The Anglican Church of Mexico (, abbreviated IAM), originally known as the Church of Jesus () is the Anglican province in Mexico and includes five dioceses. Although Mexican in origin and not the result of any foreign missionary effort, the Church uses the colors representing Mexico as well as those of the United States-based Episcopal Church in its heraldic insignia or shield, recognizing a historical connection with that US church which began with obtaining the apostolic succession.

History

The Anglican Church of Mexico can trace its roots to the Mexican War for independence in 1810, and to the attempt in 1854 by several liberal minded priests who later supported the liberal Constitution of 1857 (for this reason they became known as “Constitutionalist Fathers”) to reform the local Catholic Church, but it was the Reform War that led to the foundation of the church. Religious reforms in 1857 secured freedom of religion, separating the Catholic Church from government and politics. In 1860, the newly formed Church of Jesus contacted the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, seeking apostolic succession. In 1879, the first bishop, H. Chauncey Riley, was consecrated. In 1958, the fourth missionary bishop of Mexico José G. Saucedo was the first of the church's bishops to be consecrated on Mexican soil, being the de facto leader of the Mexican church for the second half of the 20th century leading the process for it to become an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion on 1 January 1995, and being elected its first primate archbishop. The church has experienced an internal schism beginning in 2022,and continuing into 2026

Controversy over primacy Controversy in the church erupted after an April 2022 diocesan election to replace retired primate Francisco Manuel Moreno as bishop of northern Mexico. Five clergy said they were prevented from participating in the election, which resulted in Oscar Pulido becoming bishop-elect amid claims of interference in the election. Shortly thereafter, competing delegations from the Diocese of Northern Mexico presented themselves for admission to the church's national synod in June 2022, one led by Pulido and another led by Moreno. As acting primate since 2020, Enrique Treviño Cruz recognized the Pulido-led delegation, and Treviño was during the synod elected and formally installed as primate. He afterward consecrated Pulido as bishop of northern Mexico.

The controversy resulted in division among the leaders of the Anglican Church of Mexico. Bishop of Southeastern Mexico Julio César Martín-Trejo and Bishop of Western Mexico Ricardo Gomez Osnaya sided with Moreno, while Bishop of Mexico Alba Sally Sue Hernandez sided with Treviño and Pulido. Martín and Gomez claimed the election of Treviño as primate was invalid. They also challenged the addition of Pulido and Hernandez to the Anglican Church of Mexico's board during a meeting they were excluded from, alleging procedural irregularities in the process. Treviño alleged irregularities and "actions contrary to canon law" by Martín and Gomez.

In the fall of 2023, Martín, Gomez and Moreno constituted a board claiming to be the Anglican Church of Mexico's legal governing board. In doing so, they voted to strip Treviño of his primacy and install Francisco Moreno as acting primate. According to news reports, "the dissenting bishops retain control of the financial accounts of the Diocese of the North and the Province of Mexico." However, according to Linda Nicholls, regional Anglican primate for the Americas, the Anglican Communion Office would continue to recognize Treviño as primate.

In March 2026, an extraordinary general synod of the church claiming to represent all five dioceses elected Hernandez as archbishop, succeeding Treviño. She was recognized as primate by the Anglican Communion Office and was invited to attend the installation service for Sarah Mullally as Archbishop of Canterbury on March 25, 2026, during which Hernández read the Gospel lesson. Martín and Gomez did not attend the synod and did not recognize Hernandez as archbishop, and they formed a different website for the Iglesia Anglicana de México that listed Gomez as primate. As of March 2026, the dispute between the two factions was the subject of litigation in Mexico.

Membership Today, there are 52 Anglican parishes in Mexico, 36 missions, and 12 other affiliated institutions. While some sources claim 100,000 baptized members, the Church of England Yearbook, which includes information on other Anglican provinces, and a study published in 2016 by the Journal of Anglican Studies and Cambridge University Press, report that the church has 21,000 active baptized members. In 2017, Growth and Decline in the Anglican Communion: 1980 to the Present, published by Routledge, collected research from 2010 reporting there were 27,500 Anglicans in Mexico. In 2015, the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez estimated there were 30,000 Anglicans in Mexico.

Structure

The polity of the Anglican Church of Mexico is episcopal, as is true of all other Anglican churches. The church maintains a system of geographical parishes organized into dioceses. There are 5 of these, each headed by a bishop. Each diocese is divided into archdeaconries, each headed by a senior priest. The archdeaconries are further subdivided into parishes, headed by a parish priest. Several of the dioceses are named in Spanish merely for a compass direction — del Occidente, del Norte, del Sureste — which translate directly as "of the West" &c.La Iglesia Anglicana de México — Nosotros (Accessed 20 May 2018) However, the Episcopal Church and other English-language Anglican Communion sources instead render these names with "Mexico" — e.g. "of Western Mexico" — so these are the forms used on the English-language Wikipedia.

Diocese of Mexico In 1879, diocesan bishop Henry C. Riley was ordained and consecrated by the Episcopal Church in the United States of America as "Bishop of the Valley of Mexico", to exercise oversight over the Mexican "Church of Jesus". Riley resigned in 1884 and the care of the independent church lapsed to the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. Henry Forrester, the church's local administrator, was elected Bishop of the Valley of Mexico, but died before consecration.

In 1904, the Episcopal Church formed all of the Mexican Republic into one Missionary District of Mexico, for North American Anglicans/Episcopalians in Mexico;Episcopal News Service archives — Romero, Saucedo Consecrated; March 6, 1964 (Accessed 20 May 2018) and which the native Church of Jesus joined in 1906.La Iglesia Anglicana de Mexico (IAM) — Historical Preface (Accessed 20 May 2018)Anglican Diocese of Southeastern México — Historic Summary (Archived from the original on 29 August 2009 and accessed 20 May 2018) That year, Henry D. Aves was consecrated first Missionary Bishop of Mexico and resigned in 1923. In 1926, Frank W. Creighton succeeded him as second missionary bishop.Anglican History — The Church in Mexico, by Frank Whittington Creighton (Accessed 19 May 2018) In 1972, the Episcopal Church divided the missionary district in three, creating those of Northern and of Western Mexico, and renaming the remaining portion as Central & Southern Mexico; on 1 January 1980, all three were erected into dioceses. In 1988/9 the Central and Southern diocese was again split in three, creating the Cuernavaca and Southeastern dioceses, the remainder being named, again, the Diocese of Mexico (City).An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church — Mexico, Diocese of (Accessed 20 May 2018) The diocese today is based in Mexico City, where its cathedral is St Joseph of Grace.

Missionary bishops of the Missionary Diocese of Mexico 1879-1884: I Diocesan Bishop Henry C. Riley, Bishop of the Valley of Mexico. 1884-????: The Presiding Bishop, Provisional Bishop. ????-1904: Henry Forrester, Bishop-elect. 1904-1923: II Diocesan Bishop Henry D. Aves (first missionary bishop) 1926-1933: III Diocesan Bishop Frank W. Creighton, Bishop of Michigan. 1931-1934: Suffragan Bishop Efrain Salinas y Velasco. 1934-1957: IV Diocesan Bishop Efrain Salinas y Velasco.Episcopal News Service archives — Funeral Services Held for Efrain Salinas; December 30, 1968 (Accessed 20 May 2018) 1958-1972: V Diocesan Bishop José G. Saucedo (IV missionary Bishop; continued as Diocesan Bishop of the new Diocese of Central & Southern Mexico) 1964-1972: Suffragan Bishop Leonardo Romero, (I Diocesan Bishop of the new Diocese of Northern Mexico) 1964-1972: Suffragan Bishop Melchor Saucedo, (I diocesan bishop the new Diocese of Western Mexico) 1972-1980: V Diocesan Bishop José G. Saucedo (Last missionary bishop continued as Diocesan Bishop of the now renamed Diocese of Central & Southern Mexico )Episcopal News Service archives — Jose Saucedo, Retired Primate of the Anglican Church of Mexico, Dies in Hospital; September 3, 1998 (Accessed 20 May 2018) Bishops of the Diocese of Central & Southern Mexico (former Missionary Diocese of Mexico) 1973-1989: V Diocesan Bishop José G. Saucedo (I Diocesan Bishop of the new Diocese of Cuernavaca) 1980-1982: Suffragan Bishop Roberto Martinez-Resendiz (in Nopala, Hidalgo) (resigned)Episcopal News Service archives — Mexican Diocese Chooses First Suffragan; May 31, 1979 & Mexican Suffragan Bishop Resigns; April 27, 1982 (Accessed 20 May 2018)Episcopal News Service archives — Two Mission Bishops Consecrated in Mexico; April 3, 1980 (Accessed 20 May 2018) 1980-1989: Suffragan bishop Claro Huerta Ramos (in Arroyo Zacate, Veracruz;Episcopal News Service archives — Mexican Diocese Elects Second Suffragan; October 11, 1979 (Accessed 20 May 2018) became I Diocesan Bishop of the new Diocese of Southeastern Mexico) 1985-1997: Suffragan Bishop Martiniano García Montiel. Bishops of the Diocese of Mexico (former Diocese of Central & Southern Mexico) 1989-2003: VI Diocesan Bishop Sergio Carranza GomezEpiscopal News Service archives — Carranza-Gomez Elected In Mexico; April 27, 1989 & Sergio Carranza-Gomez Consecrated Sixth Bishop of Mexico; October 17, 1989; & Episcopal News — Summer 2010: From Mexico to L.A., Bishop Carranza rises to challenges (Accessed 20 May 2018) (Resigned to become auxiliary Bishop of L.A., Cal., USA) 1990-2018: Auxiliary Bishop Roberto Martinez-Resendiz 2002-2020: VII Diocesan Bishop Carlos Touché PorterEkklesia — Archbishop of Mexico becomes Patron of Inclusive Church (Accessed 20 May 2018) (Due to retire at the latest on April 6, 2020, his jurisdiction was terminated by action of the Primate on August 6, 2020). 2022–present: VIII Diocesan Bishop Alba Sally Sue Hernández García

Diocese of Northern Mexico Carved out in 1972 from the missionary district of Mexico; erected a diocese in 1980. Based in Monterrey, Nuevo León; where is the Cathedral of the Holy Family.

Bishops of Northern Mexico 19721986 (d.): I diocesan bishop Leonardo RomeroEpiscopal News Service archives — Romero Dies Following Surgery; June 5, 1986 (Accessed 20 May 2018) (also Bishop-in-Charge of Episcopal Diocese of El Salvador from 1984)Episcopal News Service archives — Romero Given El Salvador Oversight; March 15, 1984 (Accessed 20 May 2018) 19872002 (deposed for embezzlement and fraudThe Living Church, Vol. 225. 25 August 2002, p. 6 & 29 September 2002, p. 6 (Accessed 20 May 2018)): II diocesan bishop German Martínez Márquez 20032010: III diocesan bishop Marcelino Rivera Delgado 2010November 2020: IV diocesan bishop Francisco Manuel Moreno November 20202024: interim diocesan bishop Francisco Manuel Moreno (disputed) June 2022present: V diocesan bishop Oscar Pulido

Diocese of Western Mexico

Carved out in 1972 from the missionary district of Mexico; erected a diocese in 1980. Based in Zapopan, Jalisco; cathedral of St Paul in that city.

Bishops of Western Mexico 19721981: I diocesan bishop Melchor Saucedo Mendoza 19812002 (deposed for embezzlement and fraud): II diocesan bishop Samuel Espinoza V.