Our Beliefs
What We Believe
Like all churches, we are often asked, “What do you believe?”
The simple answer that we believe n God, in Jesus Chris the Son of God, and in the Holy Spirit.
A fuller answer would be to say we believe that:
- There is one God, who is a Trinity of Persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
- The first member of the Trinity, traditionally called “Father,” created all things at the beginning of tim
The second member of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, the very human rabbi who walked the earth 2000 years ago, was and is the Son of God, and our Savior. - The Holy Scriptures – the Bible – are the revealed word of God, written by human beings under the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit, the member of the Trinity.
Many denominations or church traditions take very specific stances on, for example, the nature of God or the method of salvation.
But in the Episcopal Church we aren’t bound together by strict positions on academic theological questions or by tests of doctrine. We are bound together by our love of God, and by our shared traditions and experiences of God in worship and in the life of the community.
Our core beliefs and doctrines do ask us to be mindful of certain things. But Episcopalians tend to think for themselves. Members of the community develop a very personal faith that may look different from that of any other member.
What Does the Word "Episcopal" Mean?
The word Episcopal comes from the Greek word that is usually translated “bishop” and points to the church’s understanding that a bishop is the primary ruler of the church.
Under the episcopal form of government, the bishop’s authority is equal to that of the apostles, and follows a line of succession by the laying on of hands in ordination. Priests come under the authority of the bishops and are responsible for the teaching and administration of the local churches.
We Believe Tradition and Progress Go Hand in Hand
Our worship may vary in style and appearance, in keeping with the needs and tastes of each local community in its own place and time. But the basic format and structure of our liturgy, which has its roots in the earliest known Christian communities, is the same everywhere you go, Our Sunday services are essentially no different from those recorded in the Acts of the Apostles and offered by Christians for the last two thousand years.
We Believe That Faith is Not a Set of Words
Faith isn’t something you find by looking through books or ancient texts, or by linking to Facebook. For us, faith is a living thing, and our church is a community, not an idea.
We invite you to come and see for yourself what we believe, and to worship with us, pray with us, and sing with us at the table of the Lord.
