Episcopal polity

Episcopal polity is a way of organizing Christian churches where bishops are the main leaders. These bishops are part of a church hierarchy.

Organization

Many Christian churches use episcopal polity. These include:

• The Catholic Church
• The Eastern Orthodox Church
• The Oriental Orthodox Churches
• The Anglican Communion
• The Assyrian Church of the East
• Some Lutheran churches
• Some Methodist churches
• Some Old Catholic and independent catholic churches

In churches with episcopal polity, bishops have special authority. They often lead a diocese and are part of an unbroken line of church leaders called apostolic succession.

Other types of church government include:

• Presbyterian polity – churches are led by groups of elders.
• Congregational polity – each church governs itself without bishops or elders.

Episcopal churches today

Some churches, like the Church of Sweden, use episcopal polity and say their bishops are part of the historic episcopate.

Some Lutheran churches (like the Anglo-Lutheran Catholic Church or Lutheran Church-International) also use this system. Others may use presbyterian or congregational systems.

Many Methodist churches use a version of episcopal polity called connexionalism. Their bishops do not always claim apostolic succession, but they keep similar roles.

Episcopal Polity Media

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  The chair (cathedra) of the Bishop of Rome (Pope) of the Catholic Church in the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran in Rome, Italy, represents his episcopal authority.

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  The government of a bishop is typically symbolized by a cathedral church, such as the bishops's see at Chartres Cathedral.

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  Pope Pius IX convened the First Vatican Council that approved the dogma of the pope as the visible head of the church, prime bishop over a hierarchy of clergy and believers.

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  Paul Kwong, Anglican Archbishop and Primate of Hong Kong

Related pages

• Archbishop
• Metropolitan bishop
• Metropolis (religious jurisdiction)
• Ecclesiastical province