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Anglican / Episcopal vs. Church of Christ

A side-by-side comparison of Anglican / Episcopal and Church of Christ teaching on 16 questions, from Scripture and salvation to baptism, communion and church government.

Anglican / Episcopal

The Anglican Communion descends from the Church of England, which broke with Rome in the 1530s while keeping bishops and much of the older liturgy. The Episcopal Church is its American branch. It describes itself as both catholic and Reformed.

More about Anglican / Episcopal Christianity

Church of Christ

The Churches of Christ come from the American Restoration Movement of the early 1800s, which sought to return to the pattern of the New Testament church. Congregations are independent, and they are known for weekly communion and unaccompanied singing.

At a glance

Where they differ: Authority: Scripture and tradition; How a person is saved; Baptism; Sacraments or ordinances; Church government; Style of worship.

Varies within one or both: Predestination and free will; Communion (the Lord’s Supper); Clergy and women in ministry; Mary and the saints; The Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts.

Where they agree: Books of the Bible; The Trinity; Can a saved person fall away?; Death, purgatory and hell; Day of worship.

Side by side

Question	Anglican / Episcopal	Church of Christ
Authority: Scripture and traditionDiffer	Scripture holds first place, and it is read with the help of tradition and reason. This threefold approach is often traced to the theologian Richard Hooker.	The New Testament is the pattern for worship and church life. Practices are expected to be supported by a command, an example or a necessary inference from Scripture.
Books of the BibleAgree	66 books as Scripture. The Thirty-Nine Articles say the Apocrypha may be read “for example of life and instruction of manners,” but not to establish doctrine.	66 books.
The TrinityAgree	One God in three persons. The creeds are recited in worship and are part of the Book of Common Prayer.	One God in three persons. Churches of Christ have no written creed and rest the belief directly on Scripture.
How a person is savedDiffer	Article XI teaches that we are justified by faith only. Anglicans differ on how this fits with the sacraments, with Evangelicals stressing faith and Anglo-Catholics stressing baptism and the Eucharist.	Saved by grace, received through faith that includes repentance, confession of Christ and baptism. Baptism is taught as the point at which sins are forgiven, and faith is understood as active obedience.
Can a saved person fall away?Agree	Yes. Article XVI says a believer may depart from grace given and fall into sin, and by God’s grace rise again and amend his life.	Yes. A Christian who lives in sin without repenting can fall away, and Churches of Christ point to warnings such as Hebrews 6 and 10.
Predestination and free willVaries	Article XVII affirms predestination in gentle terms. Anglicans range from Calvinists to Arminians, and the church has never enforced one view.	Rejects Calvinist predestination. God offers salvation to all and each person must choose to obey the gospel.
BaptismDiffer	A sacrament of new birth into the church. Infants and adults are baptized, by pouring or immersion. Anglicans differ on how closely baptism is tied to regeneration.	Immersion of a believer for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). Baptism is taught as necessary for salvation, and infant baptism is rejected.
Communion (the Lord’s Supper)Varies	The Eucharist. Anglicans affirm Christ’s presence but leave the manner open, from real presence among Anglo-Catholics to a spiritual or memorial view among Evangelicals.	A memorial observed every Sunday, since Acts 20:7 is taken to show the pattern of the early church. The elements are symbols.
Sacraments or ordinancesDiffer	Two sacraments “ordained by Christ,” baptism and the Eucharist. Five other rites, including confirmation and marriage, are called sacramental rites, and Anglo-Catholics often count all seven.	Two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Church governmentDiffer	Governed by bishops, with a presiding archbishop in each province. The Archbishop of Canterbury is a symbolic leader of the communion, without authority over other provinces.	Each congregation is fully autonomous and is led by a group of elders (also called shepherds or overseers). There is no denominational headquarters.
Clergy and women in ministryVaries	Varies. Many provinces ordain women as priests and bishops, while some do not. Clergy may marry.	Elders, preachers and public worship leaders are men. Women teach children and other women and take part in many other roles.
Mary and the saintsVaries	Varies. Anglo-Catholics ask for Mary’s and the saints’ prayers, while Evangelical Anglicans do not. Official teaching honors the saints, but Article XXII calls the invocation of saints “a fond thing vainly invented,” so Anglo-Catholic practice goes beyond the formal doctrine.	Mary is honored as the mother of Jesus. There is no prayer to saints, and no role for saints in worship.
Death, purgatory and hellAgree	Article XXII rejects the “Romish doctrine concerning Purgatory.” Some Anglo-Catholics pray for the dead and hold a gentler view of the intermediate state.	The dead await judgment in Hades, in comfort or in torment. After the resurrection the righteous enter heaven and the wicked face eternal punishment.
Style of worshipDiffer	Liturgical, following the Book of Common Prayer or a modern equivalent. Styles range from ornate “high church” to simple “low church” services.	A simple service of singing, prayer, preaching, communion and giving. Most congregations sing without instruments.
The Holy Spirit and spiritual giftsVaries	Varies. Anglicanism includes a large charismatic wing, and other Anglicans give little emphasis to gifts.	Generally teaches that miraculous gifts, such as tongues and healing, ended with the apostolic age. The Spirit is understood to work through the written Word.
Day of worshipAgree	Sunday.	Sunday, the first day of the week (Acts 20:7).
Best known for	The Book of Common Prayer, bishops, and a middle path between Catholic and Protestant traditions.	Weekly communion, unaccompanied singing, believer’s baptism for forgiveness and a determination to follow the New Testament pattern.

“Agree” means the two traditions take the same broad position, although the wording above may still note finer differences. “Varies” means at least one of the two is itself divided on the question, so no single position can be given. These summaries describe typical teaching, and individual churches may vary. For an authoritative statement, consult each denomination’s own confessions.

Anglican / Episcopal vs. Church of Christ