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The Episcopal Church in the United States of America is the autonomous Province of the Anglican Communion in the United States and several other nations, including dioceses in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe. Organized as a church shortly after the American revolution, it was the first autonomous Anglican province outside the British Isles.
The full legal name of the national church corporate body is The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America (PECUSA) by vote of the 1967 General Convention. The preamble to the Constitution and Canons[1] of the Episcopal Church continues ... otherwise known as The Episcopal Church (which name is hereby recognized as also designating the Church). The Episcopal Church (TEC) is sometimes abbreviated ECUSA [2].
Before the American Revolution, The Episcopal Church was the Church of England. Between 1780 - 1783, the neonate TEC adopted the name Protestant Episcopal Church.[2]..
<blockquote> At the second session of the 1789 General Convention, Sept. 29-Oct. 16, 1789, a Constitution of nine articles was adopted. The new church was called the "Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America" (PECUSA). The word "Protestant" noted that this was a church in the reformation tradition, and the word "Episcopal" noted a characteristic of catholicity, the historic episcopate[2].. </blockquote>
The official alternate name - The Episcopal Church - can be seen in the title page of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, which says According to the use of The Episcopal Church. In contrast, the 1928 BCP said According to the use of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America.
Those that prefer TEC argue that ECUSA does not adequately represent its worldwide - non U.S. - membership (including Taiwan and several Latin American dioceses). Those that prefer ECUSA say that is potentially ambigious with regard to other "Episcopal churches" in the worldwide Anglican Communion, such as the Scottish Episcopal Church.
The word episcopal originates in the ancient Greek word episkopos meaning overseer by way of the equivalent Latin word episcopus meaning bishop[3].
The Episcopal Church is composed of 111 dioceses in the United States, two United States territories, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, Haiti, the Republic of China (Taiwan), Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Europe and Venezuela, and has an extra-provincial relationship with the diocese of Cuba.
In the United States, the Church claims a total membership of approximately 2.4 million of whom 2.2 million are formally Episcopalian and 200,000 more are counted as "other baptized." Among its members are more than a quarter of all presidents of the United States (see List of United States Presidential religious affiliations).
In recent years many mainline denominations have experienced a decline in membership. Once changes in how membership is counted are taken into consideration the Episcopal Church's membership has been flat.[4]
Like many other Anglican churches, it has entered into full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Old Catholics. The issue of ordination of women broke full communion with the Polish National Catholic Church in 1976 and severed a special relationship with the Eastern Orthodox Church.
The Episcopal Church was active in the social gospel movement of the late nineteenth century and since the 1960s and 1970s has played a leading role in the progressive and liberal movements in church and secular politics. For example, in its resolutions on secular issues the Episcopal Church has taken both sides on the abortion debate, opposed the death penalty, and supported affirmative action and the civil rights movement. In the more liberal dioceses, openly homosexual men and women can be ordained and in some cases, same-sex unions are celebrated.
In some dioceses, women are ordained only to the diaconate and in others women are ordained to the priesthood and episcopate, as well as the diaconate. The leader of the Episcopal Church in the USA is presently a woman. The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, previously Bishop of Nevada, is the twenty-sixth Presiding Bishop. Jefferts Schori was elected at the 75th General Convention on June 18, 2006 and invested at the Washington National Cathedral on November 4, 2006.
The Episcopal Church considers itself a via media (a middle way or compromise between extremes[5]) having aspects of both the Roman Catholic church and Protestantism.
The Church of England established itself in the English colonies on the North American continent in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. The Episcopal Church was formally separated from the Church of England in 1789 so that clergy would not be required to accept the supremacy of the British monarch. When the clergy of Connecticut elected Samuel Seabury as their bishop, he sought consecration in England. The Oath of Supremacy prevented English bishops from consecrating a non-English bishop, so Seabury went to Scotland; the non-juring bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church consecrated him in Aberdeen on November 14, 1784, making him the first Episcopal bishop outside the British Isles.
The Episcopal Shield, adopted in 1940, includes both the English cross of St George and a Scottish St Andrew's cross, to reflect the mingled English and Scottish heritage of the church.[6]
The center of Episcopalian teaching is the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ.[7] The basic teachings of the church, or catechism, includes:
The full catechism is included in the Book of Common Prayer and posted on Episcopal website here.
The Episcopal Church follows the via media or "middle way" between Protestant and Roman Catholic doctrine and practices: that is both Catholic and Reformed. The Episcopal Church traces its history from the Church of England and stresses its continuity with the early universal Western church. .
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."[8]
The Episcopal Church publishes its own Book of Common Prayer (BCP), containing most of the worship services (or "liturgies") used in the Episcopal Church. Because of its widespread use in the church, the BCP is both a reflection of and a source of theology for Episcopalians.
The current edition dates from 1979 and is marked by a linguistic modernization and an increased emphasis on the Eucharist as the principal service of the church. The 1979 version also de-emphasizes the notion of personal sin. There was enough strife in implementing and adopting the 1979 BCP that a "resolution of apology" was issued at the 2000 General Convention.[9]
Previous American BCPs were issued in 1789, 1892, and 1928. (A proposed BCP was issued in 1786 but not adopted.) The BCP is in the public domain; however, any new revisions of the BCP are copyrighted until they are approved by the General Convention. After this happens, the BCP is placed into the public domain.
The full name of the BCP is: The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church Together with The Psalter or Psalms of David According to the use of The Episcopal Church.
The threefold sources of authority in Anglicanism are scripture, tradition, and reason. These three sources uphold and critique each other in a dynamic way.
Varying degrees of liturgical practice prevail within the church, and one finds a variety of worship styles: traditional hymns and anthems, praise and worship music, Anglican chant, liturgical dance, charismatic hand movements, vested clergy, and clergy in street clothing. As varied as services can be, the central binding aspect is the Book of Common Prayer or supplemental liturgies.
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 embellishments such as incense, formal hymns, and a higher degree of ceremony. In addition to clergy vesting in albs, stoles and chasubles, the lay assistants may also be vested in albs. The sung eucharist tends to be emphasized in High Church congregations, with Anglo-Catholic congregations and celebrants using sung services almost exclusively. Low Church is simpler and may incorporate other elements such as informal praise and worship music. "Low" congregations tend towards a more "traditional Protestant" outlook. The spoken eucharist tends to be emphasized in Low Church congregations. Broad Church incorporates elements of both low church and high church.
Although some Episcopalians refer to their churches by these labels, often there is overlapping, and the basic rites do not greatly differ. There are also variations that blend elements of all three and have their own unique features, such as New England Episcopal churches, which have elements drawn from Puritan practices, combining the traditions of "high church" with the simplicity of "low church". Typical parish worship features Bible readings from the Old Testament as well as from both the Epistles and the Gospels of the New Testament. Every Eucharist or Holy Communion service must use real wine, not water or grape juice, for the sacrament to be valid. Those wishing for whatever reason to avoid alcohol are free to decline the cup.
In contrast to many Protestant denominations, a Eucharist can be part of a wedding to celebrate a sacramental marriage and of a funeral as a thank offering (sacrifice) to God and for the comfort of the mourners.
The concept of "saint" in the Episcopal Church is highly influenced by the Catholic tradition, although the level of veneration given to saints is much more Protestant. Those inclined to the Anglo-Catholic branch may explicitly invoke saints as intercessors, and many do. The saints are also used as examples in history of good Christian men and women. Episcopalians pray for each other as members of the Communion of Saints. Both the living and the dead are in the hands of God. With that understanding one sees a wide variety of people thought of as "saints" in the Episcopal Church, such as Martin Luther and Augustine of Canterbury. In addition, the Church holds that all members are saints of God and hold the potential to be examples to others.
The Episcopal Church publishes Lesser Feasts and Fasts, which contains feast days for the various men and women the Church wishes to honor. This book is updated every three years after new saints are added to the liturgical calendar. Some of the specifically American saints included are
The preparation materials for delegates to the 2006 General Convention highlighted five areas of "Social Teaching/Contentious Resolutions"[10] made by the General Convention in the previous 30 years:
Below are examples of how the General Conventions have voted on these five issues over the past 30 years. In some areas, such as Race, the church has maintained a consistent theme. In other areas, such as human sexuality, the church has faced larger struggles.
The three "non-compliant" dioceses are San Joaquin, Quincy, and Fort Worth. In Quincy, two women deacons serve, but both were ordained prior to the tenure of the current diocesan bishop. The Bishop of San Joaquin has previously arranged for a woman ordained a deacon in San Joaquin to be priested in a neighbouring diocese. Fort Worth has a handful of women deacons, and allows parishes that wish to call a woman priest to transfer to the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Dallas.
The Polity of the Episcopal church is Episcopalian church governance, which is the same as other Anglican churches. Following the United States American Revolution, American Anglicans were technically not a part of the Church of England's structure, so they had to form their own.
Today, there are over 7000 congregations, each of which elects a vestry or bishop's committee. The vestry selects (via vote) their clergy called deacons and priests.
The middle judicatory consists of a diocese headed by a bishop. Diocesan conventions are usually held annually.
At the national level, the church is governed by the triennial General Convention, which consists of two bodies:
The location of the Presiding Bishop's office is the Episcopal Church Center, the national administrative headquarters, located at 815 Second Avenue, New York, NY. It is often referred to by Episcopalians simply as "815."[19]
There are many different theologies represented within the Episcopal Church. Some Episcopal 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 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. [20] This balance of scripture, tradition and reason is traced to the work of Richard Hooker, a sixteenth 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.[21] More recently, the Episcopal Church has developed a fourth leg known as "experience." This understanding is highly dependent on the work of Friedrich Schleiermacher.
A public example of this struggle between the liberal and evangelical Christian positions in the church has been the 2003 consecration of the Right Reverend 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 authority of and understanding of scripture.[22] 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.
According to the Windsor Report of the Anglican Communion, the 2003 consecration of Robinson, an openly gay man living in a committed relationship, was a landmark event for those on both sides of the issue.
On one side of the debate, the 1998 Lambeth Conference 1.10 is quoted:[23]which states:
<blockquote>"This Conference ... in view of the teaching of Scripture, upholds faithfulness in marriage between a man and a woman in lifelong union, and believes that abstinence is right for those who are not called to marriage;"[24] ,</blockquote>
In answer, at the request of the Anglican Communion's Lambeth Commission, TEC released To Set Our Hope on Christ on June 21, 2005, which explains "how a person living in a same gender union may be considered eligible to lead the flock of Christ."[25]
Jefferts Schori has become a lightning rod as she voted to confirm Robinson and allowed blessing of same-sex unions in her diocese of Nevada.
The 2006 election of Jefferts Schori is also controversial in the wider Anglican Communion because she is a woman[26] While TEC ordains women as priests and bishops, the full Anglican Communion does not universally accept the ordination of women. She is the first and only national leader of a church in the Anglican Communion who is a woman.
Several issues have recently created a tensions in TEC including the reliability of scripture and historic church teachings as reliable sources for Church doctrine and the exclusive claims of Jesus regarding salvation[27] as well as the sanctity of marriage as instituted between one man and one woman by Jesus in the New Testament.[28]
Certain statements by Jefferts Schori have been the focus of controversy, especially regarding the central Christian teachings on salvation through Jesus alone.[29]
Eight US bishops have rejected Jefferts Schori's apostolic authority and have requested alternative pastoral oversight. In one case, the convention of the diocese supports the bishop. On December 2, 2006, the Convention of the Diocese of San Joaquin, one of the most conservative dioceses in the church, passed a series of resolutions which, if confirmed at the convention in 2007, set into motion withdrawal from the Episcopal Church and affiliation with another Anglican Church, "“The diocese shall be a constituent member of the Anglican Communion and in full communion with the See of Canterbury.” This was combined with a resolution which removed the present boundaries of the diocese, theoretically allowing it to absorb other dissenting congregations in the United States. The diocese has 148 parishes and 18,000 members but includes an active caucus which opposes secession.[30] The Diocese of Quincy joined seven other dioceses in requesting alternative pastoral oversight.
Some individual parishes are also attempting to leave the Episcopal Church. In the Diocese of Virginia, eight parishes voted to leave The Episcopal Church and formed the Anglican District of Virginia, which is part of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA). As church property in the Episcopal Church does not belong to individual parishes, the Diocese of Virginia[31] has taken the first steps to maintain its claim on the church buildings and land. Groups of Episcopalians from the breakaway parishes who were loyal to the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Virginia have begun holding services at alternative sites until their parishes return to the Church.[32]
Since 1785, there have been disputes within the TEC that have led to departures of clergy and congregations. An early and notable example is King's Chapel, an historic church in Boston that was Anglican when founded in 1686. A century later, in 1785, a clergymen with Unitarian ideas took his congregation and formed an independent Unitarian church.[33]. To this day, King's Chapel can be categorized as both a Unitarian church and an extra-mural Anglican church as it uniquely uses the The Book of Common Prayer According to the Use in King's Chapel in its worship[34].
For the most part, extra-mural Episcopalian/Anglican churces are linked by the common use of the Book of Common Prayer in worship. Like the example of King's Chapel, some use unique or historical variants. Over the years, various parallel Episcopalian / Anglican denominations have broken with the TEC over many - sometimes transient - issues:
<blockquote> Christian history, [Rev. David] Ousley [St. James the Less, Philadelphia] continued, is full of splits—“some necessary, some benign, some sinful.” Likewise, while most of the splits undertaken by groups of orthodox Anglicans since 1976 have been regarded by those who effected them as necessary to the integrity of the Gospel, he said, some of them were rooted instead in "some form of human selfishness,” e.g., personality conflicts or objections to leadership style, “and are rightly termed `schism'". Complicating matters, Ousley noted, is that orthodox Anglicans might in a few cases disagree as to which are substantive or non-substantive issues, for instance the ordination of women deacons, or whether seeking reunion with Rome is a high priority.
The post-1976 Continuing Church has "split various times," Ousley noted. Additionally, others who left ECUSA since 1976 have formed separate bodies. "While that is not exactly `splitting it still contributes to the current state of disunity," he said.[35]</blockquote>
There are a number of extra-mural Episcopal / Anglican organizations in the U.S.: some of these play a role in the Anglican realignment debate.
There are also para-church organizations:
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