The Episcopal Diocese of West Texas is part of The Episcopal Church, a Christian community of 2.4 million members in America and abroad. The Episcopal Church is headed by a presiding bishop, currently the Most Rev. Michael B. Curry.
We are also part of the Anglican Communion, a global community of 74 million persons in 38 provinces throughout the world, headed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, currently the Most Rev. Justin Welby. While the Archbishop has no authority over The Episcopal Church, we share historical and theological ties. Recognizing the cultural diversity that is our gift in South Central Texas, our members are diverse and our worship is increasingly reflective of our bicultural communities.
Each diocese, or geographic region of The Episcopal Church, functions under a bishop, currently the Rt. Rev. David M. Reed, who has jurisdiction over the entire diocese.
In West Texas, our 87 congregations include parishes, missions, and church plants ranging in size from 40 members to 2,000 members. Parishes are churches able to support a priest financially, who is known as the rector and called to serve by the church in collaboration with the diocese. Some mission churches are led by a priest, known as the vicar and appointed by the Bishop, and other missions are guided by dedicated lay leaders within the congregation, with the support of freelance priests and the diocese. All congregations, big or small, are the heart of the diocesan identity and mission.
The business of the diocese is conducted by the annual Diocesan Council, with representatives from every congregation participating in legislative and corporate matters as well as fellowship and worship.
Our clergy live their vocations in answer to a call from God. Clergy are ordained - first to the diaconate and then to the priesthood - after completing a rigorous three-year course of study at an accredited theological seminary. Recently, West Texas has partnered with Seminary of the Southwest and the Iona Collaborative to provide high-quality theological education for the formation of bi-vocational priests and deacons in our local community. The Episcopal Church ordains both men and women to serve as the chief pastors of their congregations, and church members who are not ordained clergy - known as "laity" or "lay people" - take on active, responsible leadership roles in the life and ministry of the church.
Our clergy are addressed as the Reverend [John or Joan Smith], abbreviated the Rev. [John Smith]. Bishops have the title of the Right Reverend, abbreviated "the Rt. Rev."
We invite you to worship with us and share our joy. Click here to locate the church nearest you.
The Rt. Rev. David M. Reed, Bishop of West Texas.
David Mitchell Reed was born in Brownsville, Texas, on March 9, 1957, to William Wesley Reed, Jr. and Olive Helen Polley Reed. The third of six children, he was baptized and confirmed at Church of the Advent, Brownsville. He attended elementary school at the Episcopal Day School and graduated from Homer Hanna High School in 1975.
He earned a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1978 and taught school for two years before going to seminary.
He graduated from Seminary of the Southwest in Austin in 1983 with a Master of Divinity degree. He was ordained to the diaconate by Bishop Stanley Hauser in Church of the Advent, Brownsville, on June 12, 1983. He was ordained a priest by Bishop Scott Field Bailey in St. Alban’s Church, Harlingen, on January 13, 1984.
David married Patricia Ann "Patti" (Kopec) on June 18, 1988, and they have two children.
David served as assistant rector at St. Alban’s Church, Harlingen, from 1983 to 1987. He was called to be rector of St. Francis Church, Victoria, in 1987, serving there through 1994. He returned to St. Alban’s near the end of 1994, serving as rector until his election as Bishop Suffragan.
He was elected Bishop Suffragan for the Diocese of West Texas in a special council at TMI Episcopal in San Antonio, on March 25, 2006 and was consecrated in St. Luke’s Church, San Antonio, on August 26, 2006. He is the 10th diocesan bishop to serve West Texas (the fifth suffragan) and 1,005 in the American Succession.
Reed was elected Bishop Coadjutor for the Diocese of West Texas in a special council at TMI Episcopal in San Antonio, on October 25, 2014. He was officially invested as the tenth Bishop of the Diocese of West Texas on June 3, 2017, during a service held at TMI Episcopal.
.png)
The Rt. Rev. Dr. David G. Read, Bishop Coadjutor of West Texas
David Read was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on May 18, 1965 to Bill and Doris Read while Bill was on active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps. The third of three sons, he was baptized at St. Leo’s Roman Catholic Church in Winston-Salem before the family returned to San Antonio. David was confirmed at St. Francis’ Episcopal Church in San Antonio by the Rt. Rev. Scott Field Bailey. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Texas State University in San Marcos in 1988.
He graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, VA in 1992 with a Master in Divinity degree. He was ordained to the diaconate by the Rt. Rev. Earl McArthur, Jr. at St. Francis’ Church in San Antonio on June 14, 1992. On December 16, 1992 he was ordained a priest by the Rt. Rev. John MacNaughton at St. Paul’s Church in Brady.
David married Jacqueline Cheeseman on June 29, 1991, at St. Mark’s Church in
San Marcos. The couple has two children, Amy and Aidan, and three grandchildren, Kaydence, Makenna, and Jameson David.
David served as rector of St. Paul’s Church in Brady from 1992 to 1995; St. Francis Church in Victoria from 1995 to 1998; St. Helena’s Church & School in Boerne from 1998 to 2009; and St. Luke’s Church & School in San Antonio from 2009 to 2017. He returned to St. Helena’s in 2017, serving as rector there until his election as bishop coadjutor. He earned a Doctor of Ministry in Congregational Development from Bexley Seabury Seminary in 2022.
He was elected bishop coadjutor for the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas at the 119th Diocesan Council in Corpus Christi, on February 18, 2023 and consecrated by Bishop W. Michie Klusmeyer in All Saints Chapel at TMI Episcopal in San Antonio, July 8, 2023. He will be the sixteenth bishop to serve in West Texas (the eleventh diocesan) and 1159 in the American Succession.
Oops! Your browser must be updated in order to fully access dwtx.org. Select an icon below and open or download one of the following browsers to continue viewing dwtx.org. The website may feel broken by continuing to use this browser.
