Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina
Encyclopedia
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
in the Episcopal Church. It consists of 27 counties in western North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and its episcopal see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
is in Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
, seated at Cathedral of All Souls
Cathedral of All Souls
The Cathedral of All Souls, also referred to as All Souls Cathedral, is an Episcopal cathedral located in Asheville, North Carolina, United States of America....
.
The diocese contains 65 parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es and over 15,000 members, divided into six deaneries
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
. Its cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
is the Cathedral of All Souls
Cathedral of All Souls
The Cathedral of All Souls, also referred to as All Souls Cathedral, is an Episcopal cathedral located in Asheville, North Carolina, United States of America....
in Asheville, located in Biltmore Village
Biltmore Village
Biltmore Village, formerly Best, is a small village that is now entirely in the city limits of Asheville, North Carolina. It is adjacent to the main entrance of the Biltmore Estate, built by George W. Vanderbilt, one of the heirs to the Vanderbilt family fortune. Once known as the town of Best,...
. The 5th Diocesan bishop
Diocesan bishop
A diocesan bishop — in general — is a bishop in charge of a diocese. These are to be distinguished from suffragan bishops, assistant bishops, coadjutor bishops, auxiliary bishops, metropolitans, and primates....
is the Right Reverend G. Porter Taylor
G. Porter Taylor
Granville Porter Taylor is the fifth and current Episcopal Bishop of Western North Carolina and is seated at the Cathedral of All Souls.-Biography:...
, who has served since September 18, 2004.
The diocese is a proponent of social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
and has applied to the Episcopal Church for a relationship as a sister diocese of the Anglican Diocese of Durgapur, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
from 2007 through 2010. The diocese is notable for two small mountain parishes that contain fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es created by Ben Long
Ben Long
Ben Long is an American painter and the grandson of noted artist McKendree Robbins Long.-Background:Reared in a family of artists, writers, professors, and university presidents, Long was as precocious in his artistic ability as he was eager to apply it...
, an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
-trained artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
: the fresco of the Last Supper
Last Supper
The Last Supper is the final meal that, according to Christian belief, Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The Last Supper provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist, also known as "communion" or "the Lord's Supper".The First Epistle to the Corinthians is...
at Holy Trinity church in Glendale Springs and Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
Great with Child and John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
at Saint Mary's Episcopal Church in Beaver Creek. In another, much larger parish, St. Paul's Episcopal located in the foothills of Wilkesboro
Wilkesboro
Wilkesboro may refer to several places in the United States:* North Wilkesboro, North Carolina* Wilkesboro, North Carolina* Wilkesboro, Oregon...
, two recent Long frescoes can be seen. These frescoes depict Paul the Apostle in prison and his conversion of the Damascan Road. They were completed in 2003.
The diocese has historically practiced a higher churchmanship than most dioceses in the Fourth Province, and especially the other two dioceses in the state.
Asheville Deanery
- Cathedral of All SoulsCathedral of All SoulsThe Cathedral of All Souls, also referred to as All Souls Cathedral, is an Episcopal cathedral located in Asheville, North Carolina, United States of America....
- Church of the Advocate
- Grace Episcopal Church, Asheville
- Redeemer Episcopal Church, Asheville
- Saint George's Episcopal Church, Asheville
- Saint James Episcopal Church, Black Mountain
- Saint John's Episcopal Church, Asheville
- St. Luke's Episcopal Church (Asheville, North Carolina)St. Luke's Episcopal Church (Asheville, North Carolina)St. Luke's Episcopal Church is an historic Carpenter Gothic-style Episcopal church building located at 219 Chunn's Cove Road, in the Chunn's Cove neighborhood of Asheville, North Carolina. Built in 1894 at a cost of $728, St. Luke's was designed by E. J. Armstrong, a member of the congregation...
- St. Mary's Episcopal Church (Asheville, North Carolina)St. Mary's Episcopal Church (Asheville, North Carolina)St. Mary's Episcopal Church is an Anglo-Catholic Episcopal parish in Asheville, North Carolina in the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina...
- Saint Matthais Episcopal Church, Asheville
- Trinity Episcopal Church, Asheville
- Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit, Mars Hill
Foothills Deanery
- Church of the Ascension, Hickory
- Church of the Epiphany, Hickory
- Grace Episcopal Church, Morganton
- Saint Alban's Episcopal Church, Hickory
- Saint James Episcopal Church, Lenoir
- Saint John's Episcopal Church, Marion
- Saint Mary's Episcopal Church, Morganton
- Saint Paul's Episcopal Church, Wilkesboro
- Saint Paul's Episcopal Church, Morganton
- Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church, Morganton
Hendersonville Deanery
- Calvary Episcopal Church, Fletcher
- Church of the Holy Family, Mills River
- Church of the Transfiguration, Saluda
- Episcopal Church of Saint John in the Wilderness, Flat Rock
- Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross, Tryon
- Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration Bat Cave
- Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, Tryon
- La Capilla De Santa Maria, Hendersonville
- Saint James Episcopal Church, Hendersonville
- Saint Paul's Episcopal Church, Edneyville
Mountain Deanery
- Christ Church, SpartaSparta, North CarolinaSparta is a town in Alleghany County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,817 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Alleghany County.-Geography:Sparta is located at ....
- Church of the Holy Cross, Valle CrucisValle Crucis, North CarolinaValle Crucis is an unincorporated community located in Watauga County, North Carolina, United States. The name of the town is Latin for "Vale of the Cross," a reference to a valley in the area where three streams converge to form a shape similar to an archbishop's cross...
- Church of Our Savior, NewlandNewland, North CarolinaNewland is a town in Avery County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 704 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Avery County. Before its founding, the area was known as Old Fields or Old Fields of Toe. In 1911 it was renamed Newland, after North Carolina Lieutenant Governor...
- Holy Communion Episcopal Parish, Ashe CountyHoly Communion Episcopal Parish, Ashe CountyHoly Communion Episcopal Parish, located in Ashe County, North Carolina, is a small parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina. The parish consists of two small historic Carpenter Gothic churches that are both decorated with frescoes done by internationally renowned painter Ben Long...
, Glendale Springs and West JeffersonWest Jefferson, North CarolinaWest Jefferson is a town in Ashe County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,081 at the 2000 census.-History:West Jefferson was incorporated as a city in 1909, and it is the second-oldest incorporated town in Ashe County. West Jefferson has the distinction of having the only cheese... - Saint Luke's Episcopal Church, BooneBoone, North CarolinaBoone is a town located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, United States. Boone's population was reported as 17,122, as of 2010...
- Saint Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church, Blowing RockBlowing Rock, North CarolinaBlowing Rock is a town in North Carolina, USA, situated in both Caldwell and Watauga counties. The population was 1,418 at the 2000 census. However, during the summer the town's population increases to about 10,000.]]\\...
- Saint Thomas Episcopal Church, BurnsvilleBurnsville, North CarolinaBurnsville is a town in Yancey County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,623 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Yancey County.-Geography:Burnsville is located at ....
- Trinity Episcopal Church, Spruce PineSpruce Pine, North CarolinaSpruce Pine is a town in Mitchell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,175 at the 2010 census.-History:Spruce Pine was founded in 1907 when the Clinchfield Railroad made its way up the North Toe River from Erwin, Tennessee...
Piedmont Deanery
- All Saints Episcopal Church, Gastonia
- Church of the Redeemer, Shelby
- Episcopal Church of Saint Peter by the Lake, Denver
- Episcopal Church of Our Savior, Lincolnton
- Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church, Bessemer City
- Saint Francis Episcopal Church, Rutherfordton
- Saint Gabriel's Episcopal Church, Rutherfordton
- Saint Luke's Episcopal Church, Lincolnton
- Saint Mark's Episcopal Church, Gastonia
Western Deanery
- Church of the Good Shepherd (Cashiers, North Carolina)Church of the Good Shepherd (Cashiers, North Carolina)The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd is an historic Carpenter Gothic church located at 1448 Highway 107 South in Cashiers, North Carolina. On February 20, 1986, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.-National Register listing:...
- Church of the Incarnation (Highlands, North Carolina)Church of the Incarnation (Highlands, North Carolina)The Church of the Incarnation built in 1896 is an historic Carpenter Gothic Episcopal church building located at 111 North 5th Street in Highlands, Macon County, North Carolina. The Rev. John A. Deal, the first Episcopal missioner in Macon County, was responsible for founding the Church of the...
- Church of the Messiah, Murphy
- Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Hayesville
- Grace Church in the Mountains, Waynesville
- Grace Mountainside Church, Robbinsville
- Saint Agnes Episcopal Church, Franklin
- Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church, Canton
- Saint Cyprian's Episcopal Church, Franklin
- Saint David's Episcopal Church, Cullowhee
- Saint Francis Episcopal Church, Cherokee, NC/Cullowhee
- Saint John's Episcopal Church, Sylva
- Saint John's Episcopal Church - Cartoogechaye, Franklin