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Bishops of the Diocese of New Jersey

Before you read the tables below, it might be helpful to define some terms.

bishop is the supervisor of clergy and laity within a certain area (diocese). It’s the third order of ordained ministry; from the Greek word episcopos, meaning ‘overseer’. A bishop traditionally is chosen from among the priests and is ordained to the episcopate by three other bishops to preserve the apostolic succession and to ensure continuity with church teachings.

diocesan bishop is the chief administrators of a diocese. A suffragan bishop is an assistant bishop who has been elected to that position. A bishop coadjutor is also an assistant bishop who is elected, but with the right of succession. An assisting bishop is someone who is already a bishop, and who is appointed to help a diocesan bishop or who acts in an interim capacity during the absence of a diocesan bishop. The presiding bishop is the chief bishop of a national church, sometimes called a primate or archbishop.

In the rosters below, the number in parentheses after a bishop’s name refers to the rank in succession from the first American bishop, Samuel Seabury.

Number in the succession of American bishops and Name of Diocesan Born/Died Served
I
John Croes (16)
1762–1832
1815–1832
II
George Washington Doane (29)
1799–1859
1832–1859
III
William Henry Odenheimer (66)
1817–1879
1859–1874
IV
John Scarborough (111)
1831–1914
1875–1914
V
Paul Matthews (278)
1866–1954
1915–1937
VI
Wallace John Gardner (395)
1883–1954
1937–1954
VII
Alfred Lothian Banyard (459)
1908–1992
1955–1973*
VIII
Albert Wiencke Van Duzer (614)
1917–1999
1973–1982*
IX
George Phelps Mellick Belshaw (702)
1928–2020
1983–1994*
X
Joe Morris Doss (886)
1943–
1995–2002*
vacant
2002–2003
XI
George Edward Councell (990)
1949–2018
2003–2013
XII
William H. Stokes (1078)
1957–
2013–2023
XIII
Sally J. French (1158)
1970–
2023-

*See list of other bishops

Other Bishops Title Born - Died Consecrated Served
Albion W. Knight (224)
Coadjutor
1859–1936
1904
1923–1935
Ralph E. Urban (384)
Suffragan
1875–1935
1932
1932–1935
Alfred Lothian Banyard^
Suffragan
1908–1992
1945
1945–1955
Albert Wiencke Van Duzer^
Suffragan
1917–1999
1966
1966–1972
Coadjutor
1972–1973
George Phelps Mellick Belshaw^
Suffragan
1928–928
1975
1975–1982
Coadjutor
1982–1983
Vincent King Pettit (781)
Suffragan
1924–2006
1984
1984–1991
Joe Morris Doss^
Coadjutor
1943–
1993
1993–1994
Herbert A. Donovan, Jr. (748)
Assisting
1931–
1980
1999–2000
David Bruce Joslin (871)
Assisting
1936–
1991
2000–2003
Sylvestre Donate Romero
Assisting; then Assistant
1944–
1994
2007; 2008-2010

^See list of diocesans