The Church of England is the established Christian church in England. It has 20,400 ordained ministers, 2,700 members of staff, 80,000 volunteers, 13,000 parishes and 43 cathedrals. The Church of England is also the mother church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It has an annual income of around £1,000 million and is headquartered in London.

Aside from clergy appointments, the Church of England’s employees work in the ‘National Institutions of the Church of England’. These comprise the Archbishop’s Council, Bishopthorpe Palace, the Church Commissioners, Church of England Central Services, the Church of England Pensions Board, Lambeth Palace, the National Society for Promoting Religious Education and the Trustees of the Lambeth Palace Library. In addition, some Church of England parishes employ local staff, such as administrators, youth or community workers.

The Church of England also runs many schools. Around 1 in 4 primary schools and 1 in 16 secondary schools are Church of England schools and the Church is the biggest sponsor of academies in England.

The roots of the Church of England go back to the Roman Empire when Christianity entered the Roman province of Britain. Until the Reformation of the 16th century the Church acknowledged the authority of the Pope. The first breach with Rome occurred under Henry VIII and a lasting religious settlement emerged under the reign of Elizabeth I. Since then the Church of England has combined Catholic elements with Protestant theological insights.

The Church of England comprises two Provinces, Canterbury and York, each led by an archbishop (Canterbury for the southern province and York for the northern). Each province is broken down into dioceses. There are 41 in England. Each of the dioceses has a structure of boards and councils responsible for different aspects of the Church's work such as ministry, mission, education and social responsibility.

Each diocese is divided into parishes. Each parish is overseen by a parish priest (usually called a vicar or rector). From ancient times through to today, they, and their bishop, are responsible for the 'cure of souls' in their parish.

The Queen is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. She appoints archbishops, bishops and deans of cathedrals on the advice of the Prime Minister. The two archbishops and 24 senior bishops sit in the House of Lords. Overall, there are 108 bishops.

The Church of England is governed by a General Synod, which meets in London or York at least twice annually to consider new legislation. The Synod is elected from the laity and clergy of each diocese. In 1999, an Archbishop’s Council was established to ‘coordinate, promote, aid and further the mission’ of the Church. It has 19 members and seven directors.

The Church’s financial investments are managed by the Church Commissioners. The commissioners oversee a fund of £7 billion.