[3] In keeping with the rest of mainstream Anglicanism, the IERE claims itself to be part of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church established by Christ and his apostles.

[citation needed] The Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church was formed "being born of individuals who left the Church of Rome for reasons of Biblical conscience but desired epsicopacy and an ordered vernacular liturgy for which Anglicanism provided the original precedent.

In 1880 the (Anglican) Episcopal Church in the United States sent a missionary-bishop from Mexico to visit Spain and Portugal and contributed in organising the congregations into the IERE and the Lusitanian Catholic Apostolic Evangelical Church, each with its own synodical government.

He had been interested in the two Iberian churches and determined to act to consecrate a bishop in Spain.

Previous to its organisation, there were several translations of the Anglican Book of Common Prayer into Spanish in 1623[15] and in 1707.

This attempt combined the Anglican structure of worship with indigenous prayer traditions.

[18] An experimental "Rito 1" or "Rite 1" for the church dating from 1984 has some distinctive features, one being that that after the presiding priest or bishop prays for the absolution of the sins of the congregation, the congregation responds by praying in turn for the absolution of the sins of the president: "God have mercy on you also, forgive you your sins through Jesus Christ and give you eternal life by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The synod is the highest authority in the church; the laity and clergy have equal representation in it.

[23] As of 2001, the IERE had one diocese and 22 licensed priests (one woman) serving 20 parishes, in Salamanca, Valencia, Valladolid, Seville, Oviedo, Tarragona, Murcia, Alicante, and Madrid.

Together with the Church of England chaplaincies of the Diocese in Europe, the IERE is the representative of the Anglican Communion in Spain.