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was a vast, uncharted territory and Dallas an untamed frontier outpost
when the first Anglican pioneers visited Texas in the late 19th
Century. These early missionaries founded parishes, ministered to
the population and established the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas,
which was one of the success stories of the Episcopal Church in
the 1890s.
During the 20th Century, the diocese went through two major periods
of growth followed by two major periods of solidification. As the
population increased, its size was whittled down and now includes
what is commonly known as North Texas. The diocese also appears
to be entering its third major period of growth, as the post-World
War II generation matures and looks for spiritual nourishment.
In many respects, the founding of the diocese is also the story
of an incredible churchman. Bishop Alexander Garrett established
the first parish, the diocese itself and was bishop for its first
50 years.
He arrived with his family during a blue norther on December 31,
1874, booking a room above a saloon in downtown Dallas. The windows
of his room would not close, resulting in wintry blasts which chilled
his family during a long night. His son Tommy became ill and never
recovered. He died from exposure a few months later. Also that night,
gunshots rang out from the saloon below the Garretts', which resulted
in a man's death.
Undeterred, the good priest went about the business of conducting
worship services, visiting the sick, marrying and burying people
and keeping up the spirits of the often-dispirited people of God
on the edge of the frontier. Bishop Garrett's wobbly, horse-drawn
carriage was a common sight in late 19th Century Texas as he roamed
throughout North, Central and West Texas planting the seeds of the
kingdom of God. Bishop Garrett called his area "The Big Pasture."
One year after his arrival, the small downtown Dallas parish called
St. Matthew's was deemed the Cathedral Church of the Missionary
District of the Episcopal Church.
Twenty years later, on October 22, 1895, the General Convention
of the Protestant Episcopal Church granted diocesan status to the
parishes of The Big Pasture. The 13 parishes which petitioned the
national church were St. Matthew's, Dallas; St. Stephen's, Sherman;
St. Paul's, Gainesville; St. John's, Corsicana; Holy Trinity, Bonham;
St. Andrew's, Fort Worth; Holy Comforter, Cleburne; All Saints,
Weatherford; Holy Cross, Paris; St. Luke's, Denison; St. James',
Texarkana, Good Shepherd, Terrell and Heavenly Rest, Abilene.
Bishop Garrett was also a civic leader in Dallas and one of the
most powerful voices in the national church. When he died on February
18, 1924 at the age of 92, the diocese contained 54 churches, the
St. Matthew's Home for Children, All Saints Hospital in Fort Worth
and - perhaps the ministry closest to his heart - St. Mary's College,
a major educational institution in Dallas at the time.
The growth of the diocese was a major success story for the Episcopal
Church in the late 19th Century. Although it was the dominant denomination
on the Eastern seaboard, many religious observers felt it would
not translate westward and was too strongly identified with defeated
English colonizers. But Bishop Garrett's success showed that Anglican
worship was needed on the frontier and, in a way, proved to Easterners
that Texas and other westward states had been at least partially
civilized.
In 1919, the national church began a major effort to strengthen
its position in the United States and the second Bishop of Dallas
- The Rt. Rev. Harry Tunis Moore - proved to be an able administrator
on both the local and national levels.
The diocese became the most important organization within the church
and put all mission work under the direction of diocesan bishops.
In Bishop Moore's words, "A strong parish will not make a strong
diocese, but a strong diocese will make strong parishes and strengthen
the missions, which are the feeding lines of the church."
Bishop Moore, who also served as dean of St. Matthew's Cathedral,
had a particular enthusiasm for youth ministries and established
youth fellowships in every parish, along with summer camp programs.
He guided the Dallas diocese through two World Wars, the inflation
of the 1920s and the Depression during his 22-year episcopate from
1924-1946. His leadership skills were strongly tested during the
Depression years.
The saga of St. Mary's College demonstrates the difficulties. In
1917 the college incurred a debt of $250,000 when it built Garrett
Hall, which provided dormitory rooms for students. The stock market
crash of 1929 all but eliminated the chance of retiring the debt.
By now, competing colleges had been established in North Texas and,
with its massive debt, St. Mary's was forced to close.
Its assets were transferred to the Cathedral, which also faced great
difficulties. In those years the Cathedral found itself unable to
even meet the payments on the interest of the debt, let alone the
principal. Yet it would do so through a most notable appeal to individual
contributors that remains an important part of that parish's history.
In 1929 the Cathedral left its gothic structure in downtown Dallas
for the grounds of the former college at the intersection of Ross
Avenue and Henderson Street, where it remains today. Despite the
loss of St. Mary's College and the near loss of the Cathedral, the
diocese and the individual parishes managed to survive the Depression
years.
During World War II, mission work was put on hold as the diocese
ministered to servicemen and their families and dedicated whatever
funds and materials it could to the nation at large.
In the post-World War II boom years, growth began in earnest. On
September 4, 1945, Bishop Moore consecrated a small parish in North
Dallas - St. Michael and All Angels - which today is the largest
Episcopal parish in the nation. Bishop Moore liked to refer to "St.
Mike's," calling it "the child of my old age."
Bishop Moore successfully and skillfully guided the church through
severely troubled times. A big, good-natured man with great "people
skills," he held the diocese together and, amazingly, even
doubled the size of the diocesan endowment fund. Bishop Moore, at
age 70, retired in 1946 and was succeeded by The Rt. Rev. Charles
Avery Mason, a clergyman who burned with missionary zeal.
Bishop Mason took full advantage of the post-World War II growth.
Within 10 years, every sector and facet of diocesan life had doubled
numerically and 30 new parishes and congregations had been established.
His address to the clergy in 1946 typified his attitude toward his
calling: "Work until you are exhausted, then kneel in the presence
of our Blessed Lord and say, 'My Jesus, I can do no more,' but having
said it, get up and work again. You have all eternity to rest."
Although wracked by personal illness from the early 1950s until
his death in 1970, Bishop Mason never ceased to push forward. In
all, 83 new congregations were established during his episcopate
and the diocese and its churches went on what has often been called
the "edifice complex" period of its history. In addition
to large structures and parish halls, Camp Crucis was developed
during Bishop Mason's watch (1946-1970), as was St. Phillip's School
and Community Center in South Dallas.
The severe deterioration of Bishop Mason's health forced him to
call for the election of a successor in 1969. His unanticipated
death in March of 1970 left the diocese without a leader. A special
convention was called in April at which The Rt. Rev. A. Donald Davies
was elected. He was consecrated in June 1970 during an impressive
service at the Dallas Apparel Mart.
An adept administrator, Bishop Davies set about reorganizing and
strengthening the business infrastructure of the diocese. Beginning
with a deficit budget in 1970, he introduced the assessment plan
to support diocesan ministry. One by one he set his sights on the
individual ministries of the diocese and went about strengthening
them. Major new buildings were added to Camp Crucis and the Bishop
Mason Retreat and Conference Center. Two retirement centers were
added to the list of assets and St. Phillip's was renovated and
its mission dramatically advanced.
The Anglican School of Theology and the Episcopal School of Dallas
were established during his episcopate (1970-1982) and an important
Hispanic ministry was begun.
Perhaps the most-remembered event, however, was the division of
the diocese into the Diocese of Fort Worth and the Diocese of Dallas.
Bishop Davies left Dallas to become the first Bishop of Fort Worth.
Bishop Donis Dean Patterson served from 1983-1992, when illness
forced him to step down. Bishop Patterson successfully reorganized
the diocese after the division and helped establish the Corporation
for the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas. This fiscal organization holds
in trust the titles to all church properties and receives and administers
funds for the use and benefit of the diocese and its institutions.
It has proven to be an important tool in strengthening the diocese.
Bishop Patterson ordained our first woman priest: The Rev. Gwen
Langdoc Buehrens in November 1985.
The sixth diocesan bishop, the Rt. Rev. James Monte Stanton, was
consecrated in 1993 during a memorable service at the Morton H.
Meyerson Symphony Center. He is well known for his work with the
National Episcopal Cursillo movement and has a deep interest in
church growth and evangelism.
On October 9, 1999 The Rt. Rev. D. Bruce MacPherson was consecrated
the sixth Bishop Suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas.
As the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas prepares to enter the 21st Century,
it appears to be on the verge of more growth. The troubled Texas
economy of the 1980s has been replaced by the smaller but perhaps
steadier growth of the 1990s. New missions are being started and
numerical growth has been seen throughout individual parishes and
church ministries.
Bishop Stanton reminds us, however, that while corporate growth
is important, it is not an end unto itself: "First and foremost,
Christ calls us to be faithful."
Compiled from The Episcopal Diocese of Dallas
— A Centennial Narrative History
by The Very Rev. C. Preston Wiles, Ph.D.
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