The Episcopal Church in America: History and Organization
The Episcopal Church, the American expression of Anglicanism, grew directly out of the Church of England. Anglican worship and practice first arrived in North America in the early 1600s with the settlers at Jamestown, Virginia. Over the course of the colonial period, the Church of England became the established church in several colonies and shaped the religious life of many communities.
The American Revolution created both crisis and opportunity for Anglicans in the colonies. Because the Church of England was bound by law and loyalty to the British crown, its clergy and congregations suddenly found themselves in an awkward position after independence. Many clergy departed, congregations dwindled, and the church lacked bishops to ordain new clergy—since consecration in England required an oath to the king. To secure a future, American Anglicans sought to organize themselves as an independent national church.
The breakthrough came in 1784, when Samuel Seabury of Connecticut was consecrated a bishop in Scotland, where bishops were free from the oath to the English monarch. This consecration ensured apostolic succession for the new American church. In 1789, clergy and laity gathered in Philadelphia and adopted a constitution, formally creating the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, today known simply as the Episcopal Church. Leaders such as William White and Samuel Provoost guided this process, giving the church a distinctively American identity while preserving its Anglican heritage.
During the 19th century, the Episcopal Church grew steadily alongside the nation. It established new dioceses, founded seminaries and missions, and became especially influential among America’s social and cultural elites. Within the church, however, there was significant diversity: some embraced a “high church” or Anglo-Catholic liturgical style, others a more evangelical or “low church” approach. This internal variety would remain a hallmark of Episcopalianism.
The 20th century brought both reforms and tensions. The church revised its Book of Common Prayer several times, culminating in the influential 1979 edition that shaped worship for a new generation. In the 1970s, the ordination of women was approved, following the irregular but symbolic ordinations of the “Philadelphia Eleven” in 1974. The late 20th and early 21st centuries also saw conflict over questions of sexuality, especially with the 2003 consecration of Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop. These developments led to significant schisms, with conservative groups departing to form new churches, most notably the Anglican Church in North America in 2009.
Today the Episcopal Church is organized on three levels. At the local level, parishes are led by clergy and governed by elected vestries. These parishes belong to dioceses, each overseen by a bishop. The dioceses are grouped into nine provinces, which together form the national church. The Episcopal Church is governed by the General Convention, a bicameral assembly consisting of the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies (clergy and laity), which meets every three years. Between conventions, the Executive Council oversees church business, while the Presiding Bishop, elected by the General Convention, serves as chief pastor and primate.
Though it has declined in membership in recent decades, the Episcopal Church remains a significant voice in American religious life. It continues to hold to the Anglican balance of scripture, tradition, and reason, while embodying a wide theological spectrum. It is known both for its liturgical worship rooted in the Book of Common Prayer and for its engagement in social issues, education, and ecumenical dialogue.