▁ 3 8 ▁cler gy ▁( See ▁List ▁of ▁post ▁ 1 6 9 2 ▁Ang lic an ▁par ishes ▁in ▁the ▁Province ▁of ▁Maryland ). ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 8 9 , ▁the ▁Protest ant ▁Epis cop al ▁Church ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁of ▁America ▁was ▁founded . ▁The ▁dioc ese ' s ▁first ▁bishop , ▁Thomas ▁John ▁Cl ag get t ▁( 1 7 4 3 - 1 8 1 6 ), ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁American ▁bishop ▁of ▁the ▁Epis cop al ▁Church ▁consec r ated ▁in ▁the ▁country , ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 2 ▁at ▁Tr inity ▁Church ▁facing ▁historic ▁Wall ▁Street ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁Among ▁notable ▁historical ▁events ▁in ▁the ▁dioc ese ▁is ▁the ▁first ▁African - American ▁Epis cop al ▁con greg ations ▁in ▁the ▁South , ▁St . ▁James ' ▁Church , ▁at ▁La f ay ette ▁Square , ▁in ▁west ▁Baltimore . ▁Another ▁first ▁among ▁Maryland ' s ▁b ish ops ▁was ▁the ▁election ▁of ▁John ▁Gard ner ▁Murray ▁as ▁Pres iding ▁Bishop . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁elected ▁prim ate ▁of ▁the ▁Epis cop al ▁Church ; ▁for ▁his ▁prede cess ors , ▁the ▁senior ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁B ish ops , ▁automatically ▁assumed ▁the ▁position . ▁ ▁The ▁dioc ese ▁has ▁been ▁divided ▁twice . ▁First ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 8 , ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Sh ore ▁count ies ▁of ▁Maryland ▁became ▁the ▁Dioc ese ▁of ▁East on , ▁causing ▁the ▁Dioc ese ▁of ▁Maryland ▁to ▁no ▁longer