"Whatever you did to the least of my brothers, you did to me"

Matthew 28:45

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In 1897 the Dominican Episcopal Church was founded in San Pedro de Marcoris.  English-speaking migrants from the British West Indies brought their Anglican faith with them when they arrived in San Pedro to work in the sugar cane industry.  They were people profoundly committed to Christ and many arrived with bibles and prayer books under their arms.

Bishop James Theodore Holly, Anglican Bishop of the Apostolic Orthodox Church of Haiti, ordained the Rev. P. Benjamin Isaac Wilson to serve these West Indians.  He was ordained on August 8, 1897 and with his ordination the Anglican Church in the Dominican Republic (DR) was born.  Bishop Holly is a historically important figure in the Episcopal Church, because he was the first African-American Bishop.

1913 Join ECUSA

American missionaries William Wiley and James Beer served in the Dominican Republic beginning in 1918.  Fr. Wiley founded the Church of the Epiphany in Santo Domingo and several other churches.  Fr. Beer established San Esteban in San Pedro de Macorís and many other missions in sugar cane areas. 

Wiley and Beer established a firm foundation for the Anglican Church in the Dominican Republic.  However, the Rev. Thomas Basden holds a special place of honor in the hearts of Dominican Episcopalians.  Fr. Basden was born in the British West Indies, but was a life-long resident of the Dominican Republic.  For 50 years he faithfully served as the spiritual leader and evangelist for the growing Dominican Episcopal Church.  He founded churches, wrote music, and encouraged many to become committed followers of Christ.

An Episcopal Martyr 

In 1936, the Rev. Charles Barnes arrived in the Dominican Republic to serve the people of Epiphany Church, Santo Domingo.  In 1937 the armed forces of the dictator Rafael Trujillo were killing hundreds of Haitians along the border.  Fr. Barnes was sending information back to the United States in an attempt to end the killings.  Some of his messages were intercepted by the Dominican government

However, there was proof that Fr. Barnes was probably killed by Trujillo agents.  Fr. Barnes is entombed under the floor of Epiphany Church.  Every Sunday people take communion above a tablet placed in honor of this Episcopal Church martyr.

The Church Is Nationalized 

During its first 60 years, most Anglican services were conducted in English.  However, in the early 1950’s American missionaries "nationalized" the Church by instituting services in Spanish.  Today Episcopal services are in Spanish with the exception of one service every Sunday at Epiphany Church.

In 1961 the Dominican Republic was recognized as its own mission diocese of the United States Episcopal Church, Province IX.  The Rt. Rev. Paul Kellogg became the first resident Bishop, and sought to solidify the Church’s expansion.  In 1972, the Rt. Rev. Telesforo Isaac was elected as the first Dominican-born bishop.  Under his leadership the church truly became a church of and for the Dominican people.  He retired as Diocesan Bishop in 1991.  Since then he has served as interim Bishop of other dioceses.  He remains active in the Dominican diocese and was director of the diocese’s first vocational deacon program.

The Rt. Rev. Julio C. Holguin Khoury was elected in 1991.  He was born in San Francisco de Marcoris.  Bishop Holguin is also president of CLYDE which Anglican to hold this position.  He is also serving as interim Bishop of the Diocese of Cuba.

The Diocese has entered into a significant period of growth, thanks to committed clergy and lay leaders.  See “A Decade of Growth” for more information.