Supplement 4: Churches in communion with the Church of England

see Canon C8

1   Various pieces of legislation make reference to 'Churches in communion with the Church of England'.

2   This term may be taken to include the following Churches:

(a) All member Churches and extra-provincial dioceses of the Anglican Communion, including united Churches which incorporate former Anglican Churches:

     Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia

    Anglican Church of Australia

     Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil

     Episcopal Church of Burundi

     Anglican Church of Canada

     Church of the Province of Central Africa

     Anglican Church of the Central America Region

     Anglican Church of the Congo

     Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui

     Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean

     Church of Ireland

     Anglican Communion in Japan

     Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East

     Anglican Church of Kenya

     Anglican Church of Korea

     Church of the Province of Melanesia

     Anglican Church of Mexico

     Church of the Province of Myanmar (Burma)

     Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)

     Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea

     Episcopal Church in the Philippines

     Episcopal Church of Rwanda

     Scottish Episcopal Church

     Church of the Province of South East Asia

     Church of the Province of Southern Africa

     Anglican Church of the Southern Cone of America

     Episcopal Church of the Sudan

     Anglican Church of Tanzania

     Church of the Province of Uganda

     Episcopal Church in the United States of America

     Church in Wales

     Church of the Province of West Africa

     Church in the Province of the West Indies

     Extra-provincial dioceses:

     Anglican Church of Bermuda

     Anglican Church in Ceylon (Sir Lanka)

     Episcopal Church of Cuba

     Lusitanian Church of Portugal

     Reformed Episcopal Church of Spain

     Falkland Islands Jurisdiction

     The Anglican Church in Venezuela

     Episcopal Church of Puerto Rico

     United Churches incorporating former Anglican dioceses:

     Church of Bangladesh

     Church of North India

     Church of South India

     Church of Pakistan

(b) The Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht:

     Old Catholic Church in the Netherlands

     Catholic Diocese of the Old Catholics in Germany

     Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland

     Old Catholic Church of Austria

     Old Catholic Church of the Czech Republic

     Polish National Catholic Church (USA)

     Polish National Catholic Church (Poland)

     Old Catholic Church of Croatia

    The Anglican-Old Catholic International Coordinating Committee exists to monitor and promote the relationship between the Anglican Communion and the Union of Utrecht.

(c)  Philippine Independent Church

(d)  Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar

(e)  Nordic and Baltic Lutheran Churches that approved the Porvoo Declaration.  

     To date, these are:

     Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Finland*

     Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Iceland

     Church of Norway*

     Church of Sweden*

     Estonian Evangelical-Lutheran Church*

     Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Lithuania

     *indicates Churches with congregations in England.

The Porvoo Contact Group (and additionally, within the Church of England, The English Porvoo Panel) exists to monitor and promote the relationship between the British and Irish Anglican Provinces and the Nordic and Baltic Lutheran Churches.

3   The advice contained in this note is given in good faith, but does not constitute a definitive ruling.  Rule 54(5) of the CRR provides that 'if any question arises whether a Church is in communion with the Church of England, it shall be conclusively determined for the purposes of these rules by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York'.  Section 6(2) of the Overseas and Other Clergy (Ministry and Ordination) Measure 1967 makes a similar provision.