This book - Centro de Estudos Anglicanos

4REORGANIZATION IN A NEWNATION: 1783–1811The changed social and cultural circumstances of postrevolutionary America requiredreligious groups that had once been closely linked to Great Britain totransform themselves into denominations capable of self-government in a newnation. At the same time that political and intellectual leaders were formulatingconstitutions for the federal government and for the individual states, clergy andlaity in Christian denominations were active in the restructuring of their churches. 1For example, English jurisdiction over American Catholicism was officially endedin June 1784, when John Carroll of Maryland was appointed superior of thechurch’s mission in the United States. In December of that year, the MethodistEpiscopal Church was similarly organized as a denomination distinct from theChurch of England. Anglicans, too, were involved in a process of institutionalreorganization. The situation was particularly difficult for them, however, becausethe war had brought their denomination to a point of almost total collapse. In arelatively brief period, Anglican parishes in America had lost thousands of membersas many loyalists fled to Canada and England and patriots ashamed of thedenomination’s loyalist taint left the church. In the face of these losses, churchleaders sought to refashion the denomination by preserving the distinctive theologicaland liturgical features of Anglicanism yet shedding those elements thathad always bound it to the British government.THE LEADERSHIP OF WILLIAM WHITEThe most influential figure in this complex process was William White, who,as rector of Christ Church, Philadelphia, occupied a highly favorable position inwhich to affect the future direction of his denomination. White himself had knownand worked with many of the “founding fathers” of the United States—men likeGeorge Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison.What those leaders were accomplishing in the political sphere, he hoped to