The Anglican Diocese of Athabasca is a diocese of the Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's Land

Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's Land

The Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's Land was founded in 1875 and is one of four ecclesiastical provinces in the Anglican Church of Canada. The territory covered by the province is roughly coterminous with the western portion of the former Hudson's Bay Company concession of Rupert's Land, as...

 of the Anglican Church of Canada

Anglican Church of Canada

The Anglican Church of Canada is the Province of the Anglican Communion in Canada. The official French name is l'Église Anglicane du Canada. The ACC is the third largest church in Canada after the Roman Catholic Church and the United Church of Canada, consisting of 800,000 registered members...

, in the northern half of the civil province of Alberta

Alberta

Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...

. It was created in 1874 by the division of the original Diocese of Rupert's Land. The Synod of the Diocese of Athabasca was organized in 1876. The see city is Peace River

Peace River, Alberta

Peace River is a town in northwestern Alberta, Canada, situated along the banks of the Peace River, at its confluence with the Smoky River, the Heart River and Pat's Creek. It is located northwest of Edmonton, and northeast of Grande Prairie, along Highway 2. The Peace River townsite is nearly ...

. The Diocese has had at least two other See Cities: Fort Simpson and Fort Vermilion. The Bishop resided for a considerable period at Athabasca Landing, but it is not certain if it was ever his "seat". Other cities in the diocese are Grande Prairie and Fort McMurray.

The diocesan bishop is the Rt. Rev. Fraser Lawton, formerly rector of St Thomas’ Anglican church in Fort McMurray, Alberta, who was elected 11th Bishop of Athabasca by the Diocesan Synod on 19 September 2009 and consecrated and installed on November 22 2009 in St James’ Cathedral, Peace River.

Bishop of Athabasca	Honorific & Name	Dates
1st	The Rt. Rev. William Carpenter Bompas William Carpenter Bompas William Carpenter Bompas was a Church of England clergyman and missionary in northwestern Canada, first Anglican bishop of the Athabasca diocese, then of the Mackenzie River diocese and then of the Selkirk diocese as these dioceses were successively carved out of the original Rupert's Land diocese...	1874-1883
2nd	The Rt. Rev. Richard Young Richard Young (bishop) Richard Young was a bishop in Rupert's Land. Young was born and educated in England. After being ordained as a priest in the Church of England in 1869, Young moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1875. In 1883 he became bishop of the see of Athabasca in present-day northern Alberta...	1873-1903
3rd	The Rt. Rev. George Holmes George Holmes (bishop) The Rt Rev George Holmes, DD was an Anglican Bishop in Canada from 1905 to 1912. He was born in Kendal Westmorland on 23 November 1858 and ordained in 1887 after which he was a CMS missionary in the Northwest Territories. In 1901 he became Archdeacon of Athabasca and four years later was...	1908 (Acting); 1909-1912
4th	The Rt. Rev. Edwin Frederick Robins Edwin Frederick Robins The Rt Rev Edwin Frederick Robins, DD was an Anglican Bishop in Canada from 1912 to 1930. He was born in London on 11 February 1870 and ordained Deacon in 1894 after which he was a CMS missionary in Dera Ghazi Khan. In 1897 he was ordained Priest and became Curate of St James, Paddington...	1912-1930
5th	The Rt. Rev. Robert John Renison Robert John Renison Robert John Renison was an Anglican bishop in the mid 20th century.He was born in Cashel, County Tipperary into an ecclesiastical family on 8 September 1875 and educated at Trinity College School and the University of Toronto. Ordained in 1896, his first position was as a curate at the Church of...	1932
6th	The Rt. Rev. Arthur Henry Sovereign Arthur Henry Sovereign The Rt Rev Arthur Henry Sovereign, DD, FRGS was an eminent Anglican priest in the mid 20th century.He was born in Woodstock, Ontario in 1881 and educated at the University of Toronto. Ordained in 1906, his first post was as a Curate at Christ Church Cathedral, Vancouver after which he was Rector...	1932-1950
7th	The Rt. Rev. Reginald James Pierce Reginald James Pierce The Rt Rev Reginald James Pierce, DD was an Anglican Bishop in Canada in the 3rd quarter of the 20th century. He was born in 1909, educated at the University of Saskatchewan and ordained Deacon in 1932. In 1934 he was ordained Priest and became Priest in charge of Colinton, Alberta. After this he...	1950-1974
8th	The Most Rev. Frederick Hugh Wright Crabb Frederick Hugh Wright Crabb Frederick Hugh Wright Crabb was an Anglican bishop in the second half of the 20th century.Born in Luppitt, Devon on 24 April 1915 he was educated at the University of London and ordained in 1939. His first posts were curacies in Teignmouth and Plymouth after which he was a missionary in Sudan...	1975-1983
9th	The Rt. Rev. Gary Woolsey	1983-1991
10th	The Most Rev. John R. Clarke	January 5, 1992 - April 30, 2009
11th	The Rt. Rev Fraser Lawton Fraser Lawton Fraser Lawton is the current Anglican Bishop of Athabasca. He was formerly rector of St Thomas’ Anglican church in Fort McMurray, Alberta and was elected the 11th Bishop of Athabasca by the Diocesan Synod on 19 September 2009 and consecrated and installed on January 2, 2010 in St James’ Cathedral,...	November 22, 2009

External links

• Diocese of Athabasca Official Site