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At the 1937 General Convention, the Joint Commission on Revision of the Hymnal (JCRH) was formed and authorized to undertake a revision of The Hymnal 1916 with the goal of presenting its proposed changes to the General Convention in 1940 for approval. It was renewed in 1943, 1946, and 1949 to continue work on a companion handbook to The Hymnal 1940 that would contain authoritative information about the words, music, and authors of the hymns. After the publication of the companion book, the Joint Commission was discharged by the 1952 General Convention.

From 1789 until 1919 (except for the brief period from 1792-1804), the senior bishop by date of consecration was automatically the Presiding Bishop (PB). In 1919 the PB was made president of the National Council which serves as the Board of Directors of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Service. Duties established at that time included presiding over meetings of the House of Bishops, acting as the executive head of all programs and mission departments, having authority to appoint interim officials and officers, and maintaining oversight of bishops. In 1964 the office was granted authority to appoint the President and Chair of the Executive Council.

In 1967, the duties of PB were brought together under one canon (Canon 2) and stipulated that the term of office be 12 years or until the PB reaches 65 years of age. It also named the PB as chief pastor and gave the office the responsibility for representing the church in its corporate capacity as well as responsibilities involving initiating and developing policy.

The Standing Commission on Structure studied the office further and reported in 1976 concerning the method of electing a PB. They concluded that the PB should continue to be elected by the House of Bishops and approved by the House of Deputies, rather than a joint session of the two houses. The General Convention gave the PB joint authority with the President of the House of deputies to appoint the General Convention Executive Secretary (this position was changed to Executive Officer in 1982).

The Presiding Bishop is the Chief Pastor and Primate of The Episcopal Church, which includes the United States and dioceses or congregations in Europe, Asia and Latin America that maintain continuing ties to the American province of the Anglican Communion. The Presiding Bishop is responsible for initiating new work, developing Church policy and strategy, leading the staff of the DFMS, and representing the Episcopal Church in major public engagements, the Anglican Communion, and ecumenical relationships. In addition, the PB acts as chairperson of Executive Council, President of the DFMS, and is presiding officer of the House of Bishops.

The first issue of “The Witness was published on January 6, 1917. The Rt. Rev. Irving Peake Johnson, of Colorado, was the first editor-in-chief and also formed the first board of directors for the publication. William B. Spofford succeeded Johnson as editor. In the earlier years, The Witness combined traditional church news and advertising with impassioned editorials concerning workers' rights and other issues of religious and social consequence.

Sometime in the 1940s, Irving Johnson and William B. Spofford, along with several other men, established the Episcopal Church Publishing Company (ECPC) that continued to publish The Witness. After Spofford’s death in 1972, publication temporarily ceased. Resuming in 1974 after the formation of a new board of trustees, the first issue featured the irregular ordination to the priesthood of 11 women deacons in Philadelphia.

Although it had undergone changes in frequency of publication and appearance, The Witness retained its emphasis on social action and justice in light of the gospel. Its roots remained Episcopal, but its readership ecumenical. Publication ceased in 2003.

The Conference on the Religious Life (CORL) is an affiliation of religious orders in the Anglican Communion established in 1949 to spread knowledge about the religious life, present a united voice to the Church on issues, and as consultants to bishops or new communities in formation. By 1982, the Conference represented 24 member communities and 75 houses in the United States, Canada, West Indies, and Liberia. The Conference's Advisory Council served as its plenary body until 1986, when this role was assumed by the Superior's Council. In 2001, at the Annual Leaders’ Meeting in Racine, WI, the operating name of the conference was changed from the Conference on the Religious Life (CORL) to the Conference of Anglican Religious Orders in the Americas (CAROA), the name under which it operates today.

Founded in 1980 as an independent national organization of Episcopal women, the Episcopal Women's History Project has played an important role in recovering and documenting the lives of women who have made outstanding contributions to The Episcopal Church. The Project aims to raise awareness about the historic place of women in the Church and their ethnic, racial, regional, and class diversity. Since its formation, the group has produced historical resources, conducted oral history interviews, published a newsletter, distributed grants, and supported and encouraged research and scholarship related to the historical role of women in The Episcopal Church.

The Executive Office of the General Convention (GCO) is one of the three offices of The Episcopal Church. The others are the Office of the Presiding Bishop and the Office of the President of the House of Deputies.

The GCO administers the governance of the Church in a variety of ways, including organizing and overseeing the triennial General Convention, supporting the activities of the various interim bodies of the General Convention, participating in official meetings of the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies, generating the Church’s annual Parochial Report, and promoting the ministry of the ecumenical, inter-religious, and inter-Anglican bodies of the Church.

In addition, the GCO supports the Executive Officer in their role as corporate Secretary of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society, Secretary of the Executive Council, and Registrar of the General Convention.

Beginning in 1841, General Convention recognized the need for a person, chosen by the House of Bishops, to procure and maintain all the Journals of the proceedings and record the time and place of the consecrations of all bishops. At the time, the Librarian of the General Theological Seminary was chosen to be the “Register of the House of Bishops”. It wasn’t until 1853 that a Canon was officially passed establishing a Registrar of the General Convention, with the Rev. John Henry Hobart elected to fill the position.

In 2012, Canon I.1.5 was amended, stipulating that the Secretary of the General Convention would act as the Registrar going forward.

Integrity, Inc. was established in 1974 as a network of gay and lesbian Episcopalians, their families, and allies. Sparked by Louie Crew’s newsletter Integrity Forum, the first chapter formed in Chicago under James Wickliff, followed by the inaugural national convention in 1975 at the Cathedral of St. James, Chicago. Over time, the organization grew to over 70 chapters across the U.S. and Canada.

Integrity made a significant institutional impact at the Episcopal Church’s 1976 General Convention in Minneapolis, most notably contributing to the passage of resolution A069, affirming the full dignity and inclusion of homosexual persons. That same year, the Rev. Malcolm Boyd publicly came out during Integrity’s national convention in San Francisco. In 1977, Ellen Marie Barrett, a former co-president, was ordained by Bishop Paul Moore, Jr., marking a milestone in LGBTQ+ inclusion in the ordained priesthood.

Integrity fostered ecumenical relationships with organizations such as Dignity (Catholic), Lutherans Concerned, and the Metropolitan Community Church. Its national structure, driven largely by lay volunteers, coordinated local chapter activities and organized annual conventions. Advocacy efforts centered on influencing policy decisions at The Episcopal Church’s General Conventions. The Fund for Integrity, Inc., established in 1981, supported its mission financially. The organization formally dissolved in 2022.

Church Publishing Incorporated (CPI), founded in 1918 and headquartered in New York City, is a leading global publisher serving both church and general readers. With over 1,000 active publications and three imprints—Church Publishing, Morehouse Publishing, and Seabury Books—CPI produces about 50 new titles each year in print and digital formats. Its catalog ranges from official Episcopal Church worship resources and clergy support materials to trade books on spirituality, leadership, and social justice, as well as scholarly works in religion and theology.