A good question on a very timely issue in that two historic churches who have decided to leave the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Virginia and become part of a Nigerian Diocese. Bishops are the keystone of the Church of England (unlike the Lutherans who believe that individual men and women don't need an intermediary to talk with God.) The Church of England never allowed American bishops. In 1783, ministers in New England elected Samuel Seabury bishop, but the English church refused to ordain him Bishop. Therefore, he went to Scotland since the tradition of Apostolic Successon requires three Bishops to ordain a new one. Hence, the cross of St. Andrew in the upper LH shield of the American Episcopal Church. So 1783 can be said to be the start of the Episcopal Church in America. I think that the intitial name was The Protestant Episcopal Church in America. Things had mellowed a bit by the time our first Virginia Bishop, Bishop Madison, came along and he was ordained by the Archbishop of Cantebury. Subsequently, there were at least three American Episcopal Bishops kicking around the States, so succeding American Bishops have been ordained by our own. And incidentally, that was the same Bishop Madison who participated in the 1807 Jamestown Celebration. In an effort to keep VA-HIST discussion civil and (relatively) non-controversial, I'll just say that late last year two Northern Virginia churches, The Falls Church and Truro Church, voted to leave the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Virginia and become part of a Diocese based in Nigeria (Africa). At least one of the former rectors of those churches has been ordained a bishop in that Nigerian Diocese of The Anglican Communion. All of this will provide grist for lawsuits and employment for attorneys for years to come since ALL church property of the Diocese of Virginia belongs to the Diocese of Virginia. i.e. The local church may have bought the land, built the building, paid the rent, done the maintenance -- eveything you and I do for the homes we own -- but the Diocese of Virginia owns the land and buildings -- and heretofore, Virginia Courts have upheld this interpretation. Hence Virginia Bishop Peter Lee's observation (which I cannot quite exactly but was) to the effect that "The Diocese of Virginia will exercise its right to the land and buildings, because these historic structures becoming part of a Nigerian Diocese was never what our forebear's envisioned." A few years ago when there was similar discussion, I believe a bill was discussed and perhaps even introduced into the Virginia Legislature to change all that, but it never made it. This is truly a sad time for the Episcopal Church, and echoes those words in that grand old hymn, "The Churches' One Foundation" ''.... by schism rent asunder......" Randy Cabell ----- Original Message ----- From: "Anne Pemberton" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Sunday, January 14, 2007 8:10 AM Subject: [VA-HIST] The beginning of the Episcopal Church >I recently read a fairly new children's book entitled "D'Arcy" by Donna Doe > Southall. It is the story of a later son of an English nobleman who came > to > Jamestown in about 1617. In the story, it tells that the Church of England > became the Episcopal Church in America at the time of the founding of > Jamestown. > > I wonder if this is correct? When was the name Church of England changed > to > the Episcopal Church? > > Anne > > Anne Pemberton > [log in to unmask] > http://www.erols.com/stevepem > http://www.erols.com/apembert > http://www.educationalsynthesis.org > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions > at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html