Case study ยท Merger-scale diocesan platform
The Episcopal Diocese of the Susquehanna: bringing two diocesan websites into one usable system.
An ongoing WordPress and Divi relationship for the reunified Diocese of Bethlehem and Diocese of Central Pennsylvania, designed to represent the parishes, staff, resources, events, and clergy systems of the new diocese.
The challenge
The Diocese of Susquehanna project was unusual because the website had to support a newly reunified diocese. The Diocese of Bethlehem and the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania had officially become one diocese, which meant the site had to carry a new identity while also making room for the people, parishes, staff structures, documents, news, and habits of both older dioceses.
The public site could not simply be a brochure for a new name. It had to help people understand where to go, how to find a church, how to follow diocesan news and events, and how clergy and diocesan leaders could access the resources they need.
What had to come together
- A new diocesan identity and homepage that could represent the reunified organization clearly.
- A Find a Church directory that publicly represents 134 places across Central and Northeastern Pennsylvania.
- Navigation and resource structures that combine material from two prior diocesan ecosystems.
- Multiple news and newsletter pathways, including diocesan news and clergy-specific communications.
- An events system that can show a running list, featured events, parish events, diocesan gatherings, and broader ministry opportunities.
- Clergy Connect and clergy resource areas for documents and information that serve logged-in or clergy-specific audiences.
- Practical staff workflows behind the public surface so the new site can keep changing as the new diocese grows into its structure.
The design and publishing approach
The design had to feel like a coherent new diocesan home without erasing the complexity underneath it. The homepage uses a broad image mosaic and clear public calls to action, while the interior pages organize churches, resources, newsletters, events, governance, and clergy materials into findable sections.
For the portfolio, this is a systems story more than a single-page design story. The value is in bringing identity, information architecture, events, newsletters, clergy resources, and directory data into one site that can serve a merged organization from day one.
The system outcome
The site gives the new diocese one public front door: a place to find churches, follow diocesan life, subscribe to communications, discover events, reach staff, access resources, and continue building the shared identity of the reunified diocese.
Because the diocese is newly reunified, the work naturally continues after launch: communications consulting, content refinement, directory support, and system stewardship as the organization settles into its new identity.
What changed
The new site became a shared operating surface for a reunified diocese.
The new diocesan identity, homepage, navigation, and resource structure give people a single place to begin after reunification.
The Find a Church directory makes the merged geography concrete, searchable, and easier to understand.
Clergy news, document-library links, and Clergy Connect preserve clergy-specific workflows inside the larger public site.
Screenshots
A few surfaces from the merged diocesan system.
Need a merged or complex organization to feel clear online?
Start with a clarity review. We will look at the public identity, the inherited content, the directory needs, and the staff workflows behind the site.