It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is divided into nine provinces. The presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church is Sean W. In , the Episcopal Church had 1,, members. The church was organized after the American Revolution , when it separated from the Church of England , whose clergy are required to swear allegiance to the British monarch as Supreme Governor of the Church of England. The Episcopal Church describes itself as " Protestant , yet catholic ", [ 11 ] and asserts apostolic succession , tracing its bishops back to the apostles via holy orders.
The Book of Common Prayer , a collection of rites , blessings, liturgies , and prayers used throughout the Anglican Communion, is central to Episcopal worship. A broad spectrum of theological views is represented within the Episcopal Church, including evangelical , Anglo-Catholic , and broad church views. Historically, members of the Episcopal Church have played leadership roles in many aspects of American life, including politics, business, science, the arts, and education.
Since the s and s, the church has pursued a more liberal Christian course; there remains a wide spectrum of liberals and conservatives within the church. In , the church's 78th triennial General Convention passed resolutions allowing the blessing of same-sex marriages and approved two official liturgies to bless such unions.
The church calls for the full legal equality of LGBT people. In the 19th century, high church members advocated changing the name, which they felt did not acknowledge the church's catholic heritage. They were opposed by the church's evangelical wing, which felt that the "Protestant Episcopal" label accurately reflected the Reformed character of Anglicanism. After , alternative names were regularly proposed and rejected by the General Convention.
One proposed alternative was "the American Catholic Church". In a General Convention compromise, priests and lay delegates suggested adding a preamble to the church's constitution, recognizing "The Episcopal Church" as a lawful alternate designation while still retaining the earlier name.
