Diocesan Handbook

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 (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.