Episcopal 101

"Live in Christ, Transform the World”

The Episcopal Church strives to live by the message of Christ, in which there are no outcasts and all are welcome.  Walking a middle way between Roman Catholicism and Protestant traditions, we are a sacramental and worship-oriented church that promotes thoughtful debate about what God is calling us to do and be, as followers of Christ.

 

Some of the basic beliefs and practices of The Episcopal Church are as follows:

• As Episcopalians, we are followers of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

• The Episcopal Church is part of the worldwide Anglican communion with 70 million members in 164 countries.

• We strive to love our neighbors as ourselves and respect the dignity of every person.

• Our liturgy retains ancient structure and traditions and is celebrated in many languages.

• We have voted as a Church that access to the discernment process “for any ministry, lay or ordained, cannot be denied because of race, color, ethnic origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disabilities or age, except as otherwise provided by these Canons.”

• We believe in the amendment of life, the forgiveness of sin, and life everlasting.

• Lay people exercise a vital role in the governance and ministry of our Church.

• Holy Communion may be received by all baptized Christians, not only members of the Episcopal Church.

• We uphold the Bible and worship with the Book of Common Prayer.

• We affirm that committed relationships are lifelong and monogamous. Episcopalians also recognize that there is grace after divorce and do not deny the sacraments to those who have been divorced.

• We affirm that issues such as birth control are matters of personal informed conscience.

• We celebrate our unity in Christ while honoring our differences, always putting the work of love before uniformity of opinion.

• All are welcome to find a spiritual home in the Episcopal Church.

• We believe that God loves you ~ no exceptions! 

 

Want to find out more? Every year we offer a series of classes called Episcopal 101 where we outline the beliefs and practices of the church. Contact the office via email or call (401) 596-0197 to find out when our next series will be offered. Candidates may be received into the Episcopal Church on our next Confirmation Sunday.