The roots of The Diocese of West Missouri lie in the work of Bishop Jackson Kemper, a missionary who established Episcopal Church congregations in Indiana and Missouri between 1836 and 1845. At that time, the entire state of Missouri was one diocese. That changed in 1889 when a line was drawn from north to south through the state and The Diocese of West Missouri was established. The diocese's 48 congregations and 10,000 parishioners are located in the urban areas of Springfield, Joplin, St. Joseph and the Kansas City metro area and many small towns and rural areas. Episcopal Church ministries within the diocese include health care institutions, a retirement community and a social services organization with joint sponsorship from the Diocese of Kansas. West Missouri shares the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry with the Dioceses of Kansas, Western Kansas and Nebraska. The school offers local training for the priesthood and the diaconate along with training for specialized lay ministries.