from the the Website of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida.
Episcopal worship styles include some basic categories. The following is a brief lexicon:
Anglo-Catholic
This style of worship is sometimes referred to as "high church." The worship can be more chanted than spoken and might involve more sensory elements -- incense, bells, rich religious images, candles, highly stylized choir hymns or even Gregorian or Anglican chants, colorful vestments -- and prayers invoking the saints and the blessed Virgin Mary. The church may refer to its service as the "Mass." The "Gospel" reading and the "Eucharistic Prayer" (the consecration) may be chanted or sung. You may note extensive use of devotional acts (crossing oneself, genuflections, etc.) among the worshiping parishioners.
Evangelical
This style of worship is sometimes referred to as "low church." The term "low" is not meant in a derogatory way; it simply implies that the service is less formal and "emphasizes scripture and a sermon based on the texts of the day with some kind of invitation to change your life and the sense that the communion is more like a supper with a friend than an audience with the King." (The Rev. Hugh Magers, Office of Evangelism for the Episcopal Church.) This style of service may not use incense, or candles, or have a vested choir or lay readers. There is typically a minimal amount of ceremony.
Broad Church
"Broad Church" is really a mixture of "Low" and "High" church elements. It will often interpret Anglican formularies and rubrics in a "broad and liberal sense," neither "high church" nor "low church." The majority of Episcopal churches fall in this category. This style mixes the informality of the "low" with the formality of the "high" in different configurations. For example, some may use incense, but not have a vested choir or lay readers. Some smaller parts of the service may be "sung" but the majority of the liturgy will be said. Some worshipers may use devotional acts, while others may not. There may be a mixture of "chant" with the more "heartfelt and evangelical" hymns. The sermon will typically be based upon the scripture reading of the day.
Charismatic
"Charismata," the gifts of grace bestowed on Christians to fulfill their vocation as enumerated in 1 Corinthians 12: 8-10 are: speaking of wisdom, speaking of kowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, speaking in tongues and interpretation of tongues.
Innovative
Innovative liturgical styles are those that have moved beyond the prayer book or added to it. Some congregations have reordered their worship space, rearranged their liturgies, given lay readers greater roles, chosen new and sometimes unauthorized music, or added elements borrowed from other denominations. This style of worship is probably the rarest but on occasion one will find it.
For more information:
http://www.cfdiocese.org/whowhat/intro/styles.htmInnovative I caught one of those on television last weekend. St. Gregory's in San Francisco. They had tie-dyed and batik vestments. Ceramic chalices. A menorah. Strange little fringed umbrellas in the procession. The entire congregation danced a kind of serpentine dance around the communion table.
I wondered, at what point in the ceremony do they burn the giant wicker man?...
I think "Broad Church" originally (a hundred years ago) meant doctrinally liberal, which is why these churches were facetiously called "broad and hazy".