The Anglican and Episcopalian Church

The Anglican Communion is a coalition between Anglican sects such as the Episcopalian Church, the Church of England, and the Scottish Episcopal Church (among others). The Church of England, the original member of the Communion and is otherwise known as the Anglican Church, was founded in 1538 by King Henry VI, after a schism with the Roman Catholic Church because of a disagreement between the King and the Pope. The disagreement was in regard to King Henry's numerous wives, and in one case he requested a divorce so that he would be able to remarry, but was consequently denied a divorce by the Pope. That's when King Henry took action. Until the 18th century, there were only three members in the Anglican Communion, the three mentioned above; however, today there are over forty active members in the Communion, including the Episcopal Church of the United States.

The Anglican Church was one of the most prominent religions in North America, though its ties were severely strained following the American Revolution. The colonists who were formerly part of the Anglican Church established the Episcopal Church, so that they could continue practicing their same religious beliefs, without associating with the King, who was despised at this time. The first Bishop of the Episcopal Church was Samuel Seabury, who had to go to Scotland in order to be consecrated, due to the Oath of Supremacy (allegiance) to the King, that would be required if he were consecrated within the Church of England.

Today, there are 111 dioceses of the Anglican Church (especially that of the Episcopal Church) in the United States. Statistics vary, but it is thought that there are approximately 73 million members of the Anglican Church worldwide, with over four million of those residing in the United States. The Episcopal Church recognizes itself as being the moderate religion between Protestantism and Roman-Catholicism, and thus draws a large group of followers.