Is The Episcopal Church a sect?

     Is the Episcopal Church a "sect?" "Sect (from the Latin verb sequi, 'to follow') has come to refer to any religious group formed out of a more dominant body, sometimes by a persuasive leader or by some principle of greater strictness or dedication. In this sense, Christianity was at the outset a Jewish sect; today the Amish and the Christian Science Church may be regarded as Christian sects." [from Nolan, et al., Living Issues In Philosophy (9th ed., 1995), p. 363] Not a sect, The Episcopal Church is a Catholic Church, meaning that "...it proclaims the whole Faith to all people..." [Prayer Book "Catechism," p. 854] Catholic Churches (e.g., Roman, Anglican, Lutherans, and Eastern Orthodox Churches) do not regard themselves as sects, because they witness to the entire Christian Faith, not just a specialized portion of the Faith.