Episcopalians across dioceses gather at ballparks for fellowship

Several Episcopal dioceses nationwide host annual group outings to Major League and Minor League Baseball games as a way for congregants from different parishes to gather, form relationships, and support diocesan ministries. The Southwest Florida Diocese's "Baseball with the Bishop" event, which began in 2012 under Bishop Dabney Tyler Smith, draws between 300 and 400 Episcopalians annually to Tampa Bay Rays games. More than 350 registered for the August 28 game against the San Diego Padres. The diocese works with the Rays and digital platform FEVO Enterprise to sell discounted group tickets, with proceeds benefiting the Episcopal Charities Fund, which supports parish-based outreach and special needs ministries. The Diocese of Arizona dedicates proceeds from its annual Arizona Diamondbacks outing to support its LGBTQIA2S+ Pride Ministry. The oldest continuous diocesan baseball event is "Episcopal Dodgers Night" in Los Angeles, begun in 1993 by Rev. Greg Larkin and now called "Episcopal-Lutheran Dodgers Night" as a joint event with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. More than 1,000 participants registered for the September 3 game at Dodger Stadium. Bishop Douglas Scharf noted that baseball games provide a relaxed environment for fellowship outside traditional church settings.

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Source: Episcopal News Service — https://episcopalnewsservice.org/2026/08/27/dioceses-nationwide-take-episcopalians-out-to-the-ballgame/