House of Bishops
Encyclopedia
The House of Bishops is the third House in a General Synod
of some Anglican churches and the second house in the General Convention
of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.
s and/or Primate
s, diocesan bishop
s and sometimes suffragan
and coadjutor
bishops (who may, in turn, be elected as a fixed number, as happens in the Church of England
). Houses of Bishops of Anglican Communion
provinces are typically chaired by the Primate, Archbishop, or Presiding Bishop of the province, while in some provincial subdivisions
of a Communion province, a House of Bishops is chaired by a provincial metropolitan
.
General Synod
-Church of England:In the Church of England, the General Synod, which was established in 1970 , is the legislative body of the Church.-Episcopal Church of the United States:...
of some Anglican churches and the second house in the General Convention
General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America
The General Convention is the primary governing and legislative body of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. With the exception of the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Constitution and Canons, it is the ultimate authority in the Episcopal Church. General Convention...
of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.
Composition of Houses of Bishops
The composition of a House of Bishops varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Typically, they consist of archbishopArchbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
s and/or Primate
Primate (religion)
Primate is a title or rank bestowed on some bishops in certain Christian churches. Depending on the particular tradition, it can denote either jurisdictional authority or ceremonial precedence ....
s, diocesan bishop
Diocesan bishop
A diocesan bishop — in general — is a bishop in charge of a diocese. These are to be distinguished from suffragan bishops, assistant bishops, coadjutor bishops, auxiliary bishops, metropolitans, and primates....
s and sometimes suffragan
Suffragan bishop
A suffragan bishop is a bishop subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop. He or she may be assigned to an area which does not have a cathedral of its own.-Anglican Communion:...
and coadjutor
Coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
bishops (who may, in turn, be elected as a fixed number, as happens in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
). Houses of Bishops of Anglican Communion
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
provinces are typically chaired by the Primate, Archbishop, or Presiding Bishop of the province, while in some provincial subdivisions
Ecclesiastical Province
An ecclesiastical province is a large jurisdiction of religious government, so named by analogy with a secular province, existing in certain hierarchical Christian churches, especially in the Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches and in the Anglican Communion...
of a Communion province, a House of Bishops is chaired by a provincial metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
.
See also
- General Synod of the Anglican Church of CanadaGeneral Synod of the Anglican Church of CanadaThe General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada is the chief governing and legislative body of the Anglican Church of Canada , the sole Canadian representative of the Anglican Communion...
- General Synod of the Church of EnglandGeneral Synod of the Church of EnglandThe General Synod is the deliberative and legislative body of the Church of England. The synod was instituted in 1970, replacing the Church Assembly, and is the culmination of a process of rediscovering self-government for the Church of England that had started in the 1850s.- Church Assembly: 1919...
External links
- House of Bishops and Deputies email list from the USA
- Pastoral letters from the House of Bishops of the American Episcopal Church from Project CanterburyProject CanterburyProject Canterbury is an online archive of material related to the history of Anglicanism. It was founded by Richard Mammana, Jr. in 1999, and is hosted by the non-profit Society of Archbishop Justus...