Episcopal
 |
The word episcopal is derived from the Greek επίσκοπος, transliterated epískopos, which literally means "overseer"; the word, however, is used in religious contexts to refer to a bishop.
Churches with an episcopal structure
Episcopal churches are churches that use an episcopalian church governance, i.e. that use bishops regarded as being in Apostolic succession. It is also commonly used to distinguish between the various organizational structures of Protestant churches; for instance the word "presbyterian" (from the Greek πρεσβύτης) is used to describe churches governed by elected elders, while "episcopal" is used to describe churches governed by bishops (Greek επίσκοπος). Self-governed Protestant churches, governed neither by elders nor bishops, are usually referred to as "congregational". More specifically, the term "episcopal" is applied to those churches historically based within Anglicanism including those still in communion with the Church of England.
Examples of specific episcopal churches include:
- The Roman Catholic Church
- The Eastern Orthodox Churches
- The Oriental Orthodox Churches
- The Assyrian Church of the East
- The Old Catholic Church
- The Mar Thoma Church
- Numerous smaller Catholic churches
- Churches of the Anglican Communion
- Certain national churches of the Lutheran confession
- Any of several churches listed in the article titled Episcopal churches
- The Charismatic Episcopal Church
Many Methodist churches (see The United Methodist Church, among others) retain the form of episcopal governance, however since all trace their ordinations to an Anglican priest - John Wesley -- it is frequently charged that their bishops do not share in the historic apostolic succession. The argument runs that, since the apostolic succession of bishops can only be maintained through the consecration of bishops by bishops, Methodist episcopacy should not considered apostolic in the "true," historical sense. While some United Methodists would disagree with this assessment, for their own part the bishops in the United Methodist Church do not claim to be within the historic episcopate in the same way as Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox bishops. They do, however, claim a corporate ("connectional") and theological form of Apostolic succession, and are not adverse to ecumenical acts which would further establish their ministry within the historic episcopate, though such would have to be accomplished without repudiating or otherwise questioning the validity of their current orders and ministries. Methodist episcopal succession derives from John Wesley, who was an ordained presbyter of the Church of England but not himself a bishop and thus not officially authorized to consecrate others. Wesley justified his practice of ordaining bishops (which he called "general superintendents") and elders (i.e., presbyters) for the methodists in the new United States of America in 1784 by appealing to a perceived need and by citing a minority opinion among the early Church Fathers (and an ancient precedent from the Church of Alexandria) which held that presbyters ("priests" or "elders") could, at least collectively, indeed ordain other such presbyters and even consecrate, or "set apart" bishops in certain emergency situations. Based upon this argument, the United Methodist Church understands all of its Elders, not just its Bishops, as being part of an Apostolic succession of the entire body (or "conference") of ministers: "In ordination, the church affirms and continues the apostolic ministry through persons empowered by the Holy Spirit." (Book of Discipline paragraph 303). In other words, they understand apostolic succession as being rooted within the Presbyterate. This does not mean, however, that all elders may ordain; quite the contrary, only those elders who have been elected and consecrated as bishops can further the apostolic succession through the ordination of bishops, elders, and deacons within the United Methodist Church. In this way, the United Methodist episcopacy functions as if it were within the historic episcopate.
Churches that are members of the Anglican Communion are episcopal churches in polity, and some are named "Episcopal." However, some churches that self-identify as Anglican do not belong to the Anglican Communion, and not all episcopally-governed churches are Anglican. The Roman Catholic Church, the Old Catholic Churches (in full communion with, but not members of, the Anglican Communion), and the Eastern Orthodox churches are recognized, and also their bishops, by Anglicans.