The Episcopal Church traces its roots to Church of England parishes founded in the colonial period. After the War for Independence created the United States, members of these parishes united to form the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States. The Episcopal Church now extends beyond the borders of the U.S. to include members in places as far apart as Taiwan, Columbia, and Italy. The Episcopal Church is a member of the Anglican Communion, a fellowship of independent churches that have some form of historical tie to the Church of England and use some version of the Book of Common Prayer in their worship. Anglicanism, as the branch of Christianity represented in the Anglican Communion is known, is neither Roman Catholic nor Protestant, but a via media (middle way) that honors both traditions.
 

You can learn more about The Episcopal Church from the links below. Click on a picture to go to the Web site.
 

	The Episcopal Church.  This is the home page of the church’s official Web site.
	Episcopal Life Online. Episcopal Life long has been the official periodical distributed by the church to its members. This is the home of the on-line version of the magazine. It includes features on the church and offers both current news and archives of previous news stories.
	The Book of Common Prayer. Episcopalian worship follows the Book of Common Prayer, first compiled in the sixteenth century by the Church of England. On this site, you can read not only the current American prayer book (from 1979), but historical prayer books as well.
	An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church. Episcopalians seem to have more special words for what they do and what they use in worship services than do most churches. This is a handy glossary that sheds light on the often confusing Episcopal jargon.
	Anglicans Online. This site contains a wealth of information about the Anglican Communion and about its churches, including The Episcopal Church. News of the Anglican Communion is summarized here.

 

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