Archbishop Michael Nesmith is a senior leader within the Old Catholic Communion of North America (OCCNA), serving as Archbishop and Ordinary of the Province of the East, also known as the Archdiocese of the Holy Spirit. His ministry reflects an ecumenical spirit shaped by pastoral service, theological study, and a bi-vocational model of clergy leadership.

Raised in a Roman Catholic household, Nesmith’s early formation centered on parish life and sacramental worship. He and his wife, Kathy, were married in 1972 and are the parents of three grown children. Their family life has remained an enduring foundation for his pastoral identity and public ministry. 

After his Roman Catholic upbringing, Nesmith later joined the Episcopal Church and served in multiple lay ministries. Through study and discernment, he embraced Old Catholicism and pursued Holy Orders. He was ordained to the transitional diaconate in May 1999 and to the priesthood in September 1999. That same year, he and Kathy helped establish All Saints Parish in Clarksville, Tennessee. He was consecrated a bishop on 7 June 2003 at the Cathedral of Jesus of Nazareth in Orlando, Florida, in a service led by Bishop Paul H. Combs, with Bishops Joseph D. Dolence and Orlando Hyppolitus Lima (OSM) assisting. Drawing on professional management experience, he supported the establishment of Old Catholic missions and parishes in Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee. In 2016, he was elected to serve as Archbishop of the OCCNA.

Selected Publications

• History and Beliefs of the Old Catholic Church and OCCNA (2003)
• Old Catholic Missal / Service Book (2012)
• What is Old Catholicism 2025