The Episcopal Church in the United States is a member of the Worldwide Anglican Communion, churches around the world that trace their roots to the Church of England and have given rise to a distinct form of Christianity, known as Anglicanism. The Episcopal Church is made up of between two and three million worshipers in about 7500 congregations across the United States and related dioceses outside the US. The Episcopal Church came into existence as an independent denomination after the American Revolution when it was forced to break with the Church of England on political grounds.