The Open Episcopal Church (OEC) is a growing liberal Catholic denomination that calls itself "the small church with a big heart". It has bishops in England and Wales and clergy throughout the United Kingdom, in Thailand and the United States. It has ministered to hundreds of thousands of people and has over 29,000 members. The church is a vocal and active champion of religious equality and was the first in Britain to ordain a woman as bishop and to perform religious wedding ceremonies for gay couples.