The Episcopal Church is a unique and powerful blend of catholic and protestant traditions. We are catholic in ecclesiastical structure in that our three orders of ordained ministry (bishops, priests, and deacons) reflect the practice of the early Church. We are protestant in that we do not recognize the infallible nature of a central leader such as the Roman Catholic Pope. Episcopal congregations do not stand alone but are organized into and connected within Dioceses, each under the authority of a Bishop. Our spiritual life is centered on the two sacraments our Lord instituted: Holy Eucharist and Holy Baptism. We also celebrate the sacramental nature of other rites that have more specific focus such as confirmation, matrimony, the reconciliation of a penitent, ordination, and the laying on of hands for healing; however, the two basic sacraments are the core of our church life.

The Episcopal Church in America, like other national churches under the umbrella of the worldwide Anglican Communion, is autonomous and has its own system of governance. Because the framers of the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church were by and large the same people shaping the Constitution of the United States, our church is democratic in structure and spirit. Our bishops are not appointed but elected by lay and clergy representatives to diocesan conventions. Rectors, the chief pastors of congregations, are selected and called by parish vestries, subject to the approval of the bishop.

The Episcopal Church resists easy classification as liberal or conservative, traditional or innovative. People of all theological persuasions call themselves Episcopalians. Our diversity and predilection for robust dialogue can at times make us seem contentious to the point of chaos. However widely our positions may diverge, we are united in our use of the Book of Common Prayer. Ceremony and style may differ from one congregation to another, but the shape of the liturgy is the same. Reading and interpreting the Scriptures lie at the heart of our worship life.

Your first visit to an Episcopal worship service may be a bit confusing. We sit, stand, or kneel at various times during the service. We proclaim our faith in the words of the Nicene Creed. We publicly confess our sins as a community to God and each other after which we greet one another in the Peace of Christ. We participate in the Holy Eucharist each Sunday. We renew our Baptismal Covenant at least annually. While these traditions differ from most protestant churches, they are the heart of our Episcopal worship. We worship the same Jesus Christ as our brothers and sisters in other denominations, but in a slightly different way.

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