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How is the Episcopal Church related to the Anglican Communion?

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The Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., features Gothic-style architecture with tall towers, pointed arches, and a large rose window above the main entrance. — The Episcopal Church Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C.

The Episcopal Church (TEC) is an autonomous, mainline Protestant church in the United States and a member of the Anglican Communion. Formally organized in 1789 as the successor to the Church of England in the American colonies, the church shares a common heritage of doctrine, worship, and ministerial order with the Church of England.1

The Anglican Communion is a decentralized body of autonomous national churches bound together by ties of loyalty to the see of Canterbury. While the archbishop of Canterbury is respected as the senior bishop and "first among equals," he holds no formal jurisdiction over the Episcopal Church or other member churches. Instead, the Communion relies on consultation and consensus to coordinate matters of belief and practice.234

In recent decades, the Episcopal Church’s progressive stances on issues such as the ordination of women and LGBTQ+ individuals have caused significant tension within the Communion, leading to internal divisions and the imposition of sanctions by the Anglican Communion on the Episcopal Church.5