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
1949
0
2,540,548
7,784
1947
2,160,207
6,985
1944
1,501,777
725,747
2,155,514
7,894
1942
1,467,599
606,579
2,074,178
7,685
1939
1,420,171
576,263
1,996,434
7,074
1938
1,361,167
581,155
1,942,322
7,364
1936
1,400,086
497,050
1,897,136
7,529
1933
1,876,390
491,614
2,368,004
7,424
1929
1,237,695
1,237,695
7,692
1925
1,164,911
1,164,911
7,833
1923
1,128,859
1,128,859
8,324
1922
1,118,396
1,118,396
8,324
1921
1,104,029
1,104,029
8,324
1919
1,065,825
1,065,825
8,103
1917
1,092,821
1,092,821
7,392
1916
1,098,173
1,098,173
7,425
1915
1,040,896
1,040,896
8,061
Serving Churches Retired Other Service to the Church Total Clergy
1944
5,939
1942
5,939
1939
5,939
1938
5,939
1936
5,939
1933
5,927
1929
5,927
1925
5,771
1923
6,075
1922
6,024
1921
6,011
1919
5,677
1917
5,544
1916
5,544
1915
5,538
Total Schools Staff Pupils Total Individuals
1947
5,607
479,430
1944
5,607
479,430
1942
5,607
479,430
1939
5,607
479,430
1938
5,607
479,430
1933
5,607
479,430
1925
6,000
492,436
1923
6,000
492,436
1922
6,000
504,640
1921
6,000
493,212
1919
5,790
435,761
1917
5,790
55,918
489,036
1916
5,808
55,241
493,080
Total Benevolences Total Financials Total Giving Local Expenses Method
1936
$4,844,194
$30,361,892
$25,517,698
1929
$5,356,186
$48,285,505
$42,929,319
1925
$5,490,538
$39,047,394
$32,803,278
1923
$36,475,375
1922
$35,513,273
1921
$34,873,221
1919
$22,509,942
1917
$22,509,942