Episcopal Church (United States)

In 1856, the first society for African Americans in the Episcopal Church was founded by James Theodore Holly. Named The Protestant Episcopal Society for Promoting The Extension of The Church Among Colored People, the society argued that blacks should be allowed to participate in seminaries and diocesan conventions. The group lost its focus when Holly emigrated to Haiti, but other groups followed after the Civil War. The current Union of Black Episcopalians traces its history to the society.^[45] Holly went on to found the Anglican 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,

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. P. Morgan, industrialist Henry Ford, and art collector Isabella Stewart Gardner played a central role in shaping a distinctive upper class Episcopalian ethos, especially with regard to preserving the arts and history. These philanthropists 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

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

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

The church elected its first openly gay bishop,

In 2009, the General Convention charged the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music to develop theological and liturgical resources for same-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

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 diocesan withdrawals, stating that under canon law an Episcopal diocese cannot withdraw itself from the larger Episcopal Church. In a "pastoral letter" to the South Carolina diocese, Presiding Bishop Schori wrote that "While some leaders have expressed a desire to 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

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 mostly won on appeal to the South Carolina Supreme Court. Multiple parishes affiliated with the departing group were allowed to keep their property. 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. The departing diocese was renamed The Anglican Diocese of South Carolina.

Membership

As of 2022, the Episcopal Church had 1,584,785 active members,^[3] of whom 1,432,082 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]

According to a report by ARIS/Barna in 2001, 3.5 million 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 progressive than members of other Christian denominations in the United States. Despite the church's progressive reputation, though, a significant portion of members do describe themselves as conservative although they generally tend to skew moderate. According to a 2014

Influence

In the twentieth century, Episcopalians tended to be wealthier

According to a 2014 study by the Pew Research Center, the Episcopal Church also has the highest number of

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

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

Further information: Ecclesiastical provinces and dioceses of the Episcopal Church

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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

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

Main article:

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

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 church is governed as contained in the Constitution and Canons; the second type are broad guidelines on church policy called resolutions.^[143] Either house may propose legislation.^[144]

The House of Deputies only meets as a full body once every three years; however, the House of Bishops meets regularly throughout 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

Further information: Anglican church music

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 Episcopal Church.^[150]

The Episcopal Church has a sacramental understanding of worship. The Episcopal

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".

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.^{[citation needed}

]

Often a congregation or a particular service will be referred to as Low Church or High Church. In theory:

• Marian devotion
  is sometimes seen in the Anglo-Catholic and some High Church parishes.
• 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.^{[citation needed}

] 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

See also: Anglicanism and Anglican doctrine

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 God.^[163]
• Jesus provides forgiveness of sin and the way of eternal 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
  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
  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
  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

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

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

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

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

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 Native Americans and African-Americans, as well as work in China and other foreign missions.^[220][221] There are special programs for both Native Americans ^[222] and African-Americans^[223] interested in training for the ministry.

There are three

American Episcopalianism: Historical Society of the Episcopal Church, the National Episcopal Historians and Archivists (NEHA), and the Episcopal Women's History Project.^{[citation needed][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.^{[citation needed]} Imprints include Church Publishing, Morehouse Publishing (independently founded in 1884) and Seabury Books (the "trade" imprint).^[225]

Ecumenical relations

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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

Moravian Church in America.^[228]

The Episcopal Church maintains ecumenical 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

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 in the United States
• Episcopal Youth Community
• Anglican Religious Orders
• 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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188. ^ As stated in section 2.16 of To Set Our Hope On Christ (PDF), because "the biblical writers [...] write at different times and in different circumstances, they do not always agree with one another. [...] For example, it is helpful to know that when Ezra (chapter 10) commands the men of Israel to divorce their wives, it is because they had married foreign wives, who are seen to be a danger to Israel in exile. But there is another belief about foreign wives in the Book of Ruth, probably written at about the same time. [...] Today, in some situations, it may be faithful to follow Ezra, while in most situations it is faithful to follow Ruth."
189. ^ Robin Williams: Live on Broadway
190. ^ General Convention Resolution 1991-D066 Support a Policy of Pay Equity in the Church and Society
191. ^ General Convention Resolution 2003-D040 Reaffirm Commitment to Provide Affordable Housing for the Poor
192. ^ General Convention Resolution 1997-D030 Challenge Congregations to Establish Direct Ministries to the Poor
193. ^ General Convention Resolution 1997-D082 Urge Church-wide Promotion of the Living Wage
194. ^ General Convention Resolution 2000-A081 Urge Bishops and Diocesan Leaders to Support the National Implementation of a Just Wage
195. ^ General Convention Resolution 2003-A130 Support the Establishment of a Living Wage
196. ^ General Convention Resolution 2003-C030 Urge Legislation to Raise the Federal Minimum Wage
197. ^ "Acts of Convention: Implement Mandatory Rights of Women Clergy under Canon Law, 1997-A053". Archives of the Episcopal Church. The Episcopal Church. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
198. ^ "Acts of Resolution: Create an Anti-Sexism Task Force, 2018-D023". Archives of the Episcopal Church. The Episcopal Church. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
199. ^ Wan, William (July 16, 2009). "Episcopalians in Va. Divided Over Decision Allowing Ordination of Gay Bishops". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 2, 2010.
200. ^ "Episcopal Church Takes Bold Step On Transgender Priests". The Huffington Post. July 9, 2012. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
201. ^ "Acts of Convention: Call for Guidance on Intimate Relationships Other Than Marriage, 2018-A087". The Archives of the Episcopal Church. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
202. ^ "The Episcopal Church approves religious weddings for gay couples after controversial debate". Washington Post. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
203. ^ "Some same-sex couples will still face hurdles accessing church's marriage rites". The Episcopal Church. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
204. ^ "Religious Groups' Official Positions on Same-Sex Marriage". Pew Research Center. December 7, 2012. Accessed October 28, 2014.
205. ^ G.W. Hyer, Bishop Hopkins' Letter on Slavery Ripped up and His Misuse of the Sacred Scriptures Exposed by a Clergyman of the Protestant Episcopal Church (New York: John F. Trow, 1863).
206. ^ "Social Gospel". An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
207. ^ The 70th General Convention of the Episcopal Church, "Resolution #1991-B051, Call for the Removal of Racism from the Life of the Nation", Acts of Convention, The Archives of the Episcopal Church, retrieved October 31, 2008{{citation}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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Sources

• Adams, Elizabeth (2006). Going to Heaven: The Life and Election of Bishop Gene Robinson. Brooklyn, New York: Soft Skull Press.
  ISBN 978-1-933368-22-1
  .
• Baltzell, E. Digby (1964). The Protestant Establishment: Aristocracy and Caste in America. New York: Random House.
• Bourgeois, Michael (2004). All Things Human: Henry Codman Potter and the Social Gospel in the Episcopal Church. Studies in Anglican History. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.
  ISBN 978-0-252-02877-9
  .
• ISBN 978-0-19-508542-6
  .
• Bell, James B. (2008). A War of Religion: Dissenters, Anglicans, and the American Revolution. Basingstoke, England: Palgrave Macmillan.
  ISBN 978-0-230-54297-6
  .
• Clark, Jennifer (1994). "'Church of Our Fathers': The Development of the Protestant Episcopal Church Within the Changing Post-Revolutionary Anglo-American Relationship". Journal of Religious History. 18 (1): 27–51.
  doi:10.1111/j.1467-9809.1994.tb00225.x
  .
• Davidson, James D.; Pyle, Ralph E.; Reyes, David V. (1995). "Persistence and Change in the Protestant Establishment, 1930–1992". Social Forces. 74 (1): 157–175.
  JSTOR 2580627
  .
• ISBN 978-0-8028-2819-4
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• ISBN 978-0-465-04195-4
  .
• Hacker, Andrew (1957). "Liberal Democracy and Social Control". American Political Science Review. 51 (4): 1009–1026.
  S2CID 146933599
  .
• Hein, David; Shattuck, Gardiner H Jr. (2004). The Episcopalians. New York: Church Publishing.
  ISBN 978-0-89869-497-0
  .
• Mason, Lockert B. (1990). "Separation and Reunion of the Episcopal Church, 1860–1865: The Role of Bishop Thomas Atkinson". Anglican and Episcopal History. 59 (3): 345–365.
  JSTOR 42610426
  .
• Piepkorn, Arthur Carl (1977). Profiles in Belief: The Religious Bodies of the United States and Canada. New York: Harper & Row.
  ISBN 978-0-06-066580-7
  .
• Podmore, Colin (2008). "A Tale of Two Churches: The Ecclesiologies of The Episcopal Church and the Church of England Compared". International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church. 8 (2): 124–154.
  S2CID 214652376
  .
• Reeder, Kathleen E. (2006). "Whose Church Is It, Anyway? Property Disputes and Episcopal Church Splits". Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems. 40 (2): 125–171.
• Swatos, William H Jr. (2005). "A Primacy of Systems: Confederation, Cooperation, and Communion". In Roozen, David A.; Nieman, James R. (eds.). Church, Identity, and Change: Theology and Denominational Structures in Unsettled Times. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. pp. 198–226.
  ISBN 978-0-8028-2819-4
  .
• Sydnor, William (1980). Looking at the Episcopal Church. Morehouse Publishing.
  ISBN 978-0-8192-1279-5
  .
• Webber, Christopher L. (1999). Welcome to the Episcopal Church: An Introduction to Its History, Faith, and Worship. Morehouse Publishing.
  ISBN 978-0-8192-1820-9
  .
• Williams, Peter W. (2006). "The Gospel of Wealth and the Gospel of Art: Episcopalians and Cultural Philanthropy from the Gilded Age to the Depression". Anglican and Episcopal History. 75 (2): 170–223.
  JSTOR 42612970
  .
• Zahl, Paul F. M. (1998). The Protestant Face of Anglicanism. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
  ISBN 978-0-8028-4597-9
  .

Further reading

• Anglican & Episcopal History—The Journal of the Historical Society of the Episcopal Church
  (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". Commonweal. 133 (10). Archived from the original 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
• 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 Archived 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".
  JSTOR 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 Archived November 9, 2020, at the Wayback Machine. Savitri Hensman. Ekklesia. 2007.

External links

• Official website
• Church Publishing, Inc.
• Profile on the Association of Religion Data Archives website

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

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