A diocese, which is led by a bishop, includes all the parishes and missions within its borders, which usually correspond to a state or a portion of a state. Some dioceses includes portions of more than one state. For example, the Diocese of Washington includes the District of Columbia and part of Maryland.
Overview
Map of dioceses of the Episcopal Church, colored by province
Province I, New England
Province II, Atlantic
Province III, Washington
Province IV, Sewanee
Province V, Midwest
Province VI, Northwest
Province VII, Southwest
Province VIII, Pacific
Province IX, Latin America
The naming convention for the domestic dioceses, for the most part, is after the state in which they are located or a portion of that state (for example, Northern Michigan or West Texas).
Usually (though not always), in a state where there is more than one diocese, the area where the Episcopal Church (or Church of England before the American Revolution) started in that state is the diocese that bears the name of that state. For example, the Church of England's first outpost in what is now Georgia was in Savannah, hence the Diocese of Georgia is based in Savannah.
There are, however, many dioceses named for their see city or another city in the diocese. A few are named for a river, island, valley or other geographical feature. The list below includes the see city in parentheses if different from the name of the diocese or unclear from its name.
The see city usually has a cathedral, often the oldest parish in that city, but some dioceses do not have a cathedral. The dioceses of Iowa and Minnesota each have two cathedrals. Occasionally the diocesan offices and the cathedral are in separate cities.
Provinces
The dioceses are grouped into nine provinces, the first eight of which, for the most part, correspond to regions of the U.S. Province IX is composed of dioceses in Latin America. Province II and Province VIII also include dioceses outside of the U.S.
Unlike in many churches of the Anglican Communion, in which provinces are helmed by a primate or presiding bishop from the clergy, provinces of TEC are led by lay executive directors or presidents. Decisions are made at each province's Synod of the Province, consisting of a House of Bishops and House of Deputies. Lay and clergy Deputies are elected, two from each diocese.
Provinces of TEC are not to be confused with provinces of the Anglican Communion, as TEC itself is one such province of the Communion.
Eastern Diocese comprised all of New England except Connecticut. By 1843, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Rhode Island had their own dioceses and the Eastern Diocese became Massachusetts[5]
^ abSince 2018, the dioceses of Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania have been in formal partnership and shared a bishop but have not merged.[3]
^ abIn 2024, the Diocese of Bethlehem and the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania voted to reunify as the Diocese of the Susquehanna, effective January 1, 2026
^ abcFigures represent the combined totals of the former Dioceses of Eastern and Western Michigan, which joined in 2024 to form the Diocese of the Great Lakes.
^ abSince 2023, the dioceses of Indianapolis and Northern Indiana have been discerning a merger.[4]
^ abcFigures represent the combined totals of the former Dioceses of Eau Claire and Fond du Lac, which merged into the Diocese of Milwaukee in 2024 to form a reunified Diocese of Wisconsin.
^ abcFigures include the 2022 statistics reported by the Episcopal Church in Micronesia, which was merged into the Diocese of Hawaii by General Convention in 2024.
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