The Episcopal Way

For Episcopalians, what is the connection between a parish church, diocese, national church, and Anglican communion?

The Episcopal Church contains and resides in a variety of structures. The smallest is the parish church, led by a rector, vicar, or priest-in-charge.

Numerous parish churches in a geographical region make up a diocese, which is governed by a bishop. The bishop is responsible for leading, supervising, and uniting the church to provide for the Diocese’s broader spiritual and physical welfare.

The Episcopal Church has 111 dioceses, including 11 in countries and territories outside of the 50 states.

Finally, the Episcopal Church makes up one branch of the broader Anglican Communion, which consists of 41 autonomous provinces throughout the world. Taken as a whole, the Anglican Church is the third-largest Christian body in the world, behind the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches.