Diocese of Western Canada and Alaska
| Diocese of Western Canada and Alaska | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Ecclesiastical province | Anglican Church in North America |
| Statistics | |
| Parishes | 22 (*) |
| Information | |
| Rite | Anglican |
| Current leadership | |
| Bishop | Charles Dorrington |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
| |
The Diocese of Western Canada and Alaska is a diocese of the Reformed Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church in North America. It also includes the Missionary District of Cuba. The diocese was formed in 1996 when the Canadian and American branches of the Reformed Episcopal Church were reunited. It was, at the time, composed of parishes extending back to the founding of the REC in the 1870s. As a part of the Reformed Episcopal Church, the diocese became part of the Anglican Church in North America upon its creation in 2009. It is the smallest of both denominations' dioceses, comprising only two parishes in British Columbia, Canada. Despite its name, the diocese is inactive in Alaska. The diocese also has the Missionary District of Cuba, which was launched in 2003, currently with 20 parishes. Its headquarters are located in Victoria, British Columbia. The current bishop is Charles Dorrington.
On 7 October 2012, the REC parish of Church of Our Lord in Victoria merged with Christ the King Anglican Church to form a new congregation which kept the historic name of Church of Our Lord, moving within the jurisdiction of the Anglican Network in Canada.[1]
The diocese has a larger jurisdiction in Cuba due to the presence of the Missionary District since 2003, where it counts 20 parishes in 3 districts. The district's bishop is William Mendez Suarez. The Missionary District of Cuba was launched after a special request of people who wished to affiliate with the Reformed Episcopal Church and were unable to do so except with a Canadian jurisdiction because of the United States embargo in the country. It is currently the only jurisdiction of the Anglican Church in North America outside the United States and Canada.[2]