Our History
The Rt. Rev. Edward J. Konieczny, consecrated Diocesan Bishop on September 15, 2007, assumed leadership of a vital and strong diocese. Covering the entire state, the Diocese of Oklahoma comprises some 20,000 baptized members and approximately 150 resident clergy in its seventy-one congregations.
Outreach is a priority in Oklahoma. From the days of Venture in Mission when Oklahoma Episcopalians raised 2.5 million dollars, to its over twenty-year support of Community-based Health Care Program and the College of Tertiary Studies in its companion Diocese of West Ankole, Uganda, to the Guild of the Christ Child layette program, to an aggressive prison ministry -- Oklahoma Episcopalians take the gospel seriously.
Multi-cultural ministry is also a priority in the Diocese of Oklahoma. From the days of the Rev. David Pendelton Oakerhater, deacon and first Native American to be included in the Church Calendar of Lesser Feasts and Fasts, Oklahoma has inherited an active ministry to American Indians in the state, primarily through Oakerhater Episcopal Indian Ministries Center in Watonga. In recent years Oklahoma has also assumed a leadership role in ministry to the growing Hispanic community in the Oklahoma City region through Santa Maria Virgen Mission on S.W. 25th Street.
There is a forty-five year tradition of effective youth work in the diocese. A diocesan summer camp program at St. Crispin's Conference Center provides nurture, education, and fun for young people from grade three through high school. There are three episcopal diocesan schools in Oklahoma: Casady in Oklahoma City, Holland Hall in Tulsa, and Oak Hall in Ardmore, in addition to parish schools across the state.
Episcopal residential facilities for the elderly include Ardmore Village in Ardmore and St. Simeon's in Tulsa. In 1994, St. Simeon's completed a five million dollar state-of-the-art Alzheimer's unit. And in that same time period, Ardmore Village completed a major expansion of facilities.
The Diocese of Oklahoma is recognized nationally as a leader in the renewal of the diaconate and for its emphasis on the shared baptismal ministry of all Christians. Although young in years (celebrating its seventieth anniversary as a diocese in 2007), it is one of the most financially sound in the country. Through prudent stewardship, it has been able to invest significantly in special ministries, including strong campus chaplaincies at Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma. The diocesan budget for 2007 is over four million dollars.
