Dictionary
of or pertaining to or characteristic of the Episcopal church "the Episcopal hierarchy" "married by an Episcopalian minister" denoting or governed by or relating to a bishop or bishops
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Wikipedia
The word ''episcopal'' is derived from the Greek languageGreek !επισ&kap pa;οπο&sigm af;? ''epískopos'', which literally means "overseer"; the word, however, is used in religious contexts to refer to a bishop.
Episcopal churches - Episcopal churches are the churches with bishops, those with episcopalian church governance, but generally those whose bishops are in Apostolic Succession. In the more specific sense the term is applied to those particular churches associated with Henry VIII of EnglandHenry VIII and with the Church of England. The word "episcopal" is commonly used to distinguish between the various organizational structures of Protestant churches, thus the word presbyterianismpresbyterian is used to describe churches ruled by elected Elders (Greek languageGreek !πρεσ&beta ;ύτης? ''presvútēs'') while "episcopal" is used to describe churches ruled by bishops. Others are neither, being congregational and local in structure.Examples of specific episcopal churches include:The Episcopal Church in the United States of America (ECUSA)The Scottish Episcopal ChurchAny of several churches listed in the article titled Episcopal ChurchThe Charismatic Episcopal Church (no relation to the Church of England or the Anglican Communion)However, other churches overseen by bishops and with a connection to the Church of England are not members of the Anglican Communion. The United Methodist Church is one example. All MethodismMethodist churches have their roots in Anglicanism because their founder, John Wesley, was an Anglican priest in England in the 1700s. Methodists, however, do not look to the Archbishop of Canterbury for leadership as Anglicans do, nor to the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church (ECUSA) in America. Further, Methodist bishops are not in Apostolic Succession. Wesley held that bishops are merely Elder (religious)presbyters (elders) who have been chosen for a supervisory position by the Church, and that there is, therefore, no necessity of them receiving a laying on of hands of prior bishops whose "orders" are allegedly traceable in unbroken succession to the Apostles. Churches that are members of the Anglican Communion are episcopal churches in polity, and some are named "Episcopal." However, some Anglican churches do not belong to the Anglican Communion, and not all episcopally-governed churches are Anglican. The Roman Catholic Church, the Old Catholic Churches (member of the Anglican Communion), and the Eastern OrthodoxyEastern Orthodox churches are recognized, and also their bishops, by AnglicanismAnglicans.''Episkopos'' is also used in Discordianism as a title of a person who has started their own cabal or sect of Discordianism. One of the key tenets of Discordianism is everyone is infallible. Thus, everyone has the authority to diverge from the Polyfather, if so desired, or in case the Polyfather is unreacheable.
See also - Episcopal seeAnglicanismChurch of England
External links - Episcopal Church Official !Pagehttp://www.episcopalchurch .org/index_new.htm !http://www.stjohnadulted.org/e piscopl.htmCategory:Anglicanis mCategory:Methodism
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Websites
All Saints Church San Francisco
A more than century old Episcopal Church in San Francisco in the Anglo-Catholic tradition, located in the historic Haight Ashbury.
http://www.allsaintssanfran.org/
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Admissions information, events calendar, visitor's information and news items.
http://www.mit.edu/
The Reformed Episcopal Church
Official site. Established in 1873. Includes details of dioceses, parishes, and seminaries, with online prayer books, foundational beliefs, polity, history, and ethical statements.
http://www.recus.org/
Episcopal Relief and Development
The worldwide relief agency of the Episcopal Church. Provides money and resources in times of emergency or disaster. Lists of relief programs, online publications and related links.
http://www.er-d.org/
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