Following Independence, an American version of the Book of Common Prayer was required to reflect the identity of a church that was separate but in communion with the Church of England. In 1789, General Convention (created in 1785 as the governing body of the Protestant Episcopal Church) adopted its own Book of Common Prayer. Both the Rectors Joseph Hutchins but especially Joseph Clarkson took an active part in adapting the English Book of Common Prayer for use by the Church in the United States.