What we believe
We Episcopalians believe in a loving, liberating, and life-giving God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As constituent members of the Anglican Communion in the United States, we are descendants of and partners with the Church of England and the Scottish Episcopal Church, and are part of the third largest group of Christians in the world.
We believe in following the teachings of Jesus Christ, whose life, death, and resurrection saved the world.
We have a legacy of inclusion, aspiring to tell and exemplify God’s love for every human being; women and men serve as bishops, priests, and deacons in our church. Laypeople and clergy cooperate as leaders at all levels of our church. Leadership is a gift from God, and can be expressed by all people in our church, regardless of sexual identity or orientation.
We believe that God loves you – no exceptions.
We believe in following the teachings of Jesus Christ, whose life, death, and resurrection saved the world.
We have a legacy of inclusion, aspiring to tell and exemplify God’s love for every human being; women and men serve as bishops, priests, and deacons in our church. Laypeople and clergy cooperate as leaders at all levels of our church. Leadership is a gift from God, and can be expressed by all people in our church, regardless of sexual identity or orientation.
We believe that God loves you – no exceptions.
News from the Diocese of Ohio
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Soliciting questions for the candidates for the Bishop of Ohio
Sept. 6, 2022
Dear Friends, The Meet & Greet sub-committee is soliciting questions from the diocese from which we will formulate a series of questions that address the issues of interest and concern to you. Please know that we value your input and hope to have candidates answer as many of your questions as possible. Please submit your questions by Friday, September 16, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. using this link. As you know, the Search Committee announced three nominees for the 12th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio on August 15, 2022. The petition process, which takes the place of nominations from the floor, ran from August 15 to August 30, 2022. Once the final slate of nominees is confirmed, we will hold a series of in-person visits (Meet & Greets), including three intended for clergy only. The Meet & Greet list of dates and locations is at the end of this letter. To ensure that a variety of questions are asked and that the time is as productive as possible, the Meet & Greet sub-committee is soliciting questions in advance from members of the diocese. The Meet & Greet sub-committee will review and consolidate the submitted questions into a set of questions that will be used throughout the Meet & Greet week. We plan to have the candidates answer as wide a range of questions as possible. All are invited to attend the public Meet & Greet sessions. Upon arrival, every attendee will be offered the opportunity to write a question on an index card. These cards will be collected and reviewed and given to the moderator, and the moderator will ask as many as time allows. Each of these moderated sessions will follow the same format with each nominee separately being asked the same questions. The moderator will manage the time allotted for each candidate and ensure that the candidate is allowed time to fully answer each question. Given time constraints, we will not be able to entertain questions from the floor. Diocesan People of Color and Bishop Candidate Meeting The Wilma Ruth Combs Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians and the Transition Committee of the Diocese of Ohio are collaborating on a meeting for People of Color in the Diocese to engage with the nominees for Bishop Coadjutor. This hybrid event will focus on an in-person gathering of all people of color throughout the diocese but will also make the meeting available by Zoom. It will be held from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 27 at Trinity Cathedral. Questions will be solicited prior to the event and it will include questions from the floor. Attendees will be encouraged to remain for the second Meet and Greet that evening at the Cathedral from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. which will include a reception. All members of the Black, Asian, LatinX, and Indigenous communities throughout the diocese are invited and encouraged to attend and bring questions so that you may have an opportunity to engage the nominees. Wendy Wilson Walker, UBE Midwest Regional Director, will serve as the host for this event. If you have any questions please contact her at ww8300@yahoo.com. Our Meet & Greet time together will also include prayer led by our hosting clergy and a reception with refreshments. Please submit your questions using the Meet & Greet Candidate Questions form. In order for the Meet and Greet committee to organize the questions we ask that all questions be submitted by Friday, September 16, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. With anticipation, Meet and Greet Subcommittee Patty Roberts; Trinity Cathedral, Cleveland, Chair Peter DiMezza; St. Paul's, Akron Carol Franklin; Christ Church, Shaker Heights Richard Pryor; Christ Church, Kent The Rev. Jessie Dodson; St. Paul's, Cleveland Heights (Chair, Transition Committee) Public Meet and Greet Dates and Times
Clergy Meet and Greet Dates and Times
Three women are candidates for 12th Bishop of the Diocese of Ohio
August 15, 2022
Dear Friends, Over the past 12 months, the Standing Committee, with the assistance of the Office of Pastoral Development, has conducted a process that created a draft profile of our diocese and then selected persons to lead the search for the next Bishop of the Diocese of Ohio. We would like to express our deep gratitude to the members of the Search Committee who have worked diligently and faithfully since last December to bring us a slate of nominees for the 12th Bishop of the Diocese of Ohio. Their work has included:
The Petition Process In The Episcopal Church, a petition process takes the place of nominations from the floor. This process allows the same review, questions and responses, background checks, and other due diligence to be conducted on nominees nominated by petition as for the nominees put forward by the Search Committee. The information and instructions for our petition process can be found here. The petition process opens tomorrow (August 16) and closes at 5:00 p.m. (EST) on August 30. The Standing Committee welcomes those who have discerned a call to this ministry to submit their nominations. Our commitment to diversity in the Petition Process continues in the same vein as that of the commitment of the Search Committee: diversity in ethnicity, gender, geography, and sexual orientation. Completed petition packets or any questions about the petition process should be emailed to the Rev. Charlotte Collins Reed at petition@dohio.org. The full slate of nominees, including those approved by the Standing Committee through the Petition Process, will be announced in mid-September once all due diligence has been completed. All nominees will be included in the Meet and Greets in October. In the coming weeks, the Transition Committee, chaired by the Rev. Jessie Dodson, will further introduce theses bishop co-adjutor nominees to our diocese, along with nominees that come through the petition process. The nominees will be introduced via videos and through “Meet and Greets” which will be both in-person and livestreamed. Please stay tuned for information from the Transition Committee about how to get to know our nominees. Our commitment to the members of the Diocese of Ohio is to bring a slate of candidates whom we feel will serve well as our 12th Bishop. We encourage you to examine the material provided, attend the Meet and Greets, and submit questions for the nominees. During the time between now and the election on November 19th at Diocesan Convention, please keep the Rev. Anne Jolly, the Rev. Diana Wilcox, and the Rev. Dr. Elaine Ellis Thomas, and those who may join them as petition nominees, in your prayers. Blessings, Dianne Audrick Smith The Rev. Debra Q. Bennett Dave McCallops The Rev. Alexander D. Martin Pamela O’Halloran The Rev. Dr. Brian K. Wilbert Jenna Bing, Secretary The Rev. Charlotte Collins Reed, President Prayer for the Election of the 12th Bishop of Ohio
Loving Creator, you call us together and you send us forth to be your witnesses in all places. We ask you now to lead us, accompany us, and direct us as we seek that person who is to be our next Bishop. Grant us perception, faithfulness and joy that we may hear your still small voice. And then, give us the courage to follow as you lead us along the way. In the name of Christ Jesus who is the shepherd and bishop of our souls. Amen. Update on the search for our new bishop
August 1, 2022
Dear friends, I’m still humbled to have been appointed by the Standing Committee as chair of our Episcopal Diocese of Ohio Bishop Coadjutor Transition Committee. Our committee brings together lay and clergy members from across the diocese, and we’ve been meeting regularly since the beginning of April. Much of our work is done through the diligence of subcommittees, and I’m especially grateful to the chairs of those subcommittees for their leadership. We’re delighted to share these important updates with you as our bishop search continues. Presentation of the Slate The Search Committee, led by Halley Marsh, has been quietly and faithfully working to prepare a slate of candidates for the 12th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio. We anticipate the Standing Committee will announce the initial slate in mid-August. From there, the Transition Committee will help everyone get to know the candidates through a variety of means. Meet and Greets One way we’ll get to know the slate is through a series of in-person visits the candidates will make across the diocese in late October. I’ve included the “Meet and Greet” schedule here, including options for virtual attendance through livestreaming. My thanks to the Meet and Greet subcommittee for their coordination and to our hosting congregations for opening their doors for these conversations. All public Meet and Greets are open to all. There will be two Meet and Greets that are open to clergy only, as indicated below. Public Meet and Greets Sunday, October 23 from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., Christ Church, Warren Monday, October 24 from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., St. Paul’s, Akron (Livestreamed) Tuesday, October 25 from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.,Grace, Mansfield Wednesday, October 26 from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., St. Timothy’s, Perrysburg Thursday, October 27 from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Trinity Cathedral, Cleveland (Livestreamed) Clergy Meet and Greets Wednesday, October 26 from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.,St. Paul’s, Fremont Thursday, October 27 from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., St. Barnabas, Bay Village (Livestream will be made available for clergy not able to attend in-person) We’ll be in touch in the early fall to solicit your questions for the candidates for the Meet and Greets, and to share with you more fully about what you can expect. Electing Convention The election of the next Bishop of Ohio will take place at our 206th Annual Diocesan Convention, which will be held in downtown Cleveland on November 18-19, 2022. The Episcopal Address and all business will be on Saturday, November 19, at the Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Tower. Details regarding the Friday schedule will be shared once finalized. You can follow updates on the convention at www.dohio.org/convention. Consecration We’ll gather for the Consecration of the 12th Bishop of Ohio on April 29, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at the Cleveland Public Auditorium. Our Presiding Bishop, the Most Rev. Michael Curry, will serve as the presider and chief consecrator. A reception, also to be held at Public Auditorium, will immediately follow the service. We’ll be in touch with further ways to be involved with the planning and celebration of this day soon. My thanks to the Consecration Subcommittee for their tireless work over the past few months. Celebrations of Ministries The other work of our Transition Committee includes planning a celebration of the ministries of Bishop Mark and Sue Hollingsworth among us, as well as ongoing support and recognition for our Assisting Bishops and Diocesan Staff. You can be sure we’ll inform you of opportunities to connect and be a part of these celebrations as those details are solidified. In addition to marking your calendars and sharing this information, I encourage you to keep this process in your personal and congregational prayers. A tremendous amount of effort and discernment has already gone into this transition, and that will only increase as the details and candidates become more public. I bid your prayers for our soon-to-be-announced slate and their families, for our diocesan staff, for our current bishops, and for all those dedicating their time and energy into this process. You can follow all our committee updates at https://www.dohio.org/bishop-search and you can reach out via our committee email address (transitioncommittee@dohio.org) with questions or ideas. With anticipation, The Rev. Jessie Gutgsell Dodson Chair, Bishop Coadjutor Transition Committee Associate Rector, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Cleveland Heights Transition Committee The Rev. Jessie Dodson; St. Paul's, Cleveland Heights (Chair) Roderick Adams; St. Andrew's, Cleveland The Rev. Joe Ashby; Grace, Mansfield Denise Caywood; St. Philip's, Akron Peter DiMezza; St. Paul's, Akron The Rev. John Drymon; Trinity, Findlay Debbie Likins-Fowler; Trinity Cathedral, Cleveland Carol Franklin; Christ Church, Shaker Heights The Rev. Rose Anne Lonsway; Grace, Willoughby Larry Mackey; New Life, Uniontown Tina Monreal; Christ Church, Hudson Andrea Porter; St. Andrew's, Cleveland Richard Pryor; Christ Church, Kent Susan Quill; St. Paul's, Cleveland Heights Patty Roberts; Trinity Cathedral, Cleveland |
Prayers for Queen Elizabeth II
From the Bishop of Ohio
September 9, 2022
Dear colleagues and friends, I invite your prayers for the repose of the soul of Queen Elizabeth II, for her successor, Charles, as he takes on the responsibilities of monarch, for her family, her subjects, and all whom she has served in the seven decades of her reign as Queen. The Supreme Governor of the Church of England, she has led by exhibiting a humble and courageous faith, not only to Anglicans, but to people of all spiritual traditions. May God bless her soul. The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr. Bishop of Ohio From the Presiding Bishop
Today we mourn the passing and celebrate the life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth II. My prayers for peace go out for her, for her loved ones, and for all those who knew and loved her throughout the world.
Her resilience, her dignity, and her model of quiet faith and piety have been—and will continue to be—an example for so many. May she rest in peace and rise in glory. The Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry Presiding Bishop and Primate The Episcopal Church Click here for more from the Episcopal News Service on Queen Elizabeth and the Anglican Church.
Fighting the long defeat:
How to do something about gun violence 
The Diocese of Ohio recently sponsored three conversations about what can be done about American gun violence beyond "sending thoughts and prayers."
The Rev. Rosalind Hughes, rector of Church of the Epiphany in Euclid, Ohio and an active anti-gun violence advocate led these conversations for us. Rosalind is also the author of Whom Shall I Fear?: Urgent Questions for Christians in an Age of Violence (Upper Room Books). Here are the recordings from each Gun Violence Conversation:
Conversation 1 - What can we do in our close personal lives? Conversation 2 - What can we do in our local parish? Conversation 3 - What can we do as citizens? Here are the slides from each Conversation: Conversation 1 Slides Conversation 2 Slides Conversation 3 Slides We hope these conversations may help you consider these three important questions for yourself as an individual, an Episcopalian, and a citizen. The Rev. Brad Purdom Canon for Congregations bpurdom@dohio.org The Rev. Margaret D'Anieri Canon for Mission mdanieri@dohio.org "We continue to carry out our work and strive for justice. We do not do so because we will win every time, because we won’t. We do not do so because we are assured of progress, because we are not. ... We keep striving for justice because that is what we are called to do." A letter from Bishop Hollingsworth on the shooting at an Episcopal church in Alabama
Dear colleagues and friends,
As the tragic consequences of gun violence continue to plague our country, we add to our prayers the people of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, and the Diocese of Alabama. We commend to Almighty God the souls of the two victims who have died, and to Jesus’s healing care the one injured and all those who grieve. As well, may we commit ourselves ever more fully to advocating for effective gun safety legislation and reducing the culture of violence that continues to put God’s beloved at risk. While we hear throughout holy scripture the encouragement that we not be afraid, we pray that our fear may be replaced with the courage to act boldly. Please consider joining with fellow communicants of the Diocese who are participating in the three Zoom conversations about gun violence. The second conversation will be held on Wednesday,June 22 at 7:00 p.m. and will focus on what to do in our local congregations. This conversation will include participants from across Province V. The third conversation will be on Wednesday, June 29 at 7:00 p.m.and will focus on what can be done in support of community and political initiatives. More information is available. While this event is free, registration is required. As well, I encourage every congregation to offer a book study of our colleague the Rev. Rosalind Hughes’s excellent book, Whom Shall I Fear? Urgent Questions for Christians in an Age of Violence. I reiterate my offer to reimburse any congregation for the cost of the books. May the Holy Spirit empower us to act with increasing confidence in God during this season after Pentecost. Gratefully, The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr. Bishop of Ohio Seeing the Face of God in Each Other:
Anti-racism training coming up in October 
Anti-Racism training is required for all individuals in elected and appointed Diocesan positions, and it is also open to all members of the Diocese.
The Commission for Racial Justice will offer this two-day training on October 7 & 8 both days at Bellwether Farm, 4655 OH-60, Wakeman, OH 44889. The cost of the training materials and food is covered by the Diocese of Ohio, but lodging is the responsibility of the participant (or their parish). Lodging options for Bellwether Farm are available. To register, please click this link. For question about online registration email Antoinette Taylor. For training information please email the Rev. Margaret D’Anieri. |