The Episcopal Church is the American branch of the Anglican Church. It came into existence after the American Revolution. In pre-Revolution days, its worshippers belonged to the Church of England, but many of the clergy in the colonies returned to England when dissension in the colonies was heating up, mainly because accepting vows in the Church of England at that time included a vow of loyalty to the throne of England. After the revolution, it was the Scottish Episcopal Church that agreed to consecrate the first American bishops so that apostolic procession could be maintained and the church could continue its ministry in the newly formed United States of America.

Today, The Episcopal Church has upwards of two million members in the United States, the Caribbean, Central America and mainland Europe, all of which are under the jurisdiction of the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church.

The Episcopal Church subscribes to the historic Creeds, considers the Bible to be divinely inspired, and holds the Eucharist or Lord's Supper to be the central act of Christian worship, however, it grants great latitude in interpretation of doctrine.

Last Updated Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Many people think of Anglicanism (or Episcopal-ism!), as a "bridge tradition."

When the Church of England separated itself from Rome, it did not consider itself to be a "Protestant" tradition. Instead, it saw itself returning to the original organization of the church in which local/national congregations organized under the rule of their own bishops.

s the church evolved in England, however, elements of the Reformation infused themselves into the Anglican tradition. Thus, you will find a broad range of worship styles from the very Anglo-Catholic to very reformed Evangelical within The Episcopal Church. Most parishes fall in the middle between the two extremes.

Last Updated Tuesday, November 30, 1999

You will find parishes and individuals inhabiting both extremes and every other point along the conservative/liberal continuum, theologically, liturgically, socially and politically. One person may be theologically and liturgically conservative, but socially and politically liberal. The reverse is also true. 

As with most generalizations, it is impossible to single out one person (or for that matter one parish, one diocese or one anything ) and ascribe that person's beliefs to everyone else. At its best, the Episcopal Church embraces a wide spectrum of people and thoughts. This can cause a lot of tension, but it also results in wonderful richness and diversity.

If you are looking for a very "conservative" Episcopal parish, searching for a very "liberal" one or hoping to find one somewhere in the middle, chances are good that you will!

Last Updated Tuesday, November 30, 1999

Episcopal is derived from the Greek word "Episcopos", which means "bishop." So "Episcopal" means "governed by bishops."

The Episcopal Church maintains three ordained orders of ministry—deacons, priests and bishops—handed down in direct descent from the original Apostles via the laying on of hands.

Episcopal is an adjective, as in, "She is an Episcopal priest." Episcopalian is a noun. It is used to refer to individuals who are members of the Episcopal Church. 

Last Updated Tuesday, November 30, 1999

An Episcopalian is a person who has been baptized and/or confirmed in the Episcopal Church. The word "episcopal" comes from a Greek word meaning "bishop." (Lots of early Christians spoke Greek.) Our branch of Christianity calls itself after bishops because we believe that the basic unit of the church is not a congregation with a priest but is a group of congregations and priests overseen by a bishop. This is what we call a "diocese."

No one single congregation can capture everything it means to be an Episcopalian, but if you look at a diocese, you can begin to understand what it means. Episcopalians include every sort of person you can imagine: every race, rich and poor, educated or not, every age, men and women, homosexual people and heterosexual people, people of every political viewpoint you can imagine.

They live in cities and villages and out in the country and on reservations. They are in big congregations and little congregations. They are concerned about worship and education and social justice and many other things.

Being all that means we learn to leave a lot of elbow space in church for people who see things differently than we do. The Bishop reminds us that all those different people are our brothers and sisters in Jesus, and reminds them of the same thing about us.

Answer by: The Rev. Susan Cox Keppy

Last Updated Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Yes. The Episcopal Church ordained it first female priest in 1976. Women may also serve as deacons and as bishops. Currently, the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori serves as Presiding Bishop of our denomination, a post she was elected to in 2006.
Last Updated Tuesday, November 30, 1999

The Book of Common Prayer (BCP), also called the Prayer Book, is central to Episcopal worship, but it is not Scripture.

The original was produced in 1549 by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer to facilitate worship in English, as opposed to Latin, and to present in one volume all the rites of the church for both clergy and lay people to use.

Since the opportunity to worship in one's native tongue is valued by Anglicans, each national church in the Anglican Communion has its own adaptation of the BCP. Each national church also may revise their version to keep apace of changes in language usage, etc. The current American version used by The Episcopal Church was last revised in 1979.

In addition to the orders of service for the various rites of the church, the BCP is a rich resource for corporate worship and individual devotions. It contains the Daily Office, prayers for use within the context of the liturgy and prayers for use by individuals or groups at many other times. It also includes the Lectionary—a schedule of Scriptural readings for every day of the year, the Psalms, the Calendar of the Church Year, the Outline of the Faith and various historical documents.

Last Updated Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Sacraments are defined as, "Outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace, given by Christ as sure and certain means by which we receive that grace."

The Episcopal Church recognizes seven sacraments:

• Baptism
• Confirmation
• Eucharist
• Holy Matrimony
• Reconciliation (confession)
• Ordination
• Unction of the Sick.

Baptism and the Eucharist are considered "necessary" sacraments. The others are "conditional" sacraments. Conditional sacraments are not required, but rather apply in certain situation. 

Last Updated Tuesday, November 30, 1999

This Episcopal Shield is the official logo of The Episcopal Church. It's red, white and blue design incorporates the colors of both the United States and England.

The red Cross of St. George on a white field is symbolic of the Church of England. The blue field in the upper left corner features a Cross of St. Andrew in recognition of the fact that the first American bishop was consecrated in Scotland. This cross is made up of nine small crosslets representing the nine dioceses that met in Philadelphia in 1789 to form the Protestant Episcopal Church of the U.S.A.

Last Updated Wednesday, March 05, 2008