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Beliefs of the Episcopal Church |
The Episcopal Church is part of the original Church founded by Jesus Christ when He commissioned His disciples to go into the world to preach the Good News. The Episcopal Church today is part of the worldwide Anglican with sixty million members. Episcopal is from a Greek word meaning bishops. The Bishops of the Episcopal Church, elected by clergy and the people, shepherd the day-to-day care of the Church.
Our Mission: As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to love God and community; committing ourselves to lives of joyful worship, prayer and the teaching of scripture
Our Mission: As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to love God and community; committing ourselves to lives of joyful worship, prayer and the teaching of scripture
A Biblical Church – We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the Word of God and to contain all things necessary for salvation. The Bible is the source of our beliefs and moral standards. As God’s Word to us, the Bible is the lens through which we view and evaluate all other claims to truth. Each Sunday, readings and preaching from the Bible help us apply its teachings to our everyday lives.
A Catholic Church, Reformed – We believe that we are both “catholic” and “Protestant.” Some people apply the word “catholic” to one branch of the Christian church only, namely the Roman Catholic Church. This can be confusing. We are a “catholic” church because we share the beliefs of the early, undivided Catholic Church.
We maintain the traditions of the church through the use of the ancient rituals and sacraments of the Church and today the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds are our statements of faith. We also believe we are “Protestant” or “reformed.” Our distinction from the Roman Catholic Church was hammered out in the Protestant Reformation in England during the sixteenth century. Protestants believe that our lives are saved by God’s grace and not by our works. Church members, women and men, have a strong voice in church life and leadership. We encourage each member to arrive at a reasoned faith using the Scripture and traditions of the Church to inform their search.
A Liturgical Church – The Book of Common Prayer is the prayer book of the Episcopal Church and contains the format for how we conduct our worship services. Worship in the Episcopal Church ranges from the very plain to the very splendid. Episcopalians worship the Lord in private and in community. The congregation actively participates in worship by reading Scripture, helping administer the Sacraments and saying prayers together. We stand to praise the Lord, we stand or kneel for prayer, and we sit for instruction. The rich seasons of the Church year (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter and Pentecost), sacred music (centuries old and contemporary) are integral parts of our church life. The liturgy reminds us of our love for God and reinforces us in carrying that message throughout the week.
A Relational Church – We believe God’s love and grace are the rightful possession of all people. We believe that God best expressed His love and grace by sending His only Son, Jesus Christ, to live among us in flesh and bone (the Incarnation). Therefore Episcopalians believe that God’s love and grace are best expressed through Christ’s Body, the Church. Thus we welcome everyone from the youngest to the oldest and invite them to be a part of our larger worshiping community.
A Sacramental Church – We believe in the two “great” sacraments – Holy Baptism administered once to each person either in their infancy or later in life, and the Holy Eucharist (Communion). Other sacraments of our Church are Confession, Ordination, Anointing (administration to the sick), Confirmation, and Matrimony.
A Catholic Church, Reformed – We believe that we are both “catholic” and “Protestant.” Some people apply the word “catholic” to one branch of the Christian church only, namely the Roman Catholic Church. This can be confusing. We are a “catholic” church because we share the beliefs of the early, undivided Catholic Church.
We maintain the traditions of the church through the use of the ancient rituals and sacraments of the Church and today the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds are our statements of faith. We also believe we are “Protestant” or “reformed.” Our distinction from the Roman Catholic Church was hammered out in the Protestant Reformation in England during the sixteenth century. Protestants believe that our lives are saved by God’s grace and not by our works. Church members, women and men, have a strong voice in church life and leadership. We encourage each member to arrive at a reasoned faith using the Scripture and traditions of the Church to inform their search.
A Liturgical Church – The Book of Common Prayer is the prayer book of the Episcopal Church and contains the format for how we conduct our worship services. Worship in the Episcopal Church ranges from the very plain to the very splendid. Episcopalians worship the Lord in private and in community. The congregation actively participates in worship by reading Scripture, helping administer the Sacraments and saying prayers together. We stand to praise the Lord, we stand or kneel for prayer, and we sit for instruction. The rich seasons of the Church year (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter and Pentecost), sacred music (centuries old and contemporary) are integral parts of our church life. The liturgy reminds us of our love for God and reinforces us in carrying that message throughout the week.
A Relational Church – We believe God’s love and grace are the rightful possession of all people. We believe that God best expressed His love and grace by sending His only Son, Jesus Christ, to live among us in flesh and bone (the Incarnation). Therefore Episcopalians believe that God’s love and grace are best expressed through Christ’s Body, the Church. Thus we welcome everyone from the youngest to the oldest and invite them to be a part of our larger worshiping community.
A Sacramental Church – We believe in the two “great” sacraments – Holy Baptism administered once to each person either in their infancy or later in life, and the Holy Eucharist (Communion). Other sacraments of our Church are Confession, Ordination, Anointing (administration to the sick), Confirmation, and Matrimony.
