Church of England
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/* History */
{{Refimprove|date=May 2007}}
{{Infobox Christian denomination
| name = Church of England
| image = Logo of the Church of England.png
| imagewidth =
| caption = The Church of England logo since 1996.
| main_classification = [[Anglicanism|Anglican]] (1534- ), [[Roman Catholic]] (597-1534)
| orientation = [[Mainline (Protestant)|Mainline]]
| polity = [[Episcopal polity|Episcopal]]
| First Archbishop of Canterbury = [[Augustine of Canterbury|St Augustine of Canterbury]]
| separations =[[Congregational church|Congregationalism]], [[Methodist Episcopal Church]], other [[Methodism|Methodist]] denominations
| fellowships =
| associations = [[Anglican Communion]], [[Porvoo Communion]]
| area = [[England]], [[Isle of Man]], [[Channel Islands]]
| hospitals =
| nursing_homes =
| aid =
| congregations =
| members = 26 million<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/3226753.stm Factfile: Anglican Church around the world] BBC Factfile. Accessed 2006-06-22.</ref>
| ministers = 20,259<ref name=ManchesterDiocese>[http://www.manchester.anglican.org/News/news.asp?ID=351 Latest Church of England statistics (15/09/2006)]</ref>
| primary_schools =
| secondary_schools =
| tertiary =
| footnotes =
}}
The '''Church of England''' is the [[State religion|officially established]] [[Christianity|Christian]] [[Ecclesia (Church)|church]]<ref>{{cite web| |url=http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/history/ |title=The History of the Church of England |publisher=The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England|accessdate=2006-05-24}}</ref> in [[England]], the ''Mother Church'' of the worldwide [[Anglican Communion]] and the oldest among the communion's thirty-eight independent national churches.
The Church of England considers itself to be both [[Catholic]] and reformed:
*'''Reformed''' insofar as many of the principles of the early [[Protestant]] reformers as well as the subsequent [[Protestant Reformation]] have influenced it via the [[English Reformation]] and also insofar as it does not accept Papal supremacy or the [[Counter-Reformation]].
*'''Catholic''' in that it views itself as being an unbroken continuation of both the early apostolic and later mediæval universal church, rather than as a new formation, and in that it holds and teaches the historic [[Catholic]] faith. In its customs and liturgy it has retained more of the Catholic tradition than most other churches touched by the Protestant Reformation.
==History==
{{Main|History of the Church of England}}
According to tradition, Christianity arrived in Britain in the first or second century (probably via the tin trade route through [[Ireland]] and [[Iberian Peninsula|Iberia]]), and existed independently of the Church of Rome, as did many other Christian communities of that era.
The earliest unquestioned historical evidence of an organized Christian church in England is found in the writings of such early Christian fathers as [[Tertullian]] and [[Origen]] in the first years of the 3rd century, although the first Christian communities probably were established some decades earlier. Three English bishops, including [[Restitutus]], are known to have been present at the [[Council of Arles]] in 314. Others attended the [[Council of Sardica]] in 347 and that of [[Council of Rimini|Ariminum]] in 360, and a number of references to the church in Roman Britain are found in the writings of 4th-century Christian fathers.
Britain was the home of [[Pelagius]], who nearly defeated [[Augustine of Hippo]]'s doctrine of ''[[original sin]]''.
The Church of England traces its formal corporate history from the 597 [[Augustine of Canterbury|Augustinian]] mission, stresses its continuity and identity with the primitive universal Western church, and notes the consolidation of its particular independent and national character in the post-[[Reformation]] events of [[Tudor dynasty|Tudor]] England.
The [[Pope]] sent [[Augustine of Canterbury|Saint Augustine]] from Rome to evangelise the [[Angles]] in 597. With the help of Christians already residing in [[Kent]] he established his church in [[Canterbury]], the former capital of Kent (it is now [[Maidstone]]), and became the first in the series of Archbishops of Canterbury. Later archbishop, the Greek [[Theodore of Tarsus]], also contributed to the organisation of English Christianity.
Simultaneously, the [[Celtic Church]] of [[Columba|St Columba]] continued to evangelise [[Scotland]]. The Celtic Church of North Britain submitted in some sense to the 'authority' of Rome at the [[Synod of Whitby]] in 664. Over the next few centuries, the Roman system introduced by Augustine gradually absorbed the pre-existing [[Celtic Christianity|Celtic Christian]] churches.
The English Church was under papal authority for nearly a thousand years, before separating from Rome in [[1534]] during the reign of King [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]]. A theological separation had been foreshadowed by various movements within the English Church such as the [[Lollards]], but the [[English Reformation]] gained political support when Henry VIII wanted an [[annulment]] of his marriage to [[Catherine of Aragon]], so he could marry [[Anne Boleyn]]. Under pressure from Catherine's nephew, the Emperor [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor]], Pope [[Clement VII]] refused the annulment, and, eventually, Henry, although theologically a doctrinal Catholic, took the position of [[Supreme Governor of the Church of England|Supreme Head of the Church of England]] to ensure the annulment of his marriage. He was [[excommunicated]] by [[Pope Paul III]]<ref>[http://www.historymole.com/cgi-bin/main/results.pl?theme=10026153 HistoryMole: King Henry VIII (1491-1547)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>.
Henry maintained a strong preference for the traditional Catholic practices and, during his reign, [[Protestant]] reformers were unable to make many changes to the practices of the Church of England. Indeed, this part of Henry's reign saw the trial for heresy of Protestants as well as Roman Catholics.
Under his son, [[Edward VI of England|Edward VI]], however, the Church became theologically more radical, before legislatively rejoining the Roman church during the reign of Queen [[Mary I of England|Mary I]], in 1555. The settlement under [[Elizabeth I of England|Elizabeth I]] (from 1558) of a mildly reformed, Catholic, apostolic, and established church (''i.e.'', subject to and part of the state) led to great civil strife in the following century.
[[Image:Rochester cathedral stained glass 2.jpg|left|thumb|Stained glass window in [[Rochester Cathedral]], [[Kent]].]]
For the next century, through the reigns of [[James I of England|James I]] and [[Charles I of England|Charles I]], and culminating in the [[English Civil War]] and the protectorate of [[Oliver Cromwell]], there were significant swings back and forth between two factions: the [[Puritans]] (and other radicals) who sought more far-reaching Protestant reforms, and the more conservative churchmen who aimed to keep closer to traditional beliefs and Catholic practices. The failure of political and ecclesiastical authorities to submit to Puritan demands for more extensive reform was one of the causes of open warfare. By Continental standards, the level of violence over religion was not high, but the casualties included a king, Charles I, and an Archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud. Under the Commonwealth and then the Protectorate of England from 1649 to 1660, Anglicanism was disestablished and outlawed, and in its place, presbyterian ecclesiology was introduced in place of the episcopate. In addition, the Articles were replaced with the Westminster Confession, and the Book of Common Prayer was replaced by the Directory of Public Worship. Despite this, about one quarter of English clergy refused to conform to this form of State Presbyterianism.
With the Restoration of Charles II, Anglicanism too was restored in a form not far removed from the Elizabethan version. One difference was that the ideal of encompassing all the people of England in one religious organisation, taken for granted by the Tudors, had to be abandoned. The religious landscape of England assumed its present form, with the Anglican Established church occupying the middle ground, and Roman Catholics and those Puritans who dissented from the Anglican Establishment, too strong to be suppressed altogether, having to continue their existence outside the National Church rather than controlling it.
Continuing official suspicion and legal restrictions continued well into the nineteenth century.
==Membership==
In addition to England proper, the jurisdiction of the Church of England extends to the [[Isle of Man]], the [[Channel Islands]], and a few parishes in [[Flintshire]], [[Monmouthshire]], and in [[Radnorshire]], [[Wales]]. Expatriate congregations on the continent of Europe have become the [[Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe]].
According to statistics "1.7 million people attend Church of England church and cathedral worship each month while around 1.2 million attend each week – on Sunday or during the week - and just over one million each Sunday."<ref name=ManchesterDiocese />
==Structure ==
[[Image:Dioceses_of_the_CofE.png|Diocese of the Church of England, showing the Provinces of Canterbury and York|right|thumb]]The British monarch, at present [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]], has the constitutional title of "[[Supreme Governor of the Church of England]]". The Canons of the Church of England state, "We acknowledge that the Queen’s most excellent Majesty, acting according to the laws of the realm, is the highest power under God in this kingdom, and has supreme authority over all persons in all causes, as well ecclesiastical as civil." The Church is then structured as follows:
* [[Primacy]], ''e.g.'', Church of England. This is the area under the jurisdiction of a [[Primate (religion)|primate]], ''e.g.'', the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]]. A primacy may consist of one or several provinces.
* [[Ecclesiastical province|Province]], ''e.g.'', York and Canterbury (these are the only two in the Church of England). This is the area under the jurisdiction of an [[archbishop]], ''i.e.'' the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. Decision making within the province is the responsibility of the [[General Synod]] (see also above). A province is subdivided into many dioceses.
* [[Diocese]], ''e.g.'', [[Diocese of Durham]], [[Diocese of Guildford]], [[Diocese of St Albans]], [[List of Church of England dioceses|more]]. This is the area under the jurisdiction of a diocesan [[bishop]], ''e.g.'', the Bishops of Durham, Guildford and St Albans, and will have a [[cathedral]]. There may also be one or more assisting bishops, usually called [[Suffragan Bishop]]s, within the diocese who assist the diocesan bishop in his ministry, ''e.g.'', in Guildford Diocese, the Bishop of Dorking. In some very large dioceses a legal measure has been enacted to create "Episcopal Areas", in which case the diocesan bishop will run one such Area himself, and will appoint an "Area Bishop" to run each of the other Areas as mini-dioceses; in such cases, the diocesan bishop legally delegates many of his powers to the area bishops. Dioceses with Episcopal Areas include [[Diocese of London|London]], [[Anglican Diocese of Southwark|Southwark]], [[Diocese of Chichester|Chichester]], and [[Diocese of Lichfield|Lichfield]]. The bishops will work with an elected body of [[Laity|lay]] and [[ordained]] representatives, known as the [[Diocesan Synod]], to run the diocese. A diocese is subdivided into a small number of archdeanconry.
* Archdeaconry, ''e.g.'', Dorking. This is the area under the jurisdiction of an [[archdeacon]]. It will consist of a number of deaneries.
* [[Deanery]], ''i.e.'', Lewisham, Runnymede. This is the area for which a [[Rural Dean|rural dean]] is responsible. It will consist of a number of parishes in a particular region. The rural dean will usually be the incumbent of one of the constituent parishes. The parishes each elect lay (that is non-ordained) representatives to the [[Deanery Synod]]. Deanery Synod members each have a vote in the election of representatives to the Diocesan Synod.
* [[Parish]], this is the most local level, often consisting of one church building and community, although nowadays many parishes are joining forces in a variety of ways for financial reasons. The parish will be looked after by a parish [[Priest#Anglican or Episcopalian|priest]] who for various historical or legal reasons may bear any of the following titles: [[Vicar]], [[Rector]], [[Priest in charge|Priest-in-Charge]], Team Rector or Team Vicar. The first, second, and fourth of these may also be known as the Incumbent. The running of the parish is the joint responsibility of the incumbent and the [[Parochial Church Council]] (PCC), which consists of the parish clergy and elected representatives from the congregation.
All [[Vicar#Anglican|rectors and vicars]] are [[advowson|appointed by patrons]], who may be private individuals, corporate bodies such as cathedrals, colleges or trusts, or by the bishop or even appointed directly by the crown. No clergy can be instituted and inducted into a parish without swearing the Oath of Allegiance to Her Majesty, and taking the Oath of Canonical Obedience "in all things lawful and honest" to the bishop. Usually the archdeacon inducts into the actual possession of the benefice property - church and parsonage. Curates are appointed by rectors and vicars, but if priests-in-charge then by the bishop after consultations with the patron. Cathedral clergy are appointed either by the Crown, the bishop, or by the dean and chapter themselves. Clergy officiate in a diocese either because they hold office as beneficed clergy, or are licensed by the bishop when appointed (e.g. curates), or simply with permission.
===Primates===
[[Image:Rowan Williams - by Brian.jpg|thumb|right|125px|The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Rowan Williams.]]
The most senior bishop of the Church of England is the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], who is the archbishop and primate of the southern province of England, the Province of Canterbury. He also has the status of [[Primate (religion)|Primate]] of All England and [[Metropolitan bishop|Metropolitan]]. He is also the focus of unity for the worldwide [[Anglican Communion]] of independent national or regional churches. The Most Reverend and Right Honourable [[Rowan Williams]] has served as Archbishop of Canterbury since 2002.
The second most senior bishop is the Archbishop of York, who is the archbishop and primate of the northern province of England, the Province of York. For historical reasons he is referred to as the Primate of England. The Most Reverend and Right Honourable [[John Sentamu]] has served as the Archbishop of York since 2005.
===Diocesan bishops===
The process of appointing diocesan bishops is complex, and is handled by a body called the [[Appointment of Church of England Bishops|Crown Nominations Committee]], which submits names to the Prime Minister (acting on behalf of the Crown) for consideration.
===Representative bodies===
{{Main|General Synod of the Church of England}}
The Church of England has a legislative body, the [[General Synod of the Church of England|General Synod]]. Synod can create two types of legislation, [[List of Church of England Measures|Measures]] and [[canon law|Canon]]s. Measures have to be approved but cannot be amended by the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|UK Parliament]] before receiving the [[Royal Assent]] and becoming part of the law of England.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/churchlawlegis/measures/|title=Summary of Church Assembly and General Synod Measures|year=2007|month=November|work=Church of England website|publisher=Archbishops' council of the Church of England}}</ref> Canons require [[Royal Licence]] and Royal Assent, but form the law of the Church, rather than the law of the land.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/gensynod/|title=General Synod|work=Church of England website|publisher=Archbishops' council of the Church of England}}</ref>
There are also [[Diocesan Synod]]s and [[Deanery Synod]]s.
==Worship and liturgy==
===The Book of Common Prayer===
{{Expand-section|date=June 2008}}
In addition to the ''[[Book of Common Prayer]]'' the church's other official [[liturgical book]] is ''[[Common Worship]]'', dating from 2000. Like its predecessor, the 1980 ''[[Alternative Service Book]]'', it differs substantially from the ''Book of Common Prayer'', although it does include the Order Two rite of the Eucharist. This is a very slight revision of the prayer book service, altering only a few words and allowing the insertion of the ''[[Agnus Dei]]'' (''[[Lamb of God]]'') before communion. The Order One rite follows the pattern of modern liturgical scholarship.
== Doctrine and practice ==
{{See also|Anglicanism|Anglican doctrine}}
[[Image:Canterbury Cathedral - Portal Nave Cross-spire.jpeg|thumb|300px|left|[[Canterbury Cathedral]] from the southwest. It houses the [[cathedra]] or throne of the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], and is the [[mother church]] of the [[Diocese of Canterbury]] (east [[Kent]]) and the Church of England, and the focus for the [[Anglican Communion]].]]
In both [[Anglican doctrine|beliefs]] and practices, or forms of [[churchmanship]], the Church of England is mixed: in some of its congregations worship remains closer to Roman Catholicism (see [[high church]]) than most [[Protestantism|Protestant]] churches, but in others it is difficult to distinguish between the Anglican forms in use and the uses of other [[Evangelicalism|Evangelical]] bodies (see [[low church]]). Its constitution affirms many relatively conservative [[theology|theological]] beliefs, its [[liturgy|liturgical]] form of worship is traditional, and its organisation embodies a belief in the appropriateness of the historical [[episcopal polity|episcopal]] hierarchy of [[archbishop]]s, [[bishop]]s, and [[diocese]]s.
In many people's eyes, the Church of England has as its primary distinguishing heritage its breadth and "open-mindedness". Today, beliefs and practices range from those of the [[Anglo-Catholicism|Anglo-Catholics]], who emphasise liturgy and [[sacrament]]s, to the far more preaching-centred and less ritual-based services of [[Evangelicalism|Evangelicals]] and gatherings of the [[Charismatic movement|Charismatics]]. But this "[[broad church]]" faces various contentious doctrinal questions raised by the development of modern society, such as conflicts over the [[ordination of women]] as priests (accepted in 1992 and begun in 1994), and the status of non-celibate [[Religion and homosexuality|homosexual]] clergy (still unsettled today). In July 2005 the divisions were once again apparent, as the [[General Synod]] voted to "set in train" the process of allowing the consecration of women as [[bishop]]s; in February 2006 the synod voted overwhelmingly for "further exploration" of a scheme that would also allow parishes that did not want a woman bishop to opt for a man instead.<ref>[http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/news_syndication/article_060210women.shtml Church votes overwhelmingly for compromise on women bishops - news from ekklesia | Ekklesia<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> On [[July 7]], [[2008]] the church's governing body voted to confirm the ordination of women as bishops.<ref>{{cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= Church will ordain women bishops |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7494517.stm |work= |publisher= [[BBC News]] |date= [[July 7]], [[2008]] |accessdate=2008-07-07 }}</ref>
The church also has its own system of [[Canon law (Church of England)|canon law]], and judicial branch, known as the [[Ecclesiastical courts]], which likewise form a part of the UK court system. Such courts have powers especially in relation to the care of churches and churchyards and the discipline of the clergy.
===Ecumenical relations===
Like many other Anglican churches, the Church of England has entered into [[full communion]] with the [[Old Catholic Church|Old Catholics]]. In the late 20th century it also became a founding member of the new [[Porvoo Communion]]. The Church of England is also a full member of the [[Conference of European Churches]].
====Related churches====
[[Image:Bermuda-Saint Peter's Church.jpg|thumb|200px|Saint Peter's Church, in [[St. George's, Bermuda|St. George's]], [[Bermuda]], is the oldest Church of England (now Anglican) church outside the British Isles. Consecrated in 1612, it was rebuilt more than once.]]
{{main|Anglican Communion}}
The Church of England's sister church in Ireland, the [[Church of Ireland]], also went through the reformation in the sixteenth century. Unlike in England, the majority of the populace did not go along with this, preferring continued adherence to the Roman Catholic Church, but the Church of Ireland retained official established church status in Ireland until 1871. Under the [[Act of Union 1800|Act of Union (Ireland) 1800]], the Church of Ireland was united with the Church of England. This union was dissolved and the Irish church disestablished in 1871. To this day the Church of Ireland remains organised on an all-Ireland basis.
The [[Scottish Episcopal Church]] is the sister church in Scotland and is in full communion with it. It is much smaller than the [[Church of Scotland]], which is recognised in law as the "[[national church]]" and has a [[Presbyterian]] system of government. The history of the Episcopal Church is complicated, involving alternating periods of official promotion and persecution: for a time, because of its association with [[Jacobitism]], it had to operate [[sub rosa]].
When the [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Episcopal Church in the U.S.]] became independent of the Church of England after the [[American Revolutionary War|American War of Independence]], the leadership of the Church of England did not believe itself legally able to consecrate new bishops without requiring of them the standard oath of loyalty to the crown. Consequently it was the non-juring bishops of the non-established Scottish Episcopal Church who consecrated the first American bishop, until new legislation allowed the Church of England to relax its policy.
The [[Church in Wales]], previously a part of the Church of England, was disestablished in 1920 and at the same time became an independent member of the Anglican Communion.
==Financial situation==
[[Image:Hereford Cathedral Interior May 2004.jpg|left|250px|thumb|[[Hereford Cathedral|Hereford]] is one of the church's forty-three [[cathedral]]s, many with histories stretching back centuries.]]
The Church of England, although an [[established church]], does not receive any direct government support. Donations comprise its largest source of income, though it also relies heavily on the income from its various historic endowments. [[As of 2005]], the Church of England had estimated total outgoings of around £900 million.<ref>[http://www.cofe.anglican.org/info/funding/ outgoings]</ref>
Historically, individual parishes both raised and spent the vast majority of the Church's funding, meaning that clergy pay depended on the wealth of the parish, and parish [[advowson]]s (the right to appoint clergy to particular parishes) could become extremely valuable gifts. Individual dioceses also held considerable assets: the Diocese of Durham possessed such vast wealth and temporal power that its Bishop became known as the '[[Prince-Bishop]]'. Since the mid-19th century, however, the Church has made various moves to 'equalise' the situation, and clergy within each diocese now receive standard stipends paid from diocesan funds. Meanwhile, the Church moved the majority of its income-generating assets (which in the past included a great deal of land, but today mostly take the form of financial stocks and bonds) out of the hands of individual clergy and bishops to the care of a body called the [[Church Commissioners]], which uses these funds to pay a range of non-parish expenses, including clergy pensions, and the expenses of cathedrals and bishops' houses. These funds amount to around £3.9 billion, and generate income of around £164 million each year ([[as of 2003]]), around a fifth of the Church's overall income.<ref>[http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/churchcommissioners/annualreport/ funds]</ref>
The Church Commissioners give some of this money as 'grants' to local parishes; but the majority of the financial burden of church upkeep and the work of local parishes still rests with individual parish and diocese, which meet their requirements from donations. Direct donations to the church (not including legacies) come to around £460 million per year, while parish and diocese reserve funds generate another £100 million. Funds raised in individual parishes account for almost all of this money, and the majority of it remains in the parish which raises it, meaning that the resources available to parishes still vary enormously, according to the level of donations they can raise.
Most parishes give a portion of their money, however, to the diocese as a 'quota' or 'parish share'. While this is not a compulsory payment, dioceses strongly encourage and rely on it being paid; it is usually only withheld by parishes either if they are unable to find the funds or as a specific act of protest. As well as paying central diocesan expenses such as the running of diocesan offices, these diocesan funds also provide clergy pay and housing expenses (which total around £260 million per year across all dioceses), meaning that clergy living conditions no longer depend on parish-specific fundraising.
[[Image:Coventry cathedral.jpg|thumb|250px|right|The old and new [[Coventry Cathedral]]s, in the [[Diocese of Coventry]]. The new cathedral was built next to the ruins of the old, which was destroyed in the [[World War II|Second World War]].]]
Although asset-rich, the Church of England has to look after and maintain its thousands of churches nationwide — the lion's share of England's built heritage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/builtheritage/|title=The Church of Englnd's built heritage|work=Church of England website|publisher=Archbishops' Council of the Church of England|year=2004|quote=The Church of England has some 16,000 church buildings, in 13,000 parishes covering the whole of England, as well as 43 cathedrals. Together they form a unique collection of buildings; between 12,000 and 13,000 churches are listed, i.e. are recognised by the Government as being of exceptional historic or architectural importance, and about 45% of all Grade I buildings in England are churches. Though first and foremost a place of worship, churches are also often the oldest building in a settlement still in continual use. Even in industrial or twentieth-century settlements, they are a focus. Many churches – and cathedrals particularly - are the largest, most architecturally complex, most archaeologically sensitive, and most visited building in their village, town or city.}}</ref> As current congregation numbers stand at relatively low levels and as maintenance bills increase as the buildings grow older, many of these churches cannot maintain economic self-sufficiency; but their historical and architectural importance make it difficult to sell them. In recent years, cathedrals and other famous churches have met some of their maintenance costs with grants from organisations such as [[English Heritage]]; but the church congregation and local fundraisers must foot the bill entirely in the case of most small parish churches.<ref>[http://www.churchcare.co.uk/fundraising.php local fundraisers]</ref> (The government, however, does provide some assistance in the form of tax breaks, for example a 100% [[VAT]] refund for renovations to religious buildings.)
In addition to consecrated buildings, the Church also controls numerous ancillary buildings attached to or associated with churches, including a good deal of clergy housing. As well as vicarages and rectories, this housing includes residences (often called 'palaces') for each of the Church's 114 bishops. In some cases, this name seems entirely apt; buildings such as Archbishop of Canterbury's [[Lambeth Palace]] in London and Old Palace at [[Canterbury]] have truly palatial dimensions, while the Bishop of Durham's [[Auckland Castle]] has 50 rooms, a banqueting hall and 30 acres (120,000 m²) of parkland. However, many bishops have found the older palaces inappropriate for today's lifestyles, and some bishops' 'palaces' are ordinary four bedroomed houses. Many dioceses which have retained large palaces now employ part of the space as administrative offices, while the bishops and their families live in a small apartment within the palace; and in recent years some dioceses have managed to put their palaces' excess space and grandeur to profitable use as conference centres. All three of the more grand bishop's palaces mentioned above — Lambeth Palace, Canterbury Old Palace and Auckland Castle — serve as offices for church administration, conference venues, and only in a lesser degree the personal residence of a bishop. The size of the bishops' households has shrunk dramatically and their budgets for entertaining and staff form a tiny fraction of their pre-twentieth-century levels.
==References==
<!--See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref(erences/)> tags-->
{{reflist}}
==See also==
{{portalpar|England}}
{{commonscat|Anglican churches}}
* [[Appointment of Church of England bishops]]
* [[Architecture of the medieval cathedrals of England]]
* [[British monarchy]]
* [[Church of England parish church]]
* [[Historical development of Church of England dioceses]]
* [[List of Church of England bishops]]
* [[List of Church of England dioceses]]
* [[Religion in the United Kingdom]]
* [[Ritualism]]
* [[Shrinking the footprint]]
==External links==
*[http://www.cofe.anglican.org/ Church of England website]
*[http://www.acny.org.uk/ Find a Church in the Church of England ("A Church Near You")]
*[http://www.missionsociety.org.uk/ The Society for Sacramental Mission]
*[http://anglicanhistory.org/england/ Historical resources on the Church of England]
*[http://www.anglican.bb/hist Church of England history in the West Indies]
{{Anglican Portal}}
{{Anglican Churches}}
{{Anglican dioceses in UK}}
{{Anglican Bishops & Archbishops - Great Britain}}
[[Category:Church of England| ]]
[[Category:Anglo-Catholicism]]
[[Category:British investors in slavery and slave trading]]
[[Category:Religious organizations established in the 1530s]]
[[Category:1534 establishments]] <!-- Anglican separation from Rome-->
[[Category:National churches|England]]
[[Category:Members of the World Council of Churches|England]]
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