Position · 110

Episcopal Polity

Church government by bishops, who oversee clergy and congregations in a region and ordain new ministers.

A single bishop leading each city’s church is attested in the Early Church by the early 2nd century. Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican churches hold that their bishops stand in an unbroken succession from the apostles. Many Methodist churches, especially in the United States, also have bishops, though they understand the office differently. The Reformed tradition largely replaced bishops with Presbyterian Polity, and others moved to Congregational Polity.