Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma

The Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma has been a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America since 1919. The diocese consists of all Episcopal congregations in the state of Oklahoma. The seventh Diocesan Bishop is the Right Reverend Edward J. Konieczny, consecrated on 15 September 2007.

The see city is Oklahoma City, where St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral is located.

Institutions of the Diocese

* [http://www.ardmorevillage.com/ Ardmore Village] , Ardmore
* [http://www.saintsimeons.org/ St. Simeon's] Episcopal Home, Tulsa
* St. Crispin's Conference Center, Wewoka

upported schools

* Casady School, Oklahoma City
* Holland Hall, Tulsa
* [http://www.oakhallschool.com/ Oak Hall Episcopal School] , Ardmore
* [http://www.stduntulsa.org/preschool.html St. Dunstan's Preschool] , Tulsa
* St. John's Episcopal Preschool, Tulsa
* [http://www.st-john.k12.ok.us/ St. John's Episcopal School] , Oklahoma City
* [http://www.smesedmond.org/ St. Mary's Episcopal School] , Edmond
* [http://www.trinitytulsa.org/teds/index.html Trinity Day School] , Tulsa

Previous bishops

Bishop Francis Key Brooke, 1893-1911 (1911-1919)

Elected bishop of the Missionary District of Oklahoma and Indian Territory on 6 January 1893, Brooke arrived in Guthrie on January 19 and established Trinity Church as his cathedral church until 1908, when he moved the diocesan headquarters to Oklahoma City.

Bishop Theodore Payne Thurston, (1911-1919) 1919-1926

An Illinois native, who served the church in Minnesota, Bishop Thurston was consecrated bishop of Eastern Oklahoma at Minneapolis in 1911. The previous year General Convention had divided the state into two dioceses. Thurston was socially liberal and a low churchman like Brooke. He chose Muskogee as his see city and Grace Church as his pro-cathedral.

The Convocation of the church in May 1919, after the death of Bishop Brooke, voted to recombine the two districts, and Bishop Thurston moved to Oklahoma City and St. Paul's. The move was approved by the national church in October.

Bishop Eugene Cecil Seaman, 1926-1927

Bishop Seaman had only recently been consecrated bishop of North Texas in 1925 when he was selected to serve as acting bishop of Oklahoma in 1926 because of the failing health of Bishop Thurston. He was a graduate of Sewanee, The University of the South, Tennessee. During his short service to the diocese, Seaman confirmed 270 persons, consecrated [http://www.stpaulsokc.org St. Paul's Cathedral] , and smoothed the way for Bishop Casady to lead the state from a missionary district to a diocese.

Bishop Thomas Casady, 1927-1953

Thomas Casady was born in Des Moines, Iowa on 6 June 1881, the son of Simon Casady and Sarah Covarral. He was educated in the public schools of Des Moines and graduated from the University of Iowa in 1902.

His father, a banker, had hoped he would follow him in the banking business, but Thomas developed a vocation for Holy Orders. He was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, a Freemason, and a Knight Templer.

In 1903 he entered General Theological Seminary. After he became bishop he received an honorary doctorate of sacred theology from General Seminary and an honorary doctorate of divinity from Sewanee, The University of the South, Tennessee.

He was ordained deacon in June 1906, and priest in February 1907. On 27 June 27 1906 he married Frances LeBaron Kasson, by whom he had six children.

On 2 October 1927 at [http://www.allsaintsomaha.com/ All Saints' Church, Omaha, Nebraska] he was consecrated bishop by the Presiding Bishop, the Rt. Rev. John Gardner Murray of Maryland, assisted by the Rt. Rev. Theodore N. Morrison, Bishop of Iowa; the Rt. Rev. George A. Beecher, Bishop of Nebraska and a number of other bishops.

Bishop Casady was the third Missionary Bishop of Oklahoma and the first Diocesan Bishop.

Bishop Frederick W. Putnam, Suffragan 1963-1979

Frederick Warren Putnam Jr. was born in Red Wing, Minnesota in 1917. He received his education in the public schools in Minneapolis and graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1939. That fall he entered Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, graduating with a bachelor of Theology in 1942. In March of that year he had been ordained Deacon and by October be became a priest. He married Helen Kathryn Prouse and they had three children. In November 1962 he was elected to be Oklahoma's first Suffragan Bishop.

Bp. Putnam died June 7th, 2007 [ [http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_86700_ENG_HTM.htm "Bishops Stephen Jecko, Frederick Putnam die on same day"] by Joe Bjordal and Mary Frances Schjonberg, EpiscopalLife, June 08, 2007, retrieved June 11, 2007]

Bishop Chilton Powell, 1953-1977

Reverend Chilton Powell was consecrated Bishop Coadjutor in 1951 and became the Bishop of Oklahoma after Bishop Casady’s retirement in 1953. At Bishop Powell’s election, there were 35 clergy and a Diocesan budget of $100,000.00. Bishop Powell is best remembered as a missionary Bishop. Under his care, the Diocese opened many new missions all over Oklahoma, including the panhandle as well as St. Crispin’s, a new conference center in Seminole. While Bishop of Oklahoma, Bishop Powell also chaired the Prayer Book Commission that produced the 1979 Prayer Book. At the end of his episcopate, there were 77 congregations, missions and parishes.

Bishop Gerald McAllister, 1977-1989

Following the retirement of Bishop Powell, Bishop Gerald McAllister became Bishop in 1977 and remained so until 1989 when Bishop Robert M. Moody was elected. During the time of Bishop McAllister, outreach became a priority. The Venture in Mission program raised 2.3 million dollars and committed half of that to overseas missions. The concept of total ministry became a Diocesan priority. Cluster ministries were instituted, hospital chaplains and college chaplains were added, two Episcopal schools flourished, and two residential facilities were opened for the elderly. At the end of Bishop McAllister’s time as our Bishop, the Diocese was more financially sound and had grown to 80 congregations, missions, parishes, and two conference centers.

Bishop Robert M. Moody, 1989-2007

Moody was elected on the first ballot.

Bishop Edward J. Konieczny, 2007-

The former rector of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Grand Junction, Colorado, Konieczny was elected on the first ballot on 5 May 2007 at St. Paul's Cathedral. Konieczny was concecrated bishop on 15 September 2007 at Oklahoma City University. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori was chief consecrator. Co-consecrators included Bishops Edward S. Little, II of Northern Indiana, Robert M. Moody, retiring bishop of Oklahoma; and Robert J. O'Neill of Colorado, who was the preacher. [ [http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81803_90094_ENG_HTM.htm OKLAHOMA: Edward Konieczny becomes fifth bishop] Episcopal News Service, 17 September 2007.]

Notes

References

Botkin, S. (1958). The Episcopal Church in Oklahoma, Oklahoma City: American-Bond Printing Company.

External links

* [http://www.episcopaloklahoma.org/ Official Website of the Diocese of Oklahoma]
* [http://www.stpaulsokc.org/ St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral]
* [http://www.anewbishopforoklahoma.org/ Bishop Search Process]
* [http://www.okcursillo.org/ Diocese of Oklahoma Cursillo Movement]
* [http://www.texhoma.net/~ecw_ok/index.html Diocese of Oklahoma ECW]
* [http://vocareok.org/ Vocare in Oklahoma]
* [http://www.episcopaloklahoma.org/Const.htm Diocesan Constitution] as revised 14 November, 2003
* [http://www.episcopaloklahoma.org/downloads/DiocesanCanons.pdf Diocesan Canons] as revised 19 November, 2005.
* [http://www.episcopalchurch.org Episcopal Church in the United States of America]