THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION
The Anglican Communion is an international communion of national Anglican churches. There is no single "Anglican Church" with universal juridical authority as each national or regional church has full autonomy. As the name suggests, the Anglican Communion is an association of these churches in full communion with the Church of England (which may be regarded as the mother church of the worldwide communion) and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury. The current Archbishop is the Most Rev. Justin Welby (pictured here). The status of full communion means that there is mutual agreement on essential doctrines, and that full participation in the sacramental life of each national church is available to all communicant Anglicans.
With approximately 77 million members, the Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion in the world, after the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Churches. Some of these churches are known as Anglican, explicitly recognizing the historical link to England (Ecclesia Anglicana means "Church of England"); others, such as the American and Scottish Episcopal churches, or the Church of Ireland, prefer a separate name. Each church has its own doctrine and liturgy, based in most cases on that of the Church of England; and each church has its own legislative process and overall episcopal polity, under the leadership of a local primate.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, religious head of the Church of England, has no formal authority outside that jurisdiction, but is recognized as symbolic head of the worldwide communion. Among the other primates he is primus inter pares, which translates "first among equals". The Anglican Communion considers itself to be part of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church and to be both Catholic and Reformed. For some adherents it represents a non-papal Catholicism, for others a form of Protestantism though without a dominant guiding figure such as Luther, Knox, Calvin, or Zwingli. For others, their self-identity represents some combination of the two. The communion encompasses a wide spectrum of belief and practice including evangelical, liberal, and catholic.
With approximately 77 million members, the Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion in the world, after the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Churches. Some of these churches are known as Anglican, explicitly recognizing the historical link to England (Ecclesia Anglicana means "Church of England"); others, such as the American and Scottish Episcopal churches, or the Church of Ireland, prefer a separate name. Each church has its own doctrine and liturgy, based in most cases on that of the Church of England; and each church has its own legislative process and overall episcopal polity, under the leadership of a local primate.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, religious head of the Church of England, has no formal authority outside that jurisdiction, but is recognized as symbolic head of the worldwide communion. Among the other primates he is primus inter pares, which translates "first among equals". The Anglican Communion considers itself to be part of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church and to be both Catholic and Reformed. For some adherents it represents a non-papal Catholicism, for others a form of Protestantism though without a dominant guiding figure such as Luther, Knox, Calvin, or Zwingli. For others, their self-identity represents some combination of the two. The communion encompasses a wide spectrum of belief and practice including evangelical, liberal, and catholic.
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
The Episcopal Church is the Province of the Anglican Communion in the United States, Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe.
The Church was organized shortly after the American Revolution when it was forced to break with the Church of England on penalty of treason as Church of England clergy were required to swear allegiance to the British monarch, and became, in the words of the 1990 report of the Archbishop of Canterbury's Group on the Episcopate, "the first Anglican Province outside the British Isles".
The Episcopal Church ordains women to the priesthood as well as the diaconate and the episcopate. The current Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church is The Most Rev. Michael Curry, (pictured here) the first African-American to hold the position.
The governance the Episcopal Church is Episcopal polity, which is the same as other Anglican churches. Following the American Revolution, American Anglicans were not a part of the Church of England's structure, so they had to form their own. The Church has its own system of canon law.
The Episcopal Church is composed of 110 dioceses in the United States, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Honduras, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, Venezuela and the Virgin Islands. It also includes the Convocation of American Churches in Europe and the Navajoland Area Mission, which are jurisdictions similar to a diocese. The Presiding Bishop is one of three Anglican primates who together exercise metropolitan jurisdiction over the Episcopal Church of Cuba, which is an extraprovincial diocese in the Anglican Communion.
These dioceses are organized into nine provinces. Each province has a synod and a mission budget, but does not have authority over the dioceses which make it up.
Today, there are over 7000 congregations, each of which elects a vestry or bishop's committee. Subject to the approval of its diocesan bishop, the vestry of each parish selects a priest, who has spiritual jurisdiction in the parish and selects assistant clergy, both deacons and priests. The diocesan bishop, however, appoints the clergy for all missions and may choose to do so for non-self-supporting parishes.
The diocese is headed by a bishop. Diocesan conventions are usually held annually. The bishops in the Episcopal Church are elected at these diocesan conventions, subject to confirmation by a majority of the Bishops and Standing Committees of the other dioceses.
At the national level, the church is governed by the triennial General Convention, which consists of two bodies:
The House of Deputies (consisting of laity and clergy from each diocese, usually elected at the diocesan convention) and the House of Bishops
The Primate of the Episcopal Church, elected from and by the House of Bishops and confirmed by the House of Deputies at General Convention, is called the Presiding Bishop and serves one term of 9 years.
The location of the Presiding Bishop's office is the Episcopal Church Center, the national administrative headquarters, located at 815 Second Avenue, New York, NY. It is often referred to by Episcopalians simply as "815."
The Church was organized shortly after the American Revolution when it was forced to break with the Church of England on penalty of treason as Church of England clergy were required to swear allegiance to the British monarch, and became, in the words of the 1990 report of the Archbishop of Canterbury's Group on the Episcopate, "the first Anglican Province outside the British Isles".
The Episcopal Church ordains women to the priesthood as well as the diaconate and the episcopate. The current Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church is The Most Rev. Michael Curry, (pictured here) the first African-American to hold the position.
The governance the Episcopal Church is Episcopal polity, which is the same as other Anglican churches. Following the American Revolution, American Anglicans were not a part of the Church of England's structure, so they had to form their own. The Church has its own system of canon law.
The Episcopal Church is composed of 110 dioceses in the United States, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Honduras, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, Venezuela and the Virgin Islands. It also includes the Convocation of American Churches in Europe and the Navajoland Area Mission, which are jurisdictions similar to a diocese. The Presiding Bishop is one of three Anglican primates who together exercise metropolitan jurisdiction over the Episcopal Church of Cuba, which is an extraprovincial diocese in the Anglican Communion.
These dioceses are organized into nine provinces. Each province has a synod and a mission budget, but does not have authority over the dioceses which make it up.
Today, there are over 7000 congregations, each of which elects a vestry or bishop's committee. Subject to the approval of its diocesan bishop, the vestry of each parish selects a priest, who has spiritual jurisdiction in the parish and selects assistant clergy, both deacons and priests. The diocesan bishop, however, appoints the clergy for all missions and may choose to do so for non-self-supporting parishes.
The diocese is headed by a bishop. Diocesan conventions are usually held annually. The bishops in the Episcopal Church are elected at these diocesan conventions, subject to confirmation by a majority of the Bishops and Standing Committees of the other dioceses.
At the national level, the church is governed by the triennial General Convention, which consists of two bodies:
The House of Deputies (consisting of laity and clergy from each diocese, usually elected at the diocesan convention) and the House of Bishops
The Primate of the Episcopal Church, elected from and by the House of Bishops and confirmed by the House of Deputies at General Convention, is called the Presiding Bishop and serves one term of 9 years.
The location of the Presiding Bishop's office is the Episcopal Church Center, the national administrative headquarters, located at 815 Second Avenue, New York, NY. It is often referred to by Episcopalians simply as "815."
THE DIOCESE OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
The Rt. Rev. Douglas Frederick Scharf was elected bishop coadjutor of the Diocese of Southwest Florida on April 2, 2022. He was ordained and consecrated a bishop on September 24, 2022, and became the sixth diocesan bishop on December 10, 2022, upon the retirement of Bishop Dabney Smith.
Prior to his 2022 election, Bishop Scharf was the Rector of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church and School in Tequesta, FL since January 2017. He served as rector of Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church (October 2007 - 2016) in Valrico, FL. He also served as associate rector of Church of the Holy Spirit (June 2004 – October 2007) in Osprey, FL.
Bishop Scharf earned a B.A. in English from Florida Gulf Coast University (2002); an M. Div. from Virginia Theological Seminary (2004); and a D. Min. from Emory University, Candler School of Theology (2018) with a concentration in Biblical Interpretation and Proclamation.
Born in 1979, Bishop Scharf was raised in the Diocese of Southwest Florida, the son of the Rev. Frederick Scharf and Carol Scharf. He and his wife Shannon are the parents of three children: Clayton, Parker, and Grady. His hobbies include music (he plays piano), reading, hiking, kayaking, and spending time in the beauty of God’s creation.
Previous bishops of Southwest Florida:
1969–1975: The Rt. Rev. William Loftin Hargrave
1975–1988: The Rt. Rev. Emerson Paul Haynes
1989–1997: The Rt. Rev. Rogers Sanders Harris
1997–2007: The Rt. Rev. John Bailey Lipscomb
2007-2022: The Rt. Rev. Dabney Tyler Smith
The history of the organization of the Episcopal Church in Florida begins with the Missionary Jurisdiction of Florida. It was administered by the Bishop of New York, the Rt. Rev Henry Onderdonk. The Diocese of Florida, seven parishes strong, officially formed on January 17, 1838 and was received into union with the General Convention of the Episcopal Church on September 7, 1838.
Francis Hunger Rutledge was elected in October, 1851 as the first Bishop of the Diocese of Florida. Bishop Rutledge laid a strong foundation for the diocese by focusing on mission work and Christian education for all people. In just a few years, eight new parishes were formed and various parishes provided parochial education for their frontier communities.
In 1867, John Freeman Young became the second Bishop of the diocese during a period of significant post-war growth. Bishop Young died in 1885, and was succeeded the following year by Edwin Gardener Weed.
By 1892, there were over 110 parishes and missions throughout the state of Florida. In 1892, under Bishop Weed's direction, the General Convention voted to divide the Diocese of Florida. The Missionary Jurisdiction of Southern Florida was created. The new Missionary Jurisdiction of Southern Florida began with five parishes, thirty-nine organized missions, and eleven mission stations. The growth continued under the Rt. Rev. William Crane Gray, other clergy and the people of Southern Florida. The Rt. Rev Cameron Mann followed Bishop Gray. One of his goals was to attain independent diocesan status for South Florida. The Missionary Jurisdiction of Southern Florida officially became the Diocese of South Florida in 1923.
Throughout the Great Depression years, the Diocese of South Florida survived and eventually began to thrive. Bishop Mann's successor, the Rt. Rev. John D. Wing, was known for his advocacy of racial equality. During Bishop Wing's episcopate the Diocese gave more to the National Church than it received; Deaconess Harriet Bedell began ministering to the Seminoles of the Everglades; and work began on Camp Wingmann, a youth camp near Avon Park, Florida. During the post-World War II years the church experienced a period of booming expansion. Returning GI's sought higher education, and college ministries grew. In 1950, the Rt. Rev. Henry Louttit succeeded Bishop Wing.
The diocese continued to grow under Bishop Louttit's leadership; and in 1969, the Diocese of South Florida was split into the Diocese of Central Florida, the Diocese of Southeast Florida, and the Diocese of Southwest Florida. At the time the diocese applied to General Convention for division, there were 204 congregations served by about 250 priests and three bishops. The Special General Convention of 1969 approved the request for the division of the Diocese of South Florida, and in December of that year, Bishop Louttit presided over the conventions of each new diocese for the purpose of electing diocesan bishops. Suffragan Bishops Duncan and Hargrave were elected in the areas in which they had been living and serving. The Rt. Rev. James D. Duncan became Bishop of Southeast Florida and the Rt. Rev. William R. Hargrave became Bishop of Southwest Florida. William H. Folwell was elected Bishop of Central Florida.
The 77 congregations of the Diocese of Southwest Florida total some 36,000 baptized persons. On any given Sunday, about 17,000 people worship in Episcopal churches in Southwest Florida. The diocese extends along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, with the northernmost congregation in Brooksville and the most southern on Marco Island. We include the cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota and Fort Myers. The easternmost congregations are in Plant City, Arcadia, and LaBelle.
Prior to his 2022 election, Bishop Scharf was the Rector of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church and School in Tequesta, FL since January 2017. He served as rector of Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church (October 2007 - 2016) in Valrico, FL. He also served as associate rector of Church of the Holy Spirit (June 2004 – October 2007) in Osprey, FL.
Bishop Scharf earned a B.A. in English from Florida Gulf Coast University (2002); an M. Div. from Virginia Theological Seminary (2004); and a D. Min. from Emory University, Candler School of Theology (2018) with a concentration in Biblical Interpretation and Proclamation.
Born in 1979, Bishop Scharf was raised in the Diocese of Southwest Florida, the son of the Rev. Frederick Scharf and Carol Scharf. He and his wife Shannon are the parents of three children: Clayton, Parker, and Grady. His hobbies include music (he plays piano), reading, hiking, kayaking, and spending time in the beauty of God’s creation.
Previous bishops of Southwest Florida:
1969–1975: The Rt. Rev. William Loftin Hargrave
1975–1988: The Rt. Rev. Emerson Paul Haynes
1989–1997: The Rt. Rev. Rogers Sanders Harris
1997–2007: The Rt. Rev. John Bailey Lipscomb
2007-2022: The Rt. Rev. Dabney Tyler Smith
The history of the organization of the Episcopal Church in Florida begins with the Missionary Jurisdiction of Florida. It was administered by the Bishop of New York, the Rt. Rev Henry Onderdonk. The Diocese of Florida, seven parishes strong, officially formed on January 17, 1838 and was received into union with the General Convention of the Episcopal Church on September 7, 1838.
Francis Hunger Rutledge was elected in October, 1851 as the first Bishop of the Diocese of Florida. Bishop Rutledge laid a strong foundation for the diocese by focusing on mission work and Christian education for all people. In just a few years, eight new parishes were formed and various parishes provided parochial education for their frontier communities.
In 1867, John Freeman Young became the second Bishop of the diocese during a period of significant post-war growth. Bishop Young died in 1885, and was succeeded the following year by Edwin Gardener Weed.
By 1892, there were over 110 parishes and missions throughout the state of Florida. In 1892, under Bishop Weed's direction, the General Convention voted to divide the Diocese of Florida. The Missionary Jurisdiction of Southern Florida was created. The new Missionary Jurisdiction of Southern Florida began with five parishes, thirty-nine organized missions, and eleven mission stations. The growth continued under the Rt. Rev. William Crane Gray, other clergy and the people of Southern Florida. The Rt. Rev Cameron Mann followed Bishop Gray. One of his goals was to attain independent diocesan status for South Florida. The Missionary Jurisdiction of Southern Florida officially became the Diocese of South Florida in 1923.
Throughout the Great Depression years, the Diocese of South Florida survived and eventually began to thrive. Bishop Mann's successor, the Rt. Rev. John D. Wing, was known for his advocacy of racial equality. During Bishop Wing's episcopate the Diocese gave more to the National Church than it received; Deaconess Harriet Bedell began ministering to the Seminoles of the Everglades; and work began on Camp Wingmann, a youth camp near Avon Park, Florida. During the post-World War II years the church experienced a period of booming expansion. Returning GI's sought higher education, and college ministries grew. In 1950, the Rt. Rev. Henry Louttit succeeded Bishop Wing.
The diocese continued to grow under Bishop Louttit's leadership; and in 1969, the Diocese of South Florida was split into the Diocese of Central Florida, the Diocese of Southeast Florida, and the Diocese of Southwest Florida. At the time the diocese applied to General Convention for division, there were 204 congregations served by about 250 priests and three bishops. The Special General Convention of 1969 approved the request for the division of the Diocese of South Florida, and in December of that year, Bishop Louttit presided over the conventions of each new diocese for the purpose of electing diocesan bishops. Suffragan Bishops Duncan and Hargrave were elected in the areas in which they had been living and serving. The Rt. Rev. James D. Duncan became Bishop of Southeast Florida and the Rt. Rev. William R. Hargrave became Bishop of Southwest Florida. William H. Folwell was elected Bishop of Central Florida.
The 77 congregations of the Diocese of Southwest Florida total some 36,000 baptized persons. On any given Sunday, about 17,000 people worship in Episcopal churches in Southwest Florida. The diocese extends along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, with the northernmost congregation in Brooksville and the most southern on Marco Island. We include the cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota and Fort Myers. The easternmost congregations are in Plant City, Arcadia, and LaBelle.