Four sisterhoods stand together as the largest: those of Clewer, Wantage, All Saints and East Grinstead;

and the work of the first may stand as a specimen of that of others. The Community of St John the Baptist
at Clewer, near Windsor, arose in 1849 through the efforts of a Mrs Tennant and the vicar, afterwards
warden of the society, the Revd T. T. Carter, to save "fallen women". Under the first superior, Harriet
Monsell, the numbers steadily grew and at the beginning of the 20th century were over 200. Their
services to society and the church include six houses for "fallen women", seven orphanages, nine
elementary and high schools and colleges, five hospitals, mission work in 13 parishes and visiting in
several married quarters of barracks. Many of these are notable institutions and their labours extend
over a wide area; two of the settlements are in India and two in the United States. A list of 26 sisterhoods
is given in the Official Year-Book of the C.E. (1900), to which may be added 10 institutions of
deaconesses, many of whom live in community under a rule. The Episcopal Church of Scotland has three
sisterhoods and they are found also in Toronto, Saint John the Divine; Brisbane, Sacred Advent;
Grahamstown, Resurrection; Bloemfontein, St Michael and All Angels; Maritzburg, Saint John the Divine.
The Year-Book (1911) of theEpiscopal Church of America mentions 18 American sisterhoods and seven
deaconess homes and training colleges.
Practically all Anglican sisterhoods originated in works of mercy and this largely accounts for the rapidity
with which they have won their way to the good will and confidence of the Church. Their number is
believed to exceed 3,000, and the demand for their services is greater than the supply. Bishops are often
their visitors, andChurch Congresses, Convocation and Lambeth Conferences have given them
encouragement and regulation. This change in sympathy, again, has gained a hearing from modern
historians, who tend more and more to discredit the wholesale defamation of the dissolution period.
This charitable activity, however, distinguishes the modern sister from the nuns of primitive and medieval
times, who were cloistered and contemplative, and left external works to deaconesses, or to laywomen of
a third order, or to the freer societies like the Beguines. St Vincent de Paul is considered to have begun
the new era with his institution of Sisters of Charity in 1634 . Another modern feature is the fuller
recognition of family ties: Rule 29 of the Clewer sisters directs that the sisters shall have free intercourse
with relations, who may visit them at any time. But in most essential respects modern sisterhoods follow
the ancient traditions. They devote themselves to thecelibate life, have property in common, and observe
a common rule of prayer, fellowship and work. Government is by a sister superior, assisted by various
officers. Thewarden and chaplain are clergy, and the visitor is commonly a bishop.
Types of orders and communities[edit]
Whilst there is no single central authority for all religious orders, and many member churches of the
Anglican Communion have their own internal structures for recognising and regulating religious orders,
some central functions are performed by the Anglican Religious Communities department at Church
House, Westminster, the headquarters of the Church of England, Church Commissioners, General
Synod, Archbishops' Council, and National Society. This department publishes the bi-annualAnglican
Religious Life, a world directory of religious orders, and also maintains an official Anglican Communion
website for religious orders. Anglican Religious Lifedefines four categories of community.
[6]

Traditional Celibate Religious Orders and Communities: Orders and communities in which
members take a vow of celibacy (amongst other vows) and follow a common Rule of life. They may
be enclosed and contemplative or open and engaged in apostolic works.
Dispersed Communities: These are orders or communities whose members, whilst taking vows
(including celibacy), do not live together in community. In most cases the members are self-
supporting and live alone, but follow the same Rule of life, and meet together frequently in
assemblies often known as "chapter meetings". In some cases some members may share a common
life in very small groups of two or three.
Acknowledged Communities: These communities live a traditional Christian life, including the
taking of vows, but the traditional vows are adapted or changed. In many cases these communities
admit both single and married persons as members, requiring celibacy on the part of those who are
single, and unfailing commitment to their spouse on the part of married members. They also amend
the vow of poverty, allowing personal possessions, but requiring high standards of tithing to the
community and the wider church. These communities often have residential elements, but not full
residential community life, as this would be incompatible with some elements of married family life.
Other Communities: This group contains communities which are ecumenical (including Anglicans)
or that belong to non-Anglican churches which have entered into relationships of full communion with
Anglican churches (particularly, but not only, certain Lutheran churches).
In the United States of America, there is a clear distinction between "orders" and "communities", since the
Episcopal Church has its own two-fold definition of "religious orders" (equivalent to the first two groups
above) and "Christian communities" (equivalent to the third group above).
[7]
The Anglican Religious
Life directory affirms this, stating "This distinction in not used in other parts of the Anglican Communion
where 'communities' is also used for those who take traditional vows."
[8]

Anglican orders and interdenominational orders[edit]
Some religious orders are unique to the Anglican Communion. Certain large orders, such as the Society
of Saint Margaret or the Community of the Sisters of the Church, are widespread and follow a rule of life
written especially for the community. Other communities follow one of a number of historic rules predating
the ecclesial divisions of the Reformation era. These rules are followed by different orders which often
have manifestations within different current Christian denominations, particularly (in most cases)
Anglicanism, Roman Catholicism and Lutheranism and, in some cases, also Eastern Orthodoxy.
Augustinian orders[edit]
Main article: Augustinian nuns in the Anglican Communion
There are a number of Anglican communities of nuns following the Rule of St Augustine of Hippo. This
rule has a particular focus on making all of one's thoughts and speech God-centred. There is no central
Augustinian administration beyond the common rule.
Benedictine orders[edit]
Main article: Order of St. Benedict (Anglican)
The Benedictine order is active in all the Christian denominations mentioned above, including the Eastern
Orthodox tradition. Within the Roman Catholic Church there is a central Benedictine
Confederation (notwithstanding the autonomy of each abbey) and the Anglican Benedictine orders
maintain close relations with this central organisation (although without actual membership). The rule has
a particular emphasis on community life, hospitality for strangers and achieving a proper balance of work,
prayer and recreation.
Carmelite orders[edit]
The Carmelite Rule has found more limited use in the Anglican Communion than some others.
The Community of the Sisters of the Love of God in Oxford, England, are heavily influenced by Carmelite
spirituality and follow elements of the Carmelite Rule, but their rule also has many other influences.
The Episcopal Carmel of Saint Teresain Maryland is a full expression of the Carmelite order and rule
within Anglicanism, founded for that purpose with the support of the American House of Bishops. The
sisters follow the Discalced Carmelite rule and therefore use the post-nominal initials OCD.
Cistercian orders[edit]
Main article: Anglican Cistercians
Although a number of cloistered Cistercian orders have been founded within Anglicanism, none has
proved enduring. The longest Cistercian experiment was the community of Ewell Monastery (1966 to
2004). Some Anglican communities follow an adapted form of the Cistercian Rule and a single member of
the former Ewell Monastery lives as a Cistercian solitary. Since 2010 there exists the Order of Anglican
Cistercians who enjoy a formal ecumenical link with the Roman Catholic Cistercians at Mount Saint
Bernard, in Leicestershire, United Kingdom.
Franciscan orders[edit]
Main article: Franciscan orders in the Anglican Communion
A number of Anglican religious orders follow the Rule of St Francis of Assisi, although the Society of St.
Francis is the largest and most widespread. The rule has a particular focus on poverty and identifying with
the poor and the destitute as well as care of the environment and respect for all of creation.
Vincentian orders[edit]
The Vincentian Family of religious institutions founded by, or in the spirit of, Saint Vincent de Paul, is
found within the Roman Catholic and Anglican traditions. In Anglicanism the main Vincentian Order for
women is the Sisters of Charity, and the main order for men is the Company of Mission Priests. The rule
has a particular emphasis on care for the poor and marginalised in society.