The Diocese of Athabasca came into being in 1874 by the division of the original Diocese of Rupert's Land at the same time that the Dioceses of Saskatchewan and Moosonee were created. The Synod of the Diocese of Athabasca was organized in 1876. The Diocese was incorporated by statute of the government of Alberta in 1914, with the See located in the town of Peace River. It is one of thirty dioceses associated with the Anglican Church of Canada and one of ten dioceses in the ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's Land.

The Anglican Diocese of Athabasca includes 33 congregations in the northern half of the Province of Alberta. These congregations make up 18 parishes being served by 18 clergy. Two of the parishes are shared ministries and several are multi-point parishes. From the Saskatchewan border in the east to the British Columbia border in the west; from the North West Territories border in the north to an east-west line running  just north of Edmonton in the south, the Anglican Diocese of Athabasca encompasses an area of more than 317,000 square kilometres and has upwards of 3,500 people on the parish rolls.

The diocese is divided into two deaneries loosely framed along the Peace and Athabasca Rivers, the Deanery of the Peace and the Deanery of Athabasca, which are linked by road only in the south. Commercial airline connections are oriented towards the south and east through Grande Prairie and Fort McMurray to Edmonton, Calgary, and Toronto.

The oil and gas industry forms the backbone of the economic life of our diocese. While much media attention has been focused on the city of Fort McMurray, the oil and gas industry is active throughout much of the north. The current economic turmoil has affected our diocese as communities suffer from loss of jobs and shifts in population. However, since most of our congregations are found in smaller communities, farming and independent small business feature prominently in most parishes.

See a copy of an e-mail from David Phillip Jones, Q.C., Chancellor of the Diocese of Edmonton detailing some of the history and boundaries of dioceses in the area.

March 20, 2013
"I am writing to recommend Alberta 2013 and the Alpha Program (www.alberta2013.org) as a resource to your local parish..."
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March 17, 2013
Gerard Pettipas, Archbishop of Grouard-McLennan, joins us in celebration of the the enthronement of Dr. Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury on March 21st. Click here to read

March 14, 2013
Prayer for Archbishop Justin Welby, new Archbishop of Canterbury, and for Pope Francis. as he begins his new ministry.
General Synod consultations,
Mission Team Training workshop in Peace River on June 14-16,
Anticipation of Advertising for Mission Training Coordinator.
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Our Diocese

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National Anglican-Lutheran

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Council of the North

Interesting notes on each diocese in the council included. Click here to access.

"Abraham Lincoln recognized that we could not survive as a free land when some men could decide that others were not fit to be free and should therefore be slaves. Likewise, we cannot survive as a free nation when some men decide that others are not fit to live and should be abandoned to abortion or infanticide." Click here to find out