Identity area
Type of entity
Corporate body
Authorized form of name
Board of Foreign Parishes
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1883-
History/biography
The Board of Foreign Parishes of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America is a corporation founded in New York State in 1883. The purpose of the corporation is to establish and support Episcopal churches in Europe. These congregations were established to provide a familiar place of worship and a church community for Americans living in or visiting Europe.
The Board acts as a trusteeship for parishes in holding legal title to their property. It acts as both a fiduciary agent and a coordinating business entity for congregations of The Episcopal Church on the European continent. As of 2008, the Board served eight congregations. In 2019, fifteen Episcopal Church congregations were under the supervision of bishop for the Episcopal Churches in Europe (ECIE). It is unclear which, if any, of the additional seven are aided by the Board of Foreign Parishes.
Two parishes maintain independent boards: St. Paul’s Church (Rome, Italy) and St. James’ Church (Florence, Italy). Together, the three boards manage endowments for the Convocation of American Churches in Europe.