Episcopal means “governed by bishops”. The Episcopal Church is a Protestant Church, American partners with the Church of England and members of the Anglican Communion.
We Episcopalians believe in a loving, liberating, and life-giving God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All Episcopalians are ministers, responsible to love and serve the Lord, using our God-given individual spiritual gifts. 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.
When the British settled the Colonies in America, they brought with them the Anglican religion, the protestant Church Of England. Independent souls that they were, it is rumored that the Americans adopted the term “Episcopalian” to differentiate themselves from the Church of England. Today, the Episcopal Church (primarily in the US but other places too) is part of the Worldwide Anglican Communion.
Episcopalians are a catholic (universal) church, open to all. The term “Catholic” (capital C) is used when talking about Roman Catholic matters.
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.