“Always ready to worship and serve.”

The Diocese of Georgia is one of 116 dioceses that comprises The Episcopal Church (TEC). TEC is a constituent member of the Anglican Communion, a fellowship within the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of those duly constituted dioceses, provinces, and regional Churches in communion with the See of Canterbury. This fellowship upholds and propagates the historic Faith and Order as set forth in the Book of Common Prayer.

The beginning of the Church in Georgia is well stated by Dr. Henry Malone in his book, "The Episcopal Church In Georgia," published in 1960. In the opening chapter he writes, "[An ordained] minister of the Church of England stepped ashore with Georgia's first colonists in 1733, and this church has served the people of Georgia ever since. Anglicanism in this country survived the challenge of the American Revolution to become the Protestant Episcopal Church. The Georgia Episcopal structure, very weak after the Revolutionary era, flickered and sputtered but emerged as a small Diocese of three parishes in 1823. Seventeen years later there were six churches, and these half-dozen parishes elected the first Georgia bishop." The Diocese of Atlanta (northwestern Georgia) was set apart from the Diocese of Georgia in 1907. Today, our diocese covers the southeast 32,994 square miles of the State of Georgia.

That's the what and the where. Now for the who! As of this writing (2009), we are nearly 19,000 baptized ministers, 188 of whom are ordained. We go out into the world from 70 congregations to spread the Good News. Our ministries are as varied as we are: in-reach and outreach, liturgical and social. We work, study and pray in congregations ranging in size from 20 to 1500 communicants. We offer programs to renew souls, deepen spirituality, and broaden knowledge. Many such programs are held at one of our diocese's "holy spaces," our Episcopal Camp & Conference Center -- Honey Creek -- just south of Brunswick. And the diocese is known nationally for an excellent youth program, which includes (but is not limited to) Happening, New Beginnings, summer camps, mission trips and acolyte festivals.

Blazon

Our spiritual and pastoral leader, the Right Reverend Henry Louttit, is the ninth bishop of Georgia and is in the fifteenth year of his consecration. He will retire in January 2010. The Reverend Scott Benhase, of St. Alban's, Washington D.C. was elected on September 12, 2009 to be the 10th bishop. He will be consecrated on January 23, 2010 in Savannah. Although Savannah is the official see city, it could be said that the real seat of the bishop is his car since much of his time is spent crisscrossing the state as he visits parishes, attends meetings, and leads summer camp (to mention but some of his duties).

Of course, in addition to the countless volunteers who serve on councils and commissions, the bishop does have a staff that works out of Diocesan House in Savannah. Currently it consists of the Canon to the Ordinary, the Diocesan Administrator, the Bishop's Administrative Assistant, the Staff Secretary, and the Communications Officer. Support staff outside the Savannah office includes the Editor of the diocesan newspaper, the Conference Center Executive Director, the Pastoral Concerns Director, and the Youth Program Director. To contact, go to Staff Contacts.

If you'd like to learn more, please go to The Episcopal Church and The Anglican Communion websites.

And welcome to the neighborhood!