Dissecting the Episcopal Shield

The Episcopal Shield

The Episcopal shield is “a spiritual and artistic creation that exemplifies the heart and mission of our church.” It incorporates different styles of crosses, each of which has historic significance.

The large red cross on a white background is St. George’s Cross and represents the Church of England, our mother church. The field in the upper left quadrant is “Episcopal blue” and includes nine crosslets, which together form the X-shaped St. Andrew’s Cross, representing the Church of Scotland.

In order for The Episcopal Church to incorporate apostolic succession, which is the uninterrupted transmission of spiritual authority from the Apostles through successive bishops over the years, our first bishops in America were consecrated by bishops from the Church of Scotland, and thus the St. Andrew’s cross holds a prominent position in the shield.

The “Pride” Episcopal Shield

The U.S.’s bishops-to-be had to travel to Scotland, where the requisite laying-on of hands by at least three bishops took place. Scottish bishops get the credit for providing us with our own bishops, since, due to the Revolutionary War, English bishops were not likely to have been happy to do so.

The nine crosslets represent the original nine dioceses that made up what was first known as the Protestant Episcopal Church in the U.S.A. The term “protestant” has been dropped, as we are more catholic than protestant, and the U.S.A. designation is no longer appropriate because our church now includes dioceses outside of the U.S. Thus, we are simply The Episcopal Church.

While the original Episcopal shield remains our official “logo,” in affirmation and celebration of LGBTQ members of The Episcopal Church, an alternative shield was developed in recent years, incorporating colors of both the traditional Pride flag and the more inclusive Progress Pride flag. The latter encompasses black and brown to represent anti-racism, while the pink and light blue portray the transgender Pride flag.