Iglesia Episcopal

Nestled in the heart of Quito, the Iglesia Episcopal whispers tales of a faith journey across continents. The Iglesia Episcopal del Ecuador, Diócesis Central, as it’s formally known, is a vibrant thread in the tapestry of the Anglican Communion. This isn’t just a church. It’s a testament to a spiritual bridge connecting Ecuador to the Episcopal Church in the United States. The story of the Iglesia Episcopal begins not within these walls, but far away in the oil fields of Ancón. Before 1956, Anglican presence in Ecuador consisted of a chaplaincy at St. Christopher’s Church. This served the English-speaking Anglicans working for the Anglo Ecuadorian Oil Company. Eventually, jurisdiction shifted from the Church of England to the Episcopal Church in the USA. Ecuador then became a missionary field, sowing the seeds for the Iglesia Episcopal we see today. The 1960s marked a turning point. Reverend Charles Pickett arrived to minister in Guayaquil and Quito. By 1964, services in Spanish began, firmly rooting the Anglican faith in Ecuadorian soil. St. Nicholas Church, a precursor to the Iglesia Episcopal, was founded in Quito, a beacon of the growing Spanish-speaking congregation. The year 1967 was a pivotal moment. The Episcopal Church’s General Convention recognized the burgeoning faith in Ecuador. They approved the creation of the Missionary Diocese of Ecuador. This act solidified the Iglesia Episcopal’s place within the broader Anglican community. Then in 1970, Adrián D. Cáceres Villavicencio became the first bishop of the new diocese. The Iglesia Episcopal wasn’t confined to Quito. In 1985, the coastal provinces formed the Diócesis Litoral. The central region, including Quito, remained the Diócesis Central, further shaping the landscape of the Episcopal Church in Ecuador. Over the years, the leadership of the Iglesia Episcopal has changed hands, guiding the church through challenges and triumphs. The Iglesia Episcopal’s story is one of evolution. It began as a small, English-speaking chaplaincy. Now it stands as a vibrant, Spanish-speaking diocese within the global Anglican Communion. As you stand before the Iglesia Episcopal, consider the journeys that led to its creation. It stands as a symbol of faith’s ability to transcend borders and languages, connecting hearts across continents.