Episcopal << ih PIHS kuh puhl >> Church is a Christian church based in the United States. It makes up one province (administrative district) of the Anglican Communion, a global association of churches that includes the Church of England and churches that developed from it. The Episcopal Church has more than 2 million members.
Bishops, priests, and deacons, together with some members of the laity (regular church members), lead the church. Every three years, all active bishops plus elected clerical and lay representatives meet as a two-house governing body at the church’s General Convention. Between conventions, an elected Executive Council carries out the General Convention’s policies and programs. The church is divided into about 100 dioceses (regional districts). A bishop heads each diocese.
The Episcopal Church began in the early 1600’s among members of the Church of England who settled in the American Colonies. In 1789, after the American Revolution, the Episcopal Church was founded as an independent church. Episcopalians have held many positions of political and social power in U.S. history. Today, the church’s membership is socially diverse. The Episcopal Church maintains the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. The church also has played a major role in the worldwide expansion of Anglicanism.
The Episcopal Church has been a leader in allowing women to join the clergy. The church began ordaining women as priests in the 1970’s. In 1989, it ordained the first female bishop in the Anglican Communion. In 2006, the Episcopal Church elected the first woman to serve as presiding bishop of an Anglican province.
In 2012, the Episcopal Church approved a religious ceremony for blessing committed same-sex relationships. It became the largest U.S. denomination to do so.
See also Anglican Communion.
