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A Brief History of the Diocese

The Episcopal Diocese of Kansas was formed in the humble beginnings of westward expansion in the 1850s and has been nourished by the acts of faithful people in the eastern portion of the Sunflower State for nearly 150 years. Today it is some 12,000 members strong, worshipping in 50 congregations.

Bishops Jackson Kemper and Henry Lee

The first Episcopal services in the Kansas Territory were conducted in 1837 by Bishop Jackson Kemper, who only two years before had been sent by General Convention as the first Missionary Bishop to the “Northwest,” the extensive area of westward expansion. As settlers moved into Kansas in the 1850s, he provided as much pastoral oversight as he could, given the thousands of square miles for which he was responsible.

In 1859 he agreed to a convention, at which seven clergy and 11 laymen voted to form the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas. Its borders stretched to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, making its vast expanse a challenge for anyone who would become its bishop.

With few people and fewer resources, the diocese was unable to support its own bishop right away, and instead relied on the help of Bishop Henry Washington Lee of Iowa, who served as provisional bishop of Kansas from 1860 to 1864. During this time the state of Kansas was established by Congress, and the boundaries of the diocese shrunk to conform to those of the state. The diocese also was caught up in the move toward the Civil War, and one of the bloodiest scenes of that period took place in Lawrence in 1863, as William Quantrill and his pro-slavery raiders massacred many of the men and boys in that community.

Bishop Thomas Vail, First Bishop, 1864-1889

In 1864, 26 delegates from 10 organized parishes gathered at diocesan convention and elected the diocese’s first bishop, Thomas Hubbard Vail, rector of the parish in Muscatine, Iowa. During the 25 years of his episcopacy, he endured treacherous travel across hundreds of miles to spread the gospel to villages and small gatherings of faithful church people he met. A lack of money to support the church meant he spent great effort soliciting financial aid from parishes and benefactors in the East. The diocesan school for girls, the College of the Sisters of Bethany in Topeka, relied on his contacts for much of its support. Bishop Vail also established a hospital in Topeka, Christ Hospital (the successor to that institution, Stormont-Vail Regional Medical Center, still bears his name). At the end of his episcopacy, the diocese had expanded to 138 congregations, more than 3,000 communicants and 31 clergy, plus three schools and the hospital.

Bishop Elisha Smith Thomas, Second Bishop, 1889-1895

Bishop Vail had called for the election of a coadjutor, and Elisha Smith Thomas was consecrated in 1887. A heart ailment cut short his episcopacy, but during his time in Kansas he saw continued growth in the number of members, brought about in part by the activities of the Women’s Auxiliary, the Daughters of the King and the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, which were active in Kansas. As the railroad expanded throughout the state, Bishop Thomas became aware that the geographic area was too big for one person to oversee and began to call for some way to reach the people in western Kansas.

Bishop Frank Millspaugh, Third Bishop, 1895-1916

Upon Bishop Thomas’ death, the convention turned to the dean of Grace Cathedral in Topeka, Frank Millspaugh, to become the third bishop of the diocese. He presided over the diocese during a time of unprecedented expansion that saw the construction of 36 new church buildings, due in large part to good times in the Kansas economy that had suffered from years of agricultural decline and accompanying recession. He also was committed to the construction of a building to house the cathedral congregation, and the magnificent Gothic structure of Grace Cathedral in Topeka stands today as his legacy. He was buried under its altar before the structure was even completed. It also was during his episcopacy that the diocese was divided, with General Convention creating the Missionary District of Salina in 1901. Its territory extends over the western 60 percent of the state and now is known as the Diocese of Western Kansas.

Bishop James Wise, Fourth Bishop, 1916-1939

Bishop Wise served as coadjutor for one month before Bishop Millspaugh’s death, at a time when the winds of World War I were swirling around the globe. Kansas was experiencing another period of economic depression that predated the Great Depression by nearly a decade. But in spite of these difficulties, the Diocese of Kansas prospered because of Bishop Wise’s vigorous support for increased personal stewardship and evangelism. The number of congregations in the diocese dwindled, however, due in large part to the post-war migration of people from villages and small towns into larger cities. In 1928 the College of the Sisters of Bethany, which had been beset by financial difficulties for years, closed its doors.

Bishop Goodrich Fenner, Fifth Bishop, 1939-1959

Bishop Fenner became coadjutor in 1937, called from the neighboring Diocese of West Missouri in the pre-World War II era. His concern for the growth of the church led to his emphasis on evangelism, especially among the smaller mission congregations of the diocese. He also began the expansion of work into Johnson County (suburban Kansas City) following the war, and he started the Church Extension Fund to provide low-interest loans for constructing church buildings. He also was involved in two important movements that would influence society and the church for decades to come – he called the church to a greater commitment to work among the black community, and he was in the forefront of liturgical renewal as a member of the national Standing Liturgical Commission. During his episcopacy the yearly diocesan budget exceeded $1 million for the first time, and annual confirmations of more than 1,000 took place.

Bishop Edward C. Turner, Sixth Bishop, 1959-1981

Bishop Turner became coadjutor in 1956 and presided over the diocese during a time of change within the Episcopal Church, seeing both the adoption of a new Prayer Book and the ordination of women. Bishop Turner worked to increase the Church Extension Fund to provide more money for church construction, and he expanded ministry on college campuses. To enhance the administration of the diocese, he oversaw an extensive revision of the constitution and diocesan canons and named an Archdeacon as chief administrator. During his episcopacy 11 new congregations were formed, and Turner House, a social service agency in inner-city Kansas City, was established. During this time two predominantly black churches in the diocese were closed.

Bishop Richard Grein, Seventh Bishop, 1981-1988

Bishop Grein’s episcopacy saw the diocese’s successful participation in the national Venture in Mission campaign, netting more than $1 million for diocesan and local outreach efforts. Episcopal Social Services in Wichita and its Venture House were created through VIM. Bishop Grein also supported the revitalization of the diaconate in the diocese, with a large increase in the number of people seeking that order. He also ordained the first woman in the diocese. He encouraged several churches to move or merge in response to studies done by church consultants. He left Kansas in 1988 when he was elected Bishop of New York.

Bishop William E. Smalley, Eighth Bishop, 1989-2003

Bishop Smalley was elected after a year without a bishop, following Bishop Grein’s call to New York. His episcopacy saw the creation of the Kansas School of Ministry, to provide education for deacons and those being called to serve as “local priests” in rural congregations. He oversaw the reorganization of the governing structure of the diocese, with the work of the Diocesan Council (program), Trustees (financial) and Standing Committee (canonical) rolled into the Council of Trustees. He also dealt with issues of human sexuality that were gripping the church at large. He permitted the blessing of unions of non-married couples under certain circumstances and appointed a task force that studied these issues.

Bishop Dean E. Wolfe, Ninth Bishop, 2004-

Bishop Wolfe served for two months as coadjutor, becoming diocesan bishop on Jan. 1, 2004. During his episcopacy he has reformed the diocesan committee structure and has placed an emphasis on congregational development and the planting of new churches in growing areas of the diocese. He also has launched an ambitious plan to reorganize campus ministry to provide services to more students on campuses across the diocese. Much of the early months of his episcopacy were spent in negotiations with Christ Church, Overland Park, as they removed themselves from the Episcopal Church. At diocesan convention  in October 2005 he reiterated his four goals for the diocese – youth, campus ministry, starting new churches and increasing financial resources for expanding ministry.