document_title: Canada Pension Plan

question_text: when did the old age pension start in canada

text: Canada Pension Plan

text: Description[edit]

text: The CPP mandates all employed Canadians who are 18 years of age and over to contribute a prescribed portion of their earnings income to a federally administered pension plan. The plan is administered by Employment and Social Development Canada on behalf of employees in all provinces and territories except Quebec, which operates an equivalent plan, the Quebec Pension Plan. Because the Constitutional authority for pensions is shared between the provincial and federal governments, stewardship for the CPP is jointly shared.  As a result, major changes to the CPP, including those that alter how benefits are calculated, require the approval of at least ⅔ of Canadian provinces representing at least ⅔ of the country's population.[4]

text: Provinces may choose to opt out of the Canada Pension Plan (as Quebec did in 1965), but must offer a comparable plan to its residents.  In addition, under section 94A of the Canadian Constitution, pensions are a provincial responsibility, so any province may establish an additional/supplementary plan anytime.

text: History[edit]

text: The Liberal government of Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson in 1965 first established the Canadian Pension Plan.

text: CPP Benefits[edit]

text: The primary CPP benefit is the monthly retirement pension. Currently, this is equal to 25% of the average earnings on which CPP contributions were made over the entire working life of a contributor from age 18 to 65 in constant dollars.  The earnings upon which contributions are made are subject to an annual limit, which, in 2018, is $55,900.[5] However, under changes being phased in by 2025, the pension benefit will rise to 33.33% of earnings on which contributions were made, and the maximum amount of income covered by the CPP will rise by 14 percent.  (From the projected 2025 limit of $69,700 to $79,400.[6]

text: The CPP enhancement will serve as a top-up to the existing, or base, CPP.  For individuals who work and make contributions in 2019 or later, enhanced components of benefits will be calculated and added to the base portion of the benefit.  These calculations are similar, but follow different formulae.

text: When calculating the base portion of the CPP, there is a general drop out provision that enables the lower-earnings years in a contributor's contributory period to be dropped from the calculation of the average. Since 2014, the lowest 17% of earnings are dropped in this way, accounting for up to eight years of contributory earnings.

text: Benefits under the CPP enhancement will be calculated based on a forty-year period, taking the best 40 years to calculate the benefit.  This calculation effectively allows seven years to be dropped out of the benefit calculation (for an individual who begins contributing at age 18 and ends at age 65).

text: In March 2016, average monthly benefits for new retirement pension (taken at age 65) was just over $550.00 per month and the maximum amount was $1,092.50. Monthly benefits are adjusted every year based on the Consumer Price Index. CPP benefit payments are taxable as ordinary income.

text: The standard age to receive the retirement pension is age 65, however, individuals may begin collecting a permanently reduced pension as early as 60, or defer until age 70 to increase the monthly payment.  For those who take the pension early (the majority), the reduction factor is 0.6% for each month you receive it before age 65 (to a maximum reduction of 36% at age 60). For those who defer, the adjustment rate is 0.7% for each month that one delays in receiving it up to a maximum increase of 42% at age 70.  There is no financial benefit to delaying beyond age 70. [7]

text: The CPP also provides disability pensions to eligible workers under the age of 65 who become disabled in a severe and prolonged fashion, and a monthly survivor's pension to the spouse or common-law partners of contributors who die (having made sufficient contributions).

text: An application must be filed at least six months in advance in order to receive CPP benefits. If an application for disability pension is denied, an appeal can be made for reconsideration, and then to the Canada Pension Plan / Old Age Security Review Tribunals or Pension Appeals Boards (POA).  All CPP benefits in pay are indexed annually to the Consumer Price Index.

text: Contribution Rates[edit]

text: 1966 to 1996[edit]

text: From 1966 to 1996, the contribution rate was 3.6%.  The rate was 1.8% for employees (and a like amount for their employers) and 3.6% in respect of self-employed earnings. By 1997, this had reached combined rates of 6% of pensionable earnings.

text: 1996 reforms[edit]

text: By the mid-1990s, the 3.6% contribution rate was not sufficient to keep up with Canada’s aging population.[8] and it was concluded that the "pay-as-you-go" structure would lead to excessively high contribution rates within 20 years or so, due to Canada's changing demographics, increased life expectancy of Canadians, a changing economy, benefit improvements, and increased usage of disability benefits (all as referenced in the Chief Actuary's study of April 2007, noted above). The same study reports that the reserve fund was expected to run out by 2015. This impending pension crisis sparked an extensive review by the federal and provincial governments in 1996. As a part of the major review process, the federal government actively conducted consultations with the Canadian public to solicit suggestions, recommendations, and proposals on how the CPP could be restructured to achieve sustainability once again. As a direct result of this public consultation process and internal review of the CPP, the following key changes were proposed and jointly approved by the Federal and provincial governments in 1997:

text:
Increase total CPP annual contribution rates (employer/employee combined) from 6% of pensionable earnings in 1997 to 9.9% by 2003.
Continuously seek out ways to reduce CPP administration and operating costs.
Move towards a hybrid structure to take advantage of investment earnings on accumulated assets. Instead of a "pay-as-you-go" structure, the CPP is expected to be 20% funded by 2014, such funding ratio to constantly increase thereafter towards 30% by 2075 (that is, the CPP Reserve Fund will equal 30% of the "liabilities" - or accrued pension obligations).
Create the CPP Investment Board (CPPIB).
Review the CPP and CPPIB every 3 years.

text: Currently, the prescribed employee contribution rate was 4.95% of a salaried worker's gross employment income between $3,500 and $51,100, up to a maximum contribution of $2,356.20. The employer matches the employee contribution, effectively doubling the contributions of the employee. Self-employed workers must pay both halves of the contribution, or 9.9% of pensionable income, when filing their income tax return. These rates have been in effect since 2003.

text: 2017 reforms[edit]

text: The Trudeau Government and its provincial counterparts moved to enhanced the Canada Pension Plan to provide working Canadians with more income in retirement.[9] These changes were principally motivated by the declining share of the workforce that was covered by an employer defined-benefit pension plan, which had fallen from 48% of men in 1971 to 25% by 2011.[9] They were given additional impetus by moves on the part of the government of Ontario to launch the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan, a supplementary provincial pension plan intended to begin in 2018.[9]

text: Unlike the existing, or base, CPP, the enhancement to the Canada Pension Plan will be fully funded, meaning that benefits under the enhancement will slowly accrue each year as individuals work and make contributions.  Additionally, the enhancement of the Canada Pension Plan will be phased-in over a period of seven years, starting in 2019.  When fully mature, the enhanced CPP will provide a replacement rate of one third (33.33%) of covered earnings, up from the quarter (25%) provided prior to the enhancement.  Additionally, the maximum amount of income covered by the CPP will increase by 14% by 2025 (projected by the Chief Actuary of Canada to be $79,400 in 2025, compared to the projected normal limit of $69,700 in the same year in the 28th Actuarial Report on the CPP[10]).  The combination of the increased replacement rate and increased earnings limit will result in individuals receiving retirement pensions 33% to 50% higher, depending on their earnings across their working years.  (The maximum retirement pension will increase by 50%, but will require 40 years of contributions on earnings at the new maximum). Workers earning the current maximum covered wage of $54,900 a year would receive an additional $4,390 annually in pension.[9]

text: To finance the expanded pensions and maintain the soundness of the plan,  contributions to the CPP from workers and their employers will each rise 1% from current levels, to 5.95% over the existing band of covered earnings.  This increase will be phased in over 5 years, starting in 2019, ending in 2023.  The increase to the earnings threshold will be phased in over 2 years, starting in 2024. Workers and their employers will contribute 4% on earnings in this range (which is to say earnings above the normal earnings limit and below the new increased one). To ease the impact of the increased contribution on near-term disposable income, worker contributions will become tax-deductible.[9]

text: Funding[edit]

text: Description[edit]

text: The base CPP is funded on a "steady-state" basis, with its current contribution rate set so that it will remain constant for the next 75 years, by accumulating a reserve fund sufficient to stabilize the asset/expenditure and funding ratios over time.  Such a system is a hybrid between a fully funded one and a "pay-as-you-go" plan. In other words, assets held in the CPP fund are by themselves insufficient to pay for all future benefits accrued to date but sufficient to prevent contributions from rising any further. While a sustainable path for this particular plan, given the indefinite existence of a government, it is not typical of other public or private sector pension plans. A study published in April 2007 by the CPP's chief actuary showed that this type of funding method is "robust and appropriate" given reasonable assumptions about future conditions.[11]

text: The enhancement to the CPP will be fully funded, such that each generation will contribute and pay for the benefits they receive. Contributions made to the enhancement will be directed into a separate account.

text: The chief actuary submits a report to Parliament every three years on the financial status of the plan.  Future reports will report on both the base and enhanced components of the Plan.

text: Assets[edit]

text: As noted in the 27th Actuarial Report on the Canada Pension Plan, if one uses the 'closed group approach', the Canada Pension Plan has an enormous unfunded liability. As at December 31, 2015, the unfunded liability was $884 billion, which is the difference between CPP's liabilities of $1.169 trillion and the CPP's assets of $285 billion.[12]

text: Unfunded liability[edit]

text: The unfunded liability is increasing at a rate of about $25 billion per year.  The unfunded liabilities reported in the last few Actuarial Reports are:

text:
Year
Actuarial Report
Unfunded Liability

1997
17th
$428 billion

2000
18th
$443 billion[13]

2003
21st
$516 billion

2006
23rd
$620 billion

2009
25th
$748 billion[14]

2012
26th
$829 billion[15]

2015
27th
$884 billion[16]

text:
Using the 'open group approach' ("one that includes all current and future participants of a plan, where the
plan is considered to be ongoing into the future, that is, over an extended time horizon") the plan is reported to have assets in excess of $2.5 trillion.[17]  This approach uses a different definition of the term "assets". "Assets" are the sum of: (i) the CPP's current assets and (ii) the present value of future contributions for the next 150 years, totalling $2.544 trillion.[18]

text: Unlike most pension plans, the unfunded liability is not reported on the balance sheet of the Canada Pension Plan's financial statements. [19]  Consequently, the balance sheet reports that the CPP's assets exceed its liabilities by $269 billion as at March 31, 2015.

text: Fluctuations in the projected CPP contributions[edit]

text: The projections in the actuarial reports fluctuate over time.  For example, as at Dec 31, 1997 the projected contributions for the year 2040 were $170 billion. [20]  However, in the Dec 31, 2015 actuarial report the projected contributions for the year 2040 were only $117 billion. [21]

text: The projected CPP contributions for 2040 were:

text:
per 1997 Actuarial Report - $170 billion [22]
per 2000 Actuarial Report - $146 billion [23]
per 2003 Actuarial Report - $136 billion
per 2006 Actuarial Report - $132 billion [24]
per 2009 Actuarial Report - $130 billion [25]
per 2012 Actuarial Report - $127 billion [26]
per 2015 Actuarial Report - $117 billion [27]

text: Similar reductions were reported for all other forecast years.

text: Fluctuations in the projected return on investments[edit]

text: The projected return on investment on CPP assets has decreased over time.  The projected long-term returns were:

text:
per 2000 Actuarial Report - 7.15% [28]
per 2003 Actuarial Report - 6.81% [29]
per 2006 Actuarial Report - 6.72% [30]
per 2009 Actuarial Report - 6.33% [31]
per 2012 Actuarial Report - 6.21% [32]
per 2015 Actuarial Report - 6.02% [33]

text: CPP Investment Board[edit]

text: Under the direction of then Finance Minister Paul Martin, the CPP Investment Board (CPPIB) was created in 1997 as an organization independent of the government to monitor and invest the funds held by the CPP. In turn, the CPP Investment Board created the CPP Reserve Fund. The CPP Investment Board is a crown corporation created by an Act of Parliament. It reports quarterly on its performance, has a professional management team to oversee the operation of various aspects of the CPP reserve fund and also to plan changes in direction, and a board of directors that is accountable to but independent from the federal government. The board reports annually to Parliament through the federal Minister of Finance.[34]

text: Quebec Pension Plan (QPP)[edit]

text: Quebec is the only province in Canada that opted out of the CPP. The Quebec Pension Plan, or QPP, (French: Régie des rentes du Québec; RRQ) is the province of Quebec's own version of the Canada Pension Plan. Almost mirroring the CPP exactly, the QPP is a contributory  earnings-related pension plan that pays benefits in the event of the earner becoming disabled, retiring, or dying. Both Quebec and the federal government tax benefits paid from the QPP.

text: Increase in Contribution Rate[edit]

text: The contribution rate was 9.9% prior to 2012. In accordance with the 2011-12 Budget of the Government of Quebec, the contribution rates were increased by 0.15% per year for six years from 2012 to 2017.  Consequently, the contribution rate increased to 10.8% for 2017 and subsequent years.[35][36][37]


document_title: List of the oldest churches in the United States

question_text: oldest continuously operating roman catholic parish in the united states

root

text: Oldest church buildings[edit]

text:
Cathedral of San Juan Bautista

San Juan, Puerto Rico
PR
1521–1540
Roman Catholic
The oldest church built in the United States and in the (non incorporated) U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. The original cathedral was constructed from wood in 1521. It was destroyed by a hurricane and the current structure constructed in 1540, being reshaped in later centuries, the last time being in 1917. Building has been within the territory of the U.S. since 1898, when Puerto Rico was annexed from Spain.[1]

Porta Coeli Church

San Germán, Puerto Rico
PR
1609
Roman Catholic
The second oldest church structure in the United States and in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico

San Miguel Mission

Santa Fe, New Mexico
NM
Approximately start in 1610 or 1626
Roman Catholic
The oldest church built in the continental US. The original adobe walls and altar were built by the Tlaxcalan Indians from Mexico under the orders of the Spaniards, but much of the structure was rebuilt in 1710. Building has been within the U.S. since 1848, when the US annexed New Mexico territory following the Mexican–American War.[2][3]

Jamestown Church

Jamestown, Virginia
VA
1647 (Completed)
Anglican
Only floor tiles and foundations remain from the first brick church (with a tower added sometime earlier or later)

San Estevan Del Rey Mission Church

Acoma, New Mexico
NM
1649
Roman Catholic

Church of Saint Blaise of Illescas

Coamo, Puerto Rico
PR
1661
Roman Catholic

Old Trinity Church

Church Creek, Maryland
MD
1675
Episcopal
Church building in continuous use; as such, oldest in the continental US.[4]

St. Mary's, Whitechapel

Lancaster County, Virginia
VA
1675
Episcopal

Third Haven Meeting House

Talbot County, Maryland
MD
1681–84
Quaker (Friends)
Oldest Quaker meeting house in the United States.

Old Ship Church

Hingham, Massachusetts
MA
1681
Puritan, Congregational, now Unitarian Universalist
Only remaining 17th-century Puritan meetinghouse in the US.[5]

St. Luke's Church

Smithfield, Virginia
VA
1682
Anglican, Episcopal after American Revolution, currently non-denominational and does not have a congregation.
National Historic Landmark[6]

Old Indian Meeting House

Mashpee, Massachusetts
MA
1684
Congregational/Native American
Oldest Native American church

Church of Saint Germanus of Auxerre

San Germán, Puerto Rico
PR
1688
Roman Catholic

Old Quaker Meeting House

Flushing, New York
NY
1694
Quaker (Friends)
Oldest religious building in New York City. The only surviving example in New York State of a typical 17th-century ecclesiastical frame structure of medieval design.[7]

Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow

Sleepy Hollow, New York
NY
1697 (completed)
Dutch Reformed
Oldest church building in New York state

Grace Church

Yorktown, Virginia
VA
1697
Episcopal

Old Norriton Presbyterian Church

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
PA
1698
Presbyterian
Oldest Surviving church in Pennsylvania

Holy Trinity Church (Old Swedes)

Wilmington, Delaware
DE
1698
Lutheran/Episcopal
Oldest Swedish Church in the United States

Great Friends Meeting House

Newport, Rhode Island
RI
1699
Quaker (Friends)
Quaker Meeting House, oldest surviving church in Rhode Island

Gloria Dei
(Old Swedes' Church)

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
PA
1700
Lutheran/Episcopal
Oldest surviving church in Philadelphia

Portsmouth Friends Meetinghouse

Portsmouth, Rhode Island
RI
1700
Quaker (Friends)

Six Principle Baptist Church

North Kingstown, Rhode Island
RI
1703
Baptist
Possibly oldest surviving Baptist church building in the U.S.

St. Mary's Episcopal Church

Burlington, New Jersey
NJ
1703
Episcopal
Oldest church in New Jersey

Rehoboth Presbyterian Church

Rehoboth, Maryland
MD
1706
Presbyterian
Oldest continuously operated Presbyterian church in the United States

St. Andrews Episcopal Church

Charleston, South Carolina
SC
1706
Episcopal
Oldest church in South Carolina

Old Narragansett Church

Wickford, Rhode Island
RI
1707
Episcopal
Oldest surviving colonial Episcopal church in Northeastern USA

St. Michael's Church

Marblehead, Massachusetts
MA
1714
Episcopal
Oldest surviving Episcopal church building in New England on its original foundation

Merion Friends Meeting House

Merion Station, Pennsylvania
PA
1715
Quaker (Friends)
Third oldest Friends meeting house in the United States, and oldest place of worship in Pennsylvania

Old North Church

Boston, Massachusetts
MA
1723
Episcopal
Oldest active church building in Boston and a National Historic Landmark, the Old North Church (formal name: Christ Church in the City of Boston) is the location from which the famous signal lanterns are said to have been displayed for Paul Revere's midnight ride during the American Revolution.[8]

Trinity Church, Newport

Newport, Rhode Island
RI
1726
Episcopal
Oldest Episcopal Parish in Rhode Island

St. John's Episcopal Church

Hampton, Virginia
VA
1728
Episcopal
Oldest Episcopal Parish in the New World

St Francis Xavier Church

Compton, Maryland
MD
1731
Roman Catholic
Oldest Catholic Church in original 13 colonies.

Christ Church

Nanjemoy, Maryland
MD
1732
Episcopal
Oldest Episcopal congregation in Maryland

St. Thomas Episcopal Church

Bath, North Carolina
NC
1734
Episcopal
Oldest church in North Carolina

Cathedral of San Fernando

San Antonio, Texas
TX
1738
Catholic
Oldest church in Texas. Oldest RC Cathedral in contiguous United States. The church was named for Ferdinand III of Castile. In 1868, the cathedral was considerably enlarged in the Gothic style.

St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Norfolk, Virginia
VA
1739
Episcopal
Oldest Surviving Building in The City of Norfolk.

Augustus Lutheran Church

Trappe, Pennsylvania
PA
1743
Lutheran
Oldest unaltered Lutheran Church in use by the same congregation

King's Chapel

Boston, Massachusetts
MA
1754
Unitarian Christian
Oldest continually used religious site in Boston, present church building 1754

St. Michael's Church

Charleston, South Carolina
SC
1752–1761
Episcopal
Oldest church edifice in Downtown Charleston, SC

St. Paul's Chapel

New York, New York
NY
1766
Episcopal
Oldest church building in Manhattan

St. John's Episcopal Church

Fort Washington, Maryland
MD
1767
Epsicopal
Located in the Broad Creek Historic District. The building is the 4th iteration of the church since the original was erected in 1695.[9][better source needed]

Mission San Diego de Alcala

San Diego, California
CA
1769
Roman Catholic
First of the 21 California Missions, oldest church in use in California

The Falls Church

Falls Church, Virginia
VA
1769
Epsicopal
First church in Falls Church, Virginia and established by the colonial Virginia Assembly in May 1732 for the land north of the Occoquan River

Barratt's Chapel

Frederica, Delaware
DE
1780
Methodist
Second oldest Methodist church building in the U.S. built for that purpose (the oldest is St. George's in Philadelphia, PA, built in 1769)

Mission San Juan Capistrano

San Juan Capistrano
CA
1782
Roman Catholic

Wyandot Mission Church

Upper Sandusky
OH
1824
Methodist
The oldest Methodist mission church in America

tag: table

text: Oldest Continuous Church Congregations[edit]

text:
Cathedral of San Juan Bautista

San Juan, Puerto Rico
PR
1521
Roman Catholic
The oldest continuous church congregation in a (non incorporated) territory of the US.[1]

Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine.

St. Augustine, Florida
FL
1565
Roman Catholic
Oldest parish in continuous existence in the United States of America. Parish established September 8, 1565, as San Agustin de La Florida, by Spanish conqueror Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles. Parish records since 1594 available in the Archives of the Diocese of St. Augustine.[10]

San Juan Bautista Church

Ohkay Owingeh (formerly, San Juan Pueblo)
NM
1598
Roman Catholic
Oldest Native American congregation in the United States, and one of the oldest congregations in the United States[11][12][13]

St. John's Episcopal Church (Hampton, Virginia)

Hampton, Virginia
VA
1610
Episcopal
Oldest English-speaking parish in continuous existence in the United States of America, current building from 1728[14]

West Parish Church

West Barnstable, Massachusetts
MA
1616
United Church of Christ
Oldest church congregation on Cape Cod. Founded in 1616 in England by Rev. Henry Jacob by breaking with the Church of England. The second Pastor, Rev. John Lothrop, and 32 followers were imprisoned in 1632 by the Crown, and then released in 1634 on condition that they leave England. In 1639 Lothrop and 22 families found the town of Barstable.[15]

First Parish Church in Plymouth

Plymouth, Massachusetts
MA
1620
Originally Separatist (Calvinist) Congregational, now Unitarian Universalist
-

Marble Collegiate Church

New York, New York
NY
1628
Reformed and United Church of Christ
Oldest church congregation in New York State (building from 1854)

First Church in Salem

Salem, Massachusetts
MA
1629
Originally Puritan (Calvinist) Congregational, now Unitarian Universalist
First Puritan Church in North America and second Congregational Church in America.[16] Building constructed in 1838.

First Church in Boston

Boston, Massachusetts
MA
1630
Originally Puritan (Calvinist) Congregational, now Unitarian Universalist
Oldest congregation in Boston, Massachusetts (building from 1968)

First Parish Watertown (Watertown, Massachusetts)

Watertown, Massachusetts
MA
1630
Originally Puritan (Calvinist) Congregational, now Unitarian Universalist

Christ Church

Stevensville, Maryland
MD
1631
Episcopal
Oldest congregation in Maryland, building from 1880 pictured. (current building from 1995)

First Parish Church (Dover, New Hampshire)

Dover, New Hampshire
NH
1632
Congregational
Oldest congregation in New Hampshire (current building from 1825).

Center Church
(The First Church of Christ in Hartford)

Hartford, Connecticut
CT
1632
Congregational
Oldest congregation in Connecticut (current building from 1807)

First Baptist Church in America

Providence, Rhode Island
RI
1638
Baptist
First Baptist Church founded in America, oldest church congregation in Rhode Island, oldest Baptist congregation in America (building from 1775)

First Church, Sandwich Massachusetts

Sandwich, Massachusetts
MA
1638
Congregational church
First Congregational Church founded in Cape Cod by Mayflower Pilgrims, second oldest church congregation in Cape Cod (building from 1848)

First Church in Albany

Albany, New York
NY
1642
Reformed
Established in 1642 to serve the Dutch inhabitants of the patroonship of Rensselaerswyck. (building from 1790s)

First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica

New York, New York
NY
1662
Presbyterian
Oldest Presbyterian church congregation in continuous existence

First Congregational Church of Greenwich

Greenwich, CT
CT
1665
Congregational
Oldest congregation in Greenwich (wooden buildings in 1667, 1694, 1735 and 1835. Present stone building in 1896.)

St. Philip's Episcopal Church (Charleston, South Carolina)

Charleston, SC
SC
1681
Episcopal
Oldest Episcopal Congregation south of Virginia, present church building 1838

King's Chapel

Boston, MA
MA
1686
Unitarian Christian
Oldest continually used religious site in Boston, present church building 1754

Brandywine Baptist Church (Chadds Ford, PA)

Chadds Ford, PA
PA
1692
Baptist
Oldest Baptist Church in America West of Philadelphia[17][18]

First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
PA
1692
Presbyterian

Christ Church, Philadelphia

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
PA
1695
Episcopal
Oldest Episcopal congregation in Pennsylvania

First Parish Church (Waltham, Massachusetts)

Waltham, Massachusetts
MA
1696
Unitarian Universalist

Trinity Church, New York

New York, NY
NY
1697
Episcopal
Chartered by King William III in 1697.

Trinity Church, Newport

Newport, Rhode Island
RI
1698
Episcopal
Oldest Episcopal Parish in Rhode Island

St. Thomas, Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania

Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania
PA
1698
Episcopal
One of the oldest Episcopal churches in the US. Current building is the fourth.

St. Peter's Episcopal Church (Perth Amboy, New Jersey)

Perth Amboy, New Jersey
NJ
1698
Episcopal
Oldest Episcopal parish in New Jersey (current building from 1849). Graveyard contains the oldest gravestone in New Jersey

Ste. Anne de Detroit, Detroit, Michigan

Detroit, Michigan
MI
1701
Roman Catholic
Founded in 1701 two days after the founding of Detroit. Current building from 1886

Trinity Church (Swedesboro, New Jersey)

Swedesboro, New Jersey
NJ
1703
Episcopal (originally Swedish Lutheran)
First Swedish congregation in New Jersey

Trinity Episcopal Church (Woodbridge, New Jersey)

Woodbridge, New Jersey
NJ
1703
Episcopal
One of the 1703 Episcopal parishes in New Jersey (current building from 1861)

St. Michael's Church, Trenton, New Jersey

Trenton, New Jersey
NJ
1703
Episcopal
One of the 1703 Episcopal parishes in New Jersey (current building from 1810)

St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Burlington, New Jersey

Burlington, New Jersey
NJ
1703
Episcopal
One of the 1703 Episcopal parishes in New Jersey (oldest Episcopal church building in New Jersey)

Old St. Joseph's Parish

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
PA
1733
Roman Catholic
Oldest Catholic congregation in Pennsylvania. Present church building opened in 1757.

Most Blessed Sacrament Parish

Bally, Pennsylvania
PA
1741
Roman Catholic
Oldest RC Church in Pennsylvania still in continuous use in original building, originally named St. Paul's Chapel

Congaree Baptist Church (Gadsden, South Carolina)

Gadsden, SC
SC
1765
Baptist
Second oldest Baptist congregation in South Carolina (current building constructed in 1810)

John Street Methodist Church

New York City
NY
1766
Methodist
The congregation is the oldest Methodist congregation in North America, founded on October 12, 1766 as the Wesleyan Society in America (building built in 1841)

St. George's Methodist Church

Philadelphia
PA
1769
Methodist
Oldest Methodist church building in continuous use in the United States (congregation founded in 1767)

Barratt's Chapel

Kent County, Delaware
Delaware
1780
Methodist
oldest surviving church building in the United States built by and for Methodists

Chester-Bethel Church

Wilmington, Delaware
Delaware
1780
Methodist
Oldest Methodist congregation that has continuously gathered in the state of DE (building from 1873).

Mother Bethel AME Church

Philadelphia
PA
1794
African Methodist Episcopal (AME)
AME Church and denomination (1816) founded in Philadelphia; oldest congregation in the United States (building from 1890)

Cathedral Church of St. Paul

Detroit
MI
1824
Episcopal
Oldest Episcopal congregation in Michigan (present building from 1907)

text: By state[edit]

text: Alabama[edit]

text:
Indian Springs Baptist Church, possibly the oldest surviving church building. Circa 1825.[19]
Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Mobile, congregation established in 1703, took current name in 1781, current building completed in 1850 (Roman Catholic)
Mt. Calvary Presbyterian Church, Clay, AL. Founded in 1806.
Flint River Primitive Baptist Church, founded in 1808 (Baptist)
Hurricane Baptist Church, Gilbertown, AL, founded in 1816 (Baptist)
Canaan Baptist Church, Bessemer, was founded in 1818 (Southern Baptist).
Round Island Baptist Church (Athens, Limestone County) was founded in 1817.
Old Salem Baptist Church, Monroe County was founded in Nov. 1817 and is still an active church.

tag: ul

text: Alaska[edit]

text:
Church of the Holy Ascension, Oldest church building, built in 1826 (Eastern Orthodox)
St. Michael's Cathedral (Sitka, Alaska) (Eastern Orthodox)
Russian Orthodox Church in Kodiak Alaska, Oldest congregation, founded in 1794 (Eastern Orthodox)
Sitka Lutheran Church, Oldest Protestant church congregation, founded in 1839 (Lutheran)

text: Arkansas[edit]

text:
Rockport First United Methodist Church, Rockport (near Malvern) -- oldest continually operating congregation in the state, organized in 1816
Smyrna Church, Searcy - Oldest church building in the state, built in 1856 (Methodist)[20][21]

text: Arizona[edit]

text:
Mission San Xavier del Bac, Oldest church building, built 1780-1797 (Roman Catholic)
St. Paul's Episcopal Church (Tombstone, Arizona), Oldest Protestant church, built in 1882 (Episcopal)

text: California[edit]

text:
St. John's Church in Sacramento, Built in 1867 (Evangelical Lutheran)
Emmanuel Church in Coloma, Oldest Protestant church building, built in 1855 (Methodist/Episcopal)
Mission San Juan Capistrano, Oldest church building, built in 1782 (Roman Catholic)
Mission San Diego de Alcalá, Oldest congregation, founded in 1769 (Roman Catholic)
Old First Presbyterian Church, San Francisco, Oldest Protestant church congregation, founded in 1849 (Presbyterian)
Trinity+St. Peter's Church (Episcopal), San Francisco, Oldest Episcopal church congregation west of the Mississippi, founded 1849 as Trinity Church (Episcopal)

text: Colorado[edit]

text:
Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Antonito, Oldest church building and congregation, built in 1857 (Roman Catholic)
St. James Methodist Church in Central City, Oldest Protestant[22] church in Colorado still used as a church, oldest Protestant congregation (1859) and oldest Protestant church in the state (1871) (Methodist)

text: Connecticut[edit]

text:
Abington Congregational Church, Oldest church building, built in 1751 (Congregational/United Church of Christ)
First Church of Windsor, Oldest church congregation, founded in 1633 (Congregational/United Church of Christ)
Lakeville Methodist Church, Oldest standing Methodist church in New England.
First Church of Christ, Oldest Church building in Glastonbury, founded 1693

text: Delaware[edit]

text:
Holy Trinity Church (Old Swedes), Oldest church building in Delaware, built in 1698 (Lutheran/Episcopal)
Barratt's Chapel, oldest surviving church building in the United States built by and for Methodists (built in 1780), known as the "Cradle of Methodism" in America.
Chester-Bethel Church, established 1780, oldest Methodist congregation which has continuously gathered in the state of DE.

text: Florida[edit]

text:
Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine. Parish established September 8, 1565. Present church cornerstone laid in 1793, dedicated in 1797. Elevated to Cathedral when Diocese of St. Augustine was created in 1870. Became Basilica in 1976.
Trinity Episcopal Church in St. Augustine is Florida's second oldest Episcopal Church. It opened its doors in 1831. Trinity remains on its original site, and with its original steeple that was completed in 1837.
Memorial United Methodist Church (Fernandina Beach, Florida) Oldest continuous Methodist church in Florida. Established in 1822 by Elijah Sinclair. First building was on Broome and 6th Street in historic downtown Fernandina Beach. The congregation moved to larger, and their current, building in the 1920s at 601 Centre Street. Sister church to Trinity United Methodist Church.
Old Christ Church (Pensacola, Florida). Oldest church in Florida on its original foundation, incorporated by an act of the Territorial Legislature in 1829, built in 1832. The building was desecrated during the War Between the States, restored, deconsecrated in the past 20 years and is now owned and operated by The Old Christ Church Foundation. The congregation is located in [new] Christ Church, 18 West Wright Street, Pensacola, built in 1905 (Episcopal)
Bethel Baptist Church (Lakeland, Florida) Bethel church congregation first met on this site in 1851 and has met continually since then. Performed baptisms in “Indian Pond” until the 1940s. A Sanctuary was Built in 1928. (Southern Baptist)
Mount Beasor Primitive Baptist Church (Sopchoppy, Florida) established in 1853 (Baptist).
St. John's Episcopal Church (Tallahassee, Florida). St. John's is the mother church of the Diocese of Florida. It was founded as a mission parish in 1829, and the church's first building was erected in 1837. The Diocese was organized at St. John's in 1838 and Francis Huger Rutledge, who became rector of St. John's in 1845, was consecrated the first Bishop of Florida in 1851. The original church burned in 1879; a new church was built on the same site and consecrated in 1888, and it is still the parish's principal place of worship.[23]
Middleburg United Methodist Church (3925 Main Street, Middleburg, FL 32068), oldest Methodist Meeting House in the State of Florida. Historical Marker states it was founded on or before July 27, 1828 by Isaac Boring, with the first church erected in 1847. It was built mostly by the hands of slaves, who retained a pew in the back of the church. Services are still conducted every Sunday, and, on special occasions. Its sermons and musical sounds, and beauty, resonates from the wood planks, hand cut, and, pews hand crafted with peg and board design, and, the intricate chandeliers providing light from above. This church congregation has celebrated its 192nd. year in 2015, which dates it back to 1823...to the founding congregants. Originally, Methodist Circuit Riders would hold meetings in homes, until the original church was erected (1847). Come and listen to the glory of the church bell toll, as it did for the first time February 29, 1860, for the funeral of the son of George Branning, who had the bell shipped from where it was cast in New York. As a member, it is still a special little church on Black Creek, where you can "Come and Worship, Go and Witness."[24]
Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Miami, the cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida, is the oldest church in the original city limits of Miami.

text: Georgia[edit]

text:
Christ Church (Episcopal) is the Mother Church of Georgia. It was founded in 1733 and assigned its land plot by General James Oglethorpe.
Jerusalem Lutheran Church, Oldest church building in Georgia, built in 1769 (Lutheran)
First African Baptist Church (Savannah, Georgia), claims continuous ties with Silver Bluff Baptist Church congregation as oldest black Baptist congregation, 1774-1775 (Baptist)
Springfield Baptist Church (Augusta, Georgia) also has continuous congregational ties to Silver Bluff Baptist Church (Baptist)
Antioch Christian Church (Watkinsville, Georgia. The oldest Disciples of Christ congregation in Georgia, established in 1806.

text: Guam[edit]

text: Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral Basilica (Roman Catholic) is a structure located on the site where the first Catholic church on the United States territory of Guam was constructed in 1669. The current building was erected in 1959, after the destruction of the former church in WWII.

text: Hawaii[edit]

text:
Mokuaikaua Church, Oldest church congregation and building, founded in 1820, built in 1837 (Congregational)
Kawaiahao Church, Oldest church congregation, founded in 1820, current structure dedicated in 1842 (Congregational)

text: Idaho[edit]

text:
Christ Chapel (Boise, Idaho), Oldest Protestant church, built in 1866 (Episcopal)
Old Mission, Oldest church building in Idaho, built in 1848 (Roman Catholic)

text: Illinois[edit]

text:
Church of the Holy Family (Cahokia), Oldest church building, built in 1799 (Roman Catholic)
First Baptist Church of Elizabethtown, Oldest Baptist church congregation in Illinois, possibly oldest Protestant church, founded in 1806 (Baptist)
Flat Creek Missionary Baptist Church (East Carondelet), Established 1809. Due to its location (Flat Creek Bottom), the people in the area began referring to the church as Flat Creek Baptist Church, although the members officially named the church, "The Missionary Baptist Church of East Carondelet".
Shiloh United Methodist Church (Shiloh, Illinois) established 1807. Current building same location 1825.
Mulkeytown Christian Church, established 1818, is the oldest Independent Christian Church. It is now a part of the fellowship of Christian Churches and Churches of Christ or the "Independent Christian Church" a group which separated from the Disciples of Christ beginning in 1924. The oldest congregation still affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is Barney's Priarie in Mt. Carmel, established 1816.
Regular/Lighthouse Baptist Church (Griggsville) 1834

text: Indiana[edit]

text:
Little Cedar Grove Baptist Church, Oldest church building, built in 1812 (Baptist)
Stony Point Christian Church, Charlestown, Oldest Protestant congregation in Indiana, constituted in 1789
Old Cathedral Complex, Oldest congregation, founded in 1749 (Roman Catholic)

text: Iowa[edit]

text:
St. Raphael's Cathedral (Dubuque, Iowa), Oldest church congregation in Iowa, founded in 1833 (Roman Catholic)
St. Anthony's Catholic Church (Davenport, Iowa), Oldest church building, built in 1838 (Roman Catholic)

text: Kansas[edit]

text: White Church Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Oldest continuously used church building, built in 1832

text: Kentucky[edit]

text: Cane Ridge Meeting House, Possibly the oldest church building, built in 1791 (Presbyterian and Disciples of Christ)

text: Louisiana[edit]

text:
Christ Church Cathedral, New Orleans, Oldest Protestant church congregation in Louisiana (1803)
St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans, one of the oldest congregation and church building in Louisiana, founded in 1718, and built in 1793 (Roman Catholic)
St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church, St. Martinville, Oldest congregation and church building in the Diocese of Lafayette, build in 1765 (Roman Catholic)

text: Maine[edit]

text:
First Congregational Church and Parsonage (Kittery, Maine), Possibly the oldest church building in Maine, built in 1703 (Congregational).
First Parish Congregational Church of York, Maine. Oldest church congregation,[25] (Congregational/United Church of Christ) founded before 1672, organized in the Congregational tradition by Shubael Dummer.[26]

text: Maryland[edit]

text:
Old Trinity Church, Maryland, 1675, Episcopal, building in continuous use; as such, oldest in the US.[4]
Third Haven Meeting House, oldest Quaker building in the US, built in 1682
St. Anne's Church (Annapolis, Maryland), founded in 1692
Rehoboth Presbyterian Church (Somerset County, MD), the oldest Presbyterian Church in continuous use (USA), built in 1706[27]
Sacred Heart Church (Bowie, Maryland) Built 1741
St. James Episcopal Church (Baltimore, Maryland) at Lafayette Square, Oldest African American congregation south of the Mason–Dixon line (1824)
St. John's Episcopal Church, 1767, is located in the Broad Creek Historic District.
St. Paul's Church, in Clear Spring, Washington County (1747)
Evangelical Lutheran Church (Frederick, Maryland) (1762)
St. Francis Xavier Church and Newtown Manor House Historic District, congregation originated from a Jesuit mission started in 1640, surviving building dates to 1731
Old Otterbein, oldest church edifice in continuous use in the city of Baltimore (built 1785-1786) and the mother church of the United Brethren in Christ.

text: Massachusetts[edit]

text:
First Church in Plymouth, Oldest congregation founded 1620 (building 1899), (Puritan, Congregational, now Unitarian Universalist)
First Congregational Church of Marshfield, gathered in 1632 (same building since 1838) (Congregational) [1]
First Congregational Church, First Church in Roxbury, founded/built in 1632 (majorly rebuilt 4 times, but constantly in use) (Congregational, now Unitarian Universalist. Serves as headquarters for community outreach program "UU Urban Ministry"). [1]
First Parish Congregational Church aka Stone Church by the Lake, founded in 1644, located in Wakefield. Has had 5 different meeting houses but has been continually in use.
First Baptist Church in Swansea, Oldest Baptist congregation in MA, founded in 1663 (Baptist)
First Parish in Cambridge, founded on February 1, 1636 at the First Church (Evangelical, now Unitarian Universalist)
First Parish Church (Waltham, Massachusetts), gathered in 1696 (Unitarian Universalist)
St. Michael's Church (Marblehead, Massachusetts). Oldest Episcopal Church in New England on its original foundation, built 1714, and still used daily year-round. A National Historic Landmark.
Old North Church, Official name: Christ Church in the City of Boston. Oldest standing church building in Boston, built 1723 (Episcopal) a National Historic Landmark significant for its role in the American Revolution.
Old Ship Church, built in 1681, is one of the oldest buildings in America. The congregation was gathered in 1635. It was originally a Puritan, Congregationalist congregation, but is now affiliated with the Unitarian Universalists.

text: Michigan[edit]

text:
La Mission Ste. Marie, Sault Sainte Marie, First Catholic congregation in the state, founded by Jacques Marquette in 1668. There have been 5 Catholic churches on this site since 1668. In 2018 St. Mary's parish celebrates its 350th anniversary.
Ste. Anne de Detroit Catholic Church, Oldest congregation (Roman Catholic) founded 2 days after Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac founded Detroit in 1701.
Mission Church, Mackinac Island, Oldest church building, built 1829-30 (Congregational)
Central United Methodist Church, Detroit, First Methodist and First Protestant congregation. Established 1810. Their first church building was built in 1818. In 2010 they celebrated their 200th Anniversary.[28]
Cathedral Church of St. Paul (Detroit). Oldest Episcopal congregation in Michigan (1824).

text: Minnesota[edit]

text:
Saint Peter's Church (Mendota, Minnesota), Oldest church in continuous use in Minnesota, built in 1853 (Roman Catholic)
Wabasha United Church of Christ, Oldest Protestant congregation, founded in 1857 (Congregational)
First Presbyterian Church (Stillwater, Minnesota), oldest Presbyterian congregation, founded December 8, 1849.

text: Missouri[edit]

text:
In 1791 St. Charles Borromeo was founded as a log cabin on the banks of the Missouri River and has been rebuilt 3 times. St. Charles Borromeo is also the namesake of St. Charles. (Roman Catholic)
In 1799, the first Protestant sermon and baptism by immersion west of the Mississippi River was performed in Randol Creek near Dutchtown.[29]
Fee Fee Baptist Church in Bridgeton, Oldest Protestant church congregation, founded in 1807 (Baptist)
Around 1816, settlers started meeting together in homes for worship on the Missouri River near the present village of Rocheport 12 years after Lewis and Clark camped there in 1804. In 1837, they were chartered as the Rocheport Christian Church. The present building, built in 1847, has been in continuous use since that time. The church building and congregation have survived Missouri River floods and infestations of termites. The congregation continues with weekly Sunday School and Holy Communion. Sunday worship is held on the first Sunday of each month. A Bluegrass Worship service is held at 5 p.m. on the First Saturday night each month. In 2015, the church was named the Missouri Rural Church of the year. (Disciples of Christ)
McKendree Chapel, a log cabin style chapel built in 1819 known as the oldest Protestant church standing west of the Mississippi River; the church was organized in 1809 (Methodist)
St. Ferdinand's Shrine, Oldest church building, built in 1821 (Roman Catholic)
In 1832, the Whitewater Presbyterian Church in Sedgewickville, Missouri, the oldest Presbyterian church west of the Mississippi River to be in continuous service was organized.[30] (Presbyterian)
Christ Church Cathedral, St Louis, is the oldest Episcopal Church congregation in Missouri, founded in 1819 (Episcopalian)[31]

text: Mississippi[edit]

text:
Woodville Baptist Church, Oldest church building, built in 1809 (Baptist)
Jersey Settlers, Adams County, oldest Protestant congregation, 1772, Reverend Samuel Swayze
Salem Baptist Church, Jefferson County, oldest Baptist church congregation, 1791

text: Montana[edit]

text:
St. Mary's Mission (Montana), Oldest church congregation, founded in 1841 (Roman Catholic)
First Baptist Church in Stevensville, Possibly oldest Protestant church building, built in 1882 (Baptist)
Melville Lutheran Church, oldest Lutheran congregation, founded in 1885, church building still in use (Lutheran)
Dry Creek Bible, Belgrade, oldest continually active Protestant church, established November 1884

text: Nebraska[edit]

text: First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue, Oldest church building, built in 1856 (Presbyterian)[32]

text: Nevada[edit]

text: First Presbyterian Church of Carson City, Oldest church building, built in 1864 (Presbyterian)

text: New Hampshire[edit]

text:
First Parish Church in Dover, Oldest congregation founded in 1632 (Congregational/United Church of Christ)
Newington Meeting House is the oldest church building in New Hampshire (1717, Congregational).

text: New Jersey[edit]

text:
St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Oldest church building, built in 1703 (Episcopal)
Old Bergen Church, Oldest church congregation, founded in 1660 (Reformed)

text: New Mexico[edit]

text:
First Presbyterian Church in Santa Fe, founded in 1867, Oldest Protestant Church congregation in New Mexico (Presbyterian)
San Miguel Mission, Oldest church building, built in 1610 (Roman Catholic)
San Juan de los Caballeros/San Juan Bautista, Established 1598, second oldest foundation in the United States (Roman Catholic)

text: New York[edit]

text:
Marble Collegiate Church, Oldest congregation founded in 1628 (building 1851) (Reformed)
Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow, Oldest church building, built in 1685 (Reformed)
Christ Church of Clarkson (formerly Clarkson Community Church), Monroe County, New York, founded in 1816, built in 1825 (Baptist)[33]
Old Dutch Church (Kingston, New York), one of the oldest continuously existing congregations in the country, since 1659

text: North Carolina[edit]

text:
St. Thomas Episcopal Church (Bath, North Carolina), Oldest church building, built in 1734 (Episcopal)
Rockfish Presbyterian Church, (Wallace, North Carolina) 1756
Philadelphia Evangelical Lutheran Church (Lincoln County—Dallas, NC) established 1767.
Home Moravian Church (Winston-Salem, NC), established on November 13, 1771. (Moravian)
Brook's Chapel Church (Polksville, North Carolina), established in 1869 (Methodist)
Wheat Swamp Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Kinston, Established 1760.

text: North Dakota[edit]

text:
First Presbyterian Church of Bismarck, Oldest congregation, founded in 1873 (Presbyterian)
Glencoe Presbyterian Church, Oldest church building used by original congregation, built in 1885 (Presbyterian)
First Congregation, Assumption Catholic Church in Pembina, 1818

text: Ohio[edit]

text:
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, North Canton Ohio Founded in 1806. Is one of the oldest congregations in the state of Ohio that is still meeting today. The church was also mentioned in an exhibit at the McKinley Presidential Museum in North Canton, Ohio as one of the oldest churches in the state.[34][35]
The Church in Aurora, The original church was Congregational, formed in 1809, shortly after Aurora was founded.[36][37]
West Union Presbyterian Church, Oldest church building still in use as a church, built in 1810 (Presbyterian)
First Lutheran Church in Canton, Ohio was built in 1810 and still operates today. It is considered "The Cradle of Lutheranism in Ohio."
First Church of the Resurrection founded in 1810 and was built in 1862 and still in use today (Non-Denominational)
St. Paul's Episcopal Church, South Bass Island, Oldest wooden church building still in use as a church, built in 1865 (Episcopal)
St. Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral, first Orthodox parish in Cleveland (organized in 1896)
Hopewell Methodist Church in Rush Run, Ohio, oldest Methodist Church in Ohio (1803), site of the first Methodist sermon preached in the Northwest Territory (1787) and the first Methodist ordination in Ohio (1803)
Nast Trinity United Methodist Church (Cincinnati, Ohio), built in 1881, it is the home of the first German Methodist church to be established anywhere in the world.
Holy Assumption Orthodox Church in Marblehead, Ohio. Oldest Orthodox church building in Ohio, built in 1906.

text: Oklahoma[edit]

text:
Wheelock Church, Oldest church building, built in 1846 (Presbyterian)
Ottawa Indian Baptist Church founded in march of 1840 estb. built in Oklahoma in March 1860

text: Oregon[edit]

text:
St. Paul Roman Catholic Church (St. Paul, Oregon), Oldest church building, built in 1846 (Roman Catholic)
Oregon City United Methodist Church, Oldest Protestant church, founded in 1844 (Methodist)

text: Pennsylvania[edit]

text:
Old Norriton Presbyterian Church, founded in 1678 as a Dutch Reformed Church. The existing church building was built in 1698.
Germantown Mennonite Meeting House, Germantown Mennonite Church in Germantown, PA (1683).
Merion Friends Meeting House, oldest church building in Pennsylvania (1695), Merion Station (Quaker).
Brandywine Baptist Church, 2nd oldest Baptist Church in Pennsylvania (1692), Chadds Ford (Baptist).[17][18]
St. Thomas, Whitemarsh, founded in 1698. One of the 25 oldest churches in the US. Present church is the fourth building on the site.(Episcopal)
St. Martin's Church, Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania (1699)
New Hanover Lutheran Church[38] near Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania, Founded about 1700.
St. Peter's in the Great Valley, founded as an Anglican church about 1700. Construction of existing building started in 1744. Changed from Anglican to Episcopalian after the Revolutionary War.
Gloria Dei (Old Swedes' Church), second oldest church building, built in 1700 (Lutheran/Episcopal)
Old St. Joseph's Church, oldest Roman Catholic congregation in Pennsylvania (1733)
Beulah Presbyterian Church 2500 McCrady Road, Pittsburgh PA 15235, Since 1784[39]
St. George's United Methodist Church (Philadelphia), built in 1769, America's first and oldest continuously used Methodist church in the world.
African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, founded 1792, oldest black Episcopal congregation in the United States (Episcopal)
Mother Bethel AME Church, oldest African Methodist Episcopal congregation, founded 1794 (African Methodist Episcopal)
Old Trinity Church, one of the oldest churches in Philadelphia, erected 1711 (Episcopal)

text: Puerto Rico[edit]

text:
Cathedral of San Juan Bautista, Oldest church building, built in 1521 (Roman Catholic)
San Jose Church, Iglesia de San Jose, was constructed in the 1530s by Dominican friars for use by their Saint Thomas Aquinas monastery. The church is located in Old San Juan. (Roman Catholic)
Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Ponce, Oldest Protestant church, and first Anglican church in Latin America, founded in 1872 (Anglican)

text: Rhode Island[edit]

text:
First Baptist Church in America, oldest congregation in RI, founded in 1638 (building 1775) (Baptist).
Six Principle Baptist Church, one of the oldest Baptist church buildings in the U.S., built in 1703, (Baptist)
Trinity Church, Newport, oldest Anglican congregation in RI, founded in 1698 (building 1726) (Episcopal).
Great Friends Meeting House, oldest church building in RI, built in 1699 (Quaker).
Old Narragansett Church, Wickford, oldest Episcopal church building in New England (1707).
Portsmouth Friends Meeting House, Portsmouth, building dates from the 1690s.

text: South Carolina[edit]

text:
St. Philip's Episcopal Church (Charleston, South Carolina), oldest Episcopal congregation south of Virginia, founded 1681 (Episcopal)
First Baptist Church (Charleston, South Carolina), oldest Baptist congregation in the South, founded in 1682 (Baptist)
Presbyterian Church on Edisto - 1685[40]
St. Andrews Episcopal Church (Charleston, South Carolina), Oldest church building, built in 1706 (Episcopal)
Zion Lutheran Church (Lexington County, South Carolina), oldest church congregation in interior S. C. above the fall line, founded 1745.
Silver Bluff Baptist Church, oldest black Baptist congregation in the nation, founded 1774-1775 (Baptist)
St. James Church (Goose Creek, South Carolina), built in 1719 (Episcopal)[41]
Friendship Baptist Church (Pauline, South Carolina) Founded in 1765. Oldest Baptist church in the Upstate.
Congaree Baptist Church (Gadsden, South Carolina) Founded in 1765. Present church building constructed around 1810.
First Baptist Church (Sumter, South Carolina) Church building built in 1820.

text: South Dakota[edit]

text: Renner Lutheran Church, Oldest operating church building, built in 1878 (Lutheran)

text: Tennessee[edit]

text:
Sinking Creek Baptist Church, Oldest church building, Oldest congregation and building, founded in 1772 (Baptist)
Suggs Creek Cumberland Presbyterian, First Confession of Faith of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church was adopted in 1814, Suggs Creek church founded in 1800 (Cumberland Presbyterian)
Double Springs Baptist Church (Sullivan County), Founded in 1786 by Jonathan Mulkey
First Presbyterian Church (Greeneville, Tennessee), oldest congregation in Greene County, founded in 1780 by Rev. Samuel Doak

text: Texas[edit]

text:
Cathedral of San Fernando, Possibly oldest church building, built 1738-1750 (Roman Catholic)
McMahan Chapel in St. Augustine, the oldest Protestant church congregation in Texas, founded in 1833 (Methodist)
San Felipe United Methodist Church, the oldest Protestant church building in Texas, built in 1838 (Methodist)
Ysleta Mission, Possibly the oldest continuous congregation, founded in 1680 (Roman Catholic)
Our Lady of Loreto Chapel, at the Presidio La Bahia, Goliad, founded in 1779 (Roman Catholic)
First Presbyterian Church at San Antonio, the first Protestant church in San Antonio, founded in 1846 (Presbyterian)

text: Utah[edit]

text:
Bountiful Tabernacle, Oldest Mormon Tabernacle, built in 1857 (Mormon)
First Congregational Church, Salt Lake City, first non-LDS church in the state, 1865
St. Mark's Cathedral, Salt Lake City, oldest non-LDS Church building in continual use, built in 1871 (Episcopal)

text: Vermont[edit]

text:
First Congregational Church of Bennington, Oldest congregation, founded in 1762 (Congregational)
Rockingham Meeting House, one of the two oldest church buildings, built in 1787 (Congregational)
Thetford Meeting House, Thetford Hill, one of the two oldest church buildings, built in 1787 (Congregational)

text: Virginia[edit]

text:
St. John's Episcopal Church (Hampton, Virginia), Oldest English-speaking parish in continuous existence in the United States of America, founded in 1610 (Episcopal)[14]
St. Luke's Church, Oldest complete church building, built 1682; this date, however, is controversial. The church interprets the extant physical evidence as indicating 1632[42] (Episcopal).
Bruton Parish Church (Williamsburg, Virginia), established in 1674 by the consolidation of two previous parishes in the Virginia Colony. The church remains an active Episcopal parish. The building was constructed 1711-15 and was designated a National Historic Landmark.
Slash Church or Slash Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Oldest wooden frame church building in Virginia, built in 1729
The Falls Church, The Episcopal parish was established in 1732 and the brick meeting house preserved on site dates to 1769
Augusta Stone Church, (Presbyterian), Oldest Presbyterian church in Virginia. The wood meeting house was built in 1740, and was replaced with the current stone church (still in use) in 1749. The stone church was used as both sanctuary and a repose from Indian attacks. It is listed in the Augusta County Historical Register.[43]
Sinking Spring Presbyterian Church (Abingdon, Virginia), organized in 1772 and was founded by Rev. Charles Cummings
First Baptist Church (Petersburg, Virginia), contends as the oldest organized black Baptist congregation, organized 1774 (Baptist)
Kempsville Baptist Church (Virginia Beach, Virginia), Established with the Baptist Association on May 21, 1814
Old Chapel (Clarke County, Virginia) Oldest Episcopal church still in use west of the Blue Ridge Mountains; current building built 1790
St. John's Church (Richmond, Virginia), Oldest wooden church building, built 1741
Jerusalem Christian Church (1791), King William Virginia, oldest congregation affiliated with the Christian Churches and churches of Christ. It was once affiliated with the Disciples of Christ.

text: Washington[edit]

text:
Claquato Church, the oldest church and the oldest standing building in Washington State. Built in 1857. Originally housed a Methodist Episcopal congregation.
Tumwater Methodist Church, 219 W. B Street in Tumwater, Washington. Built in 1872 and added to the National Register in 1984. Currently houses St. James Anglican Church.
St. Luke's Episcopal Church, oldest Episcopal congregation, continuously from 1860

text: Washington, D.C.[edit]

text: St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Rock Creek Parish (Washington, D.C.), Oldest congregation and oldest church building, founded in 1717, current building constructed in 1775, but incorporating parts of the 1717 structure (Episcopal)

text: West Virginia[edit]

text: Rehoboth Church, oldest church building, built in 1785 (Methodist), and oldest church building west of the main range of the Allegheny Mountains.

text: Wisconsin[edit]

text:
Methodist Episcopal Church in Mineral Point, Oldest Protestant congregation in Wisconsin, founded in 1834 (Methodist)
St. Gabriel's Church, Oldest church building built in Wisconsin, built in 1835 (Roman Catholic)
St. Joan of Arc Chapel, Oldest church building in Wisconsin, built in 15th century Chasse, France; moved to Wisconsin 1965 (Roman Catholic)

text: Wyoming[edit]

text: First United Methodist Church (Cheyenne, Wyoming), Possibly the oldest church congregation, founded in 1869 (Methodist)


document_title: Dancing with the Stars (New Zealand TV series)

question_text: who won dancing with the stars nz 2009

question_tokens: who won dancing with the stars nz 2009

text: History[edit]

text: Dancing with the Stars has been popular with the New Zealand public. The first series, which aired in 2005, was the highest rated timeslot programme, averaged 730,000 people per episode, while the second series had an average of 804,000. Up to a million people tuned into each of the series finales.[1][2] The third series premiered in 2007 with 735,000 viewers, the fourth series premiered in 2008 with 720,000 viewers, and the fifth series premiered with over 800,000 viewers, the highest of all previous series debuts.[3]

tag: p

text: From 2005–2009, the show was hosted by television personality Jason Gunn and co-hosted by professional dancer Candy Lane. All music was performed live by the Dancing with the Stars band, led by musical director Carl Doy. For the 2015 series, the show was hosted by Dominic Bowden and co-hosted by radio personality Sharyn Casey.

text: TVNZ announced in November 2009 that the show would not be returning in 2010, due to the economic climate.[4] In November 2013, television production house Great Southern Television announced that it had acquired the New Zealand rights to the show and would be pitching a new series to all broadcasters.[5] In March 2015, it was announced that Dancing with the Stars had been picked up by TV3 for a sixth series, which began airing in May 2015.[6] In December 2017, it was that announced that a seventh series would air, this began in April 2018.[7]

text: Judging panel[edit]

text:
Judge
Series 1
Series 2
Series 3
Series 4
Series 5
Series 6
Series 7

Alison Leonard

Brendan Cole

Craig Revel Horwood

Paul Mercurio

Donna Dawson

Carol-Ann Hickmore

Candy Lane

Stefano Olivieri

Hayley Holt

Camilla Dallerup

Rachel White

Julz Tocker

text:
In the second series, Carol-Ann Hickmore, who partnered Norm Hewitt in the first series, replaced Donna Dawson who had relocated to Australia.
In the third series, Craig Revel Horwood, a judge on Britain's Strictly Come Dancing, replaced Paul Mercurio who left the show to concentrate more on the Australian version of Dancing with the Stars.
In fourth series, Paul Mercurio was available to come back to the New Zealand version.

text: Series overview[edit]

text:
Series
No. of
stars
Duration dates
Celebrity honour places

Premiere
Finale
Winner
Second place
Third place

1
8
1 May 2005
19 June 2005
Norm Hewitt & Carol-Ann Hickmore
Shane Cortese & Nerida Lister
N/A

2
7 May 2006
25 June 2006
Lorraine Downes & Aaron Gilmore
Beatrice Faumuina & Brian Jones

3
10 April 2007
29 May 2007
Suzanne Paul & Stefano Oliveri
Megan Alatini & Jonny Williams

4
26 February 2008
15 April 2008
Temepara George & Stefano Oliveri
Monty Betham & Nerida Jantti

5
3 March 2009
21 April 2009
Tamati Coffey & Samantha Hitchcock
Barbara Kendall & Jonny Williams

6
10
31 May 2015
19 July 2015
Simon Barnett & Vanessa Cole
Chrystal Chenery & Jonny Williams
Siobhan Marshall & Charlie Billington

7
12
29 April 2018
2018

text: List of dances[edit]

text: The following are a list of dances that contestants and their partners have performed in an episode:

text:
Ballroom Dances
Latin Dances

Foxtrot
Quickstep
Tango
Waltz
Viennese Waltz
Cha-cha-cha
Jive
Pasodoble
Rumba
Samba

text: In the sixth series, the Argentine Tango and Salsa were also performed. In the seventh series, the Charleston and Reggaeton were also performed.

text: Series 1[edit]

text: Series 2[edit]

text: Series 3[edit]

text: Series 4[edit]

text: Series 5[edit]

text: Series 6[edit]

text: Series 7[edit]


document_title: Sugar glider

question_text: where do sugar gliders live in the wild

question_tokens: where do sugar gliders live in the wild

text: Sugar glider

text: Taxonomy[edit]

text: The genus Petaurus is believed to have originated during the early-mid Miocene period (18 to 24 million years ago), then dispersed from New Guinea to Australia where Australian Petaurus species diverged.[18] The earliest Petaurus species occurred in Australia 4.46 million years ago; and the sugar glider is the only Petaurus species endemic to both Australia and New Guinea.[18]

text: The species is divided into seven subspecies; three occur in Australia, four in New Guinea, although debate regarding current species delineation continues.[19] These seven subspecies are currently designated by small morphological differences such as colour and body size.[18] However, genetic analysis using mitochondrial DNA indicates that the morphological subspecies may not represent genetically unique populations.[19]

text: Contrary to the current geographic distribution of sugar gliders, two genetically distinct populations in Australia may have arisen due to long term geographical isolation following drying of the Australian continent after the Pliocene and the uplift of the Great Dividing Range,[19] by a process known as allopatric speciation. One population is found in coastal New South Wales and southern Queensland; and the other is found in northern Queensland, inland and southern New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.[19]

text: Further evidence is required to clarify if changes to the current taxonomic divisions are warranted; for example, subspecies P. b. biacensis is provisionally considered a separate species, Biak glider (Petaurus biacensis).[note 3]

text: Distribution and habitat[edit]

text: Sugar gliders are found throughout the northern and eastern parts of mainland Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea and several associated isles, the Bismarck Archipelago, Louisiade Archipelago, and certain isles of Indonesia, Halmahera Islands of the North Moluccas.[20] The earliest Australian sugar glider fossils were found in a cave in Victoria and are dated to 15,000 years ago, at the time of the Pleistocene epoch.[15] The facilitated introduction of the sugar glider to Tasmania in 1835[21] is supported by the absence of skeletal remains in subfossil bone deposits and the lack of an Aboriginal Tasmanian name for the animal.[11] In Australia, sugar glider distribution corresponds with forests along the southern, eastern and northern coastlines, and extends to altitudes of 2000 m in the eastern ranges.[15]

text: The sugar glider occurs in sympatry with the squirrel glider, mahogany glider, and yellow-bellied glider; and their coexistence is permitted through niche partitioning where each species has different patterns of resource use.[22]

text: They have a broad habitat niche, inhabiting rainforests and coconut plantations in New Guinea; and rainforests, wet or dry sclerophyll forest and acacia scrub in Australia; preferring habitats with Eucalypt and Acacia species. The main structural habitat requirements are a large number of stems within the canopy, and dense mid and upper canopy cover, likely to enable efficient movement through the canopy.[22]

text: Like all arboreal, nocturnal marsupials, sugar gliders are active at night, and shelter in tree hollows lined with leafy twigs during the day.[23]

text: The average home range of sugar gliders is 0.5 hectares (1.2 acres), and is largely related to the abundance of food sources;[24] density ranges from two to six individuals per hectare (0.8–2.4 per acre).

text: Native owls (Ninox sp.)[15] are their primary predators; others in their range include kookaburras, goannas, snakes, and quolls.[21] Feral cats (Felis catus) also represent a significant threat.[15][21]

text: Appearance and anatomy[edit]

text: The sugar glider has a squirrel-like body with a long, partially (weakly)[25] prehensile tail. The length from the nose to the tip of the tail is about 24–30 cm (9–12 in), and males and females weigh 140 and 115 grams (5 and 4 oz) respectively.[26] Heart rate range is 200–300 beats per minute, and respiratory rate is 16–40 breaths per minute.[27] The sugar glider is a sexually dimorphic species, with males typically larger than females. Sexual dimorphism has likely evolved due to increased mate competition arising through social group structure; and is more pronounced in regions of higher latitude, where mate competition is greater due to increased food availability.[28]

text: The fur coat on the sugar glider is thick, soft, and is usually blue-grey; although some have been known to be yellow, tan or (rarely) albino.[a] A black stripe is seen from its nose to midway on its back. Its belly, throat, and chest are cream in colour. Males have four scent glands, located on the forehead, chest, and two paracloacal (associated with, but not part of the cloaca which is the common opening for the intestinal, urinal and genital tracts) that are used for marking of group members and territory.[15] Scent glands on the head and chest of males appear as bald spots. Females also have a paracloacal scent gland and a scent gland in the pouch, but do not have scent glands on the chest or forehead.[15]

text: The sugar glider is nocturnal; its large eyes help it to see at night and its ears swivel to help locate prey in the dark. The eyes are set far apart, allowing more precise triangulation from launching to landing locations while gliding.[29]

text: Each foot on the sugar glider has five digits, with an opposable toe on each hind foot. These opposable toes are clawless, and bend such that they can touch all the other digits, like a human thumb, allowing it to firmly grasp branches. The second and third digits of the hind foot are partially syndactylous (fused together), forming a grooming comb.[25] The fourth digit of the forefoot is sharp and elongated, aiding in extraction of insects under the bark of trees.[15]

text: The gliding membrane extends from the outside of the fifth digit of each forefoot to the first digit of each hind foot. When the legs are stretched out, this membrane allows the sugar glider to glide a considerable distance. The membrane is supported by well developed tibiocarpalis, humerodorsalis and tibioabdominalis muscles, and its movement is controlled by these supporting muscles in conjunction with trunk, limb and tail movement.[14]

text: Lifespan in the wild is up to 9 years; is typically up to 12 years in captivity,[13] and the maximum reported lifespan is 17.8 years.[30]

text: Biology and behaviour[edit]

text: Gliding[edit]

text: The sugar glider is one of a number of volplane (gliding) possums in Australia. Gliders glide with the fore- and hind-limbs extended at right angles to their body, with their feet flexed upwards.[29] The animal launches itself from a tree, spreading its limbs to expose the gliding membranes. This creates an aerofoil enabling them to glide 50 metres (55 yards) or more.[31] For every 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) travelled horizontally when gliding, sugar gliders fall 1 m (3 ft 3 in).[29] Sugar gliders can steer by moving their limbs and adjusting the tension of their gliding membrane; for example, to turn left, a sugar glider will lower its left forearm below its right.[29]

text: This form of arboreal locomotion is typically used to travel from tree to tree; the species rarely descends to the ground. Gliding provides three dimensional avoidance of arboreal predators, and minimal contact with ground dwelling predators; as well as possible benefits in decreasing time spent foraging for nutrient poor foods that are irregularly distributed.[32] Using gliding as a mode of locomotion may also allow sugar gliders to decrease their energy consumption when searching for food.[33] Young carried in the pouch of females are protected from landing forces by the septum that separates them within the pouch.[29]

text: Torpor[edit]

text: Sugar gliders can tolerate ambient air temperatures of up to 40 °C (104 °F) through behavioural strategies such as licking their coat and exposing the wet area, as well as drinking small quantities of water.[15] In cold weather, sugar gliders will huddle together to avoid heat loss, and will enter torpor to conserve energy.[34] Huddling as an energy conserving mechanism is not as efficient as torpor.[34] Before entering torpor, a sugar glider will reduce activity and body temperature normally in order to lower energy expenditure and avoid torpor.[35][36] With energetic constraints, the sugar glider will enter into daily torpor for 2–23 hours while in rest phase.[34] Torpor differs from hibernation in that torpor is usually a short-term daily cycle. Entering torpor saves energy for the animal by allowing its body temperature to fall to a minimum of 10.4 °C (50.7 °F)[34] to 19.6 °C (67.3 °F).[37] When food is scarce, as in winter, heat production is lowered in order to reduce energy expenditure.[38] With low energy and heat production, it is important for the sugar glider to peak its body mass by fat content in the autumn (May/June) in order to survive the following cold season. In the wild, sugar gliders enter into daily torpor more often than sugar gliders in captivity.[36][37] The use of torpor is most frequent during winter, likely in response to low ambient temperature, rainfall, and seasonal fluctuation in food sources.[34]

text: Diet and nutrition[edit]

text: Sugar gliders are seasonally adaptive omnivores with a wide variety of foods in their diet, and mainly forage in the lower layers of the forest canopy.[22][39] Sugar gliders may obtain up to half their daily water intake through drinking rainwater, with the remainder obtained through water held in its food.[33] In summer they are primarily insectivorous, and in the winter when insects (and other arthropods) are scarce, they are mostly exudativorous (feeding on acacia gum, eucalyptus sap, manna,[b] honeydew or lerp).[43] Sugar gliders have an enlarged caecum to assist in digestion of complex carbohydrates obtained from gum and sap.[44]

text: To obtain sap and nectar from plants, sugar gliders will strip the bark off trees or open bore holes with their teeth to access stored liquid gum.[39] Little time is spent foraging for insects, as it is an energetically expensive process, and sugar gliders will wait until insects fly into their habitat, or stop to feed on flowers.[39] Gliders consume approximately 11 g of dry food matter per day.[33] This equates to roughly 8% and 9.5% of body weight for males and females, respectively.

text: They are opportunistic feeders and can be carnivorous, preying mostly on lizards and small birds. They eat many other foods when available, such as nectar, acacia seeds, bird eggs, pollen, fungi and native fruits.[45][46] Pollen can make up a large portion of their diet, therefore sugar gliders are likely to be important pollinators of Banksia species.[47]

text: Reproduction[edit]

text: Like most marsupials, female sugar gliders have two ovaries and two uteri; and are polyestrous, meaning they can go into heat several times a year.[24] The female has a marsupium (pouch) in the middle of her abdomen to carry offspring.[25] The pouch opens anteriorly, and two lateral pockets extend posteriorly when young are present. Four nipples are usually present in the pouch, although reports of individuals with two nipples have been recorded.[15] Male sugar gliders have a bifurcated penis to correspond with the two uteri of females.[48]

text: The age of sexual maturity in sugar gliders varies slightly between the males and females. Males reach maturity at 4 to 12 months of age, while females require from 8 to 12 months. In the wild, sugar gliders breed once or twice a year depending on the climate and habitat conditions, while they can breed multiple times a year in captivity as a result of consistent living conditions and proper diet.[25]

text: A sugar glider female gives birth to one (19%) or two (81%) babies (joeys) per litter.[24] The gestation period is 15 to 17 days, after which the tiny joey 0.2 g (0.0071 oz) will crawl into a mother's pouch for further development. They are born largely undeveloped and furless, with only the sense of smell being developed. They have a continuous arch of cartilage in their shoulder girdle which disappears soon after birth; this supports the forelimbs, assisting the climb into the pouch.[49] The mother has a scent gland in the external marsupium to attract the sightless joeys from the uterus.[50] Young are completely contained in the pouch for 60 days after birth, wherein mammae provide nourishment during the remainder of development.[50] Eyes first open around 80 days after birth, and young will leave the nest around 110 days after birth.[15] By the time young are weaned, the thermoregulatory system is developed, and in conjunction with a large body size and thicker fur, they are able to regulate their own body temperature.[51]

text: Breeding is seasonal in southeast Australia, with young only born in winter and spring (June to November).[24] Further north in Arnhem Land, breeding is not seasonally restricted and young may be born throughout the year.[15] Unlike animals that move along the ground, the sugar glider and other gliding species produce fewer, but heavier, offspring per litter. This allows female sugar gliders to retain the ability to glide when pregnant.[52]

text: Socialisation[edit]

text: Sugar gliders are highly social animals. They live in family groups or colonies consisting of up to seven adults, plus the current season's young. Up to four age classes may exist within each group, although some sugar gliders are solitary, not belonging to a group.[24] They engage in social grooming, which in addition to improving hygiene and health, helps bond the colony and establish group identity.

text: Within social communities, there are two codominant males who suppress subordinate males, but show no aggression towards each other. These co-dominant pairs are more related to each other than to subordinates within the group; and share food, nests, mates, and responsibility for scent marking of community members and territories.[53]

text: Territory and members of the group are marked with saliva and a scent produced by separate glands on the forehead and chest. Intruders who lack the appropriate scent marking are expelled violently.[11] Rank is established through scent marking; and fighting does not occur within groups, but does occur when communities come into contact with each other.[15] Within the colony, no fighting typically takes place beyond threatening behaviour.[54] Each colony defends a territory of about 1 hectare (2.5 acres) where eucalyptus trees provide a staple food source.

text: Sugar gliders are one of the few species of mammals that exhibit male parental care.[55] The oldest codominant male in a social community shows a high level of parental care, as he is the probable father of any offspring due to his social status. This paternal care evolved in sugar gliders as young are more likely to survive when parental investment is provided by both parents.[55] In the sugar glider, biparental care allows one adult to huddle with the young and prevent hypothermia while the other parent is out foraging, as young sugar gliders aren’t able to thermoregulate until they are 100 days old (3.5 months).[55]

text: Communication in sugar gliders is achieved through vocalisations, visual signals and complex chemical odours.[15] Chemical odours account for a large part of communication in sugar gliders, similar to many other nocturnal animals. Odours may be used to mark territory, convey health status of an individual, and mark rank of community members. Gliders produce a number of vocalisations including barking and hissing.

text: Human relations[edit]

text: Conservation[edit]

text: The sugar glider is not considered endangered, and its conservation rank is "Least Concern (LC)" on the IUCN Red List.[56] Despite the loss of natural habitat in Australia over the last 200 years, it is adaptable and capable of living in small patches of remnant bush, particularly if it does not have to cross large expanses of cleared land to reach them. However, several close relatives are endangered, particularly Leadbeater's possum and the mahogany glider. Sugar gliders may persist in areas that have undergone mild-moderate selective logging, as long as three to five hollow bearing trees are retained per hectare.[57] Although not currently threatened by habitat loss, the ability of sugar gliders to forage and avoid predators successfully may be decreased in areas of high light pollution.[58]

text: Conservation in Australia is enacted at the federal, state and local levels, where sugar gliders are protected as a native species. The central conservation law in Australia is the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).[59] The National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 is an example of conservation law in the state of South Australia, where it is legal to keep (only) one sugar glider without a permit, provided it was acquired legally from a source with a permit. A permit is required to obtain or possess more than one glider, or if one wants to sell or give away any glider in their possession. It is illegal to capture or sell wild sugar gliders without a permit.[60]

text: Introduction to Tasmania[edit]

text: According to naturalist Ronald Campbell Gunn, no Petaurus species is indigenous to Tasmania. He concluded that sugar gliders had been brought to Launceston, Tasmania as pets from Port Phillip, Australia (now Melbourne) soon after the founding of the port in 1834. Many sugar gliders had escaped and quickly became established in the area.[16][17] The species has been identified as a threat to the survival of the swift parrot, which breeds only in Tasmania. Reduction in mature forest cover has left swift parrot nests highly vulnerable to predation by sugar gliders, and it is estimated that the parrot could be extinct by 2031.[61]

text: In captivity[edit]

text: In captivity, the sugar glider can suffer from calcium deficiencies if not fed an adequate diet. A lack of calcium in the diet causes the body to leach calcium from the bones, with the hind legs first to show noticeable dysfunction.[62] Calcium to phosphorus ratios should be 2:1 to prevent hypocalcemia, sometimes known as hind leg paralysis (HLP).[63] Their diet should be 50% insects (gut-loaded) or other sources of protein, 25% fruit and 25% vegetables.[64] Some of the more recognised diets are Bourbon's Modified Leadbeaters (BML),[65] High Protein Wombaroo (HPW)[66] and various calcium rich diets with Leadbeaters Mixture (LBM).[67] Iron storage disease (hemochromatosis) is another dietary problem that has been reported in captive gliders and can lead to fatal complications if not diagnosed and treated early.[68]

text: Plenty of attention and environmental enrichment may be required for this highly social species, especially for those kept as individuals. Inadequate social interaction can lead to depression and behavioural disorders such as loss of appetite, irritability and self-mutilation.[69]

text: As a pet[edit]

text: Around the world, the sugar glider is popular as an exotic pet, and is sometimes considered a pocket pet.

text: In Australia, sugar gliders can be kept in Victoria, South Australia, and the Northern Territory. However, they are not allowed to be kept as pets in Western Australia, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Queensland or Tasmania.[70][71]

text: Sugar gliders are popular as pets in the United States, where they are bred in large numbers. Most states and cities allow sugar gliders as pets, with some exceptions including California,[72] Hawaii,[73] Alaska, and New York City.[74] In 2014, Massachusetts changed its law, allowing sugar gliders to be kept as pets.[75] Some other states require permits or licensing.[76] Breeders of sugar gliders are regulated and licensed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) through the Animal Welfare Act.[77]

text: Notes[edit]

text:
Jump up ^ Tate & Archbold, 1935; subspecies P. b. tafa considered a synonym of species P. breviceps[7]
Jump up ^ P. b. flavidus (Tate and Archbold, 1935) considered a synonym of P. b. papuanus (Thomas 1888)
^ Jump up to: a b Subspecies (former) P. b. biacensis provisionally considered species: P. biacensis (Biak glider). "Helgen (2007) states that Petaurus biacensis is likely to be conspecific with P. breviceps. P. biacensis appears to differ from the latter mainly by having a higher incidence of melanism (Helgen 2007). We provisionally retain P. biacensis as a separate species pending further taxonomic work, thus following what has become standard treatment (e.g., Flannery 1994, 1995; Groves 2005)."[8]

tag: ol

text:
Jump up ^ Domestic in-breeding of recessive genetic phenotype defects can produce other colour variations not found in nature, such as an all-white leucistic heterozygote
Jump up ^ When dried, an exudate (such as sap) becomes crystallized and is referred to as manna,[40][41] which is consumed by sugar gliders.[42]