Governance

Governance of The Episcopal Church

The Episcopal Church is governed democratically at three levels: national, diocesan, and local. The Church’s Constitution and Canons define the roles of bishops, clergy, and congregations, as well as how we worship. Every three years, bishops, clergy, and lay delegates meet at General Convention to shape the Church’s direction and respond to key social, moral, and global issues.

Organization

The Episcopal Church is governed by its Constitution and Canons, first adopted in 1789. These documents define the roles and responsibilities of bishops, clergy, and congregations, and set standards for worship, ordination, and Church structure. The Presiding Bishop, currently the Most Reverend Sean Rowe, serves as the Church’s Chief Pastor and Primate (Canon I.2.4).

The General Convention

The Church’s legislative body, the General Convention, meets every three years and consists of:

• The House of Bishops (all bishops)
• The House of Deputies (elected clergy and lay representatives from each diocese)
  

The House of Bishops elects the Presiding Bishop, with confirmation by the House of Deputies. General Convention also sets the Church’s mission priorities and oversees both domestic and international programs. Between sessions, the Executive Council manages its ongoing work.

The Book of Common Prayer, last revised in 1979, expresses the Church’s doctrine and outlines the required forms of worship for all congregations.

Provinces

The Episcopal Church groups its dioceses into geographic Provinces. We belong to Province II, which includes dioceses in New York, New Jersey, Haiti, the Virgin Islands, and the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe.

Under Canon I.9, Provinces may coordinate regional matters but cannot govern the internal affairs of individual dioceses. Their responsibilities are defined by the General Convention.