What is the Episcopal Church?
The Episcopal Church is the Church of England as it developed in
the United States. During the American revolution, The Church of
England present in the Colonies began to administer itself, although it
remained in communication -- in Communion -- with the mother
Church in England itself. For this reason, it is said to be part of the
Anglican (that is, of England) Communion. The Church of England
is a Christian church founded on Jesus' teachings and example on
loving God and one another (and ourselves).
The church is both the place where the people gather for public
worship, prayer, singing and celebration of sacraments (certain
rites and symbols indicating God's gracious presence among us)
together, and also the people themselves, participating in worship,
praying, singing and celebrating.
On a technical level, Episcopal means that our church is governed
or "overseen" by bishops (from the Greek episcopos, over-seer). Each
individual church (or "parish") belongs to a larger governing
area called a "diocese," which is overseen by an elected bishop. All
the dioceses across the whole country are overseen by a specially
elected bishop, called the Presiding Bishop. However, all of the people
of the church participate in the running of the business of the
church family.
What Do Episcopalians Believe?
Episcopalian belief, like Episcopalians themselves, are quite
diverse. The standard is the Book of Common Prayer, which
contains excerpts of passages from the Bible and various prayers for use
in Church (that is, when people gather together for public prayer)
and at home (for when a person is alone with his or her God). The
Book of Common Prayer also contains several ancient Creeds. A creed
is a statement of belief, and these ancient creeds proclaim what the
earliest Christians believed to be true.
Included in the Book of
Common Prayer, as a complement to the Creeds and Prayers, is a
Catechism. A catechism states the beliefs and practice of the
Church in a very concise format. It is in the catechism that you may
find how Episcopalians view God, Jesus Christ, death, good and evil,
and sin. It also explains in a practical fashion what the goal of
human life is, and how we may pursue that goal. For a more thorough introduction to the Episcopal Church,
see Christopher Webber's Welcome to the Episcopal Church.
What Does It Mean to Be Episcopalian?
On a more day-to-day level, to be Episcopalian means thinking
critically about issues which confront everyone -- and responding
in a particular way. The Episcopal Church is quite diverse, and
welcomes people of all backgrounds, allowing them to take on
responsibilities ranging from those of the clergy, to teachers,
or simply congregation members. The Episcopal Church is not a
"preachy" Church, and although it does maintain those rituals common to the
Christian Church since its inception, it is not a "you must
follow the rules or else" type of Church.
Click here to read an article by the Very Rev. Alan Jones on Christian Life.
Click here for more information about the life of faith
Want to know More about the Sacraments of the Episcopal Church?
