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Anglican / Episcopal vs. Non-denominational

A side-by-side comparison of Anglican / Episcopal and Non-denominational 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.

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Non-denominational

Non-denominational churches are independent congregations with no formal denominational parent. Most are evangelical, centered on the Bible and personal faith in Christ, but each sets its own doctrine and style, so practice varies more here than in any other group.

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At a glance

Where they differ: Authority: Scripture and tradition; Baptism; Sacraments or ordinances; Church government; Style of worship.

Varies within one or both: Can a saved person fall away?; 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; How a person is saved; Death, purgatory and hell; Day of worship.

Side by side

Question	Anglican / Episcopal	Non-denominational
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 Bible is the final authority, and each congregation interprets it for itself. Most hold to biblical inerrancy in some form.
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.	Almost always Trinitarian, though statements of faith are set by each church.
How a person is savedAgree	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.	Usually teaches salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone, received by a personal decision to trust him. Details are set by each church.
Can a saved person fall away?Varies	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.	Varies by church. Many teach eternal security, and others teach that salvation can be lost.
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.	Varies by church. Some are Calvinist and many are Arminian or take no stand.
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.	Usually believer’s baptism by immersion, as a public witness. A few churches baptize infants or allow other modes.
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.	Usually a memorial ordinance, observed as often as each church chooses.
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 church governs itself, generally under a pastor or a board of elders.
Clergy and women in ministryVaries	Varies. Many provinces ordain women as priests and bishops, while some do not. Clergy may marry.	Varies by church. Many limit pastors to men and others welcome women in leadership.
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. Non-denominational churches do not pray to saints.
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.	Believers go to be with Christ at death and unbelievers face judgment. There is no purgatory.
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.	Free-form and often contemporary, with a band, a sermon and modern arrangements. Each church sets its own style.
The Holy Spirit and spiritual giftsVaries	Varies. Anglicanism includes a large charismatic wing, and other Anglicans give little emphasis to gifts.	Varies. Some non-denominational churches are charismatic and others hold that miraculous gifts have ceased.
Day of worshipAgree	Sunday.	Sunday, with some churches also offering Saturday evening services.
Best known for	The Book of Common Prayer, bishops, and a middle path between Catholic and Protestant traditions.	Independence, contemporary worship, a focus on personal faith and the Bible, and rapid growth as a share of American churchgoers.

“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. Non-denominational