The Anglican Communion is comprised of those churches in communion with, and recognizing the leadership of, the see (seat or headquarters) of Canterbury with the Archbishop of Canterbury as its head. Currently, there are 38 Provinces which comprise the Anglican Communion. They are:
Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynsia
Anglican Church of Australia
Anglican Church of Canada
Anglican Church of Kenya
Anglican Church of Korea
Anglican Church of Mexico
Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea
Anglican Church of the Region of Central America
Anglican Church of the Province of the Southern Cone (South America)
Church in Wales
Church of England
Church of Ireland
Church of Nigeria
Church of North India
Church of South India
Church of Uganda
Church of the Province of Burundi
Church of the Province of Central Africa
Church of the Province of Melanesia
Church of the Province of Myanmar
Church of the Province of Rwanda
Church of the Province of South East Asia
Church of the Province of Southern Africa
Church of the Province of Tanzania
Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean
Church of the Province of the West Indies
Church of the Province of West Africa
Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East
Episcopal Church in the United States (including Columbia, Convocation of American Churches in Europe, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti,
Honduras, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and the Virgin Islands)
Episcopal Church of Brazil
Episcopal Church of Cuba
Episcopal Church of the Sudan
Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui
Lusitania Church of Portugal
Nippon Sei Ko Kai (Japan)
Philippine Episcopal Church
Scottish Episcopal Church
Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church.
For the first 250 years after the Reformation, the Anglican Communion consisted of the Church of England (which included Ireland and Wales), and the Episcopal Church of Scotland. The Episcopal Church in the United States formed itself into an autonomous body in full communion with the see of Canterbury in 1789 by action of its first General Convention.
The first Lambeth Conference (a meeting of Anglican Bishops from around the world invited by the Archbishop of Canterbury and held every ten years) was held in 1867. The Lambeth Conference being planned for 2008 will be the 14th Lambeth Conference. The Anglican Consultative Council was established in 1969 as an advisory and educational body comprised of Anglican laity, priests and bishops. The A.C.C. meets every two or three years. The title “Primate,” designates an Anglican Bishop who is the head of a Province. The first Primates' meeting was held in 1979. Along with the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lambeth Conference, the A.C.C., and the Primates comprise the “Four Instruments of Unity” cited in the Windsor Report.