sentences:  The definition of the historical episcopate is to some extent an open question.Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America lay claim to the apostolic succession through the laying on of hands by bishops of the Episcopal Church, the latter of which is part of the Anglican Communion.Some theologians, such as R.J. Cooke, have argued that the Methodist Church is also within the historic episcopate, being "in direct succession to the apostles through the bishops and patriarchs of the Eastern Church."