Anglican Polity

The way a denomination is organized and governed is referred to as its polity. The main polities of American Christian churches are congregational and episcopal. Interestingly enough, the Episcopal Church is not governed by episcopal polity. That would be where the bishops run the church, and is much more typical of the Roman Catholic Church. In episcopal polity, a central authority decides policy, assigns clergy, and rules on issues such as who may be married in the church, what sort of services are to be performed, etc. Laity may have an active role in the work of the church, but not in determining policy.

In a congregational polity, the congregation is the basic unit of the church. Many protestant churches are mostly governed by their congregations, with pastors hired and fired by the congregation and most decisions reached by meetings of the body. Obviously, the lay leadership is the true basis for any sort of authority in this setting. I have even noticed around Louisa County that some churches have chosen pastors from among their own members, with no evidence of formal seminary training.

The Episcopal Church usually ends up taking a middle of the road approach, and our polity is no exception. Our polity, which is referred to as Anglican polity, provides for the day-to-day operation of the church by the bishops, but government ultimately resides in the diocesan council. The basic unit is the diocese, but in practical matters many decisions are delegated to local clergy and vestries. Our clergy are formally trained at seminaries owned and operated by the church, but no one may attend a seminary with a goal of ordination unless sponsored by the bishop of a diocese, and no clergy may perform the duties of ordained ministry in a diocese without a license from the diocesan bishop. Lay persons in formal ministries, such as lay readers and lay Eucharistic ministers, are also licensed by the bishop.

A parish vestry may hire a rector with the consent of the bishop. There was a recent case in the Diocese of Washington where the bishop did not consent to a vestry's selection. After a lengthy testing in the courts and lots of press coverage, her authority was upheld.

Our constitution and canons are a product of the annual diocesan council, and each year the representatives of all of the churches meet to consider changes. The council consists of representation from the laity of each church in the diocese plus all clergy, active and retired, who are licensed in our diocese. Voting is done as a single body.

Things of church-wide interest, such as the national canons and constitution, or additions/revisions to the hymnal and prayer book, are decided by a national General Convention, which meets every three years, with representation from every diocese. It is bicameral, with the bishops, active and retired, meeting as the House of Bishops, and the elected representatives of each diocese, lay and clergy, meeting as the House of Deputies.

--Mr. Robert Thomas