Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem
Encyclopedia
The Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem is the bishop of the Anglican
Diocese of Jerusalem, which is a part of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and The Middle East
, and based at St. George's Cathedral, Jerusalem
. The Diocese of Jerusalem covers Israel
, the Palestinian territories
, Jordan
, Syria
and Lebanon
. The diocese covers 7,000 Anglicans, with 35 service institutions, 29 parishes, 1500 employees, 200 hospital beds and 6,000 students.
The current, fourteenth Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem is Suheil Dawani. He was elected Coadjutor Bishop
on June 15, 2005 and was officially installed as Bishop on April 15, 2007. He succeeded Riah Hanna Abu El-Assal
, who retired on March 31, 2007 at the prescribed retirement age of 70 years.
As of March 2011, Bishop Dawani's ability to fulfill his bishopric
duties has been greatly curtailed as a result of the Israeli Government's decision to cancel his residency permit for allegedly facilitating the sale of Jewish land to Palestinians
began as a number of missionary posts of the Church Mission Society
(CMS) in Cyprus, the Middle East
and the Persian Gulf
. The Church Mission Society continues to provide the province with lay mission partners and ordained chaplains, but now the majority of its ministry is drawn from local congregations.
During the 1820s, CMS began to prepare for permanent missionary stations in the region.
In 1833, a missionary station was established in Jerusalem with the support of the London Society for Promoting Christianity Amongst the Jews (a Jewish Christian missionary society now known as the Church's Ministry Among Jewish People
or CMJ). In 1839, the building of the Church of Saint Mark, Alexandria was begun.
In 1841, Michael Solomon Alexander
, a converted rabbi
, arrived in Jerusalem as the first Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem. His diocese
originally covered the mission stations in the Middle East and Egypt, and was a joint effort with the united
Evangelical Church in Prussia (the so-called Anglo-Prussian Union) for Anglicans and united Calvinists and Lutherans - see Anglican-German Bishopric in Jerusalem
.
In 1849, Christ Church, Jerusalem
near Jaffa Gate became the first Anglican/Lutheran church in the city.
The Anglo-Prussian Union ceased to function in 1881, and no bishop was appointed between 1881 and 1887. From 1887, the missionary effort continued solely under Anglican auspices.
Saint George's Cathedral
was built in 1898 in Jerusalem as a central focus for the diocese.
In 1920, the Diocese of Egypt and the Sudan was formed, separate from the Diocese of Jerusalem, with Llewelyn Gwynne as its first bishop. In the 1920s the Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem founded St. George's College
as a training seminary for local clergy.
In 1957, the Diocese of Jerusalem was elevated to the rank of an archdiocese (its bishop being an archbishop
) under the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury
. The Archbishop of Jerusalem had metropolitan oversight of the entire area of the current province with the addition of the Sudan (five dioceses in all). In that same year, Najib Cubain was consecrated Bishop of Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, the first Arab Bishop, assistant to the Archbishop of Jerusalem. During the 1950s, political unrest in Egypt left the diocese in the care of four Egyptian clergy under the oversight of the Archbishop of Jerusalem.
.
The Archbishop of Canterbury does not have metropolitan authority over the diocese, which is now held by a rotating Presiding Bishop
and the Central Synod, comprising the four dioceses. When a Bishop reaches the age of 68, a coadjutor Bishop is required to be elected to work alongside the Bishop for two years.
Also in 1976, Faik Haddad became the first Palestinian Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem.
Today, the Anglican church has around 7000 members. The current Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem is Suheil Salman Ibrahim Dawani, who was officially installed at St. George's Cathedral in Jerusalem on April 15, 2007.
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
Diocese of Jerusalem, which is a part of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and The Middle East
Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East
The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East is a province of the Anglican Communion stretching from Iran in the east to Algeria in the west, and Cyprus in the north to Somalia in the south. It is the largest and the most diverse Anglican province. The church is headed by a President...
, and based at St. George's Cathedral, Jerusalem
St. George's Cathedral, Jerusalem
thumb|rightSt. George's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Jerusalem, established in 1899. It is the seat of the Bishop of Jerusalem of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East....
. The Diocese of Jerusalem covers Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, the Palestinian territories
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. The diocese covers 7,000 Anglicans, with 35 service institutions, 29 parishes, 1500 employees, 200 hospital beds and 6,000 students.
The current, fourteenth Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem is Suheil Dawani. He was elected Coadjutor Bishop
Coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
on June 15, 2005 and was officially installed as Bishop on April 15, 2007. He succeeded Riah Hanna Abu El-Assal
Riah Hanna Abu El-Assal
Riah Hanna Abu El-Assal is an Israeli Arab Anglican clergyman, who was Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem from 1998 to 2007.-History:He graduated from Nazareth Baptist school where he also taught...
, who retired on March 31, 2007 at the prescribed retirement age of 70 years.
As of March 2011, Bishop Dawani's ability to fulfill his bishopric
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...
duties has been greatly curtailed as a result of the Israeli Government's decision to cancel his residency permit for allegedly facilitating the sale of Jewish land to Palestinians
Origins
The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle EastEpiscopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East
The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East is a province of the Anglican Communion stretching from Iran in the east to Algeria in the west, and Cyprus in the north to Somalia in the south. It is the largest and the most diverse Anglican province. The church is headed by a President...
began as a number of missionary posts of the Church Mission Society
Church Mission Society
The Church Mission Society, also known as the Church Missionary Society, is a group of evangelistic societies working with the Anglican Communion and Protestant Christians around the world...
(CMS) in Cyprus, the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
. The Church Mission Society continues to provide the province with lay mission partners and ordained chaplains, but now the majority of its ministry is drawn from local congregations.
During the 1820s, CMS began to prepare for permanent missionary stations in the region.
In 1833, a missionary station was established in Jerusalem with the support of the London Society for Promoting Christianity Amongst the Jews (a Jewish Christian missionary society now known as the Church's Ministry Among Jewish People
Church's Ministry Among Jewish People
Church's Ministry Among Jewish People is an Anglican missionary society founded in 1809.-History:...
or CMJ). In 1839, the building of the Church of Saint Mark, Alexandria was begun.
In 1841, Michael Solomon Alexander
Michael Solomon Alexander
Michael Solomon Alexander was the first Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem.-Life:...
, a converted rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
, arrived in Jerusalem as the first Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem. His diocese
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...
originally covered the mission stations in the Middle East and Egypt, and was a joint effort with the united
United and uniting churches
United and uniting churches are churches formed from the merger or other form of union of two or more different Protestant denominations.Perhaps the oldest example of a united church is found in Germany, where the Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of Lutheran, United and Reformed...
Evangelical Church in Prussia (the so-called Anglo-Prussian Union) for Anglicans and united Calvinists and Lutherans - see Anglican-German Bishopric in Jerusalem
Anglican-German Bishopric in Jerusalem
The Anglican-German Bishopric in Jerusalem was an episcopal see founded in Jerusalem in the nineteenth century by joint agreement of the Anglican Church of England and the united Evangelical Church in Prussia.-Background:...
.
In 1849, Christ Church, Jerusalem
Christ Church, Jerusalem
Christ Church, Jerusalem is an Anglican church located near the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem.It is the oldest Protestant church in the Middle East. Three architects planned the church, first William Curry Hillier , then James Wood Johns, who was dismissed and replaced by Matthew Habershon in January 1843...
near Jaffa Gate became the first Anglican/Lutheran church in the city.
The Anglo-Prussian Union ceased to function in 1881, and no bishop was appointed between 1881 and 1887. From 1887, the missionary effort continued solely under Anglican auspices.
Saint George's Cathedral
St. George's Cathedral, Jerusalem
thumb|rightSt. George's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Jerusalem, established in 1899. It is the seat of the Bishop of Jerusalem of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East....
was built in 1898 in Jerusalem as a central focus for the diocese.
Later history
Although the diocese began as a foreign missionary organisation, it quickly established itself as part of the Palestinian community. In 1905, the Palestine Native Church Council was established to give locals Arabs more say in the running of the church. This led to an increase in the number of Arab clergy serving the diocese.In 1920, the Diocese of Egypt and the Sudan was formed, separate from the Diocese of Jerusalem, with Llewelyn Gwynne as its first bishop. In the 1920s the Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem founded St. George's College
St. George's College, Jerusalem
St George’s College Jerusalem is a Continuing Education Center of the Anglican Communion. It is part of the Anglican diocese of Jerusalem and the Middle East.-History:...
as a training seminary for local clergy.
In 1957, the Diocese of Jerusalem was elevated to the rank of an archdiocese (its bishop being an archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
) under the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
. The Archbishop of Jerusalem had metropolitan oversight of the entire area of the current province with the addition of the Sudan (five dioceses in all). In that same year, Najib Cubain was consecrated Bishop of Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, the first Arab Bishop, assistant to the Archbishop of Jerusalem. During the 1950s, political unrest in Egypt left the diocese in the care of four Egyptian clergy under the oversight of the Archbishop of Jerusalem.
Current position
In 1976, the structure of the Anglican church in the region was overhauled, with the Diocese of Jerusalem becoming an ordinary bishopric, and one of four dioceses forming the Province of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle EastEpiscopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East
The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East is a province of the Anglican Communion stretching from Iran in the east to Algeria in the west, and Cyprus in the north to Somalia in the south. It is the largest and the most diverse Anglican province. The church is headed by a President...
.
The Archbishop of Canterbury does not have metropolitan authority over the diocese, which is now held by a rotating Presiding Bishop
Presiding Bishop
The Presiding Bishop is an ecclesiastical position in some denominations of Christianity.- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America :The Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is the chief ecumenical officer of the church, and the leader and caretaker for the bishops of the...
and the Central Synod, comprising the four dioceses. When a Bishop reaches the age of 68, a coadjutor Bishop is required to be elected to work alongside the Bishop for two years.
Also in 1976, Faik Haddad became the first Palestinian Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem.
Today, the Anglican church has around 7000 members. The current Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem is Suheil Salman Ibrahim Dawani, who was officially installed at St. George's Cathedral in Jerusalem on April 15, 2007.
List of Anglican Bishops in Jerusalem
- Michael Solomon AlexanderMichael Solomon AlexanderMichael Solomon Alexander was the first Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem.-Life:...
- 1841–1845. Under joint auspices of the Anglican Church of EnglandChurch of EnglandThe Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
and the unitedUnited and uniting churchesUnited and uniting churches are churches formed from the merger or other form of union of two or more different Protestant denominations.Perhaps the oldest example of a united church is found in Germany, where the Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of Lutheran, United and Reformed...
Evangelical Church in Prussia. Christ Church, JerusalemChrist Church, JerusalemChrist Church, Jerusalem is an Anglican church located near the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem.It is the oldest Protestant church in the Middle East. Three architects planned the church, first William Curry Hillier , then James Wood Johns, who was dismissed and replaced by Matthew Habershon in January 1843...
dedicated in 1849. - Samuel GobatSamuel GobatSamuel Gobat , was a Swiss Lutheran who became an Anglican missionary in Africa and was the Protestant Bishop of Jerusalem from 1846 until his death....
- 1846–1879. Under joint Anglican and Evangelical auspices. He opened 42 schools and ordained the first two Palestinian priests - Joseph BarclayJoseph BarclayJoseph Barclay, D.D. , was Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem.Barclay was born near Strabane in county Tyrone, Ireland, his family being of Scotch extraction. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and proceeded B.A. in 1854 and M.A. in 1857, but showed no particular powers of application or study...
- 1879–1881. Under joint Anglican and Evangelical auspices.
Vacant 1881 - 1887 - George Francis Popham BlythGeorge Francis Popham BlythThe Rt Rev George Francis Popham Blyth DD was an Anglican Bishop in the last decades of the nineteenth century and the first two of the twentieth. He was educated at St Pauls and Lincoln College, Oxford and ordained in 1885...
- 1887–1914. Under sole Anglican auspices; established the Palestine Native Church Council in 1905 - Rennie MacInnesRennie MacInnesThe Rt Rev Rennie MacInnes was a Bishop in the Anglican Church in the first third of the twentieth century.-Biography:MacInnes was educated at Harrow and Trinity College, Cambridge. He was ordained in 1897...
- 1914–1931 - George Francis Graham BrownGeorge Francis Graham BrownThe Rt Rev George Francis Graham Brown OBE DD was an Anglican Bishop in the second quarter of the twentieth century.Graham-Brown was educated at Monkton Combe School and St Catharine's College, Cambridge...
- 1932–1942 - Weston Henry Stewart - 1943–1957
- Angus Campbell MacInnesAngus Campbell MacInnesThe Rt Rev Angus Campbell MacInnes CMG was an Anglican Bishop in the third quarter of the twentieth century.Angus Campbell MacInnes was born into a distinguished ecclesiastical family: his father, Rennie MacInnes, would be Bishop of Jerusalem from 1914 to 1931. He was educated at Harrow and ...
(Archbishop) - 1957–1969 - George AppletonGeorge AppletonGeorge Appleton CMG, MBE was an Anglican bishop in the third quarter of the twentieth century.He was educated at Selwyn College, Cambridge and ordained in 1926. After a curacy at Stepney Parish Church he spent 20 years in Burma as a SPG missionary before returning to England...
(Archbishop) - 1969–1974 - Robert StopfordRobert StopfordRobert Wright Stopford KCVO CBE PC was a British clergyman.-Early life and career:He was born in Garston, Liverpool and educated at Coatham School in Redcar and Liverpool College, where he was Head of House . He continued his education at Hertford College, Oxford, where he graduated with a Master...
served as Vicar General - 1974–1976 - Faik Ibrahim Haddad - 1976–1984, the first Palestinian Arab Bishop
- Samir Hanna KafitySamir Hanna KafityThe Rt Rev Samir Hanna Kaffity is a former Anglican Bishop in the last quarter of the twentieth century. He was born on 21 September 1933 and educated at the American University of Beirut and ordained in 1958....
- 1984–1998, the second Palestinian Arab Bishop. He served two five-year terms as the Provincial President-Bishop and Primate. - Riah Hanna Abu El-AssalRiah Hanna Abu El-AssalRiah Hanna Abu El-Assal is an Israeli Arab Anglican clergyman, who was Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem from 1998 to 2007.-History:He graduated from Nazareth Baptist school where he also taught...
- 1998–2007 - Suheil Salman Ibrahim Dawani - since 2007
See also
- Anglican-German Bishopric in JerusalemAnglican-German Bishopric in JerusalemThe Anglican-German Bishopric in Jerusalem was an episcopal see founded in Jerusalem in the nineteenth century by joint agreement of the Anglican Church of England and the united Evangelical Church in Prussia.-Background:...
- Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and The Middle EastEpiscopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle EastThe Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East is a province of the Anglican Communion stretching from Iran in the east to Algeria in the west, and Cyprus in the north to Somalia in the south. It is the largest and the most diverse Anglican province. The church is headed by a President...
- Theodore Edward DowlingTheodore Edward DowlingTheodore Edward Dowling was an Anglican Priest and historian, who studied the ancient oriental churches and made numerous scholarly publications of books regarding the church history of Armenia, Antioch, Jerusalem Patriarchate and Georgia....
- Palestinian ChristiansPalestinian ChristiansPalestinian Christians are Arabic-speaking Christians descended from the people of the geographical area of Palestine. Within Palestine, there are churches and believers from many Christian denominations, including Oriental Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholic , Protestant, and others...
Further reading
- Encyclopedia of Christianity, Volume 2 (2001). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. ISBN 90-04-11695-8
- Hoppe, Leslie J. (1999). A Guide to the Lands of the Bible. Liturgical Press. ISBN 0-8146-5886-5