Anglican Communion

The Anglican Communion is one of the world’s largest Christian communities. It has tens of millions of members in more than 165 countries around the globe. Anglicanism is one of the traditions or expressions of Christian faith. Others include Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran and Baptist.

The Communion is organised into a series of provinces and extra- provincial areas. The provinces are subdivided into dioceses, and the dioceses into parishes.

There are 40 provinces and, from March 2019, five extra-provincial areas. See here for a full list.  Some provinces are national, others are regional. All are in communion – or a reciprocal relationship – with the See of Canterbury and recognise the Archbishop of Canterbury as the Communion’s spiritual head. 

But there is no central authority in the Anglican Communion. All of the provinces are autonomous and free to make their own decisions in their own ways – guided by recommendations from the four Instruments: the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lambeth Conference, the Primates’ Meeting and the Anglican Consultative Council.   

The Anglican Communion Office is the permanent Secretariat for the Instruments of Communion of the Anglican Communion, and is headquartered in London. It serves the Anglican Consultative Council, the Primates’ Meetings, and the Lambeth Conference as well as commissions, committees and groups that emerge from time to time, as the need arises. Archbishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon serves as Secretary General of the Anglican Communion.

The headquarters is based at St Andrew’s House in Westbourne Park, London W11. About 25 staff are employed across the three charities. Further information about the office can be found on our website: http://www.anglicancommunion.org/structures/anglican-communion-office.aspx

In New York the Anglican Communion Office is based at the Episcopal Church denominational headquarters (815 Second Avenue New York, NY 10017).