About this Diocese

The Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island is a gathering of the 52 Episcopal Churches in our state, served by Bishop Knisely and his staff. The current Bishop, The Right Rev. W. Nicholas Knisely, Jr. was consecrated the 13th Bishop of RI in 2012.

aboutdiostbarnBishop Knisely and his staff support congregations as they carry out their mission and ministries. They provide resources and educational opportunities to encourage spiritual development and outreach in the churches of this diocese, as well as in the greater community. Together, our Bishop and churches work to do large scale ministry no church could operate alone, such as the ECC Summer Camp, Hispanic Ministries, ministries on college and university campuses, and more. Check out our Ministries pages to see all that we do and how you can get involved. You can also learn more about our Bishop and read some of his blog posts — as a physicist, he brings a unique perspective to the faith!

Our diocese is located in the regional Province of New England also known as Province I. We are a colonial Diocese, and  our history traces back from Pastor Blackstone’s preaching beneath the “Catholic Oak” in Lonsdale through the American Revolution and to the present day.

About the Episcopal Church in the USA

The Episcopal Church represents the United States in the Anglican Communion, a worldwide Christian denomination. The center of International Anglicanism is Canterbury, England, the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Episcopal Church comprises approximately 2 million members of 7000 churches throughout all 50 states as well as sixteen countries and 110 dioceses. The current Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church is the Most Reverend Michael Curry. Bishop Curry is popularly known for his sermon at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. You can read or watch and listen to it below.

Video & Text: Presiding Bishop’s royal wedding sermon