St. James's Episcopal Church
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The Episcopal Church
St. James's is a parish of the Episcopal Church in the United States. Congregations of the Church of England in the former American colonies formed the Episcopal Church in 1789. The word "Episcopal" means "having bishops"; it is derived from the Greek word for bishop,
© 2012 St. James's Episcopal Church, 19 Walden Street, West Hartford, CT 06107
episkopos.
Members of the Church are called Episcopalians. The
Episcopal Church is also called Anglican because its heritage is English and because it is still in communion (affiliated)
with the Church of England and other Anglican Churches around the world. These Churches make up the Anglican Communion, with
nearly 80 million members in 44 regional and national member churches around the globe in over 160 countries. Bishops of the
Anglican Communion meet every ten years at the Lambeth Conference in England.
Anglicanism includes both Catholic and Protestant traditions. In the 16th century, the Church of England, rejecting the claim of the Pope's universal authority, broke with the Roman Catholic Church, yet preserved the ancient apostolic faith, the ministry of bishops, priests and deacons, and the sacraments, and so remained Catholic. However, Anglicans are at the same time Protestant, recognizing the importance of Scripture, tradition and reason in understanding God's will for any age and circumstance.
The worship, policy and program of the Episcopal Church are governed by its General Convention, which meets every three years. The next General Convention will be held in Anaheim, California, in July of 2009. General Convention is composed of the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies, the latter made up of lay and clergy representatives from all the Church's dioceses and missionary districts.
A Presiding Bishop is elected by the House of Bishops and confirmed by the House of Deputies to act as the Church's chief pastor, and to represent the national Episcopal Church with respect to other faith communities and to the secular world. The Presiding Bishop also provides leadership in developing the policy of the Episcopal Church. The current Presiding Bishop, the Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, was elected at the General Convention in June of 2006.
The worship, policy and program of the Episcopal Church are governed by its General Convention, which meets every three years. The next General Convention will be held in Anaheim, California, in July of 2009. General Convention is composed of the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies, the latter made up of lay and clergy representatives from all the Church's dioceses and missionary districts.
A Presiding Bishop is elected by the House of Bishops and confirmed by the House of Deputies to act as the Church's chief pastor, and to represent the national Episcopal Church with respect to other faith communities and to the secular world. The Presiding Bishop also provides leadership in developing the policy of the Episcopal Church. The current Presiding Bishop, the Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, was elected at the General Convention in June of 2006.
The Episcopal Church
