"One of the things that is true about Anglicans is that we have retained those orders of clergy that we see written in the New Testament: bishops, priests, and deacons... the church as a whole is led by the clergy, but governed by the councils of the church. This is true on every level. On the local level, we are led by a priest, but governed by a vestry or parish council, which is the voice of the lay people in the organization of the church. On a diocesan level, the collection of churches or parishes together, it is led by a bishop and overseen by a convention or synod, a gathering together of the clergy and the laity."
In the last installment of our "What Is Anglicanism?" series, Bishop Alex explains the structure of church, diocesan, and provincial governance that we adhere to as Anglicans.