The Episcopal Diocese of Albany is part of Province 2 of the Episcopal Church.

History

The Church of Englandarrived in 1674 with a chaplain assigned to the British military garrison at Albany, New York

Albany, New York

Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...

. In 1704 the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel sent two missionaries to the Mohawk Valley

Mohawk Valley

The Mohawk Valley region of the U.S. state of New York is the area surrounding the Mohawk River, sandwiched between the Adirondack Mountains and Catskill Mountains....

, where the first Anglican church was erected in 1711.

In 1708 the oldest parish, St. Peter's, was founded in Albany. He extended his ministry to nearby Schenectady

Schenectady, New York

Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...

, and by 1763, St. George's Church was built in that town. In 1765 the last of the colonial parishes, St. John's in Johnstown

Johnstown (town), New York

Johnstown is a town located in Fulton County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the town had a population of 7,166. The name of the town is from landowner William Johnson....

, was established. By the beginning of the American Revolutionary War

American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...

, Anglican missions were springing up in surrounding counties. However, the War proved disastrous to the English Church which for almost ten years after remained leaderless and disorganized.

With the formation of the Episcopal Diocese of New York

Episcopal Diocese of New York

The Episcopal Diocese of New York is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, encompassing the boroughs of Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island in New York City, and the New York state counties of Westchester, Rockland, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Sullivan, and...

 in 1785 (comprising the entire state), the Church in New York began to reorganize. By 1790, during the "Second Great Awakening" expanded missionary activity, begun under strong episcopal leadership, was largely sustained by a vigorous laity. By 1810, 14 priests served 25 parishes in buildings made possible by grants from Trinity Parish, New York City.

In 1868, nineteen counties in the northeastern quarter of the state were organized into the Diocese of Albany. Its first Bishop, William Doane, was elected in 1869 by a convention of 62 priests and 127 delegates. Bishop Doane's principles and personality had a profound and enduring effect upon the character of the Diocese of Albany. He organized the newly formed Diocese after the English model with a Cathedral See, and his "high" Churchmanship found expression in his establishment of St. Agnes School, The Child's Hospital, a community of women religious, and St. Margaret's House and Hospital for Babies.

In 2007, the 8th Bishop of Albany, Dan Herzog, several months after his retirement, renounced his ordained ministry and was received into communion with the Roman Catholic Church. He was, at the time, only the third bishop in the history of the Episcopal Church to do so. Bishop Herzog had since 2003 been an increasingly vocal critic of some decisions of the Episcopal Church’s General Convention, including its 2003 affirmation of the election of an openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson

Gene Robinson

Vicki Gene Robinson is the ninth bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Robinson was elected bishop in 2003 and entered office in March 2004...

, in the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire

Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire

The Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America , covers the entire state of New Hampshire. It was originally part of the Diocese of Massachusetts, but became independent in 1841. The see city is Concord...

. However, following a period of further reflection, Herzog rescinded his renunciation, and 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...

 Katharine Jefferts Schori

Katharine Jefferts Schori

Katharine Jefferts Schori is the 26th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States. Previously elected as the 9th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada, she is the first woman elected as a primate of the Anglican Communion...

, with the advice and consent of her Advisory Council, restored him to the ministry of the Episcopal Church with effect from April 28, 2010. Bishop Herzog will assist his successor in the Diocese of Albany in the capacity of a retired bishop. Jefferts Schori visited the Episcopal Diocese of Albany in 2011.

Bill Love is the current bishop of Albany. He was elected bishop coadjutor in 2006, and installed in February 2007 following Bishop Herzog's retirement. He is self-identified as orthodox and is considered to be theologically conservative. Love was the only Episcopal bishop in New York State to oppose the passage of the Marriage Equality Act

Marriage Equality Act

The Marriage Equality Act is a 2011 New York State law that allows gender-neutral marriages for both same- and opposite-sex couples, while prohibiting state and local courts and governments from penalizing religious and religious-supervised institutions, their employees, or clergy for refusing to...

.

List of Bishops of Albany

Bishops of Albany
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1869	1913	William Doane
1913	1929	Richard Nelson	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...  since 1904.
1929	1949	Ashton Oldham	Coadjutor bishop since 1922.
1949	1960	Frederick Barry	Coadjutor bishop since 1945.
1961	1974	Allen Brown	Suffragan bishop Suffragan bishop A suffragan bishop is a bishop subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop. He or she may be assigned to an area which does not have a cathedral of its own.-Anglican Communion:...  since 1959.
1974	1984	Wilbur Hogg
1984	1998	David Ball	Coadjutor bishop since 1984.
1998	2007	Dan Herzog	Coadjutor bishop since 1997.
2007	present	Bill Love	Coadjutor bishop since 2006.

List of suffragan bishops

Suffragan bishops in Albany Diocese
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1904	1913	Richard Nelson, coadjutor bishop	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.... , 1913–1929.
1922	1929	Ashton Oldham, coadjutor bishop	Diocesan bishop, 1929–1949.
1945	1949	Frederick Barry, coadjutor bishop	Diocesan bishop, 1949–1960.
1951	1957	David Richards	Translated to Central America, Costa Rica then Honduras Episcopal Diocese of Honduras The Episcopal Diocese of Honduras is an Anglican diocese in Honduras. It forms part of Province IX of the Episcopal Church. The current bishop is Lloyd Emmanuel Allen.-External links:*... .
1959	1961	Allen Brown	Diocesan bishop, 1961–1974.
1963	1974	Charles Persell
1984		David Ball, coadjutor bishop	Diocesan bishop, 1984–1998.
1997	1998	Dan Herzog, coadjutor bishop	Diocesan bishop, 1998–2007.
2000	2007	David Bena
2006	2007	Bill Love, coadjutor bishop	Diocesan bishop since 2007.

Historic churches in the diocese

Historic churches in the diocese include:

• All Saints Episcopal Church
  All Saints Episcopal Church (Round Lake, New York)
  All Saints' Episcopal Church, is an historic Carpenter Gothic church built in 1892 on Simpson Avenue in Round Lake, New York. It is a contributing property in the Round Lake Historic District.-External links:*...
  
  , Round Lake, 1892.