The Diocese of New Jersey was founded in 1785 and elected its first bishop in 1815, the Right Reverend John Croes, who had been rector of Christ Church in New Brunswick.
The Diocese of New Jersey is the second oldest diocese in the Episcopal Church, after the Diocese of Connecticut.
New Jersey ranks sixth out of 100 domestic dioceses in the Episcopal Church in the USA, in the number of parishes. The diocese is tenth in number of baptized persons. 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, known today as the Diocese of 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.
There are 146 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 there are three retired bishops, 284 priests, and 81 deacons in the diocese, along with 55 clergy ‘licensed to act’. The Right Reverend William (Chip) Stokes, our diocesan bishop, was elected in May 2013 and consecrated in November 2013. He is the twelfth diocesan bishop of New Jersey.
More information about the history of the diocese can be found in our archives.
ABOUT TRINITY CATHEDRAL
The cathedral (the home parish and seat of a bishop) of the diocese has been Trinity Cathedral in Trenton since the 1930s. Unofficial cathedrals (known as pro-cathedrals) for earlier bishops have been Christ Church, New Brunswick; Saint Mary’s, Burlington; and Christ Church, Trenton.
See the new Trinity Cathedral website to learn more about the cathedral and the important work it does in the diocese and its own neighborhood.
