The Episcopal Church in New England
The Diocese of Maine is part of the Episcopal Church in New England (Province I) which coordinates the interdependent ministries of the seven dioceses in a spirit of mutual responsibility to coordinate information, share resources, and make connections to work for God’s mission in the world, restoring people to unity with God and each other in Christ.
We are one of the nine provinces in The Episcopal Church. Visit the Province 1 website for events, news, and ministry network information at Province I.
Province 1 consists of the seven New England dioceses of The Episcopal Church:
- The Diocese of Connecticut
- The Diocese of Maine
- The Diocese of Massachusetts
- The Diocese of New Hampshire
- The Diocese of Rhode Island
- The Diocese of Vermont
- The Diocese of Western Massachusetts
If you’re an Episcopalian in one of those dioceses, Province 1 is YOU. Together, we represent a broad spectrum of rural, urban and suburban parishes with a great diversity in ethnic and racial cultures, church size, liturgical style and theological perspectives.
The Conference of the Province (formerly Synod) consists of the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops. Lay and clergy Deputies and all New England bishops are members. These two Houses come together at least once each year to further the work of the Church and regulate all business of the Province.
Each is entitled to representation in the Provincial House of Delegates as stated in Canon II section 4 of our Provincial Canons:
(c) Each Diocese within the Province shall be entitled to representation in the Provincial House of Deputies hereinafter termed “House of Delegates,” by three Delegates and up to three Alternate Delegates, elected in such manner as their diocese may determine, consistent with this Canon. Neither the Delegates nor the Alternate Delegates may be all clergy or all lay. Each shall serve a term of three years, and shall be eligible for re-election, but may not serve more than two consecutive three-year terms without an intervening year. A Delegate who initially fills an unexpired term shall be eligible to be elected to two consecutive three-year terms. The terms of office of a diocese’s Delegates and Alternate Delegates shall be staggered so that, where possible, each year the term of office of one Delegate and one Alternate Delegate expires.
(d) Clergy Delegates and Alternate Clergy Delegates shall be canonically resident in the diocese. Lay Delegates and Alternate Lay Delegates shall be confirmed adult communicants of the diocese in good standing but not necessarily domiciled in the diocese. General Convention Deputies and Alternate Deputies are eligible for election as Delegates and Alternate Delegates to the Conference.
(e) The Secretary of each Diocesan Convention shall promptly forward the names of the duly elected Delegates and Alternate Delegates to the Provincial Coordinator of the Conference.
(f) Delegates to the Provincial Conference shall report the actions of the Conference to their respective Diocesan Conventions.
Maine’s Representatives to Provincial Conference
Theodore G. Fletcher, Deputy (2023-2026)
Mark Spahr, Deputy (2024-2025) Ex Officio *
Rev. Lynn Rutledge, Deputy (2023-2026)
Rev. Gwenn Fry, Alternate Deputy (2024-2025) Ex Officio *
*According to Canon 12, Section 2 of the Canons of the Diocese of Maine, if the Annual Convention does not elect deputies or alternate deputies in any year or if any deputy office becomes vacant during the term thereof, the persons serving from time to time as First Clerical Deputy, Second Clerical Deputy, First Lay Deputy and Second Lay Deputy to the House of Deputies of the General Convention of The Episcopal Church from the Diocese of Maine shall serve ex officio in the vacant offices of Deputy and Alternate Deputy to the Provincial Synod from the Diocese of Maine.