Archives of the Episcopal Diocese Completes Major Acquisition

The Archives of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth has recently acquired from several sources many of the issues of The Spirit of Missions, a monthly publication of the Board of Missions of The Episcopal Church that began publication in January 1836.

This acquisition is of great historic value because The Spirit of Missions is now considered the most reliable source of information about the early history of The Episcopal Church in Texas. The publication's purpose was to report on Missions efforts by The Episcopal Church. As such, it helps document the unbroken history of The Episcopal Church in North Texas from the time when what is now the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth was part of the Southwest Missionary District of The Episcopal Church under the leadership of the Rt. Rev. Leonidas Polk, the first Missionary Bishop, to the present diocese under the leadership of the Rt. Rev. C. Wallis Ohl.

This information is important because the former bishop of the diocese and many former diocesan leaders left The Episcopal Church in 2008 but are still using the name "The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth" and are trying to retain Episcopal Church property. This is in litigation now, as The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth that is recognized by The Episcopal Church has sued to regain its property and other assets and to stop the breakaway group from using its name.

The Archives' acquisition includes copies of The Spirit of Missions from 1836 to 1850, when the state of Texas became a diocese and was no longer a missionary district of The Episcopal Church. It also includes copies from 1874 to 1895, when Dallas became a separate diocese and the area that includes the present-day dioceses of Dallas, Northwest Texas, and Fort Worth ceased being the Missionary District of Northern Texas. This includes more than 250 issues of The Spirit of Missions. Additionally, more than 400 issues from the period 1851 thru 1874; and 1895 to 1931 have also been acquired, bringing the total number now in the Archives of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth to nearly 700 issues.

The Spirit of Missions contains first hand descriptions of the missionary efforts including the first report of Bishop Polk on his first visit to Texas in 1838; an 1838 report from the Rev. Caleb Ives, first rector of the first Episcopal Church in Texas (Matagorda); reports from the Rt. Rev. George Washington Freeman, second Missionary Bishop of the Southwest Missionary district; and annual reports from Rt. Rev. Alexander Garrett, Bishop of the Missionary District of Northern Texas. Together with the personal journals (diaries) of missionaries and the Convention Journals, this is the source for all that is known and written about the early history of the Episcopal Church in Texas.

"While the purpose of the Archives is to provide a source for the study and research for clergy and lay persons of the history of The Episcopal Church, The Episcopal Church in Texas, dioceses and parishes and not to acquire antique books, in this case we have done both," said David Leedy, historiographer of the Diocese of Fort Worth.

The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth was formed effective January 1, 1983 when it was split off from the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas. On November 8, 2008, the bishop and the majority of the convention delegates voted to leave The Episcopal Diocese. They are seeking to keep Episcopal Church property, including the Archives and other records, a matter now in litigation.

The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth reorganized on February 7, 2009. Since that time, in addition to this acquisition, the Archives has acquired more than seventy published works regarding the history of the Church, six pen and ink drawings of parishes in the diocese, two CD's of music from two parishes in the diocese, and a host of documents including an appeal for funds from the first Bishop of Texas during the Civil War, an original signed certificate for an 1895 baptism performed at the first Episcopal Church founded in Fort Worth, newspaper clippings, autographed sermons from various important events, correspondence, service bulletins, newsletters, etc. Last year, the original copies of ten of the twenty Journals of the Missionary District of Northern Texas were acquired.

Leedy has recently started a project to aid parishes within the diocese to preserve, store, and catalog their photographs as well as other historical documents. Also volunteers are researching other historical events within the area now known as the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth.