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Presbyterian / Reformed vs. Anglican / Episcopal

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

Presbyterian / Reformed

The Reformed tradition follows the teaching of John Calvin, Huldrych Zwingli and their heirs, and Presbyterian churches are its best-known family. It stresses the sovereignty of God, the authority of Scripture, and government by elders (presbyters).

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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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At a glance

Where they differ: Authority: Scripture and tradition; Can a saved person fall away?; 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; How a person is saved; Baptism; Sacraments or ordinances; Death, purgatory and hell; Day of worship.

Side by side

Question	Presbyterian / Reformed	Anglican / Episcopal
Authority: Scripture and traditionDiffer	Scripture alone is the supreme authority. Confessions such as the Westminster Confession are subordinate standards that summarize its teaching.	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.
Books of the BibleAgree	66 books. The Westminster Confession says the Apocrypha is not inspired and has no authority in the church.	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.
The TrinityAgree	One God in three persons, as defined at Nicaea and Constantinople and restated in the Reformed confessions.	One God in three persons. The creeds are recited in worship and are part of the Book of Common Prayer.
How a person is savedAgree	Justification by grace alone through faith alone, with salvation entirely God’s work from election to glory. Good works are the fruit and evidence of faith.	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.
Can a saved person fall away?Differ	No. The “perseverance of the saints” holds that those whom God has truly chosen will be kept in faith to the end, though they may stumble seriously.	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.
Predestination and free willVaries	God unconditionally chose those he would save before the foundation of the world, which is the classic Calvinist position. Its five points are often summarized by the acronym TULIP.	Article XVII affirms predestination in gentle terms. Anglicans range from Calvinists to Arminians, and the church has never enforced one view.
BaptismAgree	A sign and seal of God’s covenant promise. Infants of believers are baptized, generally by sprinkling or pouring, and baptism is not thought to save automatically.	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.
Communion (the Lord’s Supper)Varies	Christ is truly present, but spiritually, through the Holy Spirit, for those who receive by faith. It is a sign and seal, not a change in the elements.	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.
Sacraments or ordinancesAgree	Two sacraments, baptism and the Lord’s Supper.	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.
Church governmentDiffer	Governed by elders. Each congregation is led by a session of elders, which belongs to a presbytery, then a regional synod and a national General Assembly.	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.
Clergy and women in ministryVaries	Varies. The PC(USA) ordains women as pastors and elders, while the PCA and other conservative bodies reserve those offices for men.	Varies. Many provinces ordain women as priests and bishops, while some do not. Clergy may marry.
Mary and the saintsVaries	Mary is honored as the mother of Jesus, and saints are remembered as examples. Prayer is directed to God alone.	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.
Death, purgatory and hellAgree	Purgatory is rejected. Believers pass at once into Christ’s presence and await the resurrection. The unsaved face eternal punishment.	Article XXII rejects the “Romish doctrine concerning Purgatory.” Some Anglo-Catholics pray for the dead and hold a gentler view of the intermediate state.
Style of worshipDiffer	Centered on the preaching of the Word. Worship is more sober than in Catholic or Lutheran churches and traditionally uses hymns and psalms, with some congregations now using contemporary music.	Liturgical, following the Book of Common Prayer or a modern equivalent. Styles range from ornate “high church” to simple “low church” services.
The Holy Spirit and spiritual giftsVaries	The Spirit gives gifts to the church. Traditionally, many Reformed teachers held that miraculous gifts ended with the apostles (cessationism), while others, including charismatic Presbyterians, disagree.	Varies. Anglicanism includes a large charismatic wing, and other Anglicans give little emphasis to gifts.
Day of worshipAgree	Sunday, called the Lord’s Day. Some Reformed churches apply the Sabbath commandment to Sunday strictly.	Sunday.
Best known for	The sovereignty of God, careful doctrine, government by elders and a long history of education and biblical scholarship.	The Book of Common Prayer, bishops, and a middle path between Catholic and Protestant traditions.

“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.

Presbyterian / Reformed vs. Anglican / Episcopal