Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan

Diocese of Western Michigan Diœcesis Michiganensis Occidentalis
Location
Country	United States
Territory	The Michigan counties of Allegan, Antrim, Barry, Benzie, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Charlevoix, Clare, Eaton, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Ionia, Isabella, Kalamazoo, Kalkaska, Kent, Lake, Leelanau, Manistee, Mason, Mecosta, Missaukee, Montcalm, Muskegon, Mewaygo, Oceana, Osceola, Ottawa, St. Joseph, Van Buren, and Wexford
Ecclesiastical province	Province V
Subdivisions	3 regions
Headquarters	Grand Rapids, MI
Statistics
Congregations	55 (2022)
Members	6,566 (2022)
Information
Denomination	Episcopal Church
Established	December 2, 1874
Dissolved	June 28, 2024
Map
Location of the Diocese of Western Michigan
Website
www.edwm.org

The Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan was the Episcopal diocese in the western half of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The diocese was founded in 1874, and was dissolved by merger in 2024.

The diocese was headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan and covered a 33-county area that stretches from the Straits of Mackinac southward to the Indiana border and from Lake Michigan to approximately the middle of the state. As of 2012^[update] the website of the diocese described it as having 15,000 communicants organized in 58 communities of faith, of which 54 were parishes and 4 were seasonal chapels. It was organized into three regions, centered in Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and Traverse City.

The Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan was somewhat unusual in that it had no cathedral. From 1969 to 2007, the bishop and the diocesan offices were located at the Cathedral Church of Christ the King, a prominent edifice near Interstate 94. However, this building was sold in 2007, and the congregation of the Parish Church of Christ the King moved to Texas Corners where it remained until January 2012, when the congregation disbanded.^[1]

At a Special Convention held on March 16, 2024, in Grand Blanc, there was an overwhelming vote in favor of joining the Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Michigan to establish the Episcopal Diocese of the Great Lakes. The juncture was approved on June 28, 2024 by the General Convention of the Episcopal Church

The first bishop of the diocese was George D. Gillespie. Robert R. Gepert, was elected on October 19, 2001, and was consecrated as the 8th diocesan bishop on April 27, 2002. His episcopacy, which spanned 11 years, concluded with his retirement in 2013. Whayne M. Hougland, Jr., was elected as the 9th diocesan bishop in September 2013.^[2] Hougland was suspended in June 2019^[3] after admitting to an extra-marital affair. Hougland resigned^[4] his position as bishop on July 1, 2021. The Rt. Rev. Skip Adams, a retired bishop of Central New York, served the Diocese in the capacity of assisting bishop on an interim basis. Bishop Prince Singh presided as Bishop of the Dioceses of Western and Eastern Michigan until accusations of domestic violence.

1. George D. Gillespie (1875-1909)
2. John N. McCormick (1909-1937)
3. Lewis Bliss Whittemore (1937-1953)
4. Dudley B. McNeil (1953-1959)
5. Charles E. Bennison Sr. (1960-1984)
6. Howard Meeks (1984-1988)
7. Edward L. Lee (1989-2002)
8. Robert R. Gepert (2002-2013)
9. Whayne M. Hougland, Jr. (2013-2021)
10. Prince G. Singh (2022-2023)

• Official web site of the Diocese of Western Michigan
• Journal of the Annual Convention, Diocese of Western Michigan

43°30′N 85°30′W / 43.5°N 85.5°W / 43.5; -85.5

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