The Episcopal Church

The Episcopal Church

815 Second Ave.
New York, NY 10017
United States

Attesting Officer


Media Contact
Dir. of News Service., Robert Williams

40.7507932, -73.9719425


The Episcopal Church entered the colonies with the earliest settlers at Jamestown, Va., in 1607 as the Church of England. After the American Revolution, it became autonomous in 1789 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 1784.

In organizing as an independent body, the Episcopal Church created a bicameral legislature, the General Convention, modeled after the new U.S. Congress. It comprises a House of Bishops and a House of Deputies and meets every three years. A 38-member Executive Council, which meets three times a year, is the interim governing body. An elected presiding bishop serves as Primate and Chief Pastor.

After severe setbacks in the years immediately following the Revolution because of its association with the British Crown and the fact that a number of its clergy and members were Loyalists, the church soon established its own identity and sense of mission. It sent missionaries into the newly settled territories of the United States, establishing dioceses from coast to coast, and also undertook substantial missionary 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 38 churches in communion with the Church of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The beliefs and practices of The Episcopal Church, like those of other Anglican churches, are both Catholic and Reformed, with bishops in the apostolic succession and the historic creeds of Christendom regarded as essential elements of faith and order, along with the primary authority of Holy Scripture and the two chief sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist.


Full Communicants Average Attendance Other Members Total Inclusive Members Total Churches Membership Calculation Method
1976
2,021,057
2,882,064
7,116
1975
2,051,964
2,857,513
7,192
1974
2,056,254
2,907,293
7,087
1973
2,069,793
2,917,165
6,768
1972
2,099,896
3,062,734
6,891
1971
2,143,557
3,217,365
7,116
1970
2,208,773
3,285,826
7,069
1969
2,238,538
3,330,272
7,112
1968
2,260,950
3,373,890
7,137
1967
2,280,077
3,420,297
7,180
1966
2,267,372
3,429,153
7,562
1964
3,410,657
7,202
1963
3,340,759
7,547
1962
3,336,728
7,248
1961
3,317,870
7,096
1960
3,269,325
7,155
1959
3,444,265
7,657
1958
3,126,662
7,011
1957
2,965,137
6,842
1956
2,852,965
6,708
1954
2,757,944
7,271
1953
2,660,699
7,170
1952
2,550,831
7,215
1951
2,482,887
7,185
1950
2,417,464
7,116
Serving Churches Retired Other Service to the Church Total Clergy
1974
6,940
11,573
1973
7,307
11,507
1972
7,352
11,566
1971
7,009
11,108
1970
6,786
11,355
1969
7,085
11,041
1968
7,124
11,010
1967
7,000
10,639
1966
7,353
10,719
1964
5,691
10,213
1963
7,044
9,445
1962
5,621
9,615
1961
6,883
9,385
1960
6,316
8,938
1959
4,963
8,708
1958
4,963
8,430
1957
4,963
7,752
1956
4,963
7,484
1954
4,963
7,193
1953
4,963
6,970
1952
4,963
6,961
1951
4,963
6,740
1950
0
6,473
1949
4,806
1,848
6,654
1947
5,939
Total Schools Staff Pupils Total Individuals
1975
0
617,309
1974
0
621,112
1973
0
616,840
1972
0
606,156
1971
6,451
685,596
1970
6,451
737,801
1969
6,570
780,624
1968
6,719
850,945
1967
6,521
808,180
1966
7,063
935,695
1964
7,171
102,877
849,862
952,739
1963
6,644
100,032
860,619
960,651
1962
6,619
102,981
843,058
946,039
1961
6,619
102,882
851,145
954,027
1960
7,155
104,774
858,490
963,264
1959
5,619
105,087
874,550
979,637
1958
5,619
101,429
829,624
931,053
1957
5,619
94,595
786,104
880,699
1956
5,619
85,783
720,656
806,439
1954
5,619
80,819
696,028
776,847
1953
5,619
73,620
639,493
713,113
1952
5,619
69,017
579,575
648,592
1951
5,619
64,873
547,780
612,653
1950
6,217
61,148
506,059
567,207
1949
6,217
60,151
514,774
574,925
Total Benevolences Total Financials Total Giving Local Expenses Method
1973
$36,560,606
$270,245,645
$233,685,039
1972
$36,004,793
$257,523,469
$221,518,676
1971
$35,397,311
$248,702,969
$213,305,658
1969
$31,608,034
$198,728,675
$167,120,641
1966
$18
$102
$83
1964
$175,374,777
1963
$171,125,464
1962
$155,971,264
1961
$154,458,809
1960
$140,625,284
1959
$130,279,752
1958
$120,687,177
1957
$103,003,465
1956
$17,746,324
$92,944,082
$75,197,758
1954
$22,731,304
$92,079,668
$69,348,364
1953
$22,197,038
$84,209,027
$62,011,989
1952
$15,166,092
$73,393,129
$58,227,037
1951
$10,533,129
$65,328,485
$54,795,356
1950
$9,018,390
$60,888,626
$51,870,236
1949
$73,844,880
1947
$9,604,146
$57,529,310
$47,925,164
1944
$8,020,207
$49,102,003
$41,081,796
1942
$5,553,358
$34,467,793
$28,914,435
1939
$4,017,198
$32,251,076
$28,233,878
1938
$3,437,559
$30,938,129
$27,500,570