Ecuador became a missionary field under the responsibility of the Episcopal Church of The United States in 1956, before that date the only existent ministry was the chaplainship for the oil fields of the company Anglo Ecuatoriana in Ancòn, Province of Guayas.
In December 1960 the R.P. Charles Pickett was appointed to work in Guayaquil and Quito, becoming the founder of the Cristo Rey Church, having religious services for both English speaking and Spanish speaking people. Afterward he founded Transfiguration without neglecting his task in Saint Christopher Church (in English) in Ancon, later he founded in Quito, the Saint Nichola's Church (in English). All this was possible thanks to the support and engagement of the lay people.
In April 25, 1964 The Rt. Revd. David Reed was ordained Bishop for the new missionary district of Colombia and also for the jurisdiction of Ecuador.
However Ecuador was not integrated to that district, and all the pastoral work was carried out with the intention to develop the church here at the same time instead of being subordinated to the district of Colombia.
During the IX Province meeting of 1964, it was agreed to request the House of Bishops that Ecuador became a missionary district, and it was so that in 1967 the General Convention of the Episcopal Church held in Virginia approved the creation of the Diocese of Ecuador.
In 1970, The House of Bishops during the General Convention elected the Rt. Reved. Adrián D. Cáceres Villavicencio, as the Bishop for Ecuador, and in February 7, 1971, in the Cristo Rey Church he was ordained and installed as the 1st. Bishop for the Missionary Diocese of Ecuador.
In March 2, 1985, the XVIII Diocesan Convention of Ecuador approved to request the creation of a new Diocese in Ecuador, within the geographic boundaries of the Littoral district. At that point, it included the provinces of Guayas, Los Ríos, Manabí, and Galápagos. And the General Convention gathered in Anaheim California approved that very year the creation of the Diocese of Littoral.
In January 10, 1987 during an extraordinary Convention, The Rt. Reved. Luís E. Caisapanta Bedòn was elected as the first Bishop of the Diocese of Littoral, being ordained in May 14, 1988 in the Holy Trinity Church in Guayaquil – Ecuador. Unfortunately Bishop Caisapanta passed away in July 14, 1991.
In September 1991, The Rt. Revd. Edmond L. Browming, Primate Bishop of the Episcopal Church appointed Bishop Martiniano García Montiel from the Diocese of México as the General Administrator of the Diocese of Littoral and in 1992 upon request of the Standing Committee he was appointed temporary Bishop until the election of our current Diocesan Bishop.
In June 11 1994, The Rt. Revd. Alfredo of Morante España was elected as Diocesan Bishop of Littoral and the 12th of October of the same year his ordination took place in the Cristo Rey Cathedral, becoming from that moment on, the 2dn. Diocesan Bishop who continues the work of his predecessors.
We have emphasized the education of new clergy. The “San Patricio” Theological Study Center has been created for such reason, delegating this way to the Ministry Committee the function to search for new people with vocation. During these past years of episcopate we have strengthened the diocesan clergy through programs of continue education.
The ministry of laypeople has played an important role in the effort of this church to serve and bear witness of faith to the Ecuadorian society, specifically in Littoral, thanks to the education program I.M.E.L. Another important aspect has been the work carried out thought educational structures, creating schools that up to now, count for six. And we have hold since 2000 a strong companion relationship with the Diocese of Tennessee and with the Diocese of Puerto Rico since 2008.
Nowadays the Diocese has 32 congregations, 26 of them are organized missions and six are estaciones de misión served by 11 priests. The Theological Study Center has 21 seminarians divided into six levels.
After having read this historical background, we may understand that our Diocese must continue to spread its missionary presence in the four areas of littoral (Guayas, Los Ríos, Manabí and la Península).
At present, all the programs and efforts of laypeople, Bishop, Priests, deacons and seminarians are focused on a coordinated work in which renewal of the church so as it development are essential aspects.