The Episcopal Church is a Christian denomination that is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion). It was established after the American Revolution when it became independent from the Church of England. The Episcopal Church is a mainline Protestant denomination that is divided into nine provinces). It characterizes itself as "Protestant, yet Catholic" and asserts apostolic succession, tracing its bishops back to the apostles via holy orders). The church is governed according to episcopal polity with its own system of canon law, meaning that the church is organized into dioceses led by bishops in consultation with representative bodies). The Episcopal Church believes in and follows the teachings of Jesus Christ, whose life, death, and resurrection saved the world. The church affirms the dignity and equality of all human beings and welcomes all people without any exceptions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, orientation, age, or any other reason. The Episcopal Church is known for its legacy of inclusion, aspiring to tell and exemplify God’s love for every human being. The church has a highly decentralized structure and characteristics of a confederation, and parishes and dioceses work together in leadership and governance). The Episcopal Church has recorded a regular decline in membership and Sunday attendance since the 1960s, particularly in the Northeast and Upper Midwest). As of 2021, the Episcopal Church had 1,678,157 members, of whom 1,520,388 were in the United States).