V | Don A. Wimberly | 1985–1999 | Wimberly was translated to the Diocese of Texas. |
| Rogers S. Harris | 1999–2000 | Assisting Bishop | |
| VI | Stacy F. Sauls | 2000–2011 | Sauls was named COO of The Episcopal Church. |
| Chilton R. Knudsen | 2011-2012 | Interim Bishop | |
| VII | Douglas Hahn | 2012–2016 | Hahn suspended March 9, 2016. |
| Bruce Edward Caldwell | 2016-2018 | Provisional Bishop | |
| VIII | Mark Van Koevering | 2018-2026 | Provisional from 2018-2019, elected diocesan bishop, 1 Nov. 2019 |
| Jeffrey Lee | 2026- | Assisting Bishop | |
| IX | David C. Sibley | December 2026 consecration (consents pending) | Elected August 1, 2026 |
Bishop
The Rt. Rev. Mark Van Koevering was consecrated as Bishop of Niassa, Mozambique, part of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, in 2003, where he served until November 2015. In November 2015, he moved back to the United States, to become the assistant bishop at the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia. He served there until April 2018 when he became the provisional bishop of the Diocese of Lexington. He became eligible to be the diocesan bishop after a period of shared ministry, prayer, and review. On 1 November 2019 at a special convention of the diocese, Bishop Van Koevering was elected diocesan bishop. On 7 October 2024, Bishop Van Koevering announced his intention to resign upon the installation of his successor in late 2026.[8]
On August 1, 2026, the diocese elected the Rev. David C. Sibley as ninth bishop.[9]
Departure of Bishop Hahn and call of Bishop Caldwell
Bruce Edward Caldwell was called to serve as Bishop Provisional on June 1, 2016.[10] He was named to the temporary post after his predecessor, the Rt. Rev. Douglas Hahn, was suspended and later resigned after it was learned he had lied during the bishop search process about past adultery with a parishioner.[11]
List of parishes and locations
In addition to these parishes and missions, there are other ministries of the diocese that have attached chapels. The college ministry at the University of Kentucky is located at St. Augustine's Chapel in Lexington. St. Agnes' House in Lexington was "a nonprofit, ecumenical mission providing economical lodging for patients and their caregivers who have traveled to Lexington, Kentucky seeking treatment for serious illnesses at area hospitals and other medical care facilities."[12] St. Agnes' House closed in late 2017.
The Diocese of Lexington also has a co-cathedral located at the diocesan camp and conference center, the Cathedral Domain,[13] in Lee County. It is called the Cathedral of St. George the Martyr.
The diocese previously supported a literacy ministry called Reading Camp. Reading Camp was a free, week-long camp for kids going into third, fourth or fifth grade who could use help getting their reading to, or near to, grade-level. Reading Camp built both reading skills and self-confidence through a summer camp atmosphere. Individual Reading Camps still exist throughout the diocese and abroad.
See also
References
- ↑ "Explore Individual Parochial Report Trends". General Convention of the Episcopal Church. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ "Explore Individual Parochial Report Trends". General Convention of the Episcopal Church. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Episcopal Church Annual, 2006, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Morehouse Publishing, p. 224
- ↑ "Explore Individual Parochial Report Trends". General Convention of the Episcopal Church. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
- ↑ "Explore Individual Parochial Report Trends". General Convention of the Episcopal Church. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
- ↑ Paulsen, David. "Episcopal Church reports no baptized membership data for 2024, citing parochial report 'confusion'". episcopalnewsservice.org. Episcopal News Service. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ "Explore Individual Parochial Report Trends". General Convention of the Episcopal Church. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
- ↑ "Pastoral Letter". myemail.constantcontact.com. Retrieved 2025-09-06.
- ↑ "Lexington diocese elects David Sibley its ninth bishop". episcopalnewsservice.org. Episcopal News Service. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
- ↑ "Bishop Called to Kentucky". The Living Church. 2016-05-19. Retrieved 2017-08-24.
- ↑ "Bishop Hahn Will Resign". The Living Church. 2016-12-16. Retrieved 2017-08-24.
- ↑ "St. Agnes' House". Episcopal Diocese of Lexington. Archived from the original on 2010-10-18. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
- ↑ "The Cathedral Domain".