n.
System of church government by bishops .
It existed as early as the 2nd century AD, when bishops were chosen to oversee preaching and worship within a specific region, now called a diocese. Today local congregations are shepherded by priests and deacons, but only bishops can ordain priests, perform the rite of confirmation , and consecrate other bishops. Their special duties are closely tied to the idea of Apostolic succession . Some Protestant churches abandoned episcopacy during the Reformation , but it was retained by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Swedish Lutheran churches, among others.