Missionary Diocese of Navajoland
Area mission of the Episcopal Church in the United States
The Missionary Diocese of Navajoland, also known as the Episcopal Church in Navajoland, is a Missionary Diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. It is in Province 8 of the Episcopal Church and its diocesan offices are located in Farmington, New Mexico.
In 2024, the diocese reported average Sunday attendance (ASA) of 113 persons, a relative decrease from 201 ASA in 2016. Between 2017 and 2023, reported membership increased from 666 persons to 800. The 10 congregations of the diocese had $25,302 in plate and pledge income in 2024.
Establishment and history
Created by General Convention in 1978 as the Navajoland Area Mission, the Missionary Diocese of Navajoland comprises portions of the Navajo Reservation as well as parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah (see map). Its missionary status provides the diocese with more oversight from the Office of the Presiding Bishop and the House of Bishops. Prior to its creation, the Church's ministry to the Navajo people was overseen jointly by the three Episcopal dioceses of the Rio Grande, Arizona and Utah.
The first full-time appointment to Navajoland was Frederick W. "Fred" Putnam, Suffragan Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma since 1963. He commenced in January 1979 and served until his retirement in January 1983.
The public source identifies “Missionary Diocese of Navajoland” as area mission of the Episcopal Church in the United States. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Missionary, Diocese and Navajoland.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Missionary Diocese of Navajoland”, the useful work is to connect “area mission of the Episcopal Church in the United States” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 28, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q16242769. Authority coordinates are 36.715, -108.228. 2 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2024, 2016, 2017 and 2023.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Missionary Diocese of Navajoland”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Missionary Diocese of Navajoland primary sources, Missionary Diocese of Navajoland archive and Missionary research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Missionary Diocese of Navajoland”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Missionary Diocese of Navajoland” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.