The reformation of the Christian church in England in the sixteenth century set in motion a distinctive approach to Christian faith and practice, which came to be known as “Anglican Christianity.” Some of the earliest European colonists in North America were either members of the Church in England or had been exiled from that church body.

Following the American Revolution, congregations of the English church in the United States of America reorganized themselves into a church body now known as “The Episcopal Church,” which was independent of the Church of England but still “in communion” with it. This became one of the first instances of the worldwide Anglican Communion, a global network of national provinces and other church bodies that trace their roots to that sixteenth-century reform movement, which created forms of Christianity that are both “Catholic” and “Protestant.”

The Diocese of Western Michigan convened for the first time in 1874 and its cathedral church was St. Mark’s in Grand Rapids; this diocese has since then been served by nine bishops and is currently in the process of selecting a “bishop provisional” and is in conversation with the Diocese of Eastern Michigan concerning possible avenues of partnership and collaboration.

This diocese, the national church, and the global network of Anglican Christians all provide a deep sense of interconnection, mutual care and support, and the richness of multicultural expressions of Christian faith that can enliven our sense of mission and ministry here along the lakeshore in southwest Michigan.

For more on the Anglican Communion:  https://www.anglicancommunion.org/

For more about the Diocese of Western Michigan:  https://edwm.org/

For more about the Episcopal Church and its ministries:

“Becoming Beloved Community.”

— Reconcilers, JusticeMakers & Healers