The Episcopal Church
The Episcopal Church is one of many national churches belonging to the Anglican Communion. Along with our Anglican brethren, we can trace our heritage to the Church of England and recognize the Archbishop of Canterbury as our spiritual head. Our historic relation to the Church of England, however, does not interfere with our self-government as an American Church.
As Anglicans, many of our practices and customs closely follow those of the Catholic faith, and Episcopalians profess no peculiar beliefs not shared by the Catholic Church.
- We believe God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three equal personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These personalities form the Trinity, which forms one God.
- We believe in the primacy of the Bible as the authoritative account of God's revelation to man. The Bible was written by human authors, under the direct and supernatural leading of the Holy Spirit. Because of this, it is truth without any mixture of error.
- We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He lived a sinless, human life and offered Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of all people. He arose from the dead after three days and ascended into Heaven. By His perfect sacrifice, those who put their trust in Him have no fear of death or damnation.
- We believe that Salvation is God's free gift to us - but we must accept it. Salvation cannot be earned by living a good life, but rather by trusting and accepting Jesus' gift on the cross. Eternal life begins the moment one accepts Jesus as his or her Savior. Because salvation is God's free gift to His children, a believer is never in danger of "losing" his or her salvation.
- We believe that people were created to exist forever. Our present lives are but one phase of this existence. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence.
- We believe that baptism symbolizes spiritual cleansing through divine forgiveness and the new life granted to believers when they accept Christ. As a biblical rite of initiation into the Body of Christ, a believer must be baptized before joining the Episcopal Church.
Episcopalians endorse the Apostle's and Nicene Creeds of the Early Church as essential statements of faith. The Book of Common Prayer provides our standard guide for Worship.
We are called Episcopalians because our church governance recognizes the diocese as the primary governing unit. A diocese is presided over by a bishop, who derives his name from the Greek word "episcopos", meaning, "a superintendent who rules and tends the flock of God". The suffix "ian" denotes belonging to a group. Thus, the title Episcopalian literally means "belonging to a group headed by an episcopos."
Titles of Clergy and Offices
Though bishops preside over a diocese, priests are typically the primary ministers in local Episcopal congregations. Ordained by bishops, priests are empowered to celebrate the Eucharist, pronounce absolution and perform other sacraments. In some congregations, priests are assisted by deacons, who are ordained ministers charged with reading the Gospel at the Eucharist and preparing the altar.
The primary elected lay leader of the congregation is called the senior warden - the "priest's warden" - and serves as a principal liaison between the parish and the rector. The senior warden presides over the advisory board meetings if the priest is absent. It is also the duty of the senior warden to find a replacement for the priest if he or she is absent. The junior warden - the "people's warden", has responsibility for the upkeep of the parish buildings and grounds.
Congregations are called parishes if they are self-supporting, and missions if they are not. The lay governing body of the parish or mission is called the vestry. The chief minister of a parish is called a rector, while the chief minister of a mission is a vicar.
The Parts of the Church
The focal point of an Episcopal church is not the pulpit, minister or choir. It is the altar, where the Holy Eucharist is celebrated.
The portion of the church where the congregation stands, kneels and sits is called the nave - derived from the Greek word for temple, "navos". The part of the church that surrounds the altar is called the sanctuary. Following monastic tradition, the choir sits facing the center aisle between the nave and the altar. This area is simply called the choir.
