The Episcopal Church
What Makes us Episcopalians?
There is a great breadth of diversity in the Episcopal Church: we might be Anglo-Catholic, Evangelical, Charismatic, conservative or liberal. But, Episcopalians are first and foremost Christians. We believe God has created us, and we proclaim and follow Jesus as Lord. We believe God is active in our day-to-day lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The church is the body of which Christ is the head and all baptized people are the members. The church is a community of faith and commitment, not an organization like a club. We are part of the Anglican Communion, a fellowship of autonomous churches in communion with the Church of England.
All Anglican churches are drawn together by a common loyalty to:
• Scripture as the revealed Word of God;
• The historical creeds of the church as sufficient statements of Christian belief;
• The celebration of the seven sacraments of the church, with special emphasis on Baptism and Eucharist;
• The apostolic ministry of bishops, priests and deacons in the life of teaching and service in the church;
The use of scripture, church tradition and reason in matters of belief and practice.
Our Worship
In worship, Episcopalians sit, kneel, stand, sing, pray aloud and pray silently. Some bow and make the sign of the cross; others do not.
We use the Book of Common Prayer, The Hymnal and (in many places) a service bulletin. These tools are designed to help us worship and pray together, something very important to Anglican Christians.
Episcopal worship calls for the full participation of all the people. The Prayer Book (and the service bulletin) will guide you in what to do and what to say or sing. Our people are friendly and helpful. If you would like help during the service, please ask someone for guidance.
See the Book of Common Prayer (the current version as well as historical versions).
Learn More
Visit the official website of the Episcopal Church
