October 21

St. John’s, Worthington, first attempt at an organizational convention to establish an Episcopal Diocese “in the Western Country” and select a “suitable person for the Bishop.” Clergy and lay representatives from churches/mission in the Western Reserve did not attend

Trinity Parish, Cleveland “officially” organized

March 2, by the Rev. Roger Searle

St. Paul, Medina organized

March 11, by the Rev. Roger Searle

March 16

The Rev. Philander Chase arrives at Conneaut Creek having traveled by horse-drawn sleigh from Buffalo, NY to Erie, PA across the frozen lake. He travels the rest of the way by horse and holds his first worship service “although there was not an Episcopalian in the place”

St. James, Boardman “formally” organized and named

March 23, by the Rev. Roger Searle

April 2

Provisional Convention held in Windsor Township at home of
the Honorable Solomon Griswold where the Rev. Roger Searle is elected to represent Episcopalians in Ohio at the 1817 General Convention

May 20

General Convention meets at Trinity Church, NY with Rev. Roger Searle as a member of the House of Deputies representing Episcopal interests in Ohio (although he was canonically resident in the Diocese of Connecticut)

May 22

The House of Bishops, meeting at General Convention, adopts a resolution allowing a diocese to be formed and a bishop elected in the state of Ohio. Ohio is the first diocese outside of the original 13 colonies

February 18

Fifty-three women from Ashtabula, Boardman, Canfield, Cleveland, Columbia Station, Ravenna, and Niles meet in Boardman to form “The Female Tract Society of Boardman Canfield and the Connecticut Western Reserve”

June 3 & 4

Worthington - Special “Central Ohio” Convention. Philander Chase unanimously elected bishop. He is elected without a salary and supported himself by farming and teaching

St. John, Cuyahoga Falls organized

St. Paul, Steubenville organized

Philander Chase (1819 - 1831)

St. James, Painesville organized

St. Paul, Mt. Vernon organized

August 15

Philander Chase consecrates St. Peter, Ashtabula

Harcourt Parish, Gambier organized

August 23

Philander Chase consecrates St. James, Boardman

September 10

Charles McIlvaine is elected the 2nd Bishop of Ohio

November

Bishop McIlvaine visits Ohio. Clergy in the Diocese which comprises the entire state of Ohio - 7 (including the Bishop) Consecrated Churches - 6

Charles Pettit McIlvaine (1832 - 1873)

St. James, Wooster organized

Oberlin College opens

First co-ed college in the U.S. and first to admit African American students

The Oxford Movement (AngloCatholic) begins in England

Grace Church, Sandusky organized

Christ Church, Kent organized

Philander Chase is elected Bishop of the Diocese of Illinois

Christ Church, Warren organized

Historic St. John, Ohio City organized

It is the first church building west of the Cuyahoga River and the oldest church building in Cleveland in continuous use

Christ Church, Huron organized

St. Paul, Maumee organized

St. Andrew, Elyria organized

Diocesan Convention divides the Diocese of Ohio up into six missionary districts

St. Paul, Fremont organized

Christ Church, Hudson organized

Bexley Hall, the theological school at Kenyon College, is completed in Gambier

Bishop McIlvaine moves to Cincinnati to focus on church growth

He is revered as a good administrator and a good preacher; he travels around Ohio on horseback, by stage, by canal boat, and railroad car

Colored National Convention, one of many, is held in Cleveland

Topics include jobs, race relations, and the chances of returning to Africa

The Compromise of 1850 (including the Fugitive Slave Act)

Grace Church, Defiance organized

Christ Church, Oberlin organized

Old Trinity, Tiffin organized

U.S. Supreme Court hands down the “Dred Scott Decision”

denying citizenship to African Americans in court cases

October 13

Bedell is consecrated Bishop at St. Paul, Richmond, VA, the 67th Bishop in the American Succession

Our Savior, Salem organized

St. John, Youngstown organized

Bishop McIlvaine secretly visits England

at the behest of President Abraham Lincoln to smooth out ruffled feathers over “the Trent Affair”

American Civil War

(through 1865)

During the American Civil War, Southern Episcopal dioceses join the Protestant Episcopal Church of the Confederate States of America, but are welcomed back after war ends. Other Christian denominations experience long term splits lasting 100 plus years

Bishop McIlvaine gives thanks

Bishop McIlvaine during his address to the Diocesan Convention gives thanks for the end of the war and declares “Human Slavery– (God be praised) is, by all acknowledgment dead”

President Lincoln’s assassination

Bishop Bedell reflects on President Lincoln’s assassination

Bishop Bedell reflects on hearing of President Lincoln’s assassination while presiding at services at St. Paul, Fremont and quotes from Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address “With charity towards all, with malice to none, doing the right, so far as God gives us to know the right, let us strive to finish the work we are in”

Memorial Service for President Lincoln on Cleveland's Public Square

Bishop McIlvaine presides over a public memorial service in Cleveland’s Public Square after President Lincoln’s assassination

Grace Church, Ravenna organized

15th Amendment guaranteeing black suffrage is ratified

First Vatican Council

Society of St. John the Evangelist established in Boston

Order of deaconesses is revived in the Anglican Communion

Evangelical, "low church"- oriented Reformed Episcopal Church is founded in NYC

March 12

Bishop Charles P. McIlvaine dies in Florence, Italy after an episcopate lasting 41 years. His body lies in state at Westminster Abbey in London on its way back to the U.S.A. Burial takes place in Clifton Springs, OH

Gregory T. Bedell becomes the 3rd Bishop of Ohio

Gregory Thurston Bedell (1873 - 1889)

November

The Women’s Christian Temperance Union holds its first national convention and formalizes or founds the organization in Cleveland, Ohio

Ohio divides into two dioceses

Thanksgiving Day

Bishop Bedell requests that all clergy preach an historical sermon on Thanksgiving Day about the parishes in which they serve. These sermons are gathered and bound in five volumes which help tell the story of the Episcopal Church in Ohio from 1816 – 1876. Bishop Bedell’s wife, Julia, assists the Bishop with this task of remembrance and gifts the diocese with a large leather bound book in which to record diocesan history

American Centennial Celebration

Alexander Graham Bell invents the telephone

Diocesan Women’s Auxiliary holds first annual meeting

Bishop Bedell proposes a “Missionary Cathedral System” (a.k.a build a cathedral)

Church of the Ascension, Lakewood organized

Thomas Edison invents the phonograph and then two years later invents the electric light bulb

Girl’s Friendly Society founded in Lowell Massachusetts

In England, colorful “high church” ceremonial worship is replacing “lowchurch” long sermons and drabness. The reserve sacrament is reintroduced

St. Paul, Oregon organized

Chicago Quadrilateral

The House of Bishops adopts the Chicago Quadrilateral which is approved by the General Convention of 1886 and also adopted by the Lambeth Conference in 1888

Diocesan Convention authorizes the annual canvass of parishes in the diocese to provide for the Episcopal Endowment Fund

January

Bishop Bedell calls for the election of an Assistant Bishop

George Eastman perfects the “Kodak” box camera

Episcopal Endowment Fund exceeds $15,000

October 12

Bishop Leonard is consecrated at St. Thomas Church, New York, NY, the 151st Bishop in the American Succession

St. Luke, Niles organized

October 18

Bishop Bedell resigns the Episcopacy of Ohio

October 18

William Andrew Leonard becomes the 4th Bishop of Ohio by virtue of Bishop Bedell’s resignation

Brotherhood of St. Andrew, a men’s organization, revived

Clergy adopt wearing colored stoles, vested choirs (including men and boys, women and girls) leading music in parishes becomes “the norm”

(through 1899)

Altar Items

James De Koven, a priest, of Nashotah House Seminary asserts that it is all right for the U.S. Church to have candles on the altar, incense and genuflections

United Thank Offering is formed. Total Ingathering $2188.65

(through 1890)

William Andrew Leonard (1889 - 1930)

March

Trinity Parish in Cleveland named the Cathedral Church of the Diocese

May

William Andrew Leonard addresses annual convention for the first time as Bishop, by which time he had already visited every parish and mission in the diocese

St. Alban, Cleveland Heights organized

First Daughters of the King chapter formed in the Diocese at Grace Church, Cleveland

St. Andrew, Cleveland organized

Among its founding members is John P. Green, “the father of Labor Day,” the first black Justice of the Peace in Cleveland, and the first black State Senator

William Hilary Coston is the first African American clergyman employed in the Diocese of Ohio

He is in charge of St. Andrew’s Mission in Cleveland. He is canonically a resident in the diocese, but not entitled to vote in convention. Coston was ordained deacon at Trinity Cathedral on January 18, 1891 by Bishop Leonard

J. W. Johnson from St. Andrew, Cleveland is the first African American to serve as lay delegate to diocesan convention

Trinity, Cleveland transfers ownership of The Home for the Sick and Friendless to the Diocese and it is renamed “The Church Home”

St. Stephen, Steubenville organized

Samuel L. Mather builds “Mather Hall” on the Trinity property at the corner of Prospect Avenue and East 22nd Street to house the Church Home

U.S. Supreme Court hands down the Plessy v Ferguson decision which legalizes segregation (Equal but Separate doctrine)

May 7

The Rev. Asa Appleton Abbot becomes Archdeacon

A summer conference is held in Gambier, Ohio for the spiritual formation of “Laymen"

UTO Ingathering at the General Convention

All Saints, Toledo organized

St. Peter, Lakewood organized

St. Augustine, Youngstown organized

St. John’s Orphanage founded in Cleveland before being moved to Painesville under the care of the Sisters of the Community of the Transfiguration

Bishop Leonard Fund established to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Bishop’s consecration. 5,669 persons contributed more than $40,000

The NAACP is founded by W. E. B. du Bois (who was an Episcopalian)

General Convention establishes “The Church Pension Fund”

The Community Chest (forerunner of the United Way) is founded in Cleveland

Amendment to the U.S. Constitution creates “the income tax”

World War I: U.S. involvement limited to the last year

(through 1918)

Sarah Louise Leonard dies and is buried in the crypt at Trinity Cathedral

“The New Hymnal” approved by General Convention and is the first U.S. hymnal to include tunes

Church Life ceases publication to save $200

Cathedral Chapter established

St. Matthew, Toledo organized

Great Influenza Epidemic

(through 1919)

19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees women’s suffrage

November

Bishop DuMoulin resigns due to ill health

The revised Book of Common Prayer includes language updates and a new translation of the Psalms.

“Love, honor, and obey” is dropped from the brides’s vows in the service of Holy Matrimony.

UTO Ingather breaks $1,000,000 (Ohio’s share is $21,320)

May 14

Diocesan Convention changes the Board of Trustees to “The Trustees of the Diocese of Ohio”

September 21

After an Episcopate lasting just over 40 years, Bishop Leonard dies while visiting Kenyon in Gambier and is buried in Trinity Cathedral next to his wife, Sarah. Warren Lincoln Rogers becomes the 5th Bishop of Ohio

November

A new Diocesan Stewardship campaign “Every Member Canvass” is announced with the scriptural theme “according to ability”

St. Hubert, Kirtland Hills organized

The NY Stock Market Exchange Crash, symbolic beginning of the Great Depression

November 17

Bishop Rogers receives cope and mitre from W. G. Mather for use in Trinity Cathedral “as the bishop sees fit,” in advance of his “Enthronement Service” at Trinity Cathedral on November 18

December 31

Bishop Rogers meets with Diocesan Treasurer W. G. Mather regarding the financial situation of the Diocese for 1931. Both insist that the Diocesan budget must remain “in the black.” For the remainder of his time as Bishop, Rogers modeled sacrificial giving and living. He moved out of his apartment in the University Club and lived in a three room apartment on the second floor of church house next to the cathedral. He cut his salary every year until it went from $10,000 to $5,000. Because of his servant leadership not once did the diocesan budget go “into the red” during the Great Depression

The Episcopal Church has 6,304 clergy and 1,939,453 baptized members

July

Bishop Rogers attends the Lambeth Conference

Warren Lincoln Rogers (1930 - 1938)

Department of Social Service announces “Race Relation Sunday”

March 31

The first publication of George Franklin Smythe’s A History of The Diocese of Ohio Until the Year 1918 is available to parishes at the Diocesan Convention on May 5. Cost: $3.00

May

Through the benevolence of his last will and testament, Bishop and Mrs. Leonard’s home at 3054 Euclid Avenue becomes the Holy Cross Home for Crippled Children

Church Life ceases publication due to the Depression and is replaced by occasional Bishop’s Newsletters on mimeographed paper

Bishop Rogers makes 208 official visits to 89 parishes

“40 of those visits were with vestries or groups of parishes trying to meet the present difficulties"

May

Joint Investment Fund started by the Trustees of the Diocese

June 10

Founders day for Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). It is the day Robert Holbrook “Dr. Bob” Smith achieved sobriety in Akron, Ohio. Dr. Bob was a communicant at St. Paul, Akron and was buried from there in 1950

Social Security Act passed

Olympic Games are held in Berlin – Jesse Owens wins four gold medals

May 24

Beverly Dandridge Tucker is elected Bishop Coadjutor at a special convention held in Trinity Cathedral. When he is consecrated at St. Paul, Richmond, VA on September 28, he becomes the 409th Bishop in the American Succession

October 10th

Bishop Rogers resigns due to ill health and Beverly Dandridge Tucker becomes the 6th Bishop of Ohio

November 6

Bishop Warren Lincoln Rogers dies at Kokosing, in Gambier, Ohio

40 hour work week established in USA

Beverly Dandridge Tucker (1938 - 1952)

Marian Anderson sings on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial instead of inside Constitution Hall

October 16

Episcopal Church Flag adopted by General Convention and a new hymnal is approved

World War II

(through 1945)

General Convention adopts the theme “Go Forward In Service” as a 10 year theme

based on “the world situation which presses heavily upon the mind and soul of every loyal Christian today...

The Episcopal Church has 6,335 clergy and 2,171,562 baptized members

December 7

Pearl Harbor is bombed. USA and Britain declare war on Japan. Japanese Americans are moved to Relocation camps. The Manhattan Project of intensive atomic research begins

Church Life publishes an “Honor Roll” for those serving in the Armed Forces from Episcopal Churches in Ohio

Simplified General Convention

Due to the war effort, the Diocese of Ohio plans for a simplified General Convention to be held in Cleveland in 1943. The Diocese of Ohio will foot the bill for most of the costs associated with hosting this convention

Trustees of the Diocese of Ohio invest over $100,000 in U.S. War Savings Bonds

The Army Air Force Meteorology Program takes over the campus of Kenyon College

Gambier Summer Conference replaced, due to war, by an invitation for youth of the diocese to help out with “vacation church schools”

October

General Convention is hosted by the Diocese of Ohio in Cleveland

A resolution from the Woman’s Auxiliary Triennial asks the Deputies and Bishops in Cleveland to grant women representation in the House of Deputies

The General Convention logo is adapted to show the effect of such a request on Philander Chase and Cincinnatus—they are shocked at the prospect

UTO Ingathering at Cleveland’s General Convention is $1,119,878.91 the largest in the history of the UTO

November

The Diocese of Ohio reconsiders how to reintegrate returning veterans into the life of their home parishes and how to revitalize worship and fellowship of the churches to which the veterans will return

June 6 - D-Day

August

America drops Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

June

Church Life promotes the first Diocesan Youth Conference since the U.S. entered WWII. It will be held at Camp YAKEWI, 12 milies south of Ashtabula, from August 25-30. Each parish can send up to five
delegates

August 30

The Diocese of Ohio’s Convention of Young Churchmen takes place. Each parish is entitled to two delegates

General Convention adopts “The Presiding Bishop’s Fund for World Relief.” Ohio Episcopalians contribute $13,167.55

At General Convention, Elizabeth Dyer, from Missouri, is the first woman to be seated in the House of Deputies—though she is seated as a “Layman”

National Youth Convention in Philadelphia

The Diocese of Ohio is represented at the National Youth Convention in Philadelphia by Janice Smith of Toledo, Bob Frere of Mansfield, and the Rev. Murray Kenney of St. Andrew, Akron

New Canon on Marriage

General Convention, after 21 years of study, adopts a new canon on
marriage permitting remarriage after the lapse of one year between a divorce, annulment, or dissolution by a civil court

President Truman creates the Atomic Energy Commission

St. Barnabas, Bay Village organized

National Council of the Episcopal Church agrees to take in 1200 war refugees; the Diocese of Ohio agrees to provide for 20 of these families

The Cleveland Indians win the World Series over Boston Red Sox

May

William G. Mather, Treasurer of the Diocese of Ohio, is given the first ever Philander Chase medal by Kenyon College recognizing of his long service to the church in Ohio

June 5

“Whitsunday” Diocese of Ohio celebrates the quadricentennial of the Book of Common Prayer

June

Gambier Summer Youth Conference and Gambier Adult Church Worker’s Conference meet together for the first time

November 16

Nelson Marigold Burroughs consecrated as Bishop Coadjutor at Trinity Cathedral, the 494th Bishop in the American Succession

The Korean War

(through 1953)

The Episcopal Church has 6,654 clergy and 2,540,548 baptized members

January

William G. Mather retires after serving as Treasurer of the Diocese and a Member of the Standing Committee for 55 years

Church of the Good Shepherd, Lyndhurst organized

Nelson Marigold Burroughs (1952 - 1968)

Missionary Policy

Bishop Burroughs identifies a more aggressive missionary policy, the need for a new diocesan center and a modest but adequately designed building for diocesan purposes with rooms for overnight guests

St. Michael’s in the Hills, Toledo organized

Correcting an oversight, Congress officially recognizes Ohio’s statehood establishing 1803 as the official date of Ohio’s entry into the Union

St Mark, Canton organized

Ohio Turnpike completed

St. Bartholomew, Mayfield Village organized

St. Matthew, Ashland organized

St. Andrew, Mentor organized

St. Matthew, Brecksville organized

April 28

More than 1,700 middle school students and chaperones attend the first Cathedral Pilgrimage

Church of the Advent, Westlake organized

January 29 & 30

First two-day Convention since 1949

July

Cedar Hills, located on 76 acres near Painsville, OH on Vrooman Road just south of North South Freeway (Route 90), is officially revealed as the Diocesan Conference Center

July 1

New Diocesan Headquarters officially opens at 2230 Euclid Avenue

The Rev. David C. Bowman becomes the assistant at Church of the Epiphany, Euclid.

November

The Rev. Dr. C. Ronald Garmey becomes the first Canon to the Ordinary in The Diocese of Ohio

February

Four African American students sat down at a “whites-only” Woolworth lunch counter in Greensboro, NC and refused to leave which defines the struggle for civil rights

The Episcopal Church has 9,079 Clergy and 3,444,265 Baptized Members

January

The Diocesan Episcopal Church Women hold the first Spiritual Retreat at Cedar Hills

January 1

First Boar’s Head Festival held in Trinity Cathedral

May 1

The Rev. Richard O Harig appointed Associate Director, Dept. of Christian Education and the first Director of Cedar Hills Camp and Conference Center

June 4

Michael Ramsey becomes the 100th Archbishop of Canterbury

Cedar Hills report

Introduction of 2,165 nights of lodging, 7,152 meals served, 30 parishes used the facilities, eight youth conferences during the summer and one camping session. Three clergy conferences were held, one Clergy Wives’ Conference. Canonical exams for ordinands, in addition to six outside groups. “It’s the most interesting Center in the whole Church!”

May 14

The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. addresses 1,400 strong at St. Paul, Cleveland Heights

August 28

The Civil Rights march on Washington, D.C. culminates with Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial

January 31

147th Annual Diocesan Convention at which the Committee on Canons proposes a change to Canon 13 Sec. 2 permitting congregations to elect women and men to parish vestries; and replaces the inherited Standing Committee positions with a rotation of one clergyperson and one layperson elected each year for a four year term

Summer edition of Church Life contains the article “Your Help is Needed in Racial Crisis”

Wade Park Manor is purchased and becomes a shared ministry with Epworth Methodist Church and Presbyterian Church of the Covenant

Church Home on Prospect will be phased out

June

General Convention adopts policy prohibiting racial discrimination in churches; the House of Bishops endorses civil disobedience

June 29

Legislation on Civil Rights is passed banning discrimination in jobs, voting, and accommodations

Church House in Cleveland, in addition to housing the Diocesan Offices, is home to:

Area Council of Churches of Christ, Protestant Big Brothers, Regional Church Planning offices, Inner City Office, and the Baptist Foundation

May 2

Bishop Burroughs designates this date for an ingathering to support a national fund to assist in the Race Program for the Episcopal Church and the National Council of Churches Commission on Religion and Race

July

The Office of the Suffragan Bishop for the Armed Forces is anxious to compile a list of Episcopal Clergy who are members of the Ready Reserve of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and National Guard

“Episcopal Church Welcomes You” signs debut. Parishes of Ohio overwhelmingly adopt this form of evangelism

August 6

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson

October 4

Presiding Bishop John Hines makes a statement on the acquittal of Thomas Coleman, who killed Seminarian Jonathon Daniels on August 20 while he was trying to help register African American voters in Alabama

October 15

The first public burning of a draft card occurs in protest to the Vietnam War

Church World Service makes a War Refugee Fabric Appeal for Vietnamese Refugees

Trinity Cathedral celebrates 150 years

with the completion of a parish history by the Rev. Dr. Roderic Pierce, professor of church history at Bexley Hall; some renovation work and a series of special services with outstanding preachers

January 28 & 29

149th Convention of the Diocese of Ohio held in Trinity Cathedral. Canonical Amendment to permit women to serve as delegates to diocesan convention is passed “with hardly a murmur.” Plans are underway to celebrate the Sesquicentennial of the Diocese

May 20

Trinity Cathedral Special Convention to elect a Bishop Coadjutor convenes and, on the fifth ballot by the clergy, elects the Rev. John Harris Burt, Rector of All Saint’s, Pasadena and former rector of St. John, Youngstown. This election is then voted on by the “House of Laity” which affirms the vote by Diocesan clergy

July 1

Medicare, the government medical program for citizens over the age of 65, begins

Hough area riots in Cleveland

February 3 & 4

150th Annual Convention of The Diocese of Ohio, honoring the Presiding Bishop and his wife. 2,000 attend the banquet held at the Cleveland Sheraton Hotel. The convention approves a $3,000,000 Sesquicentennial “Thank Offering” capital fund drive for “Renewal, Retooling, and Research.” $3,290,000 is pledged on “Jubilee Sunday”

February 4

At Trinity Cathedral, the Rt. Rev. John H. Burt is Consecrated as Bishop Coadjutor. It is the first service televised at the cathedral. Burt is the 621st Bishop in the American Succession and will be the 8th Bishop of Ohio

May

Kenyon College bestows a Doctor of Divinity upon the Rt. Rev. John Harris

The 150th Convention of The Diocese welcomes the first 22 female delegates, however many of them are identified by their husbands’ names

St. Paul, Akron- Mrs. Clarke Mack, Holy Trinity, Bellefontaine- Mrs. Ronald Ritscher, St. Paul, Bellevue- Mrs. K. Fleet Dillon, St. John, Cuyahoga Falls- Mrs. Richard Foley, Grace, Defiance- Mrs. Edith Draper and Mrs. Edward Schultz, Harcourt Parish, Gambier- Miss Louise Adams, Christ Church, Lima- Mrs. Anne Frick, St. Paul, Marion Elizabeth Ammann, St. Paul, Norwalk- Norma Gerken and Barbara C. Whitney, Our Savior, Salem- Mrs. James H. Wilson, Jr., Christ Church, Shaker Heights- Mrs. R.A.J. Wellington, Grace, Toledo- Alice M. Cummings and Virginia M. Patterson, Trinity, Bryan- Mrs. Marie Cameron, St. Barnabus, Dennison- Mrs. Maiyon Duggan, St. Rocco, Youngstown- Nicola Greco, Emmanuel, Cleveland- Mrs. Janice Stroud, St John, Cleveland- Mrs. Charlotte Drawdy, Grace, Galion- Mrs. James M. Robinson, Christ Church, Geneva- Gail R. Scherk

November

Bishop Burroughs announces that Bexley Hall, the Theological School at Kenyon College, will move to Rochester, NY to become part of an Ecumenical cooperative with the Colgate Rochester Divinity School, Crozier Theological Seminary and St. Bernard’s Roman Catholic Seminary

November

Coventry Cross of Nails begins pilgrimage through Diocese

October 2

Thurgood Marshall, an Episcopalian, is sworn into office as the first African American Supreme Court Justice

April 4

Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee while standing on a motel balcony by James Earl Ray

July

Lambeth Conference creates the Anglican Consultative Council, one of the four “Instruments of Communion” of the Anglican Communion

Union of Black Clergy and Laity is formed by an Ad Hoc Committee of African American clergy gathered in Philadelphia

including Ohio’s Rev. Austin Cooper. This group will be renamed the Union of Black Episcopalians in 1971

January 27

Convention sees Episcopal transfer from Burroughs to Burt. Mrs. Charles F. Huston, Mrs. Paul (Hooker) Glendinning are the first women elected to Diocesan Council

April 4

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated. Bishop Burt joins 400 others, including Bexley Hall Students, Roman Catholics, Protestants, and Jews, in a memorial march through the streets of Mount Vernon, Ohio

May 4

Kenyon plans coordinate college for women

June

Bishop Burt addresses three public issues which speak to the temperature of life in 1968: The Poor Peoples March on Washington, D.C.; Vietnam; the assassination of Senator Robert Kennedy

November

At Regional Vestry meetings, Bishop Burt, in commenting on the state of race relations, makes the observation: “How ironic that the Mayor of Cleveland cannot be a member of some clubs in the city he governs solely because he happened to be born black"

Brazil is our new Companion Diocese

Women trustees are introduced at Kenyon

St. Timothy, Northfield (Macedonia) organized

John Harris Burt (1968 - 1983)

Jume 27

Stonewall Inn Riots in NYC which marks the beginning of the gay rights movement.

Richard Nixon announces “Vietnamization”

The Rt. Rev. John Burgess of Massachusetts became the first African American Diocesan Bishop of The Episcopal Church

African American Charles Willie was elected as Vice President of the House of Deputies

The Episcopal Church has 11,772 clergy and 3,475,164 baptized members

Ordination of Women to the Diaconate is approved

Women are finally allowed to serve as delegates to General Convention

November

Diocesan Council to create the Diocesan Committee for Social Responsibility in Investment Policy

Burt on being publicly involved in urging grand jury to investigate Kent shootings: “It seemed only logical that, as a church leader in the very state where the tragedy occurred, I should try to interpret the Council’s view”

May

The Diocese of Zanzaibar and Tanga in Tanzania are to be the new Companion Diocese. Approved by the Diocesan Council on May 19. Bishop to visit at 1973 Convention

The Special Committee on Social Criteria for Investment Policy, through its study, has determined nine areas of business where morals were in jeopardy: production of war materials; air and water pollution; land use; social desirability of the product; restrictions in gifts to the Church; hiring and employing practices; public health and safety, gov’t policies; and fitness of directors in office. Bishop Burt on why the Church should show greater responsibility towards its investment policy: “…God is…the only true owner of all things... man’s chief calling, therefore, is to experience God’s love as Christ reveals it and to show forth this love in dynamic interrelationships with his fellowman… those church people who over the years have placed in the hands of their Church either by gift or bequest for endowment did so in order that the mission of the Church be advanced. It follows, therefore, that the trustees who act as custodians for those funds bear an ethical responsibility to see that the donor intent is honored”

July

Burt calls all churches to have a daily prayer for peace

June 17

The Watergate crisis begins

November 14

Dow Jones Index for stocks closes above 1000 for the first time

March

156th Convention. Ohio will help build a Lay Center in Tanzania with a $32,846 gift. Tanzanian bishop Yohana Jumaa and the three others visit convention. A Diocesan Racial Justice Commission is mandated. The Rev. Dalton Downs accepts Bishop Burt’s invitation to head the Commission. Convention voices approval of Prayer Book changes

June 16

The Rev. Joan Grimm is the first woman to be ordained as a deacon in the Diocese of Ohio

July

The National Convention of the Union of Black Episcopalians elects the Rev. Austin Cooper, Sr., a priest of the Diocese of Ohio as their president

“Fellowship of the Second Mile”

Created as an opportunity for Ohio Episcopalians to go above and beyond their stewardship response for “the wider work of mission in our diocese”

January 22

Roe v. Wade establishes abortion rights

November

The Ohio Lottery is born

May

Central Lodge at Cedar Hills is completely destroyed by fire

Diocese supports a fair trial for the Kent Guardsman, raising $1,000 for their defense; John Allin is installed as Presiding Bishop at Washington Cathedral

Burt and family leave for a Tanzania visit where Burt will dedicate the Lay Training Center in Korogwe and will meet with Archbishop John Cepeku and Bishop Yohana Jumaa

July 29

Ordination of the 11 women in Philadelphia: Bishop Burt:“That there is neither solid Biblical nor serious theological reason why women should be denied eligibility for ordination has long been acknowledged. Historical precedent, cultural mores and fear of the new are really the chief reason why the doors to priesthood and episcopacy have not been opened to women heretofore”

July

Commission on Racial Justice holds workshops to help identify forms of racism in the Church and society

December 8

Two “irregularly” ordained women are invited by the Rev. Peter Beebe to come to Christ Church, Oberlin and celebrate the Eucharist despite a ban by Bishop Burt. As a result, the Rev. Beebe is charged with disobeying his Bishop and faces an ecclesiastical trial

February

158th Convention actions include adopting 14 proposals to combat racism as recommended by the Special Commission on Racial Justice. With 450 million people starving in Africa and Asia, a gift of $50,000 is made to the Presiding Bishop’s fund for famine aid. Asks Bishop and deputation from Ohio to 1976 General Convention to press for women ordination. Smoking is banned at Convention and general meetings

March

In advance of the Beebe trial, Bishop Burt states: “In 1970, our Church broke a tradition of 2000 years when the General Convention authorized for the first time the ordination of women and opened the diaconate for them”

May

Borroughs joins Burt in the ceremony of the laying of the cornerstone for Cedar Hills

As the result of an ecclesiastical trial held at St. Paul’s, Akron, the Rev. Peter Beebe is found guilty on two charges; breaking the canons of the Church and violating his own ordination oath. Bishop Burt pronounces a Godly admonition

Minority persons now hold 20% of Diocesan jobs

November

Canon drafted to legalize women priests. The 1976 Diocesan Convention may be asked to take legal action to endorse the opening of ordination

April 30

Vietnam War ends

March

A mock convention is held for 150 youth at Christ Church, Warren

General Convention approves the ordination of women in all three orders

July 4

President Ford and Queen Elizabeth worship in Washington National Cathedral as part of the American Bicentennial Celebration

New Zealand will ordain women, a few weeks later Ireland does the same

Dr. Charles Radford Lawrence, II is elected as President of the House of Deputies

He is the third lay person and the first African American to hold this position

January

Bobette Reed is the second African American woman to be ordained in the Episcopal Church; and she is ordained as a deacon on January 8 at Emmanuel Church, Cleveland by Bishop Burt

February

At the 160th Convention, the Rev. Arthur B. Williams, Jr. is named the new Archdeacon

March 25

Rev. Joan Grim is the second woman to be ordained to the priesthood in Ohio. The service takes place at the Kenyon College Chapel

July

Absalom Jones Recognition Project is announced and September 12 is initially chosen as his day

Bishop Burt: “Sexual orientation has no relevancy in consideration of a candidate for ordination as a Deacon, Priest or Bishop”

September

Bishops Burt and Malone plan an interfaith aid to Youngstown during its steel crisis

The Rev. Ellen Barrett is the first recognized homosexual person to be ordained to the priesthood

November 21

Bishops Burt and Malone receive The Thomas Merton Award in Pittsburgh for their work in the steel industry

New Book of Common Prayer Book approved

March

The accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant occurs when a partial core meltdown is recorded

July

School busing to eliminate segregation begins in several large Ohio cities

July

The Rev. Joseph P. Russell, III provides “shot in the arm” for Christian Education in the Diocese of Ohio

November

The Diocese of Ohio welcomes our first assistant bishop: the Rt. Rev. William Davidson, recently retired Bishop of Western Kansas

Council adopts policy on alcoholism and drug dependency

June

Jamaica and Ohio begin negotiations to become companion dioceses

August

After a hiatus of more than a decade, spiritual formation conferences in Gambier are reborn with the institution of the Kenyon Summer Conference. “Kenyon 81” is a conference for families and individuals to help people cope with life in the 1980s

June 5

Centers for Disease Control reports first cases of rare pneumonia in young gay men – later determined to be AIDS-related

September 21

Sandra Day O’Connor becomes the first female Supreme Court associate justice in history

September

Youth from Jamaica and Ohio share culture, family, and faith through a youth exchange

November

The Rev. James R. Moodey is elected to the Episcopate in Ohio

The Hymnal 1982 is approved

CDC formally establishes the term Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

November 13

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C., holding the names of the more than 58,000 killed or missing in action during the conflict

February 18

A diocesan-wide celebration of Absalom Jones, the first African American priest in the Episcopal Church, takes place at St. Andrew, Cleveland

May 8

Wade Park Manor and Judson Manor merge which guarantees housing for the elderly. This brings to an end the history of the Church Home with the dissolution of the Church Home Board and the creation of a new board to oversee this new work

The Diocese receives $24,000 from the United Thank Offering

To fund a part time youth director for the South Cleveland Episcopal Ministry and to support the St. Paul’s Community Center operated by the Toledo Metropolitan Churches (including the Toledo Episcopal Churches)

Summer

The Hunger Task Force reports that $62,000 from the Diocesan Health and Human Needs Fund is being used throughout the diocese to combat hunger and homelessness

June

The Rt. Rev. William Davidson, Assistant Bishop of Ohio, is named vice-chair of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship

June 18

The Most Rev. John Allin, along with 18 bishops representing 20 dioceses, gather at Trinity Cathedral for the consecration of James Russell Moodey as the 9th Bishop of Ohio and the 770th Bishop in the American Succession. 1,000 laity, 144 clergy, former Ohio Bishops John Burt and Nelson Burroughs, and Bishop Neville W. deSouza of Jamaica participate

Riverside Hospital in Toledo celebrates 100 years

With a rededication of support by the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio in providing Chaplains Linda Criddle-Smith, Robert New, and William Jones

November

There are 29 men and women in the Diocese of Ohio’s seminary pipeline

Pope Paul II and Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie meet

To further the “establishment of a new relationship between the Roman Catholic and Anglican Church

Council for Women’s Ministries is created in NJ to bring together female ministers and support the ministries of women

June 18

Astronaut Sally Ride becomes the first American woman to travel into space

James Russell Moodey (1983 - 1994)

May

Bishop Moodey receives an honorary degree from Kenyon College. In conferring the degree, the President of Kenyon says, “You have shown yourself profoundly concerned for the poor and needy, not only in Ohio but also in South Africa, where so many today suffer from the double affliction of drought and apartheid”

St. John’s Home for Girls celebrates 75 years

Women from across the Anglican Communion gather at Westminster Abbey

For the 40th anniversary of the Rev. Florence Lee Tim-Oi, the first ordained woman in the Anglican Communion

July 12

Democratic candidate for President, Walter Mondale, selects Geraldine Ferraro as his Vice Presidential running mate, the first woman chosen for that position

July 27

The Rt. Rev. James R. Moodey officiates at the wedding of the Venerable Arthur B. Williams, Jr. and Lynette Rhodes. The wedding takes place in Trinity Cathedral

November

The 169th Convention of the Diocese responds to apartheid in South Africa by voting to divest all stocks held in the JIF account with ties to business in South Africa. The convention also calls for a boycott of all Campbell’s products in response to the living conditions of migrant farm workers in Northeast Ohio. Assisting Bishop William Davidson announces his retirement at the end of 1985. Bishop Moodey calls for the election of a bishop suffragan. Patricia Kilpatrick is elected the first female president of Diocesan Standing Committee

January

Desmond Tutu, winner of a 1984 Nobel Peace Prize, is appointed Bishop of Johannesburg in South Africa. He is the first black man to hold this post

November 20

The first version of the Windows operating system for computers is released

May

The Rev. David Bowman, Rector of Trinity Church, Toledo is elected Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of Western New York. He will be the 811th Bishop in the American Succession

May 31

The first Annual Bishop’s Baseball Bash is held at Municipal Stadium with 700 from across the diocese in attendance

June 21

The Venerable Arthur B. Williams, Jr. is elected the first Suffragan Bishop in the history of The Diocese of Ohio. He is elected on the first ballot by 119 clergy and 317 lay men and women

October 11

Arthur B. Williams, Jr. is consecrated Bishop Suffragan of Ohio at Trinity Cathedral. He is the 812th Bishop in the American Succession. More than 1,000 cram into the Cathedral for this milestone moment in the life of our Diocese

November

The 170th Convention meets in Toledo with more than 1,000 in attendance. The Convention directs the Trustees of the Diocese to completely divest from all holdings in South Africa

January 20

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is officially observed for the first time as a federal holiday in the United States.

September 1

Bishop Desmond Tutu becomes the first black Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, the fourth largest church in South Africa with 2.6 million members

May 25

The Most Rev. Desmond Tutu visits Trinity Cathedral. He then travels to Oberlin College where he gives the commencement address

June 15

St. John’s Home in Painesville closes after almost 80 years of service in the diocese

August 8

Thirty-four youth travel to the USSR to promote friendship and understanding between youth and adults from our two countries. They celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of the founding of Christianity in Russia

September

Gay Episcopalians in the Diocese of Ohio write openly about their lives and struggles in the church for an article in Church Life

November

At the 172nd at the Convention, Bishop Moodey breaks a 184- 184 tie on a proposed budget amendment to reduce missionary giving to the wider church. He votes no, saying, “If we were to pass this amendment dear friends, perhaps for the first time in 170 years in this first missionary diocese, we would be voting to underpay our commitment to the rest of Christ’s work in the nation and the world.” At this convention, The Diocese of Ohio begins a partnership with the Diocese of Port Elizabeth. Martha McMahon retires after 33 years service as secretary to three bishops and one archdeacon

July 17

Lambeth Conference decides that “each province respect the decision of other provinces in the ordination or consecration of women to the Episcopate”

September 24

The Rev. Barbara Harris is elected Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of Massachusetts, the first female elected to the Episcopate in the 450 year history of the Anglican Church

The Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie establishes a Commission on Communion and Women in the Episcopate

February 19

This date marks the beginning of the Northern Ohio Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians with the observance of Absalom Jones Day at St. Andrew, Cleveland. The goal of the UBE is to remove racism from the Church, to stimulate the growth of black membership, and to further inclusivity in ministry and mission of the Church

April

The Hunger Task Force reports that about 50,000 each month receives food at 21 hunger centers in the Diocese

October 8

The United Thank Offering celebrates 100 years

October 15

The Diocese of Ohio joins with the rest of the Church in a Day of Prayer for all persons touched by the AIDS epidemic

November

Bishop Moodey reports that he will “continue to listen and to enter openly into dialogue with those who are homosexual as well as with all persons who are struggling with the issues of homosexuality”

December

Diocesan Council adopts an identical AIDS policy to the one proposed at the 69th General Convention

August 10

Army General Colin Powell is elevated to the position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, becoming the first African American to be nominated to that post

November 10

The Berlin Wall, after thirty-eight years of restricting traffic between the East and West German sides of the city, crumbles

June

The Diocese of Ohio Episcopal Peace Fellowship receives its charter

September

Five parishes in Ohio are “test pilots” for a renewed Catechumenate to prepare persons for baptism, confirmation, and reception into the church

November

At the 174th Convention of the Diocese, Bishop Moodey announces the launching of the Decade of Evangelism. He also announces his intention to establish an Ohio Episcopal Charities Fund. The Diocese of Ohio Episcopal Community Services Foundation is born

The Anglican Consultative Council develops the Five Marks of Mission, a “checklist” for mission activities

The Episcopal Church has 14,878 clergy and 2,446,050 baptized members

March

The Standing Committee on Human Affairs and Health says leave gay ordinations up to bishops. The Committee also begins to study the possibility of blessing gay relationships

The Diocesan ECW launches “Project Sew” with the Diocese of Port Elizabeth. $5,000 in sewing equipment for school uniforms is donated

June

The newly instituted Episcopal Community Services Foundation receives a $90,000 start up grant from the Gund Foundation

June 8

The Very Rev. William Persell is installed as the 10th Dean of Trinity Cathedral

January 12

U.S. Congress passes a resolution authorizing the use of force to liberate Kuwait. Operation Desert Storm begins four days later

February 27

The Gulf War ends one day after Iraq withdraws its forces from Kuwait and sets the oil fields on fire

Lent

The first Episcopal Community Services Campaign brings in $115,000

Summer

Los Amigos Episcopales makes their first trip to El Salvador, led by the Rev. Jess Petty

November

At the 176th Convention, in downtown Cleveland, the Diocese begins a celebration of 175 years. The celebration will include a recreation of the 1967 Cross of Nails Pilgrimage. Bishop Moodey calls for the election of a bishop coadjutor

November 13

Bishop Moodey ordains the first class of permanent deacons: Bryan Gillooly, Nancy Graumlich, Robbin Harvey, William Snyder, William Tompkin, and James Wichman. Since then, the following persons in the Diocese of Ohio have been ordained to the Diaconate: Patricia Beeman (1996), Polly Glanville (1996), Gretchen Green (1996), Peter Nielsen (2004), Barbara Maxwell (2004), Jane Wells (2004), Joseph Butler (2010), Jane Trager (2010), Anne Pillot (2011), and Lydia Bailey (2013). Previously in our Diocese, Bishop John Burt ordained Dr. Philip Anderson (1976) and Bobette Reed (1977) as permanent deacons

November

At the 177th Convention, J. Clark Grew, II is elected to the Episcopate of Ohio. His consecration service will be open to all. Bishop and Mrs. Moodey are surprised by their children as they bid the Diocese of Ohio goodbye

The Diocese of Ohio Episcopal Peace Fellowship inaugurates awarding The Betty Leo Award for outstanding work and self sacrifice in furthering Christ’s work for peace and justice. Recipients are: (1993) Jean OhlenBusch, Trinity Cathedral, Cleveland; (1994) Carol Duncan, St. Paul, Canton; (1995) William Wright, Calvary, Sandusky; (1996) the Rev. Jess Petty, Los Amigos Episcopales; (1998) Dorothy Simpson, Christ Church, Kent; (1999) Joan Coleman, All Saints, Toledo; (2000) Barbara Pierce, Christ Church, Oberlin; (2001) the Rev. Lloyd O’Keefe, Diocesan Peacemaking Institute; (2004) Ruth Ihde, St. Thomas, Berea; (2005) W. Dean Wolfe, Christ Church, Oberlin; (2008) Deborah Hunter, Trinity Cathedral, Cleveland; (2015) Louise and Paul Baker, St. Andrew, Barberton

November 30

The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act is signed into law by President Bill Clinton

June

Trinity Cathedral begins a renovation project which calls for removing the pews from the nave and transepts. The goal is to make a more flexible space for worship and events

August 13

Lightning strikes the Cathedral Tower

November

The 178th Convention marks a new beginning for Ohio with the transfer of Episcopal oversight from Bishop Moodey to Bishop Grew and the seating of Bishop Grew in the Cathedral. The Rev. Joseph P. Russell is made an honorary Canon at the Cathedral in thanksgiving for his 14 years of service promoting Christian Formation in our diocese

September 13

President Bill Clinton signs the Assault Weapons Ban, which bars the use of these weapons for ten years.

November 8

For the first time in forty years, the Republican party gains control of both the Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives.

J. Clark Grew, II (1994 - 2004)

February 2

Bishop Grew outlines the 4 areas in which diocesan ministries will be focused: clergy, congregations, the poor, and peacemaking

March

Bishop Williams elected VP of the House of Bishops

April

St. John’s Home, Painsville sold for $230,000. This is the final chapter in an 86-year history. Bishop Leonard founded St. John’s Orphanage, Ohio City in 1909; Community of the Transfiguration took over administration in 1911; St. John’s moved to Painesville in 1928; and emphasis shifted from orphan care to support for girls in the 1950s

Summer

Cedar Hills begins to offer summer camp for the first time in 20 years. The theme is “Telling our Story”

Members of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship in Ohio visit the Episcopal Church of Cuba and are hosted at Trinity Cathedral in Havana

August 18

Bishop Walter Righter faces trial for ordaining noncelibate gay man in 1990

September 9

The first Bishop’s Day with Children, “A Journey with Jesus,” is held at Cedar Hills

November 10 & 11

At the 179th Annual Convention, the Rt. Rev. Barbara C. Harris is the Preacher

April 14

As part of the ongoing resurgence of the catechumenate during the “Decade of Evangelism,” 61 catechumens are confirmed and received at Trinity Cathedral by Bishop Grew with Bishop Williams assisting

July 19

The Centennial Summer Olympics Games are opened in Atlanta, GA by U.S. President Bill Clinton

September

The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is enacted which defines marriage for federal purposes as the union of one man and one woman and allows states to refuse to recognize same-gender marriages granted under laws of other states

November 8

The 181st Diocesan Convention is held at Trinity Cathedral. Guests from our new companion diocese of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh in Ireland include the Rt. Rev. Michael and Beth Myers. The Bishop awards the first Bishop’s Medal to Sterling Newell in thanksgiving for his commitment to the mission and ministry of The Diocese of Ohio. Subsequent recipients include: Patricia B. Kilpatrick, Florence R. Young, Wilma Ruth Combs, Paul Frank, Frederick J. Snowden, Christina A. Monreal, Verne Potter, Lynette Williams, Richard T. Watson, Barbara W. Thomas, George Clarke, Mary Tinker, H. Jack Ream, Katherine Pinard, John F. Shelley, Donald Sheppard, and P. Thomas Austin

October

The Ohio Council of Churches establishes an Interfaith Global Warming Campaign. The Rt. Rev. J. Clark Grew, II participates with 74 other religious leaders

November 14

William Persell, the Dean of Trinity Cathedral, is elected Bishop of the Diocese of Chicago. When he is consecrated on March 13, 1999, he becomes the 945th Bishop in the American Succession

November

The 182nd Convention is postponed until January 16 because 45 of 107 parishes have not complied with all reporting requirements (parochial reports, pension payments, audits)

August

Eleven women bishops attend the Lambeth Conference. The conference passes resolution upholding marriage between a man and a woman in lifelong union and cannot not advise legitimizing or blessing same-gender unions nor ordaining those involved in same gender unions; it also affirms and adopts the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights

October 29

Ohioan John Glenn, thirty-six years after becoming the first American astronaut to orbit the earth, becomes the oldest astronaut in space at seventy-seven years old

May 23

The following five parishes on Cleveland’s West Side sign a covenant as the Episcopal West Side Shared Ministry: St. Luke, St. Agnes, St. Philip, St. Mark, and St. John

September

The Rev. John Atkins is named “Church Planter” for St. Patrick’s Mission in Brunswick which organized in April of 1999

November 12 & 13

The 183rd Diocesan Convention actions include: deacons are granted voting status; a resolution noting The Diocese of Ohio is of a “divided mind” about 1998 Lambeth’s statement regarding homosexuality; a resolution to reject Chief Wahoo as the Cleveland Indian’s mascot is introduced by the Commission to End Racism. Dr. Carol Franklin is the first African American woman to serve as President of the Standing Committee. Sacred Path Books and Art opens at Trinity Cathedral with a $30,000 inventory of books, and liturgical and religious art

November 19 & 20

St Paul, Cleveland Heights holds a Diocesan Conference themed “End Racism: Seek Christ in All People.” It is convened by The Diocesan Commission to End Racism. The keynote address delivered by the Rev. Edward W. Rodman, Canon Missioner in the Diocese of Massachusetts and president of National Institutes for Dialogue on Multi-culturalism and Anti-racism. Local Baha’i youth lead a workshop for young people

March 29

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 10,000 for the first time

June 18

The Rev. Tracey Lind becomes Trinity Cathedral’s 11th Dean

A groundbreaking ceremony for Trinity Commons is held. The Cathedral and Diocesan offices move into “Mather Hall” for the next two years

October

Diocesan Commission to End Racism holds an all-day workshop about “Understanding White Privilege” and how institutionalized white privilege perpetuates racism in the church and society

November

St. Patrick, Brunswick becomes a parish

General Convention approves “Called to Common Mission,” establishing full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

effective January 1, 2001

The Episcopal Church has 16,738 clergy and 2,319,844 baptized members

September

United Nations establishes – and the United States commits to - the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), 8 international development goals in the areas of health, education, poverty, hunger, and environmental sustainability for the year 2015

November

Bishop Grew announces a $10 million dollar legacy campaign with the goals to help build Trinity Commons; provide for new congregations; establish two new chaplaincies in hospitals/schools outside of Cleveland; build endowments for Cedar Hills and Episcopal Community Services; and establish the Arthur B. Williams, Jr. Fund for the work of anti-racism, encouraging vocational discernment among African Americans and support urban parishes

November 9 & 10

The 184th Diocesan Convention theme is “Peace and Reconciliation in Troubled Times.” Social Justice Resolutions are approved to support an increase in the minimum wage with the goal of it becoming a “living wage.” Also approved are a state earned income tax credit rewarding the working poor; a permanent source for new housing and preservation of existing housing affordable to lower-income people; environmental stewardship; the promotion of recycling at the parish level; and encouraged diocesan-wide prayer for the elimination of racism

September 11

Terrorists attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentegon; over 3,000 deaths are attributed to this national tragedy

March 6

A Clergy Day about understanding Islamic Law takes place at St. Andrew, Elyria

November 8

Trinity Commons is opens with a Dedication Gala

December 31

Suffragan Bishop Arthur Williams, Jr. retires from the Diocese of Ohio—but not for long

June

Diocese of New Westminister, Canada authorizes a rite for the blessing of same-gender unions

July 30

The 74th General Convention and the 44th Episcopal Church Women’s Triennial meet in Minneapolis, MN. This General Convention confirms the election of V. Gene Robinson, an openly gay priest in a 13 year relationship, as Bishop Coadjutor of New Hampshire

November 15

Mark Hollingsworth, Jr. is elected the next Bishop of Ohio on the third ballot during the 187th Convention of the Diocese of Ohio meeting in Trinity Cathedral

April

Bishop Hollingsworth attends first House of Bishop’s meeting at Camp Allen, Texas at which the Bishops issue a response to “the ExtraCanonical Confirmations in Ohio”

April 17

The consecration of the 996th Bishop in the American Succession and the 11th Bishop of Ohio, the Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr. is held in the Cleveland State University Convocation Center

Fall

Arthur B. Williams, Jr. joins David C. Bowman as an Assisting Bishop

November 12 & 13

The 188th Convention of the Diocese of Ohio is held at Trinity Commons, Cleveland. Bishop Hollingsworth is formally “seated” at the Cathedral. The Bishop announces his invitation to the diocese to inspect five areas of our common life: Episcopal presence and staff, financial clarity and accountability, the deanery system, camp and conference ministry, and leadership development for urban and other isolated communities

January

Cleveland City Hall begins a domestic partners registry, the first in the nation created by voters

February

Ohio legislature approves ban on same-gender marriage and bars benefits to both homosexual and heterosexual domestic partners

May

Massachusetts becomes first state to legalize same-gender marriage

November

Ohio voters pass constitutional amendment denying samegender couples the right to marry and any other legal family status

October

The Windsor Report recommends a moratorium on further consecrations of actively homosexual bishops and public Rites of Blessing of same-gender unions

Mark Hollingsworth, Jr. (2004 - Present)

July 16

The Diocese of Ohio marks 40 years of companion relationships with a service at Christ Church, Oberlin: Brazil (1965-70), Zanzibar and Tanga, Tanzania East Africa (1971-77), The Diocese of Jamaica (1981-87), The Diocese of Port Elizabeth in South Africa (1989-1995), The Diocese of Kilmore, Elphin, and Ardagh, Ireland (1996 - 2005)

July 18

Death comes for Wilma Ruth Combs who resurrected the Diocesan chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians, served as a member of the Standing Committee, and as a Deputy to General Convention. Wilma was also a Companion Diocese Committee member for Jamaica and South Africa. She was a founding member of Episcopal Community Services and a Bishop’s Medal recipient. In tribute, the Diocesan Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians is renamed the Wilma Ruth Combs’ Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians

August 29

Hurricane Katrina slams the Gulf Coast. The people of the Diocese of Ohio respond with hands-on help, $10,000 in diocesan funds directed by Bishop Hollingsworth, and $200,000 through ERD

November 4 & 5

The 189th Convention of the Diocese of Ohio is held in Trinity Cathedral with the prevalent themes of Unity and Reconciliation recurring throughout the two days

January 14

The Bishop’s College for Parish Leadership (formerly the Bishop’s Collage for Wardens and Treasurers) meets at Trinity Commons

March

The first Bishop’s Annual Appeal is “a new broader annual campaign that will fund both ECSF’s important work and provide resources for new mission initiatives.” Theme: Maintaining the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace-Ephesians 4:3. The appeal collects $212,480 of which $106,240 directly funds services to those in need across the diocese. Between 2006 and 2016, the Bishop’s Annual Appeal raised $2,829,654

May

Diocesan Council adopts a new Mission Statement for our Diocese: The mission of The Diocese of Ohio is to build healthy communities that GROW in faith, numbers, and resources for mission, GIVE sacrificially as a spiritual surrender of self to God, and SERVE the world together as the risen body of Christ

June

The Diocese of Ohio Bike Hike “bringing General Convention ‘06 home at 16 miles per hour.” Traveling 208 miles, 15 cyclists from 12 different parishes, ranging in age from 21-75, raised $3,887 for Bishop’s Annual Appeal

June

At the General Convention meeting in Columbus, OH Katharine Jefferts Schori of Nevada is elected the 26th Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church for a 9-year term. She is the first and only woman to be a churchwide leader in the Anglican Communion.

The General Convention responds to Windsor Report; Dioceses are asked to exercise restraint in ordaining Bishops who may cause further strain to Anglican Communion; acknowledges and apologizes for slavery and its aftermath; initiates study of The Episcopal Church involvement and derived benefits from slavery with view toward reconciliation; establishes the work toward the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals as a mission priority

June

The formation of the Sterling Newell Society is announced to celebrate Sterling’s vision and generosity in planned giving and to invite others to remember the work of our diocese through planned giving as well. Sterling, a member of St. Paul, Cleveland Heights, served as the Chancellor of our Diocese from 1976 - 1986 and was an eight time deputy to General Convention

September 15

The 100th anniversary of the consecration of Trinity Cathedral is celebrated with a Centennial Gala, auction, and Evensong

November

The Commission on Global and Domestic Mission chooses 8 projects for Diocesan Millenium Development Goals Funds. The recipients include: Episcopal Relief and Developement; Aluu, Nigeria project; Cur Americas; Cuttington University, Liberia; Holy Cross Anglican School in Belize; Los Amigos Episcopales; Rafiki AIDS Ministry; and The Diocese of Tanga, Tanzania

January

Nancy Pelosi becomes first female Speaker of the US House of Representatives

July

The Lambeth Conference undertakes a “listening process” in which diverse views and experiences of human sexuality are collected and collated

August

Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Ohio’s first African American Congresswoman, dies

June 20

St. James Boardman celebrates the Bicentennial of the Episcopal Society of Boardman

July 17

Eight cyclists from Ohio bicycle from the site of the General Convention in Anaheim to the Episcopal Church Headquarters at 815 Second Avenue, New York, NY to raise funds for Episcopal Relief & Development. The journey of 4,200 miles takes 11 days and raises $35,000 for NetsforLife

Summer

Bishop Hollingsworth appoints a Camp and Retreat Center Study Committee to ask a fundamental question: What kind of Camp and Conference Ministry would best serve the Diocese of Ohio?

November

Hartland & Co. is hired to be investment advisors to the Trustees of the Diocese with regard to the Joint Investment Fund

Mission Areas replace Area Deaneries as geographical configurations in our diocese. The name change reflects our purpose. Mission Area Councils will be formed to encourage relationships. The new Mission Areas are: Central East, Cuyahoga, North Central, Northeast, South Central, Summit, West, and Youngstown

January

Barack Obama inaugurated as 44th President; he is the first African American to hold office

July

The General Convention resolves that God’s call to ordination is open to all persons regardless of sexual orientation, urges passage of legislation guaranteeing adequate healthcare and insurance for every citizen of USA, adopts the “Five Marks of Mission” for the Episcopal Church

March

The Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly called Obamacare, signed into law by President Obama

February 13

The Absalom Jones Festival is held at Trinity Cathedral with the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori preaching and the Rt. Rev. Arthur B. Williams, Jr. presiding

June

After three decades of spiritual formation in Gambier, the Kenyon Summer Conferences come to a close. The keynote speaker for the final gathering is the Rev. Tom Brackett

November 11 & 12

The 195th Diocesan Convention is held at Warrensville Heights and Trinity Cathedral. Our guest is the Rt. Rev. Jean Zaché Duracin, Bishop of Haiti. The Convention votes to endorse two partnerships with the Diocese of Belize and the Diocese of Tanga. The Bishop announces a new vision for Camp and Conference Ministry

July

The Rev Gay C. Jennings, one of Ohio’s own, is elected to serve as President of the House of Deputies by the deputies attending the 77th General Convention meeting in Indianapolis, IN

December

With regard to the proposed new Camp and Retreat Center, CCS, a strategic consulting and fundraising firm, conducts 144 private interviews. They speak with 75 laypersons, 69 clergy members, 11 Diocesan staff members, and two focus groups. An online survey garners an additional 125 responses

December 29

50th Anniversary Celebration of the Boar’s Head and Yule Log Festival at Trinity Cathedral

July

The General Convention authorizes provisional rite blessing for same-gender relationship, prohibits discrimination against transgender persons in the ordination process, authorizes creation of task force for gathering and creating resources to facilitate full inclusion of persons with developmental disabilities, and calls on church to support “frontline” communities experiencing climate change and urge restrictions on use of carbon-based fuels

June

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby makes an official visit to the Vatican; meets with president of Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and Pope Francis

October

Gov. Kasich expands Medicaid eligibility giving health coverage to thousands more Ohioans

July

The Diocese of Ohio acts as a Faith Community Partner for Gay Games 9 hosted in Cleveland. The Gay Games Interfaith Worship service is hosted by Trinity Cathedral where more than 300 people gather to participate. The Rt. Rev. Arthur B. Williams, Jr., the Very Rev. Tracey Lind, and the Rt. Rev. Martin De Jesus Barahona, Bishop of the Anglican Church of El-Salvador, are among the worship leaders

September

“Planting for Tomorrow, Growing in Faith Today” is the collaborative fundraising campaign between parishes in our diocese and the Camp and Retreat Ministry program

August

Cleveland hosts Gay Games

June 20

A diocesan-wide celebration is held Wakeman at the site of the New Camp and Retreat Center to celebrate the success of the “Planting for Tomorrow, Growing in Faith Today” campaign. A total of $18,325,000 has been raised with $9,295,000 raised for the Camp and Retreat Center and $9,030,000 raised for the parishes participating in the collaborative campaign. 225 people from across the diocese enjoy the festivities

June

Same-gender marriage is legalized in all 50 states

July

The General Convention makes the rite of marriage available to all people, regardless of sexual orientation

September 15

World leaders at UN summit replace the MDGs by adopting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); 17 “global goals” for 2030 covering a broad range of sustainable development issues including poverty, hunger, health, education, climate change, and protecting the environment

November 1

The Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry is installed as the 27th Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church at Washington National Cathedral; the first African American bishop to serve in this leadership role

Lent

4,000 participants from around our diocese work to “Grow a Rule of Life”–a spiritual formation process collaboratively designed by the Society of St. John the Evangelist and the Virginia Theological Seminary

October 1

Camp and Retreat Center Groundbreaking occurs at 4655 State Route 60, Wakeman, Ohio. More than 300 attend on a picture perfect day to give thanks for the creation and naming of Bellwether Farm

October 11

The Rt. Rev. Arthur B. Williams, Jr. celebrates the 30th anniversary of his consecration as a bishop

Fall

Trinity Cathedral and St. Peter, Ashtabula each celebrate 200 years of parish life

Diocese gears up for the 200th Convention of the Diocese and our 200th anniversary year which kicks off on November 11 & 12

June

The Cleveland Cavaliers win the NBA championship; first team title in 52 years

The deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman in U.S. history occurs at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, FL

July

Cleveland hosts Republican National Convention