The Episcopal Faith
From The Episcopal Church Website…
“We Episcopalians believe in a loving, liberating, and life-giving God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As constituent members of the Anglican Communion in the United States, we are descendants of and partners with the Church of England and the Scottish Episcopal Church, and are part of the third largest group of Christians in the world.
We believe in following the teachings of Jesus Christ, whose life, death, and resurrection saved the world.
We have a legacy of inclusion, aspiring to tell and exemplify God’s love for every human being; women and men serve as bishops, priests, and deacons in our church. Laypeople and clergy cooperate as leaders at all levels of our church. Leadership is a gift from God, and can be expressed by all people in our church, regardless of sexual identity or orientation.
We believe that God loves you – no exceptions.
Historical Perspective
The Anglican churches, including the modern day Episcopal Church, trace their origins to the Roman Christian tradition, today known as the Roman Catholic Church. In fact, we are an “apostolic church,” meaning that our Bishops maintain apostolic succession that can be traced back to Jesus’s original disciples.
In 1534, due to theological and political differences, King Henry VIII separated the English Church from Rome and declared himself Protector and Supreme Head of the English Church and Clergy. This became what is today known as The Church of England and is still headed by the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II.
The Episcopal Church has its origins in the American colonies during the early 1600’s. The first parish of the Church of England was founded in Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. Although no American Anglican bishops existed in the colonial era, the Church of England had an official status in several colonies.
Starting July 4, 1776, and continuing throughout the American Revolution, Congress and several states began to pass laws making prayers for the king and British Parliament acts of treason and American clergy faced the task of preserving a hierarchical church structure in a society infused with republican values.
In 1787, two priests were consecrated as bishops by the archbishop of Canterbury, the archbishop of York, and the bishop of Bath and Wells, creating two lines of apostolic succession in America. In 1789, clergy from nine dioceses met in Philadelphia to ratify the church’s initial constitution and The Episcopal Church was formally separated from the Church of England in 1789 so that clergy would not be required to accept the supremacy of the British monarch.
In 1867 at the Lambeth Conference, The Episcopal Church, the Church of England, and dozens of other churches formerly part of the Church of England formed what is today known as the Anglican Communion. The churches of the Anglican Communion consider themselves to be part of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church, and to be both catholic and reformed. Although aligned with the Church of England, the communion has a multitude of beliefs, liturgies, and practices. Each retains their own legislative process and hierarchy of church government.
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the head of the Anglican Communion and acts as a focus of unity, with a title of primus inter pares (“first among equals”), but does not exercise authority in Anglican churches outside of the Church of England.
Church Structure
Given its origins during the American Revolution, it’s unsurprising that The Episcopal Church’s internal structure is much like the democratically elected hierarchy of the republic of The United States.
At the local level, each parish elects a vestry or bishop’s committee. Subject to the approval of its diocesan bishop, the vestry of each parish elects and hires a priest, called the rector, who has spiritual jurisdiction in the parish.
The middle level of the church consists of a diocese headed by a bishop who is assisted by a standing committee. The bishop and standing committee are elected by representatives to the diocesan convention, who are selected by the congregations.
The highest legislative body of the Episcopal Church is the triennial General Convention, consisting of the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops. The Presiding Bishop is elected from and by the House of Bishops and confirmed by the House of Deputies for a nine-year term. The Presiding Bishop is the chief pastor and primate of the Episcopal Church and is charged with providing leadership in the development of the Church’s program as well as speaking on behalf of the Church.
Worship and Beliefs
At Trinity, our weekly worship services typically involve a full Eucharistic Service (Holy Eucharist – Rite II), beginning with a Liturgy of the Word (“lessons” read from The Bible) and followed by a homily or sermon given by the priest. The second half of the service is a Liturgy of the Eucharist in which we recall Jesus’s last supper, death, and resurrection and offer the congregation the opportunity to receive Holy Communion. The order of service would be quite familiar to anyone visiting from any Anglican or Roman Catholic faith tradition.
Occasionally, we will also offer services of Morning or Evening prayer. These are shorter services, which may be led by a layperson that do not include a Eucharistic component. They are considered by The Church to be a valid and appropriate replacement for a regular Sunday Holy Eucharist service in the event that a priest is unavailable and may be performed at home.
The main source of our worship traditions is The Book of Common Prayer, known affectionately as the BCP. The prayer book, most recently revised in 1979, contains our liturgies, prayers, theological documents, and much, much more. A copy of the BCP can be found in every church pew at Trinity and there are free copies online.
Our beliefs are best summed-up and explained by this page from The Episcopal Church website.