Anglican Church Overview
The Anglican Church (Church of England) was created resulting from a split from the Roman Catholic Church in England during the reign of Henry VIII. The newly established Church of England, then the state religion, lead to the English immigrants establishing the religion to the American colonies. Anglicanism is the third largest Christian tradition in the world, following the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions.
The name "Anglican" is traced back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Europe (not sourced through the term Angels).
Anglican vs. Episcopal Church: The Episcopal Church in the U.S. split from the Church of England during the Revolutionary War. Anglican denominations tend to stem from countries tied to England, Wales and Europe. Episcopal denominations tend to be based in the Americas and Asia. Together, the Anglican and Episcopal churches comprise the largest Protestant group in the world. Not all Anglican denominations are country-based, however. Some Anglican provinces in the United States are under the care of bishops in other countries.
In 1977, a group of churches broke off from the Episcopal Church, USA to form their own denominations that focused on traditional Anglicanism. Examples are the Anglican Catholic Church, Anglican Church in America and Anglican Province of Christ the King.
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