Episcopal polity is a form of church governance which is hierarchical in structure with the chief authority over a local Christian church resting in a bishop (Greek: episcopos). Ecclesiastical polity is the operational and governance structure of a Church or Christian denomination. A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight This episcopal structure is found most often in the various churches of Orthodox, Roman Catholic, or Anglican lineage. Some churches founded independently of these lineages also employ this form of church governance.

The cathedra of bishops, such as the chair of the Pope in the Basilica of St. John Lateran, represent their magisterium (teaching authority)

It is usually considered that the bishops of an episcopal polity derive part of their authority from an unbroken, personal Apostolic Succession from the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. A cathedra ( Latin, "chair" from Greek, kathedra, "seat" is the Chair or Throne of a Bishop History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and The Basilica of St John Lateran ( Italian: Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano) is the Cathedral of the church of Rome and the official Magisterium is a "teaching authority especially of the Roman Catholic Church" The Twelve Apostles (Greek apostolos, "someone sent out" e Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Bishops with such authority are known as the historical episcopate. The episcopate is the collective body of all Bishops of a church Churches with this type of government usually believe that the Church equires episcopalian government. ^[1]

For most of the written history of Christianity, episcopal government was the only form known to Christianity. (Some Baptists claim to descend from a continuous lineage of small churches which existed in parallel with the main stream of Catholic Christianity). This all changed at the Reformation. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time Many Protestant churches are now organized by either congregational or presbyterian church polities, both descended from the writings of John Calvin, a Protestant reformer working and writing independently following the break with the Roman Catholic Church precipitated by the 95 theses of Martin Luther. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Congregationalist polity, often known as congregationalism is a system of Church governance in which every Local church congregation is independent Presbyterian polity is a method of Church governance typified by the rule of assemblies of Presbyters or elders John Calvin (or Jean Calvin) (10 July 1509 – 27 May 1564 was a French Protestant theologian during the Protestant Reformation and Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. The Ninety-Five Theses on the Power of Indulgences, commonly known as The Ninety-Five Theses, were written by Martin Luther in 1517 Martin Luther (November 10 1483 February 18 1546 was a German Monk, theologian, university professor Father of Protestantism, and church reformer However, the majority of Christians are still members of the historic churches of episcopal governance.

There are subtle differences in governmental principles among episcopal churches at the present time. To some extent the separation of episcopal churches can be traced to these differences in ecclesiology, that is, their theological understanding of church and church governance. Ecclesiology (from Greek grc ἐκκλησίᾱ ekklēsiā, "congregation church" and grc -λογία -logia) is the study of the The churches of Rome and Constantinople (the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches in modern terms) have an episcopal government, as do the Oriental Orthodox, Assyrian, Anglican, some Lutheran and many Methodist churches. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Oriental Orthodoxy is the communion of Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only three Ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the The Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East (ܥܕܬܐ ܩܕܝܫܬܐ ܘܫܠܝܚܝܬܐ ܩܬܘܠܝܩܝ ܕܡܕܢܚܐ ܕܐܬܘܪ̈ܝܐ ‘Ittā Qaddishtā wa-Shlikhāitā Qattoliqi Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations ^[2]

Description

Churches having episcopal polity are governed by bishops, who have authority over dioceses, conferences, synods (in general referred to as a judicatory). A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight In many rites of the Roman Catholic Church and in Anglican churches, a diocese is an administrative territorial unit administered by a Bishop. Their presidency is both sacramental and political; as well as performing ordinations, confirmations, and consecrations, the bishop supervises the clergy within the judicatory and is the representative to both secular structures and in the hierarchy of the church. In general religious use ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is set apart as Clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies Confirmation is a Rite of initiation in many Christian Churches normally in the form of Laying on of hands and/or Anointing for Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service usually religious Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given Religion.

In some systems, Bishops may be subject to higher ranking bishops (variously called archbishops, metropolitans, and/or patriarchs, depending upon the tradition; see also Bishop for further explanation of the varieties of bishops. In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated Bishop. In the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion and others this means that they lead In Hierarchical Christian churches the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the Diocesan bishop or Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a Pater familias over an extended family A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight ) They also meet in councils or synods. A synod (also known as a council) is a council of a church, usually a Christian church convened to decide an issue of doctrine administration or application These gatherings, subject to presidency by higher ranking bishops, may govern the judicatory which are represented in the council, though the synod or council may also be purely advisory. A synod (also known as a council) is a council of a church, usually a Christian church convened to decide an issue of doctrine administration or application

Note that the presence of the office of "bishop" within a church is not proof of episcopal polity. For example, in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a "bishop" occupies the office that in an Anglican church would be occupied by priest. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States and the largest and most well-known Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites in particular rites of sacrifice to and propitiation of a deity or deities

Also, episcopal polity is not usually a simple chain of command. Instead, some authority may be held, not only by synods and colleges of bishops, but by lay and clerical councils. In religious organizations the laity comprises all persons who are not Clergy. Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given Religion. Further, patterns of authority are subject to a wide variety of historical rights and honors which may cut across simple lines of authority.

Overview of episcopal churches

The definition of the word "Episcopal" has variation among Christian traditions. For some, Episcopal churches are churches that use a hierarchy of bishops that regard themselves as being in an unbroken, personal Apostolic succession. A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight

Episcopal is also commonly used to distinguish between the various organizational structures of denominations. Denominationalism|List of Christian denominations|Church (disambiguation A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name structure and doctrine within For instance, the word “presbyterian” (from the Greek πρεσβύτης, transliterated presbyteros) is used to describe a church governed by a hierarchy of assemblies of elected elders (see Presbyterian polity. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly An elder (in Greek, πρεσβυτερος; see Presbyter) in Christianity is a person valued for his Wisdom who accordingly holds a particular Presbyterian polity is a method of Church governance typified by the rule of assemblies of Presbyters or elders ) Similarly, “episcopal” is used to describe a church governed by bishops (Greek επίσκοπος, transliterated episcopos). Self-governed local churches (congregations), governed neither by elders nor bishops, are usually referred to as "congregational" (see Congregational polity. Congregationalist polity, often known as congregationalism is a system of Church governance in which every Local church congregation is independent )

More specifically, the title Episcopal (capitalized) is applied to several churches historically based within Anglicanism (Episcopalianism) including those still in communion with the Church of England. Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican See Episcopal Church (disambiguation).

Using these definitions, examples of specific episcopal churches include:

• The Roman Catholic Church
• The Eastern Orthodox Churches
• The Oriental Orthodox Churches
• The Assyrian Church of the East
• The Churches of the Anglican Communion
• The Old Catholic Church
• The Mar Thoma Church
• Numerous smaller Catholic churches
• Certain national churches of the Lutheran confession
• Some of the churches listed in the article titled Episcopal Church (disambiguation)
• The Charismatic Episcopal Church

Some Lutheran churches practice congregational polity or a form of presbyterian polity. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Oriental Orthodoxy is the communion of Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only three Ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the The Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East (ܥܕܬܐ ܩܕܝܫܬܐ ܘܫܠܝܚܝܬܐ ܩܬܘܠܝܩܝ ܕܡܕܢܚܐ ܕܐܬܘܪ̈ܝܐ ‘Ittā Qaddishtā wa-Shlikhāitā Qattoliqi See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches The Old Catholic Church is a Christian denomination originating with churches (many of them German -speaking that split from the Roman Catholic Church in The Mar Thoma Church is a Christian denomination from Kerala, the South Western State of India. Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther The Charismatic Episcopal Church, more officially known as the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church (ICCEC is an international Christian Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther Congregationalist polity, often known as congregationalism is a system of Church governance in which every Local church congregation is independent Presbyterian polity is a method of Church governance typified by the rule of assemblies of Presbyters or elders ^[2] Others, including the Church of Sweden, practice episcopal polity; the Church of Sweden also counts its bishops among the historic episcopate as do some American Lutheran churches like the Anglo-Lutheran Catholic Church and the Lutheran Orthodox Church. The Church of Sweden (Svenska kyrkan Ruoŧa girkui is the largest church in Sweden. The episcopate is the collective body of all Bishops of a church The Anglo-Lutheran Catholic Church (ALCC, formerly the Evangelical Community Church-Lutheran (ECCL is a Church in the Lutheran Evangelical Catholic tradition The Lutheran Orthodox Church is a very small Lutheran Church in Apostolic Succession.

Many Methodist churches (see The United Methodist Church, among others) retain the form and function of episcopal polity. Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations The United Methodist Church is the largest Methodist denomination and the second largest Protestant denomination in the United States. Since all trace their ordinations to an Anglican priest, John Wesley, it is generally considered that their bishops do not share in apostolic succession, though United Methodists still affirm that their bishops share in the historic episcopate. John Wesley (ˈwɛslɪ ( – March 2, 1791) was an Anglican cleric and Christian theologian who was the founder of the (Evangelical

Etymology

The word episcopal is derived from the Greek επίσκοπος, transliterated epískopos, which literally means "overseer"; the word, however, is used in religious contexts to refer to a bishop. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight

The government of a bishop is typically symbolised by a cathedral church, such as the Orthodox Patriarch of Bulgaria's seat in Sofia

Before the Great Schism

All orthodox Christians were in a single Church with an episcopal government, that is, one Church under local bishops and regional Patriarchs. The Patriarch of All Bulgaria is the Patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a Pater familias over an extended family Writing between ca. 85 and 110, St. Ignatius of Antioch, Patriarch of Antioch, was the earliest of the Church fathers to define the importance of episcopal government. Saint Ignatius of Antioch (also known as Theophorus) (ca 35-110 was the third Bishop and Patriarch of Antioch and possibly a student of the Apostle John Assuming Ignatius' view was the Apostolic teaching and practice, the line of succession was unbroken and passed through the four ancient Patriarchal sees (those local churches known to be founded by apostles), Rome, Jerusalem, Antioch and Alexandria. Rome was the leading Patriarchate of the ancient four by virtue of its founding by Saint Peter and his martyrdoms there.

Shortly after the Roman Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in 321, he also constructed an elaborate second capital of the Roman Empire located at Byzantium and renamed it Constantinople, in 324. Constantine ( Latin: Cōnstantīnus, Greek:) is a given name and surname derived from the Latin word constans, meaning constant or This article is about the city See also Byzantine Empire. Byzantium ( Greek: Βυζάντιον Latin: la BYZANTIVM Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS Events By Place Roman Empire July 3 — Battle of Adrianople: Constantine I defeats Licinius, forcing him The single Roman Empire was divided between these two autonomous administrative centers, Roman and Constantinopolitan, West and East, Latin speaking and Greek speaking. This remained the status quo through the fourth century.

In the fifth century, the Western Roman Empire declined and was overrun by German and Frankish peoples. Although the city of Rome was in ruins, distant from the seat of secular power, and constantly harassed by invaders, the Roman Patriarchate remained the center of the Western or Latin Church. Claiming the ancient primacy of Peter and the title of "Apostolic See," it remained the last court of episcopal appeal in serious matters for the whole Church, East and West. A number of Christian denominations and scholars hold that Simon Peter was the most prominent of the apostles, favored by Jesus of Nazareth with the first

However, the center of the civilized Roman world had shifted definitively to Constantinople, or New Rome, the capital of the Greek speaking Empire. The term " New Rome " has been used in the following contexts Along with this shift, the effective administration of the Church in the Eastern Roman Empire also shifted. This practical eminence of Constantinople in the East is evident, first at the First Council of Constantinople 381, and then ecumenically at the Council of Chalcedon in 451. The Second Ecumenical Council the first held in Constantinople was called by Theodosius I in 381 which confirmed the Nicene Creed and dealt with other matters such Events By Place Roman Empire A deputation from the Roman Senate delivers to Gratianus the robe of the Pontifex Maximus The Council of Chalcedon was the fourth Ecumenical council. It was held from 8 October to 1 November 451 at Chalcedon (a city of Events By Place Western Roman Empire April 7 — The Huns sack Metz.

Beginning with John the Faster, the Bishop of Constantinople (John IV, 582-595) adopted as a formal title for himself the by-then-customary honorific, Ecumenical Patriarch ("pre-eminent father for the civilized world") over the strong objections of Rome: a title based on the political prestige of Constantinople and its economic and cultural centrality in the Empire. John IV, also known as John Nesteutes or John the Faster (died September 2 595) was the 33rd bishop or Patriarch of Constantinople "Patriarch of Constantinople" redirects here For the institutional church itself see Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. In the following years, Rome's appeals to the East were based on the unique authority of the Apostolic See and the primacy of Peter, over against the powers of councils as defended by the East (councils, for example, had endorsed that lofty title which Rome contested). A number of Christian denominations and scholars hold that Simon Peter was the most prominent of the apostles, favored by Jesus of Nazareth with the first

The sometimes subtle differences between Eastern and Western conceptions of authority and its exercise produced a gradually widening rift between the Churches which continued with some occasional relief throughout the following centuries until the final rupture of the Great Schism (marked by two dates: 16 July, 1054, and the Council of Florence in 1439). The Council of Florence (originally Council of Basel) was an Ecumenical Council of Bishops and other ecclesiastics of the Roman Catholic Church

Pope Pius IX convened the First Vatican Council that approved the dogma of Pope as the visible head of the church, prime bishop over a hierarchy of clergy and believers^[3]

Roman Catholic Church

Main article: Bishop (Catholic Church)

The Catholic Church has an episcopate, with the Pope, who is the Bishop of Rome, at the top. Blessed Pope Pius IX (May 13 1792 &ndash February 7 1878 born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was Pope from June 16 1846 until 1878 The First Vatican Council was summoned by Pope Pius IX by the bull Pastor Aeternus of June 29, 1868. In the Catholic Church, a Bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the priesthood. History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and The Bishop of Rome is the bishop of the Holy See, more often referred to in the Catholic tradition as the Pope. The Catholic Church teaches that juridical oversight over the Church is not a power that derives from human ambition, but strictly from the authority of Christ which was given to his twelve apostles. The See of Rome, as the sole unbroken line of apostolic authority, descending from St. Peter (the "prince and head of the apostles"), is a visible sign and instrument of communion among the college of bishops and therefore also of the local churches around the world. In communion with the world-wide college of bishops the Pope has all legitimate juridical and teaching authority over the whole Church. This authority given by Christ to Peter and the apostles is transmitted from one generation to the next by the power of the Holy Spirit, through the laying on of hands, from the Apostles to the bishops, and from bishops to priests and deacons, in unbroken succession.

Eastern Orthodox Churches

The conciliar idea of episcopal government continues in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the sixteen or so autocephalous primates are seen as collectively gathering around Christ, with other archbishops and bishops gathering around them, and so forth, in a model called "conciliar hierarchy". Autocephaly, in Hierarchical Christian churches and especially Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches is the status of a hierarchical church whose Primate (from the Latin Primus, "first" is a title or rank bestowed on some Bishops in certain Christian churches This is based in part on the vision in the book of Revelation of the 24 elders gathered around the throne of Christ, who are believed to represent the 12 patriarchs of Israel and the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ. The Book of Revelation, also called Revelation to John, Apocalypse of John ( pronounced, from the Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰωάννου There is no single patriarch with exclusive authority comparable to the Pope in Rome.

Oriental Orthodox churches

In the fifth century, several of the Oriental Churches separated from Rome and Constantinople. These were the (Nestorian) and Egyptian Coptic Orthodox (Miaphysite). History of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria Apostolic foundation Egypt is identified in the Bible as the place of refuge that the Differences concerning the theological language for describing the person of Christ at the Council of Chalcedon caused these Churches to break full communion with the rest of the ancient Church. The Council of Chalcedon was the fourth Ecumenical council. It was held from 8 October to 1 November 451 at Chalcedon (a city of Full communion is a term used in Christian Ecclesiology to describe the relationship of communion, with mutually recognized sharing of the same essential These Churches also trace their epicopal lineages to the ancient apostolic succession.

Both the Greek and Coptic Orthodox churches have a bishop in Alexandria, both of whom trace their apostolic succession back to the Apostle Mark (the Coptic bishop claims the title of Pope). The following is a list of all the Coptic Orthodox Popes of Alexandria who have led the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria and have succeeded the Apostle Mark There are official ongoing efforts in recent times to heal this ancient breach. Already, the two recognize each other's baptisms, chrismations, and marriages, making intermarriage much easier. In Christianity, baptism ( Greek, "immersing" "performing Ablutions " is the ritual act with the use of water by which one is admitted Chrismation is the name given in Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches as well as in the Assyrian Church of the East NOTICE TO WOULD-BE ROMEOS **************

Anglican Communion

Paul Kwong, Anglican Archbishop and Primate of Hong Kong

Anglicanism is the most prominent of the Reformation traditions to lay claim to the historic episcopate through apostolic succession in terms comparable to the various Catholic and Orthodox Communions. Paul Kwong ( is the second Archbishop and Primate of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui and Bishop of the Diocese of Hong Kong Island Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th century England by which the Church of England first broke away from the authority of the Pope Anglicans assert unbroken episcopal succession in and through the Church of England back to St. Augustine of Canterbury and to the first century Roman province of Britannia. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Augustine of Canterbury OSB (born c first third of the 6th century - died 26 May 604 was a Benedictine Monk who became the first Archbishop In Ancient Rome, a province (Latin provincia, pl provinciae) was the basic and until the Tetrarchy (circa Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between AD 43 and 410 Although it is impossible to pinpoint an exact moment for the arrival of Catholic Christianity in the British Isles, we know from the Venerable Bede and other early sources that the faith clearly was planted in Great Britain and Ireland independent of Rome and prior to Augustine (see Celtic Christianity). Bede (ˈbiːd (also Saint Bede, the Venerable Bede, or (from Latin Beda (beda (c See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial Celtic Christianity, or Insular Christianity (sometimes called the Celtic Church or the British Church) broadly refers to the Early Medieval

The legislation of Henry VIII effectively establishing the independence from Rome of the Church of England, did not alter its constitutional or pastoral structures. Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of Royal supremacy was exercised through the extant legal structures of the church, whose leaders were bishops. The first Act of Supremacy granted King Henry VIII of England Royal Supremacy which is still the legal authority of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom Episcopacy was thus seen as a given of the Reformed Ecclesia Anglicana, and a foundation in the institution's appeal to ancient and apostolic legitimacy. What did change was that bishops were now seen to be ministers of the Crown for the spiritual government of its subjects. The influence of Richard Hooker was crucial to an evolution in this understanding in which bishops came to be seen in their more traditional role as ones who delegate to the presbyterate inherited powers, act as pastors to presbyters, and holding a particular teaching office with respect to the wider church. Richard Hooker (March 1554 – 3 November 1600) was an Anglican priest and an influential theologian. Presbyterium is a modern term used in the Catholic Church and Eastern Catholic Churches after the Second Vatican Council

Anglican opinion has differed as to the way in which episcopal government is de jure divino. On the one hand, the seventeenth century divine, John Cosin, held that episcopal authority is jure divino, but that it stemmed from "apostolic practice and the customs of the Church. John Cosin ( November 30, 1594 &ndash January 15, 1672) was an English churchman . . [not] absolute precept that either Christ or His Apostles gave about it" (a view maintained also by Hooker)^[4]. In contrast, Lancelot Andrewes and others held that episcopal government is derived from Christ via the apostles. Lancelot Andrewes (1555 – 25 September 1626) was an English clergyman and scholar who held high positions in the Church of England during the reigns Regardless, both parties viewed the episcopacy as bearing the apostolic function of oversight, which both includes, and derives from the power of ordination, and is normative for the governance of the church. The practice of apostolic succession both ensures the legitimacy of the church's mission and establishes the unity, communion, and continuity of the local church with the universal church. This formulation, in turn, laid the groundwork for an independent view of the church as a "sacred society" distinct from civil society, which was so crucial for the development of local churches as non-established entities outside England, and gave direct rise to the Catholic Revival and disestablishmentarianism within England. The Oxford Movement or Tractarianism was an affiliation of High Church Anglicans, most of whom were members of the University of Oxford, who sought Disestablishmentarianism refers to the withdrawal of state support of an established church that was formerly part of the state establishment

Archbishop Tutu was the Primate of the Anglican province of Southern Africa

Functionally, Anglican episcopal authority is expressed synodically, although individual provinces may accord their primate with more or less authority to act independently. Desmond Mpilo Tutu (born 7 October 1931) is a South African Cleric and activist who rose to Worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent Primate (from the Latin Primus, "first" is a title or rank bestowed on some Bishops in certain Christian churches Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs A synod (also known as a council) is a council of a church, usually a Christian church convened to decide an issue of doctrine administration or application Primate (from the Latin Primus, "first" is a title or rank bestowed on some Bishops in certain Christian churches Called variously "synods," "councils," or "conventions," they meet under episcopal chairmanship. In many jurisdictions, conciliar resolutions that have been passed require episcopal assent and/or consent to take force. Seen in this way, Anglicans often speak of "the bishop-in-synod" as the force and authority of episcopal governance. Such conciliar authority extends to the standard areas of doctrine, discipline, and worship, but in these regards is limited by Anglicanism's tradition of the limits of authority. Church discipline is a response of an ecclesiastical body to some perceived wrong whether in action or in doctrine Those limits are expressed in Article XXI of the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, ratified in 1571 (significantly, just as the Council of Trent was drawing to a close), which held that "General Councils. The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion were established in 1563 and are the historic defining statements of Anglican doctrine in relation to the controversies of the The Council of Trent was the 19th Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. . . may err, and sometimes have erred. . . wherefore things ordained by them as necessary to salvation have neither strength nor authority, unless it may be declared that they be taken out of holy Scripture. " Hence, Anglican jurisdictions have traditionally been conservative in their approach to either innovative doctrinal development or in encompassing actions of the church as doctrinal (see lex orandi, lex credendi). Lex orandi lex credendi ( Latin loosely translatable as the law of prayer is the law of belief refers to the relationship between worship and belief and is an ancient

Anglican synodical government, though varied in expression, is characteristically representative. Provinces of the Anglican Communion, their ecclesiastical provinces and dioceses are governed by councils consisting not only of bishops, but also representatives of the presbyterate and laity. See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches An ecclesiastical province is a large jurisdiction of religious government so named by analogy with a secular Province, existing in certain hierarchical Christian In many rites of the Roman Catholic Church and in Anglican churches, a diocese is an administrative territorial unit administered by a Bishop. Presbyterium is a modern term used in the Catholic Church and Eastern Catholic Churches after the Second Vatican Council In religious organizations the laity comprises all persons who are not Clergy. The spread of increasingly democratic forms of representative governance has its origin in the formation of the first General Conventions of the American Episcopal Church in the 1780s, which established a "House of Bishops" and a "House of Deputies. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system The Episcopal Church is the official name of the Province of the Anglican Communion in the United States. " In many jursidictions, there is also a third, clerical House. Resolutions may be voted on jointly or by each House, in the latter case requiring passage in all Houses to be adopted by the particular council.

There is no international juridical authority in Anglicanism, although the tradition's common experience of episcopacy, symbolised by the historical link with the See of Canterbury, along with a common and complex liturgical tradition, has provided a measure of unity. An episcopal see is the ecclesiastical domain of authority of a Bishop. The Province of Canterbury, also called the Southern Province, is one of two Ecclesiastical provinces making up the Church of England. This has been reinforced by the Lambeth Conferences of Anglican Communion bishops, which first met in 1867. The Lambeth Conferences are decennial assemblies of Bishops of the Anglican Communion convened by the Archbishop of Canterbury. These conferences, though they propose and pass resolutions, are strictly consultative, and the intent of the resolutions are to provide guideposts for Anglican jurisdictions - not direction. The Conferences also express the function of the episcopate to demonstrate the ecumenical and Catholic nature of the church.

Churches that are members of the Anglican Communion are episcopal churches in polity, and some are named "Episcopal. See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches " However, some churches that self-identify as Anglican do not belong to the Anglican Communion, and not all episcopally-governed churches are Anglican. The Roman Catholic Church, the Old Catholic Churches (in full communion with, but not members of, the Anglican Communion), and the Eastern Orthodox churches are recognized, and also their bishops, by Anglicans. The Old Catholic Church is a Christian denomination originating with churches (many of them German -speaking that split from the Roman Catholic Church in The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs

Church authority is often represented by ceremonial headgear, such as a mitre

Episcopal government in other denominations

Some Protestant churches have adopted an episcopal form of government for practical, rather than historical, reasons. The mitre (sometimes also spelled miter from the Greek μίτρα, 'headband' or 'turban' is a type of headgear now known as the traditional ceremonial head-dress of These include some Methodist churches and some of their offshoots. Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations Methodists often use the term connectionalism or connectional polity in addition to "episcopal". Nevertheless, the powers of the Methodist episcopacy can be relatively strong and wide-reaching compared to traditional conceptions of episcopal polity. For example, in the United Methodist Church, bishops are elected for life, can serve up to two terms in a specific conference (three if special permission is given), are responsible for ordaining and appointing clergy to pastor churches, perform many administrative duties, preside at the annual sessions of the regional Conferences and at the quadrennial meeting of the world-wide General Conference, have authority for teaching and leading the church on matters of social and doctrinal import, and serve to represent the denomination in ecumenical gatherings. The United Methodist Church is the largest Methodist denomination and the second largest Protestant denomination in the United States. United Methodist bishops in the United States serve in their appointed conferences, being moved to a new "Episcopal Area" after 8 (or 12) years, until their mandated retirement at the end of the quadrenium following their sixty-sixth birthday. [1]

The Reformed Church of France, the Reformed Church of Hungary, and the Lutheran churches in mainland Europe may sometimes be called "episcopal". The Reformed Church of France (L’Eglise Réformée de France ÉRF is a denomination in France (originally The Hungarian Reformed Church (Magyarországi Református Egyház in Hungarian) is a key representative of the Magyar Christianity being numerically the second-largest denomination Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the Continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European In these latter cases, the form of government is not radically different from the presbyterian form, except that their councils of bishops have hierarchical jurisdiction over the local ruling bodies to a greater extent than in most Presbyterian and other Reformed churches. Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity In Law, jurisdiction (from the Latin ius iuris meaning "law" and dicere meaning "to speak" is the practical Authority Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity The Reformed churches are a group of Christian Protestant Denominations formally characterized by a similar Calvinist system of doctrine historically As mentioned, the Lutheran Church in Sweden and Finland are exceptions, claiming apostolic succession in a pattern somewhat like the Anglican churches. Otherwise, forms of polity are not mandated in the Lutheran churches, as it is not regarded as having doctrinal significance. Old World Lutheranism, for historical reasons, has tended to adopt Erastian theories of episcopal authority (by which church authority is to a limited extent sanctioned by secular government). The Old World consists of those parts of Earth known to Europeans Asians and Africans in the 15th century Thomas Erastus ( September 7, 1524 &ndash December 31, 1583) was a Swiss theologian best known for a posthumously In the United States, the Lutheran churches tend to adopt a form of government more comparable to congregationalism. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Congregationalist polity, often known as congregationalism is a system of Church governance in which every Local church congregation is independent

Although it never uses the term, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka Mormons) is episcopal (rather than presbyterian or congregational) in the sense that it has a strict hierarchy of leadership from the local bishop up to a single prophet/president, believed to be personally authorized and guided by Jesus Christ. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States and the largest and most well-known Local congregations (branches, wards, and stakes) have de jure boundaries by which members are allocated, and membership records are centralized. This system developed gradually from a more presbyterian polity (Joseph Smith's original title in 1830 was "First Elder") for pragmatic and doctrinal reasons, reaching a full episcopacy during the Nauvoo period (1839-1846). There is also a Nauvoo Alabama, and a Nauvoo Pennsylvania Nauvoo ( is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois

See also

• Ecclesiology

Components of episcopal polity

Useful encyclopedia categories

There are no polity categories for other denominations, so see:

• Category:Assyrian Church of the East
• Category:Eastern Orthodoxy
• Category:Lutheranism
• Category:Methodism
• Category:Oriental Orthodoxy

General

• Category:Christian group structuring
• Category:Ecclesiastical titles
• Category:Ecclesiology
• Category:Religious leadership roles

Categories by denomination

• Category:Anglican ecclesiastical offices
• Category:Episcopacy in Anglicanism
• Category:Episcopacy in Roman Catholicism
• Category:Roman Catholic Church organisation

References

External links

• Vatican: The Holy See Official Website of the Papacy
• Catholic Encyclopedia: Bishop
• The Website of the Archbishop of Canterbury Official Website of the Church of England
• Episcopacy
• An Argument for Lutheran Episcopacy from Reformation Today Online
• United Methodist Council of Bishops Official Website of the United Methodist Church
• Methodist Episcopacy: In Search of Holy Orders By Gregory S. Neal
• An Agreed Statement on Conciliarity and Primacy in the Church by the Orthodox/Roman Catholic Consultation in the United States of America, 1989.
• Captains and Courts - A Biblical Defense of Episcopal Government - by Dr. Ray Sutton.