During the Reformation in the 16th Century, Henry VIII declared the Church of England independent of the Roman Catholic Church--with himself as its head. Driven by both political and theological factors, this move gave rise to a distinct form of Christianity known as Anglicanism.   Today, 44 regional- and national-level churches around the globe in over 160 countries trace their roots to the Church of England, and maintain a “communion”, or tie, with it.  The Anglican Communion comprises over 80 million members.

The member churches of the Anglican Communion are joined together by choice in love, and have no direct authority over one another. The Archbishop of Canterbury, the head of the Church of England, is acknowledged as the spiritual head of the Anglican Communion, but while respected, the Archbishop does not have direct authority over any Anglican Church outside of England.

While there are other churches that call themselves “Anglican,” only one Church in any country can be considered “in full communion” with the Church of England, and the Episcopal Church is the officially recognized member of the Anglican Communion from the United States of America. The Episcopal Church in the United States evolved from the Church of England at the time of the Revolution. A majority of the founders of this nation, such as Washington, Hamilton, and Madison, were members of the Episcopal Church, which incorporates centuries of tradition and active parishioner participation in the worship of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Episcopal Church today is made up of between two and three million Christians in about 7,500 congregations across the United States and its territories.

The word Episcopal means bishop in Greek.  The Episcopal Church is organized by diocese--a geographical region containing a reasonable number of Episcopalians which is presided over by a Diocesan Bishop.  The Diocesan Bishop chooses and ordains priests and deacons to serve the parishes, or congregations, of the diocese, which carry out the ministry of the diocese in their local communities. The priests lead the parish in worship, make decisions related to the life of the parish, manage the staff, and, in general, support the ministry of the worshiping Christians there. 

St. Luke’s on the Lake parish is a governed by the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. 

Compiled from information posted on the official websites of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion