What is an Episcopalian?

The life and work of the Episcopal Church begins in local congregations, expands across dioceses, and extends into global Anglican relationships.  Together, as the body of Christ, we worship and work for God's kingdom to come, trusting in the Holy Spirit to guide us.

Through baptism, we all become ministers, called to carry on Christ's work of reconciliation in the world and to take our place in the life, worship, and governance of the church.  Come explore the ministry, mission, and mystery of the Episcopal Church.  Come see how we are each being called to serve Christ in new and wonderful ways!

THE CHRISTIAN FAITH AS EXPERIENCED IN THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Episcopalians are followers of Jesus Christ. We say that God was uniquely present in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. One word we use to describe this belief is that God was “incarnate” in Jesus, that is, God’s own self was present in Jesus’ very body. Following his death, his disciples found that Christ still lived in their midst. Thus, they found themselves connected to God as they discovered themselves to be part of Christ’s resurrected body. And that is still the case today. Episcopalians say that we human beings are united to God through Christ.

We take this relationship seriously. When we worship, we are called to see the risen Christ in the persons around us. In our daily lives, we are called to see the risen Christ in family, acquaintances and co-workers. Ultimately, we are called to seek and serve Christ in all persons, to strive for justice and peace among all people and to respect the dignity of every human being.

Our church is not a community of like-minded people. We do not exist for ourselves alone. Instead, we are a people set apart to be the personal presence and witness of God to the world. We struggle with many issues and we disagree with one another, but we still gather each week to hear the story of God’s love for us, to ask for forgiveness from one another and God, and to offer our lives up to God.

In our teaching, we learn the grace to live with questions that cannot be answered with certainty. In our worship, we are nourished for life’s journey. In our faith, we trust that God is working through every one of us, and that one day, God’s very self will be evident in all creation. This is the good news that we proclaim, and we believe that it is the good news that leads us to lives of peace, self-control and hope for the future.

We invite everyone to join us in that journey.