Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey

The Diocese of New Jersey was founded in 1785, but we didn't have a bishop until 1815. That first bishop was the Right Reverend John Croes, who had been — and continued to serve until his death as — rector of Christ Church in New Brunswick. We are the second oldest diocese in the Episcopal Church. (The first, if you're wondering, is the Diocese of Connecticut.)

The diocese originally covered the entire state. Due to the growth of the church in the mid-1800s, the northern third was split off in 1874 to become the Diocese of Northern New Jersey (later to change to Newark). The dividing line is the border between Essex and Union Counties, between Morris and Somerset Counties, and between Warren and Hunterdon Counties. The exception is the City of Summit, which was assigned to the Diocese of Newark, allegedly because of 19th-century train routes.

New Jersey ranks sixth out of 100 domestic dioceses in the Episcopal Church in the USA, in the number of parishes. We're eighth in number of baptized persons.

There are 154 congregations in this diocese, including seasonal, collegiate and institutional chapels. The oldest congregation in the diocese is Saint Peter's Church in Perth Amboy, where services began in 1685. There are more than 15 colonial-era parishes in this diocese.

Currently two retired bishops, 293 priests, and 74 deacons in the diocese, along with 45 clergy 'licensed to act'. The Right Reverend George Edward Councell, our diocesan bishop, was elected in May 2003 and consecrated in October 2003. He is the eleventh bishop of the diocese.

We hold an annual diocesan convention, usually in February or March, at varying locations in the diocese. There are a number of committees, board, agencies, and task forces under the convention that do much work in the diocese, in all sorts of ways.