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Episcopal Church (United States)

The Episcopal Church (TEC), based in the United


Episcopal Church
States with additional dioceses elsewhere, is a
member church of the worldwide Anglican
Communion. It is a mainline Protestant
denomination and is divided into nine provinces.
The presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church is
Michael Bruce Curry, the first African American
bishop to serve in that position.

As of 2021, the Episcopal Church had 1,678,157


members,[3] of whom 1,520,388 were in the United
States.[4] In 2011, it was the nation's 14th largest
Arms of the Episcopal Church: Argent a cross
denomination.[5] In 2015, Pew Research estimated
that 1.2 percent of the adult population in the United throughout gules, on a canton azure nine cross
States, or 3 million people, self-identify as mainline crosslets in saltire of the field.[1]
Episcopalians.[6] The church has recorded a regular Abbreviation TEC or PECUSA
decline in membership and Sunday attendance since
Classification Mainline Protestant (with
the 1960s, particularly in the Northeast and Upper
various theological and
Midwest.[7]
doctrinal identities,
The church was organized after the American including Anglo-Catholic,
Revolution, when it became separate from the Liberal and Evangelical)
Church of England, whose clergy are required to Orientation Anglican
swear allegiance to the British monarch as Supreme
Governor of the Church of England. The Episcopal Scripture Holy Bible
Church describes itself as "Protestant, yet Theology Anglican doctrine
catholic"[8] and asserts apostolic succession, tracing Polity Episcopal
its bishops back to the apostles via holy orders. The
1979 Book of Common Prayer, a collection of rites, Governance Unitary (General
blessings, liturgies, and prayers used throughout the Convention of the
Anglican Communion, is central to Episcopal Episcopal Church in the
worship. A broad spectrum of theological views is United States of America)
represented within the Episcopal Church, including Presiding bishop Michael Curry
evangelical, Anglo-Catholic, and broad church
views. Distinct fellowships Anglican Communion
Provinces 9
Historically, the members of the Episcopal Church
Dioceses 112
have played leadership roles in many aspects of
American life, including politics, business, science, Parishes 7,098 (2019)
the arts, and education.[9][10][11][12] About three- Associations Anglican Communion
quarters of the signers of the Declaration of National Council of
Independence were affiliated with the Episcopal
Churches
Church, and over a quarter of all Presidents of the
World Council of Churches
United States have been Episcopalians.[13]
Historically, Episcopalians were overrepresented
among American scientific elite and Nobel Prize Christian Churches
winners.[14][15] Numbers of the most wealthy and Together in the USA
affluent American families, such as Boston Brahmin, Full communion Church of Sweden[2]
Old Philadelphians,[16] Tidewater, and Lowcountry
Union of Utrecht
gentry or old money, are Episcopalians.[10][17] In the
Philippine Independent
late 19th and early 20th centuries, many
Church
Episcopalians were active in the Social Gospel
Mar Thoma Syrian Church
movement.[18]
Evangelical Lutheran
Since the 1960s and 1970s, the church has pursued a Church in America
more liberal Christian course; there remains a wide Northern and Southern
spectrum of liberals and conservatives within the Provinces of the Moravian
church.[19] It has opposed the death penalty and Church in America
supported the civil rights movement. The church
Region United States
calls for the full legal equality of LGBT people. In
2015, the church's 78th triennial General Further dioceses in
Convention passed resolutions allowing the blessing Cuba
of same-sex marriages and approved two official Haiti
liturgies to bless such unions.[20] In view of this Micronesia
trend, the conventions of four dioceses of the Taiwan
Episcopal Church voted in 2007 and 2008 to leave Latin America and the
that church and to join the Anglican Church of the Caribbean
Southern Cone of America. Twelve other Europe
jurisdictions, serving an estimated 100,000 persons
at that time, formed the Anglican Church in North Language English, with Spanish,
America (ACNA) on December 3–4, 2008. The French
Anglican Church in North America and the Liturgy 1979 Book of Common
Episcopal Church are not in full communion with Prayer
one another.
Headquarters 815 Second Avenue
New York, New York
Names United States
Origin 1785
"The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United
States of America" (PECUSA) and "The Branched from Church of England
Episcopal Church" (TEC) are both official names Absorbed Church of Hawaii (1890s)
specified in the church's constitution.[21] The latter is
Separations
much more commonly used.[22][23][24] In other Reformed Episcopal
languages, an equivalent is used. For example, in Church (1873)
Spanish, the church is called La Iglesia Episcopal
Anglican Continuum
Protestante de los Estados Unidos de América or La
(1977)
Iglesia Episcopal,[25] and in French L'Église
protestante épiscopale des États-Unis d'Amérique or Anglican Church in
L'Église épiscopale.[26] North America (2009)
Personal Ordinariate of
Until 1964, "The Protestant Episcopal Church in the the Chair of Saint Peter
United States of America" was the only official
in the Catholic Church
name in use. In the 19th century, High Church
(2012)
members advocated changing the name, which they
felt did not acknowledge the church's catholic Branched-outs:
heritage. They were opposed by the church's
evangelical wing, which felt that the "Protestant
Episcopal" label accurately reflected the Reformed Anglican Episcopal
character of Anglicanism. After 1877, alternative Church of Brazil (1965)
names were regularly proposed and rejected by the
Episcopal Church in
General Convention. One proposed alternative was
the Philippines (1990)
"the American Catholic Church". By the 1960s,
opposition to dropping the word "Protestant" had Congregations 7,098
largely subsided. In a 1964 General Convention
Members 1,678,157 active members
compromise, priests and lay delegates suggested
adding a preamble to the church's constitution, (2021)[3]
recognizing "The Episcopal Church" as a lawful 1,520,388 active baptized
alternate designation while still retaining the earlier members in the U.S.
name.[27] (2021)[4]
Other name(s) The Protestant Episcopal
The 66th General Convention voted in 1979 to use
Church in the United
the name "The Episcopal Church" in the Oath of
States of America, La
Conformity of the Declaration for Ordination.[28]
The evolution of the name can be seen in the Iglesia Episcopal, La
church's Book of Common Prayer. In the 1928 BCP, Iglesia Episcopal
the title page read, "According to the use of The Protestante de los Estados
Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of Unidos de América,
America", whereas on the title page of the 1979 L'Église épiscopale,
BCP it states, "According to the use of The L'Église protestante
Episcopal Church".[29] épiscopale des États-Unis
d'Amérique
"The Episcopal Church in the United States of
America" (ECUSA) has never been an official name Official website www.episcopalchurch.org
of the church but is an alternative commonly seen in (http://www.episcopalchurc
English. Since several other churches in the h.org/)
Anglican Communion also use the name The Archives of the www.episcopalarchives.org
"Episcopal", including Scotland and the Philippines,
Episcopal Church
some, for example the Anglicans Online directory,
add the phrase "in the United States of America".[30] Constitution and Canons (https://www.episcopalar
chives.org/governance-documents/constitution-an
The full legal name of the national church corporate d-canons)
body is the "Domestic and Foreign Missionary
Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of
America",[21] which was incorporated by the legislature of New
York and established in 1821. The membership of the corporation
"shall be considered as comprehending all persons who are
members of the Church".[21][31] This should not be confused with
the name of the church itself, as it is a distinct body relating to
church governance.[21]

Flag of the Episcopal Church


History

Colonial era

The Episcopal Church has its origins in the Church of England in the American colonies, and it stresses
continuity with the early universal Western Church and claims to maintain apostolic succession (while the
Scandinavian Lutheran and Moravian churches accept this claim, the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox
churches do not recognize this claim).[32][33][34]

The first parish was founded in Jamestown, Virginia in 1607, under


the charter of the Virginia Company of London. The tower of
Jamestown Church (c. 1639–43) is one of the oldest surviving
Anglican church structures in the United States. The Jamestown
church building itself is a modern reconstruction.[35]

Although no American Anglican bishops existed in the colonial era,


the Church of England had an official status in several colonies,
St. Luke's Church, built during the
which meant that local governments paid tax money to local
17th century near Smithfield, Virginia
parishes, and the parishes handled some civic functions. The
– the oldest Anglican church-building
Church of England was designated the established church in
to have survived largely intact in
Virginia in 1609, in New York in 1693, in Maryland in 1702, in
North America.
South Carolina in 1706, in North Carolina in 1730, and in Georgia
in 1758.[36]

From 1635 the vestries and the clergy came loosely under the diocesan authority of the Bishop of London.
After 1702, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (SPG) began missionary activity
throughout the colonies. On the eve of Revolution about 400 independent congregations were reported
throughout the colonies.

Under the leadership of Lutheran bishop Jesper Swedberg, parishes


in colonial America that belonged to the Evangelical Lutheran
Church of Sweden established ecumenical dialogue that resulted in
altar and pulpit fellowship with the Episcopal Church in the 1700s,
which led to a merger of all of the Swedish Lutheran churches
there into the Episcopal Church by 1846.[37]

Revolutionary era
Bruton Parish Church in Colonial
Embracing the symbols of the British presence in the American
Williamsburg, established in 1674.
The current building was completed
colonies, such as the monarchy, the episcopate, and even the
in 1715.
language of the Book of Common Prayer, the Church of England
almost drove itself to extinction during the upheaval of the
American Revolution.[38] More than any other denomination, the
War of Independence internally divided both clergy and laity of the Church of England in America, and
opinions covered a wide spectrum of political views: patriots, conciliators, and loyalists. While many
Patriots were suspicious of Loyalism in the church, about three-quarters of the signers of the Declaration of
Independence were nominally Anglican laymen, including Thomas Jefferson, William Paca, and George
Wythe.[39] It was often assumed that persons considered "High Church" were Loyalists, whereas persons
considered "Low Church" were Patriots: assumptions with possibly dangerous implications for the time.

Of the approximately three hundred clergy in the Church of England in America between 1776 and 1783,
over 80 percent in New England, New York, and New Jersey were loyalists. This is in contrast to the less
than 23 percent loyalist clergy in the four southern colonies.[39] Many Church of England clergy remained
loyalists as they took their two ordination oaths very seriously. Anglican clergy were obliged to swear
allegiance to the king as well as to pray for the king, the royal family, and the British Parliament.[39] In
general, loyalist clergy stayed by their oaths and prayed for the king or else suspended services.[39] By the
end of 1776, some Anglican churches were closing.[39] Anglican priests held services in private homes or
lay readers who were not bound by the oaths held morning and evening prayer.[39] During 1775 and 1776,
the Continental Congress issued decrees ordering churches to fast and pray
on behalf of the Patriots.[39] Starting July 4, 1776, Congress and several
states passed laws making prayers for the king and British Parliament acts
of treason.[39] The patriot clergy in the South were quick to find reasons to
transfer their oaths to the American cause and prayed for the success of the
Revolution.[39] One precedent was the transfer of oaths during the Glorious
Revolution in England.[39] Most of the patriot clergy in the South were
able to keep their churches open and services continued.[39]

Early Republic era

In the wake of the Revolution, American Episcopalians faced the task of


preserving a hierarchical church structure in a society infused with
republican values. Old North Church in Boston.
Inspired by the work of
When the clergy of Connecticut elected Christopher Wren, it was
Samuel Seabury as their bishop in 1783, he completed in 1723.
sought consecration in England. The Oath
of Supremacy prevented Seabury's
consecration in England, so he went to Scotland; the non-juring bishops of
the Scottish Episcopal Church consecrated him in Aberdeen on November
14, 1784, making him, in the words of scholar Arthur Carl Piepkorn, "the
first Anglican bishop appointed to minister outside the British Isles".[40][41]
On August 3, 1785, the first ordinations on American soil took place at
Christ Church in Middletown, Connecticut.

That same year, 1785, deputations of clergy and laity met in the first
General Convention. They drafted a constitution, proposed a first draft of
Trinity Church in
an American Book of Common Prayer, and began negotiating with English
Swedesboro, New Jersey.
Bishops for the consecration of 3 bishops. The Convention met again in
Originally serving a Church
1786 to make several changes that made their liturgy acceptable to the
of Sweden congregation, it
English Bishops and to recommend 3 clergy (who had been elected by
became an Episcopal
state meetings in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York) for consecration
church in 1786, when this
as bishops. General Convention met again in 1789, beginning a regular
building was completed.
process of meeting every three years. At the 1789 convention they adopted
a Constitution and Canons, and reorganized as a House of Deputies and a
House of Bishops. The structure of the Episcopal Church was then complete.

Later, through the efforts of Bishop Philander Chase (1775–1852) of Ohio, Americans successfully sought
material assistance from England for the purpose of training Episcopal clergy. The development of the
Protestant Episcopal Church provides an example of how Americans in the early republic maintained
important cultural ties with England.[42]

In 1787, two priests – William White of Pennsylvania and Samuel Provoost of New York – were
consecrated as bishops by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Archbishop of York, and the Bishop of Bath
and Wells, the legal obstacles having been removed by the passage through Parliament of the Consecration
of Bishops Abroad Act 1786. Thus there are two branches of Apostolic succession for the American
bishops: through the non-juring bishops of Scotland who consecrated Samuel Seabury and through the
English church who consecrated William White, Samuel Provoost and James Madison. All bishops in the
American Church are ordained by at least three bishops. One can trace the succession of each back to
Seabury, White, Provoost, and Madison. (See Succession of Bishops of the Episcopal Church.)
In 1789, representative clergy from nine dioceses met in Philadelphia to ratify the church's initial
constitution. The fourth bishop of the Episcopal Church was James Madison, the first bishop of Virginia.
Madison was consecrated in 1790 by the Archbishop of Canterbury and two other Church of England
bishops. This third American bishop consecrated within the English line of succession occurred because of
continuing unease within the Church of England over Seabury's non-juring Scottish orders.[39] The
Episcopal Church thus became the first Anglican Province outside the British Isles.[43]

On 17 September 1792, at the triennial General Convention (synod) of the Episcopal Church at Trinity
Church on Wall Street, in New York City, Thomas John Claggett who had been elected by the clergy and
laity of Maryland, was consecrated by all 4 of the existing bishops. He was the first bishop of the Episcopal
Church ordained and consecrated in America and the fifth Bishop consecrated for the Episcopal Church in
the United States.[44]

Nineteenth century

In 1856, the first society for


African Americans in the
Episcopal Church was
founded by James
Theodore Holly. Named
The Protestant Episcopal
Christ Episcopal Church, Macon,
Society for Promoting The
Georgia, c. 1877
Extension of The Church
Among Colored People, the
society argued that blacks should be allowed to participate in
St. John's Episcopal Church, built in
seminaries and diocesan conventions. The group lost its focus 1816 in Washington, D.C., is known
when Holly emigrated to Haiti, but other groups followed after the as the "Church of the Presidents" for
Civil War. The current Union of Black Episcopalians traces its
the many presidents who have
history to the society.[45] Holly went on to found the Anglican worshiped there.
Church in Haiti, where he became the first African-American
bishop on November 8, 1874. As Bishop of Haiti, Holly was the
first African American to attend the Lambeth Conference.[46] However, he was consecrated by the
American Church Missionary Society, an Evangelical Episcopal branch of the Church.

Episcopal missions chartered by African-Americans in this era were chartered as a Colored Episcopal
Mission. All other missions (white) were chartered as an Organized Episcopal Mission. Many historically
Black parishes are still in existence to date.[47]

When the American Civil War began in 1861, Episcopalians in the South formed the Protestant Episcopal
Church in the Confederate States of America. However, in the North, the separation was never officially
recognized. In particular, the Episcopalian communities in Pennsylvania supported free black communities
and the Underground Railroad.[48][49] By May 16, 1866, the southern dioceses had rejoined the national
church.[50]

By the middle of the 19th century, evangelical Episcopalians disturbed by High Church Tractarianism,
while continuing to work in interdenominational agencies, formed their own voluntary societies, and
eventually, in 1874, a faction objecting to the revival of ritual practices established the Reformed Episcopal
Church.[51]
Samuel David Ferguson was the first black bishop consecrated by the
Episcopal Church, the first to practice in the U.S. and the first black person
to sit in the House of Bishops. Bishop Ferguson was consecrated on June
24, 1885, with the then-Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church acting as
a consecrator.

In the following year, Henry C. Potter, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of


New York, addressed his clergymen upon the question of Labor. Church
Association for the Advancement of the Interests of Labor was formed in
1887.[52]

During the Gilded Age, highly


prominent laity such as bankers J.
St. John's Episcopal Church P. Morgan, industrialist Henry
in Montgomery, Alabama, Ford, and art collector Isabella
established in 1834. The Stewart Gardner played a central
church building was role in shaping a distinctive upper
completed in 1855. The class Episcopalian ethos, especially
Secession Convention of Saint Paul's Episcopal Church,
with regard to preserving the arts interior, 1872
Southern Churches was held
and history. These philanthropists
here in 1861.
propelled the Episcopal Church
into a quasi-national position of importance while at the same time giving
the church a central role in the cultural transformation of the country.[53]
Another mark of influence is the fact that more than a quarter of all presidents of the United States have
been Episcopalians (see religious affiliations of presidents of the United States). It was during this period
that the Book of Common Prayer was revised, first in 1892 and later in 1928.

Era of change (1958–1970s)

At the 1958 general convention, a coalition of liberal church members succeeded in passing a resolution
recognizing "the natural dignity and value of every man, of whatever color or race, as created in the image
of God". It called on Episcopalians "to work together, in charity and forbearance, towards the establishment
... of full opportunities in fields such as education, housing, employment and public accommodations". In
response, the Episcopal Society for Cultural and Racial Unity (ESCRU) was founded in December 1959 in
order to eliminate racial, ethnic, and class barriers within the Episcopal Church. Opposition from southern
church leaders prevented the Episcopal Church from taking a strong stand on civil rights prior to 1963. One
prominent opponent of the movement was Charles C.J. Carpenter, the Bishop of Alabama.[54] By 1963,
many church leaders felt more comfortable speaking out in support of racial equality. That year, Presiding
Bishop Arthur Lichtenberger wrote a pastoral letter urging Christians to work "across lines of racial
separation, in a common struggle for justice", and the House of Bishops endorsed civil rights legislation.[55]
Tensions around the civil rights movement persisted, however. At the 1964 General Convention, when the
House of Deputies rejected a resolution sanctioning civil disobedience under special circumstances,
Thurgood Marshall, a deputy to the convention, led many African-American deputies in a "walk out"
protest of the convention.[56]

In 1967, Lichtenberger's successor, John Hines, led the Episcopal Church to implement the General
Convention Special Program (GCSP). The program was designed to redirect nine million dollars over a
three-year period (a quarter of the church's operating budget at the time) to fund special grants for
community organizations and grassroots efforts facilitating black empowerment in America's urban
ghettos.[57] The effectiveness of the GCSP was limited due to the reluctance of conservative bishops in
southern dioceses, who objected to the awarding of grants to groups perceived as radical. The GCSP drew
opposition from the recently formed Foundation for Christian Theology, a conservative organization
opposed to "involv[ing] the Church in the social, political, and economic activities of our times". The
Special General Convention also witnessed protests of the Vietnam War. During this time period, African-
American clergy organized the Union of Black Episcopalians to achieve full inclusion of African
Americans at all levels of the Episcopal Church.[58]

Women were first admitted as delegates to the church's general convention in 1970.[59]

In 1975, Vaughan Booker, who confessed to the murder of his wife and was sentenced to life in prison,
was ordained to the diaconate in Graterford State Prison's chapel in Pennsylvania after having repented of
his sins, becoming a symbol of redemption and atonement.[60][61]

Recent history

In recent decades, the Episcopal Church, like other mainline churches, has experienced a decline in
membership as well as internal controversy over women's ordination and the place of homosexuals in the
church. The 1976 General Convention also passed a resolution calling for an end to apartheid in South
Africa and in 1985 called for "dioceses, institutions, and agencies" to create equal opportunity employment
and affirmative action policies to address any potential "racial inequities" in clergy placement. Because of
these and other controversial issues including abortion, individual members and clergy can and do
frequently disagree with the stated position of the church's leadership. In January 2016, the Anglican
Primates Meeting at Canterbury decided that in response to the "distance" caused by what it called
"unilateral action on matters of doctrine without catholic unity", "for a period of three years, The Episcopal
Church [would neither] represent [the Communion] on ecumenical and interfaith bodies… [nor] take part in
decision making on any issues pertaining to doctrine or polity."[62]

Revised prayer book

In 1976, the General Convention adopted a new prayer book, which was a substantial revision and
modernization of the previous 1928 edition. It incorporated many principles of the ecumenical movement
and liturgical movement, which had been discussed at Vatican II as well.[63] This version was adopted as
the official prayer book in 1979 after an initial three-year trial use. As such, the liturgies used by the
Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopal, Methodist and Reformed traditions are "nearly identical".[64] Several
conservative parishes, however, continued to use the 1928 version. In Advent of 2007, the use of the
ecumenical Revised Common Lectionary in the Episcopal Church became the standard.[65][63] In 2018, the
General Convention authorized a Task Force for Liturgical and Prayer Book Revision to consider further
revisions, particularly to use more inclusive language and to give more attention to the stewardship of God's
creation.[66]

Ordination of women

On July 29, 1974, a group of women known as the Philadelphia Eleven were irregularly ordained as priests
in the Episcopal Church by bishops Daniel Corrigan, Robert L. DeWitt, and Edward R. Welles, assisted by
Antonio Ramos.[67] On September 7, 1975, four more women (the "Washington Four") were irregularly
ordained by retired bishop George W. Barrett.[68] In the wake of the controversy over the ordination of the
Philadelphia Eleven, the General Convention permitted the ordination of women in 1976 and recognized
the ordinations of the 15 forerunners. The first women were canonically ordained to the priesthood in 1977.
The first woman to become a bishop, Barbara Harris, was consecrated on February 11, 1989.[69]
At the same time, there was still tolerance for those dioceses which opposed women's ordination. In 1994,
the General Convention affirmed that there was value in the theological position that women should not be
ordained. In 1997, however, the General Convention then determined that "the canons regarding the
ordination, licensing, and deployment of women are mandatory" and required noncompliant dioceses to
issue status reports on their progress towards full compliance.[70]

In 2006, the General Convention elected Katharine Jefferts Schori as Presiding Bishop. She was the first
woman to become a primate in the Anglican Communion. Schori's election was controversial in the wider
Anglican Communion because not all of the communion recognized the ordination of women.[71]

At the time of the formation of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), three U.S. dioceses did
not ordain women as priests or bishops: San Joaquin, Quincy, and Fort Worth. Following the departures of
their conservative majorities, all three dioceses now ordain women. With the October 16, 2010, ordination
of Margaret Lee, in the Peoria-based Diocese of Quincy, Illinois, women have been ordained as priests in
all 110 dioceses of the Episcopal Church in the United States.[72]

LGBT Issues

The Episcopal Church affirmed at the 1976 General Convention that homosexuals are "children of God"
who deserve acceptance and pastoral care from the church and equal protection under the law.[73] The first
openly gay person ordained as a priest was Ellen Barrett in 1977.[74] Despite such an affirmation of gay
rights, the General Convention affirmed in 1991 that "physical sexual expression" is only appropriate
within the monogamous lifelong "union of husband and wife".[75]

The church elected its first openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson, in June
2003.[76] News of Robinson's election caused a crisis in both the American
church and the wider Anglican Communion. In October 2003, Anglican
primates (the heads of the Anglican Communion's 38 member churches)
convened an emergency meeting. The meeting's final communiqué
included the warning that if Robinson's consecration proceeded, it would
"tear the fabric of the communion at its deepest level".[77] The news of his
ordination caused such an outrage that during the ceremony Robinson wore
a bullet-proof vest beneath his vestments, and he also received numerous
death threats following his installation as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese
of New Hampshire.[78]

In 2009, the General Convention charged the Standing Commission on


Liturgy and Music to develop theological and liturgical resources for same-
Gene Robinson in 2013 sex blessings and report back to the General Convention in 2012. It also
gave bishops an option to provide "generous pastoral support", especially
where civil authorities have legalized same-gender marriage, civil unions,
or domestic partnerships.[79]

On July 14, 2009, the Episcopal Church's House of Bishops voted that "any ordained ministry" is open to
gay men and lesbians. The New York Times said the move was "likely to send shockwaves through the
Anglican Communion". This vote ended a moratorium on ordaining gay bishops passed in 2006 and
passed in spite of Archbishop Rowan Williams's personal call at the start of the convention that, "I hope and
pray that there won't be decisions in the coming days that will push us further apart."[80]
On July 10, 2012, the Episcopal Church approved an official liturgy for the blessing of same-sex
relationships. This liturgy was not a marriage rite, but the blessing included an exchange of vows and the
couple's agreement to enter into a lifelong committed relationship.[81]

On June 29, 2015, at the 78th General Convention of the Episcopal Church, a resolution removing the
definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman was passed by the House of Bishops
with 129 in favor, 26 against, and 5 abstaining.[82] The current archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby,
expressed "deep concern" over the ruling.[83] In 2016, Anglican leaders temporarily suspended the
Episcopal Church from key positions in their global fellowship in response to the church changing its
canons on marriage.[84][85][86]

Transgender people have also joined the priesthood in the Episcopal Church. The Rev. Cameron Partridge,
who transitioned in 2001 and was ordained in 2005[87] was the first openly transgender priest to preach at
the Washington National Cathedral.[88]

Separations from the church

Following the ordination of Bp. Gene Robinson in 2003, some


members of a number of congregations left the Episcopal
Church.[19] For example, in Cleveland, Ohio, four parishes "with
about 1,300 active members, decided to leave the U.S. church and
the local diocese because of 'divergent understandings of the
authority of scripture and traditional Christian teaching.'"[89] Four
dioceses also voted to leave the church; Pittsburgh, Quincy, Fort
Worth, and San Joaquin. The stated reasons included those
expressed by the Pittsburgh diocese, which complained that the
church had been "hijacked" by liberal bishops.[90] A few years
later, in 2012, the Diocese of South Carolina voted to withdraw.

The Episcopal Church did not acknowledge any of the purported


Many members and parishes of the
diocesan withdrawals, stating that under canon law an Episcopal historic Diocese of South Carolina
diocese cannot withdraw itself from the larger Episcopal Church. In left the Episcopal Church in 2012,
a "pastoral letter" to the South Carolina diocese, Presiding Bishop eventually becoming a diocese of the
Schori wrote that "While some leaders have expressed a desire to Anglican Church in North America
leave The Episcopal Church, the Diocese has not left. It cannot, by
its own action. The alteration, dissolution, or departure of a diocese
of The Episcopal Church requires the consent of General Convention, which has not been consulted."[91]
She further wrote that the South Carolina diocese "continues to be a constituent part of The Episcopal
Church, even if a number of its leaders have departed. If it becomes fully evident that those former leaders
have, indeed, fully severed their ties with The Episcopal Church, new leaders will be elected and installed
by the action of a Diocesan Convention recognized by the wider Episcopal Church, in accordance with our
Constitution and Canons."

Many departing members joined the Continuing Anglican movement or advocated Anglican realignment,
claiming alignment with overseas Anglican provinces including the Anglican Province of the Southern
Cone of America and the Church of Nigeria.[92] Some former members formed the Anglican Church in
North America which, as of 2017, claimed over 1,000 congregations and 134,000 members.[93] Episcopal
Church leaders, particularly former Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, responded by taking a firm
stance against the separatists. Litigation between the church and departing dioceses and parishes cost all
parties tens of millions of dollars; one estimate has the Episcopal Church spending over $42 million and
separatists roughly $18 million, for a total of over $60 million in court costs.[94] Litigation has largely
centered around church properties. Episcopal leadership asserts that, as a hierarchical church, they retain
ownership of parish property when parishioners leave. Departing groups, in contrast, assert that they should
be able to retain ownership of individual church facilities and diocesan property.[95][96]

Church property disputes

In a letter to the House of Bishops during summer 2009, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori
instructed local dioceses not to sell parish property to departing groups. She stated: "We do not make
settlements that encourage religious bodies who seek to replace The Episcopal Church".[97]

Before Schori took this stand, prior bishops had treated parish property disputes as internal diocesan matters
that are "not subject to the review or oversight of the presiding bishop". One example was when then-
Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold told the Diocese of Western Louisiana on May 11, 2006, that the national
church involved itself in parish property disputes only upon invitation of the local bishop and diocesan
standing committees.[98] Schori's letter stated that her firm stance was the consensus of the Council of
Advice and expressed hope that "those who have departed can gain clarity about their own identity".[97]

After the South Carolina diocese voted to withdraw, it sued the national Episcopal Church to retain control
over its property. The departing diocese initially won, but mostly lost on appeal to the South Carolina
Supreme Court. Seven parishes affiliated with the departing group were allowed to keep their property. All
other church and diocesan property in the lawsuit remained with the Episcopal Church and its affiliated
local diocese.[99] The name "Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina" and related names and marks were
initially claimed by the departing group. In 2019, a federal court ruled that they legally belonged to the
Episcopal Church and its South Carolina affiliates.

Membership
As of 2021, the Episcopal Church had 1,678,157 active
members,[3] of whom 1,520,388 were in the United States.[4] Total
average Sunday attendance (ASA) for 2018 was 962,529 (933,206
in the U.S. and 29,323 outside the U.S.), a decrease of 24.7%
percent from 2008.[100] In 2016, a data-based quantitative study for
the Journal of Anglican Studies, and published by Cambridge
University Press, reported that The Episcopal Church had
2,405,000 total baptized members, including inactive members, and
1,588,057 active members in the United States.[101][102]
St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in
According to a report by ARIS/Barna in 2001, 3.5 million Shreveport, Louisiana
Americans self-identified as Episcopalians, highlighting "a gap
between those who are affiliated with the church (on membership
rolls), versus those who self-identify [as Episcopalians]".[103] Church Pension Group also cited having
3.5 million adherents in 2002.[104] More recently, in 2014, Pew Research found that approximately 1.2
percent of 245 million U.S. adults, around 3 million people, self-identified as mainline
Episcopalian/Anglican.[6]

According to data collected in 2000, the District of Columbia, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Virginia
have the highest rates of adherents per capita, and states along the East Coast generally have a higher
number of adherents per capita than in other parts of the country.[105] New York was the state with the
largest total number of adherents, over 200,000.[106] In 2013, the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti was the
largest single diocese, with 84,301 baptized members, which constitute slightly over half of the church's
foreign membership.[100]

As of 2012, around 12% of members in the Episcopal Church are former Catholics who became
Episcopalians.[107] In the years preceding 2012 over 225,000 Roman Catholics became Episcopalians and
as of 2012, there are "432 living Episcopal priests [who] have been received [as priests] from the Roman
Catholic Church."[108]

According to the latest statistics U.S. membership dropped 2.7 percent from a reported 1,866,758 members
in 2013 to 1,745,156 in 2016, a loss of 121,602 persons. Attendance took an even steeper hit, with the
average number of Sunday worshipers dropping from 623,691 in 2013 to 570,454 in 2016, a decline of
53,237 persons in the pews, down 8.5 percent. Congregations dropped to 6,473.[109]

The Episcopal Church experienced notable growth in the first half of the 20th century, but like many
mainline churches, it has had a decline in membership in more recent decades.[110] Membership grew from
1.1 million members in 1925 to a peak of over 3.4 million members in the mid-1960s.[111] Between 1970
and 1990, membership declined from about 3.2 million to about 2.4 million.[111] Once changes in how
membership is counted are taken into consideration, the Episcopal Church's membership numbers were
broadly flat throughout the 1990s, with a slight growth in the first years of the 21st
century.[112][113][114][115][116] A loss of 115,000 members was reported for the years 2003–05.[117] Some
theories about the decline in membership include a failure to sufficiently reach beyond ethnic barriers in an
increasingly diverse society, and the low fertility rates prevailing among the predominant ethnic groups
traditionally belonging to the church. In 1965, there were 880,000 children in Episcopal Sunday School
programs. By 2001, the number had declined to 297,000.[118]

Political leanings

Members of the Episcopal Church are generally more liberal and/or progressive than members of other
Christian denominations in the United States. Despite the church's liberal/progressive reputation, though, a
significant portion of members do describe themselves as conservative, although they generally tend to
skew moderate. According to a 2014 Pew Research Center survey with 494 self-identified Episcopalians,
49% describe themselves as Democrats, 39% describe themselves as Republicans, and 12% stated no
preference.

Influence
In the twentieth century, Episcopalians tended to be wealthier[10]
and more educated (having more graduate and postgraduate
degrees per capita) than most other religious groups in the United
States,[119] and were disproportionately represented in the upper
reaches of American business,[120] law, and politics.[121] Many of
the nation's oldest educational institutions, such as University of
Pennsylvania and Columbia University, were founded by
Episcopalian clergy or were associated with the Episcopal
Church.[122][123] According to Pew Research Center Episcopal
Church "has often been seen as the religious institution most
closely associated with the American establishment, producing
Trinity Church in Manhattan.
many of the nation's most important leaders in politics and business."[124] And about a quarter of the
presidents of the United States (11) were members of the Episcopal Church.[13]

Historically, Episcopalians were overrepresented among American scientific elite and Nobel Prize
winners.[14][15] According to Scientific Elite: Nobel Laureates in the United States by Harriet Zuckerman,
between 1901 and 1972, 72% of American Nobel Prize laureates have come from a Protestant background,
mostly from Episcopalian, Presbyterian or Lutheran background.[15] Citing Gallup polling data from 1976,
Kit and Frederica Konolige wrote in their 1978 book The Power of Their Glory, "As befits a church that
belongs to the worldwide Anglican Communion, Episcopalianism has the United Kingdom to thank for the
ancestors of fully 49 percent of its members. ... The stereotype of the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant
(WASP) finds its fullest expression in the Episcopal Church."[125]

The Boston Brahmins, who were regarded as the nation's social and cultural elites, were often associated
with the American upper class, Harvard University;[126] and the Episcopal Church.[127][128] Old
Philadelphians were often associated with the Episcopal Church.[16] Old money in the United States was
typically associated with White Anglo-Saxon Protestant ("WASP") status,[129] particularly with the
Episcopal and Presbyterian Church.[130] In the 1970s, a Fortune magazine study found one-in-five of the
country's largest businesses and one-in-three of its largest banks was run by an Episcopalian.[10] Numbers
of the most wealthy and affluent American families such as the Vanderbilts, Astors, Du Ponts,[17]
Whitneys, Morgans, Fords,[17] Mellons,[17] Van Leers, Browns,[17] Waynes and Harrimans are
Episcopalians.[10] While the Rockefeller family are mostly Baptists, some of the Rockefellers were
Episcopalians.[17]

According to a 2014 study by the Pew Research Center, the Episcopal Church also has the highest number
of graduate and post-graduate degrees per capita (56%)[131] of any other Christian denomination in the
United States,[132] as well as the most high-income earners.[133] According to The New York Times
Episcopalians tend also to be better educated and they have a high number of graduate (76%) and post-
graduate degrees (35%) per capita.[134] According to a 2014 study by the Pew Research Center,
Episcopalians ranked as the third wealthiest religious group in the United States, with 35% of Episcopalians
living in households with incomes of at least $100,000.[135] In 2014, roughly 70% of Episcopalians were
living in households with incomes of $50,000 or above.[135] In recent years, the church has become much
more economically and racially diverse[136] through evangelism, and has attracted many Hispanic
immigrants who are often working-class.[137][138]

Structure
The Episcopal Church is governed according to episcopal polity with its own system of canon law. This
means that the church is organized into dioceses led by bishops in consultation with representative bodies.
It is a unitary body, in that the power of the General Convention is not limited by the individual dioceses.
The church has, however, a highly decentralized structure and characteristics of a confederation.[139]

Parishes and dioceses

At the local level, there are 6,447 Episcopal congregations, each of which elects a vestry or bishop's
committee. Subject to the approval of its diocesan bishop, the vestry of each parish elects a priest, called the
rector, who has spiritual jurisdiction in the parish and selects assistant clergy, both deacons and priests.
(There is a difference between vestry and clergy elections – clergy are ordained members usually selected
from outside the parish, whereas any member in good standing of a parish is eligible to serve on the vestry.)
The diocesan bishop, however, appoints the clergy for all missions and may choose to do so for non-self-
supporting parishes.

The middle judicatory consists of a diocese headed by a bishop who is assisted by a standing
committee.[140] The bishop and standing committee are elected by the diocesan convention whose
members are canonically resident clergy of the diocese and laity selected by the congregations. The election
of a bishop requires the consent of a majority of standing committees and diocesan bishops.[141]
Conventions meet annually to consider legislation (such as revisions to the diocesan constitution and
canons) and speak for the diocese. Dioceses are organized into nine provinces. Each province has a synod
and a mission budget, but it has no authority over its member dioceses.

There are 110 dioceses in the United States, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Honduras,
Puerto Rico, Taiwan, Venezuela, Cuba and the Virgin Islands. The Convocation of Episcopal Churches in
Europe and the Navajoland Area Mission are jurisdictions similar to a diocese.[22][23][24][142]

Governance

The Washington National Cathedral is the seat of the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church as well as
the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington.

The highest legislative body of the Episcopal Church is the triennial


General Convention, consisting of the House of Deputies and the
House of Bishops. All active (whether diocesan, coadjutor,
suffragan, or assistant) and retired bishops make up the over 300
members of the House of Bishops. Diocesan conventions elect over
800 representatives (each diocese elects four laity and four clergy)
to the House of Deputies. The House of Deputies elects a president
and vice-president to preside at meetings. General Convention
enacts two types of legislation. The first type is the rules by which The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter
the church is governed as contained in the Constitution and and Saint Paul in the City and
Canons; the second type are broad guidelines on church policy Diocese of Washington, located in
called resolutions.[143] Either house may propose legislation.[144] Washington, D.C., is operated under
The House of Deputies only meets as a full body once every three the more familiar name of
years; however, the House of Bishops meets regularly throughout Washington National Cathedral.
the triennium between conventions.

The real work of General Convention is done by interim bodies, the most powerful being the Executive
Council, which oversees the work of the national church during the triennium. The council has 40
members; 20 are directly elected by the General Convention, 18 are elected by the nine provinces, and the
Presiding Bishop and President of the House of Deputies are ex officio members.[144] Other interim bodies
include a number of standing commissions ordered by the canons and temporary task forces formulated by
resolutions of General Convention. Both types of bodies study and draft policy proposals for consideration
and report back to the convention. Each standing commission consists of five bishops, five priests or
deacons, and ten laypersons. Bishops are appointed by the Presiding Bishop while the other clergy and
laypersons are appointed by the president of the House of Deputies.[144] Task forces vary in size,
composition, and duration depending on the General Convention resolution that orders them.[145]

The Presiding Bishop is elected from and by the House of Bishops and confirmed by the House of
Deputies for a nine-year term.[146] The Presiding Bishop is the chief pastor and primate of the Episcopal
Church and is charged with providing leadership in the development of the church's program as well as
speaking on behalf of the church.[147] The Presiding Bishop does not possess a territorial see; since the
1970s, however, the Presiding Bishop has enjoyed extraordinary jurisdiction (metropolitical authority) and
has authority to visit dioceses for sacramental and preaching ministry, for consulting bishops, and for related
purposes.[148] The Presiding Bishop chairs the House of Bishops as well as the Executive Council of the
General Convention. In addition, the Presiding Bishop directs the Episcopal Church Center, the national
administrative headquarters of the denomination. Located at 815 Second Avenue, New York City, New
York, the center is often referred to by Episcopalians simply as "815".[149]

A system of ecclesiastical courts is provided for under Title IV of the canons of General Convention. These
courts are empowered to discipline and depose deacons, priests, and bishops.

Worship and liturgy


Worship according to the
Book of Common Prayer
(BCP) is central to the
Episcopal Church's identity
and its main source of
unity. The current edition of
the BCP was published in
1979 and is similar to other
Anglican prayer books in
use around the world. It
contains most of the
worship services (or
liturgies) used in the A procession in St. Mary's Episcopal
Episcopal Church.[150] Cathedral, Memphis, Tennessee, in
2002
The Episcopal Church has
Rood screen and chancel ceiling at
a sacramental
the Anglo-Catholic Church of the
understanding of worship. The Episcopal catechism defines a
Good Shepherd in Rosemont,
sacrament as "an outward and visible sign of an inward and
Pennsylvania.
spiritual grace given to us".[151] Episcopalians believe that
sacraments are material things that God uses to act in human
lives. [151] The BCP identifies Baptism and the Eucharist as the "two great sacraments of the Gospel".
Confirmation, ordination, holy matrimony, reconciliation of a penitent, and unction are identified as
"sacramental rites".[152] Private confession of sin is available in the Episcopal Church, though it is not as
commonly practiced as in the Roman Catholic Church. This is in part due to the general confession
provided for in Episcopal services.[152]

The prayer book specifies that the Eucharist or Holy Communion is "the principal act of Christian worship
on the Lord's Day".[153] The service has two parts. The first is centered on Bible readings and preaching.
At each service, four scripture passages are read from the Old Testament and the New Testament. The
readings are organized in a three-year cycle during which much of the Bible will have been read in
church.[154] The second part of the service is centered on the Eucharist. The Episcopal Church teaches the
real presence doctrine—that the bread and wine truly become the body and blood of Christ. However, it
does not define how this happens, which allows for different views to coexist within the church.[155]
Generally, Episcopal churches have retained features such as the altar rail, the inclusion or exclusion of
which does not elicit much controversy, but usually celebrate in the versus populum orientation.

Often a congregation or a particular service will be referred to as Low Church or High Church. In theory:
High Church, especially the very high Anglo-Catholic
movement, is ritually inclined towards the use of
incense, formal hymns, and a higher degree of ceremony
such as ad orientem in relation to the priest and altar. In
addition to clergy vesting in albs, stoles, and chasubles,
the lay assistants may also be vested in cassock and
surplice. The sung Eucharist tends to be emphasized in
High Church congregations, with Anglo-Catholic
congregations and celebrants using sung services
almost exclusively. Marian devotion is sometimes seen
in the Anglo-Catholic and some High Church parishes.
Low Church is simpler and may incorporate other
elements such as informal praise and worship music.
"Low" parishes tend towards a more "traditional High altar of an Anglo-Catholic
Protestant" outlook with its emphasis of Biblical church ad orientem style
revelation over symbolism. A few "low" parishes even
subscribe to traditional Evangelical theology (see
Evangelical Anglicanism). The spoken Eucharist tends to be emphasized in Low Church
congregations. Altar rails may be omitted in this type.
Broad Church indicates a middle ground. These parishes are the most common within The
Episcopal Church. However, unlike the Anglican Church in England, most Episcopal "broad
church" parishes make use of a liturgy that includes eucharistic vestments, chant, and a high
view of the sacraments, even if the liturgy is not as solemn or lacks some of the other
accoutrements typical of Anglo-Catholic parishes. Unlike many Roman Catholic churches,
the altar rail has usually been retained and communion is usually served kneeling at the
altar rail similar to a Tridentine Mass, because the Episcopal Church teaches, through its
Book of Common Prayer, a theologically high view of the church and its sacraments, even if
not all parishes carry this out liturgically.[156]

The Book of Common Prayer also provides the Daily Offices of Morning and Evening Prayer. The daily
offices can be said by lay people at home.[157]

The veneration of saints in the Episcopal Church is a continuation of an ancient tradition from the early
church which honors important people of the Christian faith. The usage of the term "saint" is similar to
Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions. There are explicit references in the 1979 Book of Common
Prayer to invoking the aid of the prophets, patriarchs, saints, martyrs and the Virgin Mary as in an optional
prayer in the committal at a funeral, p. 504. In general Anglicans pray with the saints in their fellowship, not
to them, although their intercessions may be requested. Those inclined to the Anglo-Catholic traditions may
explicitly invoke saints as intercessors in prayer. The 1979 edition contains a provision for the use of
"traditional" (Elizabethan) language under various circumstances not directly provided for in the book.

Belief and practice


At the center of Episcopal belief and practice are the life, teachings and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.[158]
The doctrine of the Episcopal Church is found in the canon of scripture as understood in the Apostles' and
Nicene creeds and in the sacramental rites, the ordinal and catechism of the Book of Common Prayer.[159]
Some of these teachings include:

Belief that human beings "are part of God's creation, made in the image of God," and are
therefore "free to make choices: to love, to reason, and to live in harmony with creation and
with God."[160]
Belief that sin, defined as "the seeking of our own will
instead of the will of God," has corrupted human nature,
"thus distorting our relationship with God, with other
people, and with all creation," resulting in death.[161]
Belief that "sin has power over us because we lose our
liberty when our relationship with God is distorted," and
that redemption is any act of God which "sets us free
from the power of sin, evil, and death."[162]
The doctrines of the Incarnation and Resurrection of
Jesus Christ; Jesus Christ is fully human and fully Episcopal consecration of the 8th
God.[163] bishop of Northern Indiana in 2016 by
Jesus provides forgiveness of sin and the way of eternal the laying on of hands
life for those who believe and are baptized. [164]

The Trinity: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ),
and God the Holy Spirit are one God in three distinct persons, collectively called the Holy
Trinity ("three and yet one").[165]
The Holy Scriptures, commonly called the Bible, consist of the Old Testament and the New
Testament and were written by people "under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit."[166] The
Apocrypha are additional books that are used in Christian worship, but not for the formation
of doctrine.[167]
The Bible contains "all things necessary to salvation" and nothing can be taught as
pertaining to salvation which cannot be proven by scripture.[168]
Sacraments are "outward and visible signs of God's inward and spiritual grace."[169] The two
necessary sacraments are Baptism and Holy Communion (the latter is also called the
Eucharist, the Lord's Supper, and the Mass).[170] Infant baptism is practiced and
encouraged.[171] Holy Communion is celebrated each Lord's Day (Sunday) and is open to
all baptized persons.[172]
Other sacraments are confirmation, ordination, marriage, confession, and unction.[173]
Regarding these other sacraments the Book of Common Prayer states "Although they are
means of grace, they are not necessary for all persons the same way that Baptism and the
Eucharist are."[174]
A general belief in an afterlife of Heaven and Hell. Heaven is defined as the resurrection of
the faithful to eternal life in the presence of God. Hell is defined as "eternal death" due to a
willful rejection of God.[175]
Emphasis on the contents of the Sermon on the Mount and on living out the Great
Commandment to love God and to love one's neighbor fully.[176]
Belief in an episcopal form of church government and in the offices and ministries of the
early church, namely the threefold order of bishops, priests and deacons; both men and
women are eligible for ordination to the clergy.[177] Clergy are permitted to marry.[178]
Apostolic Succession: the belief that the Episcopal and wider Anglican bishops continue the
apostolic tradition of the ancient church as spiritual heirs to the Twelve Apostles of Jesus
Christ.[179]
Strong emphasis on prayer with specific reverence for the Lord's Prayer both in its original
form and as a model for all prayer; principal kinds of prayer include adoration, praise,
thanksgiving, penitence, oblation, intercession, and petition.[180]
Observance of the ancient Church Year (Advent, Christmas, Easter, Lent, etc.) and the
celebration of holy days dedicated to saints.[181]
Belief that grace is "God's favor toward us, unearned and undeserved," by which God
"forgives our sins, enlightens our minds, stirs our hearts, and strengthens our wills," and is
continually conferred to Christians through the sacraments, prayer, and worship.[182]

The full catechism is included in the Book of Common Prayer and is posted on the Episcopal website.[183]

In practice, not all Episcopalians hold all of these beliefs, but ordained clergy are required to "solemnly
engage to conform" to this doctrine.[184] The Episcopal Church follows the via media or "middle way"
between Protestant and Roman Catholic doctrine and practices: that is both Catholic and Reformed.
Although many Episcopalians identify with this concept, those whose convictions lean toward either
evangelical Anglicanism or Anglo-Catholicism may not.[185]

A broad spectrum of theological views is represented within the Episcopal Church. Some Episcopal
members or theologians hold evangelical positions, affirming the authority of scripture over all. The
Episcopal Church website glossary defines the sources of authority as a balance between scripture,
tradition, and reason. These three are characterized as a "three-legged stool" which will topple if any one
overbalances the other. It also notes[186]

The Anglican balancing of the sources of authority has been criticized as clumsy or "muddy."
It has been associated with the Anglican affinity for seeking the mean between extremes and
living the via media. It has also been associated with the Anglican willingness to tolerate and
comprehend opposing viewpoints instead of imposing tests of orthodoxy or resorting to heresy
trials.

This balance of scripture, tradition and reason is traced to the work of Richard Hooker, a 16th-century
apologist. In Hooker's model, scripture is the primary means of arriving at doctrine and things stated plainly
in scripture are accepted as true. Issues that are ambiguous are determined by tradition, which is checked by
reason.[187] Noting the role of personal experience in Christian life, some Episcopalians have advocated
following the example of the Wesleyan Quadrilateral of Methodist theology by thinking in terms of a
"Fourth Leg" of "experience". This understanding is highly dependent on the work of Friedrich
Schleiermacher.

A public example of this struggle between different Christian positions in the church has been the 2003
consecration of Gene Robinson, an openly gay man living with a long-term partner. The
acceptance/rejection of his consecration is motivated by different views on the understanding of
scripture.[188] This struggle has some members concerned that the church may not continue its relationship
with the larger Anglican Church. Others, however, view this pluralism as an asset, allowing a place for both
sides to balance each other.

Comedian and Episcopalian Robin Williams once described the Episcopal faith (and, in a performance in
London, specifically the Church of England) as "Catholic Lite – same rituals, half the guilt".[189]

Social positions

Economic issues

In 1991, the church's general convention recommended parity in pay and benefits between clergy and lay
employees in equivalent positions.[190] Several times between 1979 and 2003, the convention expressed
concern over affordable housing and supported work to provide affordable housing.[191] In 1982 and 1997,
the convention reaffirmed the church's commitment to eradicating poverty and malnutrition, and challenged
parishes to increase ministries to the poor.[192]
The convention urged the church in 1997 and 2000 to promote living wages for all.[193][194] In 2003, the
convention urged U.S. legislators to raise the national minimum wage, and to establish a living wage with
health benefits as the national standard.[195][196]

Marriage equality, gender, and sexuality

The Episcopal Church opposes laws in society which discriminate against individuals because of their sex,
sexual orientation, or gender expression. The Episcopal Church enforces this policy of non-discrimination;
women are ordained to all levels of ministry and church leadership.[197] The church maintains an anti-
sexism taskforce.[198] Similarly, openly gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals are eligible to be
ordained.[199][200] The Episcopal Church affirms that marriage is the historic Christian standard for sexual
intimacy between two people but does encourage clergy and laity to maintain ministry and dialogue with
"the growing number of persons entering into sexually intimate relationships other than marriage."[201]

At its 2015 triennial general convention, the church adopted "canonical and liturgical changes to provide
marriage equality for Episcopalians". The "two new marriage rites" contain language that allows "them to
be used by same-sex or opposite-sex couples".[20] The blessing of same-sex relationships is not uniform
throughout the Episcopal Church. Following the 2015 general convention, bishops were able to determine
whether churches and priests within their dioceses were permitted to use the new liturgies. Bishops who did
not permit their use were to connect same-sex couples to a diocese where the liturgies were allowed.[202]
However, following the 2018 general convention, resolution B012 was amended to "make provision for all
couples asking to be married in this church to have access to these liturgies". This effectively granted all
churches and clergy, with or without the support of their bishop, the ability to perform same-sex marriages.
They may, however, refuse to do so.[203] The church also opposes any state or federal constitutional
amendments designed to prohibit the marriages of same-sex couples.[204]

Racial equality

In 1861, John Henry Hopkins wrote a pamphlet entitled, A Scriptural, Ecclesiastical, and Historical View
of Slavery, attempting to give a view of slavery from his interpretation of the New Testament: he argued
that slavery was not a sin per se. Rather, Hopkins argued that slavery was an institution that was
objectionable and should be abrogated by agreement, not by war. Bishop Hopkins' Letter on Slavery
Ripped Up and his Misuse of the Sacred Scriptures Exposed, written by G.W. Hyer in 1863, opposed the
points mentioned in Hopkins' pamphlet and revealed a startling divide in the Episcopal Church, as in other
American churches, over the issue of slavery. It was not, however, strong enough to split the church into
Northern and Southern wings even after the war, as many other denominations did. And though the church
did divide into two wings during the war, Hopkins was active in re-uniting them in 1865.[205]

The Social Gospel movement within American Christianity was a mainstay of racial justice and
reconciliation activism amongst Episcopal clergy and laity alike throughout in the nineteenth and early to
mid-twentieth century, it stressed a view of sin as being "more than individual" and "to be the consequence
of forces of evil in human society so that salvation must involve the redemption of the social order as well
as the redemption of the individual."[206]

In 1991, the General Convention declared "the practice of racism is sin",[207] and in 2006, a unanimous
House of Bishops endorsed Resolution A123 apologizing for complicity in the institution of slavery, and
silence over "Jim Crow" laws, segregation, and racial discrimination.[208] In 2018, following the white
nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry said that "the stain of bigotry has
once again covered our land" and called on Episcopalians to choose "organized love intent on creating
God's beloved community on Earth" rather than hate.[209]
In April 2021, the Episcopal Church released the findings of a Racial Justice audit after three years of study,
it cited nine areas of needed improvement within the church regarding systemic racism.[210]

Abortion

The Episcopal Church affirms that human life is sacred "from inception until death" and opposes elective
abortion. As such, the Episcopal Church condemns the use of abortion as a method of birth control, gender
selection, family planning, or for "any reason of convenience". The Church acknowledges the right of
women to choose to undergo the procedure "only in extreme situations". It has stated that laws prohibiting
abortions fail to address the social conditions which give rise to them. The 1994 resolution establishing the
Episcopal Church's position gave "unequivocal opposition to any legislative, executive or judicial action on
the part of local, state or national governments that abridges the right of a woman to reach an informed
decision about the termination of pregnancy or that would limit the access of a woman to safe means of
acting on her decision." [211] In 2022, the 80th General Convention of the Episcopal Church approved a
resolution calling for the protection of "abortion services and birth control with no restriction on movement,
autonomy, type, or timing."[212]

Euthanasia

The Episcopal Church disapproves of assisted suicide and other forms of euthanasia, but does teach that it
is permissible to withdraw medical treatment, such as artificial nutrition and hydration, when the burden of
such treatment outweighs its benefits to an individual.[213]

Evolution

The Episcopal Church accepts the empirical findings of biology and does not consider the theory of
evolution to be in conflict with its understanding of Holy Scripture in light of reason. In 1982, the
Episcopal Church passed a resolution to "affirm its belief in the glorious ability of God to create in any
manner, and in this affirmation reject the rigid dogmatism of the 'Creationist' movement." The church has
also expressed skepticism toward the intelligent design movement.[214]

Capital punishment

Holding that human life is sacred, the Episcopal Church is opposed to capital punishment. At the 1958
General Convention, Episcopal bishops issued a public statement against the death penalty, a position
which has since been reaffirmed.[215]

Climate change

The Episcopal Church website's Creation Care Glossary of Terms defines climate change as a "crisis"
consisting of "severe problems that arise as human activity increases the level of carbon dioxide and other
heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere, and the world's average global temperature soars", a statement
which places the church's stance on climate change in line with global scientific consensus on the matter.
According to the church's website glossary, the climate crisis is one of "triple urgency" resulting from "the
intersection of climate change, poverty and inequality, and biodiversity loss." The church's range of
advocacy areas with respect to the environment include public support for net carbon neutrality,
environmental justice, opposition to environmental racism, support for renewable energy and for setting and
meeting sustainability goals, and support for workers, communities, and economies as they undergo a "just
transition" toward eco-friendly policies.[216]

Vaccinations

The Episcopal Church "recognizes no claim of theological or religious exemption from vaccination for our
members and reiterates the spirit of General Convention policies that Episcopalians should seek the counsel
of experienced medical professionals, scientific research, and epidemiological evidence," while similarly
condemning the "spreading of fraudulent research that suggested vaccines might cause harm." In a similar
vein, the church has expressed "grave concern and sorrow for the recent rise in easily preventable diseases
due to anti-vaccination movements which have harmed thousands of children and adults." The Episcopal
Church has endorsed stronger government mandates for vaccinations and has characterized the choice to be
inoculated as "a duty not only to our own selves and families but to our communities," while describing the
choice to not vaccinate, when it is medically safe to do so, as a decision which "threatens the lives of
others."[217]

Agencies and programs


The Society for the Increase of the Ministry (SIM) is the only organization raising funds on a national basis
for Episcopal seminarian support. SIM's founding purpose in 1857 – "to find suitable persons for the
Episcopal ministry and aid them in acquiring a thorough education". SIM has awarded scholarships to
qualified full-time seminary students.[218]

Episcopal Relief & Development is the international relief and development agency of the Episcopal
Church in the United States. It helps to rebuild after disasters and aims to empower people by offering
lasting solutions that fight poverty, hunger and disease. Episcopal Relief and Development programs focus
on alleviating hunger, improving food supply, creating economic opportunities, strengthening communities,
promoting health, fighting disease, responding to disasters, and rebuilding communities.[219]

There are about 60 trust funds administered by the Episcopal Church which offer scholarships to young
people affiliated with the church. Qualifying considerations often relate to historical missionary work of the
church among American Indians and African-Americans, as well as work in China and other foreign
missions.[220][221] There are special programs for both American Indians[222] and African-Americans[223]
interested in training for the ministry.

There are three historical societies of American Episcopalianism: Historical Society of the Episcopal
Church, the National Episcopal Historians and Archivists (NEHA), and the Episcopal Women's History
Project.[224]

Church Publishing Incorporated (Church Publishing Inc., CPI) began as the Church Hymnal Corporation
in 1918, dedicated initially to publishing a single work, The Hymnal 1918, which still remains in print. It is
the official publisher for the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States. Imprints
include Church Publishing, Morehouse Publishing (independently founded in 1884) and Seabury Books
(the "trade" imprint).[225]

Ecumenical relations
Under the leadership of Lutheran bishop Jesper Swedberg, parishes in colonial America that belonged to
the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden established ecumenical dialogue that resulted in altar and
pulpit fellowship with the Episcopal Church in the 1700s, which led to a merger of all of the Swedish
Lutheran churches there into the Episcopal Church by 1846.[226] The Episcopal Church entered into a full
communion agreement with the Church of Sweden at its General Convention in Salt Lake City on June 28,
2015.

Like the other churches of the Anglican Communion, the Episcopal Church has entered into full
communion with the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht, the Philippine Independent Church,
and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar. The Episcopal Church is also in a relationship of full
communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America[227] and the Northern and Southern
Provinces of the Moravian Church in America.[228]

The Episcopal Church maintains ecumenical dialogues with the United Methodist Church and the
Moravian Church in America, and participates in pan-Anglican dialogues with the Oriental Orthodox
Churches, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the Roman Catholic Church. In 2006 a relation
of interim Eucharistic sharing was inaugurated with the United Methodist Church, a step that may
ultimately lead to full communion.

Historically Anglican churches have had strong ecumenical ties with the Eastern Orthodox Churches, and
the Episcopal Church particularly with the Russian Orthodox Church, but relations in more recent years
have been strained by the ordination of women and the ordination of Gene Robinson to the episcopate. A
former relation of full communion with the Polish National Catholic Church (once a part of the Union of
Utrecht) was broken off by the PNCC in 1976 over the ordination of women.

The Episcopal Church was a founding member of the Consultation on Church Union and participates in its
successor, Churches Uniting in Christ. The Episcopal Church is a founding member of the National
Council of Churches, the World Council of Churches, and the new Christian Churches Together in the
USA. Dioceses and parishes are frequently members of local ecumenical councils as well.

See also
Christianity portal
United States
portal

Christianity in the United States


Episcopal Youth Community
Historical List of bishops of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America
List of colleges and seminaries affiliated with the Episcopal Church
List of Episcopal bishops of the United States
List of the Episcopal cathedrals of the United States
Protestantism in the United States

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Further reading
Anglican & Episcopal History—The Journal of the Historical Society of the Episcopal
Church (https://web.archive.org/web/20120719091010/http://www.hsec.us/anglican-episcop
al-history) (articles, church reviews, and book reviews).
Articles on leading Episcopalians, both lay (e.g., George Washington, Franklin D. Roosevelt,
Frances Perkins) and ordained, in American National Biography. (1999). Edited by John A.
Garraty and Mark C. Carnes. New York: Oxford Univ. Press. Also 100 biographical articles in
Hein and Shattuck, The Episcopalians: see below.
A Brief History of the Episcopal Church. Holmes, David L. (1993). Harrisburg, PA: Trinity
Press International.
A Dictionary for Episcopalians. Wall, John N. (2000). Boston, MA: Cowley Publications.
Documents of Witness: A History of the Episcopal Church, 1782–1985. Armentrout, Don S.,
& Slocum, Robert Boak. (1994). New York: Church Hymnal Corporation.
Readings from the History of the Episcopal Church. Prichard, Robert W. (Ed.). (1986).
Wilton, CT: Morehouse-Barlow.
The Episcopal Clerical Directory. New York: Church Publishing.
An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church: A User Friendly Reference for Episcopalians.
Armentrout, Don S., & Slocum, Robert Boak. (Eds.). ([1999]). New York: Church Publishing
Incorporated.
About the Concordat: 28 Questions about the Agreement between the Episcopal Church
and the Evangelical Church of America [i.e. the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America],
prepared by the Ecumenical Relations Office of the Episcopal Church. Cincinnati, Ohio:
Forward Movement Publications, [1997?]. 43 p. Without ISBN
A Commentary on [the Episcopal Church/Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]
Concordat of Agreement, ed. by James E. Griffes and Daniel Martensen. Minneapolis, Minn.:
Augsburg-Fortress; Cincinnati, Ohio: Forward Movement Publications, 1994. 159 p. ISBN 0-
8066-2690-9
Concordat of Agreement [between the Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America]: Supporting Essays, ed. by Daniel F. Martensen. Minneapolis, Minn.:
Augsburg-Fortress; Cincinnati, Ohio: Forward Movement Publications, 1995. 234 p. ISBN 0-
8066-2667-4
Seltser, Barry Jay (May 19, 2006). "Episcopalian Crisis: Authority, Homosexuality & the
Future of Anglicanism" (https://web.archive.org/web/20071020075038/http://www.commonw
ealmagazine.org/article.php?id_article=1647). Commonweal. 133 (10). Archived from the
original (http://www.commonwealmagazine.org/article.php?id_article=1647) on October 20,
2007. Retrieved December 19, 2006. An essay on Hooker and the present discontents.
The History of the Episcopal Church in America, 1607–1991: A Bibliography. Caldwell,
Sandra M., & Caldwell, Ronald J. (1993). New York: Garland Publishing.
Shattuck, Gardiner H Jr. (2000). Episcopalians and Race: Civil War to Civil Rights. Religion
in the South. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0-8131-2149-9.
Historical Dictionary of Anglicanism by Colin Buchanan; (2nd ed. 2015) excerpt (https://ww
w.amazon.com/Historical-Dictionary-Anglicanism-Dictionaries-Philosophies/dp/144225015
1)
Jamestown Commitment: the Episcopal Church [i.e. the Protestant Episcopal Church in the
U.S.A.] and the American Indian, by Owanah Anderson. Cincinnati, Ohio: Forward
Movement Publications (1988). 170 p. ISBN 0-88028-082-4
Mullin, Robert Bruce. "Trends in the Study of the History of the Episcopal Church," Anglican
and Episcopal History, June 2003, Vol. 72 Issue 2, pp 153–165, historiography
New Georgia Encyclopedia article on the Episcopal Church in the U.S. South (http://www.ge
orgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-1551&sug=y) Archived (https://web.archive.org/
web/20130511201011/http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-1551&sug=
y) May 11, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
"The Forgotten Evangelicals: Virginia Episcopalians, 1790–1876". Waukechon, John Frank.
Dissertation Abstracts International, 2001, Vol. 61 Issue 8, pp 3322–3322
Tarter, Brent (2004). "Reflections on the Church of England in Colonial Virginia". Virginia
Magazine of History and Biography. 112 (4): 338–371. JSTOR 4250211 (https://www.jstor.or
g/stable/4250211).
Noble Powell and the Episcopal Establishment in the Twentieth Century. Hein, David.
(2001, 2007). Urbana: University of Illinois Press; paperback reprint, Eugene, Ore.: Wipf &
Stock.
Rewriting History: Scapegoating the Episcopal Church (http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/re
writinghistory.pdf) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20201109003824/http://www.ekkles
ia.co.uk/content/rewritinghistory.pdf) November 9, 2020, at the Wayback Machine. Savitri
Hensman. Ekklesia. 2007.

External links
Media related to Episcopal Church (United States) at Wikimedia Commons

Official website (http://www.episcopalchurch.org/)


Church Publishing, Inc. (http://www.churchpublishing.org)
Profile of the Episcopal Church on the Association of Religion Data Archives website (http://
www.thearda.com/Denoms/D_849.asp)

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