www.episcopalchurch.org

Basic History
The Episcopal Church entered the colonies with the earliest settlers at Jamestown, Virginia in 1607 as the Church of England. After the American Revolution in 1789, the denomination became autonomous as the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. (The Episcopal Church became the official alternate name in 1967.) Samuel Seabury of Connecticut was elected the first bishop and consecrated in Aberdeen by bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church.

In the years following the Revolution, the church suffered many setbacks because of its association with the British Crown and the fact that a number of its clergy and members were loyalists. Later, it did establish its own identity by its sense of mission. It sent missionaries into the newly settled territories of the United States, established dioceses from coast to coast and also took on substantial work in Africa, Latin America and the Far East. Today, the overseas dioceses are developing into independent provinces of the Anglican Communion, the worldwide fellowship of 36 churches in communion with the Church of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Basic Beliefs
Important traditions in the Episcopal Church are the use of the Holy Scriptures, the Book of Common Prayer and the sacraments -- particularly the sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist. Church practices are in line with other Anglican churches, and use both Catholic and Reformed ideas. Bishops are deemed to be part of the apostolic succession and the historic Christian creeds are professed and adhered to.

Leadership
The Episcopal church is governed or "overseen" by bishops. Each individual church (or "parish") belongs to a larger governing area called a "diocese," which is overseen by an elected bishop. All the dioceses together make up the church across the whole country (and a few missionary dioceses in other countries), and a specially elected bishop, called the Presiding Bishop, oversees them. A bishop is one kind of ordained clergy person, along with priests and deacons.

The governing body of the church is General Convention which has two houses, the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies. A 38-member executive council is the interim governing body and meets three times a year. The elected presiding bishop serves as Primate and Chief Pastor; Presiding Bishop and Primate (Chair) - The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold III, D.D. Vice President and Dean of the House of Deputies - The Very Rev. George L.W. Werner

Basic Facts
In 1995, the church reported 2,536,550 members in 7,415 congregations, served by 8,037 clergy members.

Location
Episcopal Church USA
815 Second Ave.
New York, NY 10017-4594
Phone (212) 922-5322
Fax (212) 490-3298