Diocese History

The Diocese of Missouri has approximately 10,000 members and forty-one congregations. About 75% of its adherents live in the greater St. Louis area. In 1841, the Episcopal congregations already in existence in the state of Missouri founded the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri. In 1844, the Diocese elected its first bishop, Cicero Hawks. The Diocese split into two sections during the tenure of its third bishop, Daniel Tuttle. Missouri bishops held the church together through the upheavals caused by the Civil War and the Great Depression. During the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, Bishop Arthur Lichtenberger moved the church into a very active pro-Civil Rights role.

Over the years, Episcopalians in Missouri struggled with social and cultural issues such as the adoption of a new Book of Common Prayer, the ordination of women, same-sex marriages and acceptance of the LGBTQ community. Some members left the Church over disagreement with these changes. Yet the Church in Missouri continues to bring new members in who find a strong affinity with its beliefs and traditions.

On November 19, 2019, The Rt. Rev. Deon Johnson was elected the 11th Bishop of our Diocese on the first ballot. Bishop Deon has brought renewed energy and has led us through the difficult times of these last three years. We even had to postpone and scale back his ordination. He called together a cross section of parishioners from throughout the Diocese to develop new Mission and Vision Statements. To support this direction, a Strategic Plan was developed. This plan has been embraced by the Diocesan Council, and the initiatives created are being rolled out to parishes within the Diocese. This is not a cookie cutter approach; it recognizes that there are 41 unique parishes with one common mission designed to meet the needs of their respective surrounding communities and cultures.