Latrobe, PA – On June 24, 2024, the College of Bishops of the Anglican Church in North America consented to the election of the Rev. Darryl Fitzwater to serve as the bishop of the Missionary Diocese of All Saints.
Bishop-elect Fitzwater, a priest in the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic, was elected on April 4, 2024 to be the next Bishop Ordinary for the Missionary Diocese of All Saints after the retirement of the current diocesan bishop, the Rt. Rev. Richard Lipka. He will serve as Bishop Coadjutor alongside Bishop Lipka until Lipka retires.
Fitzwater was originally ordained in a Pentecostal denomination and served there from 2002–2013. After being ordained as an Anglican priest in 2017, he planted Church of the Ascension in Charles Town, West Virginia in 2018. He will continue to serve there. Ascension will transfer dioceses and become the cathedral for the Missionary Diocese of All Saints.
When asked about the process that led to his election, Fitzwater shared that he did not intend to consider the position but felt a strong conviction that he should let the Lord make that decision instead of himself saying no. Regarding the election, he said, “I know it happened, but I don’t believe it,” noting the act of faith he has taken. As a bishop, Fitzwater passionately said he is most excited about “sharing Jesus.”
Archbishop Foley Beach commented, “I am encouraged by Darryl’s election and the youth he brings to the leadership of the Missionary Diocese of All Saints. He will be a great addition to the College, and I look forward to seeing how the Lord uses him in episcopal ministry.”
Fitzwater married his wife, Becki, in 2000, and together they have two children, Aidan and Chloe. Fitzwater will be consecrated as bishop in October of this year.
