What do we believe?

As Episcopalians, we are followers of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and we believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe every human is made in God’s image. Therefore, we strive to love our neighbors as ourselves respecting the dignity of every person.

The Episcopal Church is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and traces its heritage to the beginnings of Christianity and in the two foundational statements of faith—the Apostles’ Creed used at baptism, and the Nicene Creed used at communion—we join Christians throughout the ages in affirming our faith in the one God who created us, redeemed us, and sanctifies us.

Our unity is not found in uniform interpretation of doctrine,

but in the shared practices of the Christian faith.

We have common prayer, not common belief.

Both men and women, whether married or single, are eligible for ordination as deacons, priests and bishops in the Episcopal Church. We believe in amendment of life, the forgiveness of sin, and life everlasting. Lay people exercise a vital role in the governance and ministry of our church. We uphold the Bible as the Word of God, “and to contain all things necessary to salvation.”

We affirm that marriage is a lifelong and monogamous covenant. Episcopalians also recognize that there is grace after divorce and do not deny sacraments to those who have been divorced. We understand the church’s teaching about marriage to apply to all couples, without regard to sexual orientation or gender identity. We affirm that issues such as birth control are matters of personal informed conscience.

We celebrate our unity in Christ while honoring our differences, always putting the work of love before the uniformity of opinion. All are welcome to find a spiritual home in the Episcopal Church.