We are part of a denomination called The Episcopal Church, composed of 1.6 million people in 7000 congregations in the United States, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Micronesia, and Europe. The Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church is The Most Rev. Michael Curry, who oversees 111 dioceses (groupings of congregations), each headed by a bishop. (The word “episcopal” comes from the Greek word “episcopos” meaning “overseer” and often translated “bishop” in the Bible.) Clergy in The Episcopal Church are either male or female and are called deacons, priests, and bishops (each with a separate function).
The Episcopal Church is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, a loosely affiliated confederation of 46 national and regional churches in the world that trace their ancestry to the Church of England. The Anglican Communion, at 85 million members, is the third largest Christian group in the world, behind the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Churches.