Newcomers
As Episcopalians, we are followers of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and believe in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe in amendment of life, the forgiveness of sin, and life everlasting.
The Episcopal Church is inclusive and all are welcome to find a spiritual home here at St. Mary's. Holy Communion may be received by all baptized Christians. There is no restriction regarding age or denominational affiliation. We believe that the altar, the communion table, belongs to Christ and is available to all of his followers - not just members of the Episcopal Church. We welcome men and women, gay and straight, to be ordained bishops, priests, and deacons. Lay people exercise a vital role in the governance and ministry of our Church. We celebrate our unity in Christ while honoring our differences, always putting the work of love before uniformity of opion.
We strive to love our neighbors as ourselves and respect the dignity of every person. We believe this is more important than any particular rule. We affirm that committed relationships are lifelong and monogamous. However, we do not deny the sacraments of the Church to those who have been divorced. We affirm that issues such as birth control are personal matters of informed conscience.
We believe the Bible is a reliable witness to the love of God, most clearly seen in the person of Jesus Christ. We also affirm that it is divinely inspired - not dictated word by word. Our order of worship, found in the Book of Common Prayer, retains ancient structure and traditions, and is celebrated in many languages. We are people of faith, but also of science and see no necessary conflict between the two.
The Episcopal Church is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and traces its heritage to the beginnings of Christianity. The Episcopal Church has members in the United States, as well as Colombia, the Domican Republic, Ecuador, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Haiti, Honduras, Micronesia, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, Venezuela, and the Virgin Islands.
The Episcopal Church is inclusive and all are welcome to find a spiritual home here at St. Mary's. Holy Communion may be received by all baptized Christians. There is no restriction regarding age or denominational affiliation. We believe that the altar, the communion table, belongs to Christ and is available to all of his followers - not just members of the Episcopal Church. We welcome men and women, gay and straight, to be ordained bishops, priests, and deacons. Lay people exercise a vital role in the governance and ministry of our Church. We celebrate our unity in Christ while honoring our differences, always putting the work of love before uniformity of opion.
We strive to love our neighbors as ourselves and respect the dignity of every person. We believe this is more important than any particular rule. We affirm that committed relationships are lifelong and monogamous. However, we do not deny the sacraments of the Church to those who have been divorced. We affirm that issues such as birth control are personal matters of informed conscience.
We believe the Bible is a reliable witness to the love of God, most clearly seen in the person of Jesus Christ. We also affirm that it is divinely inspired - not dictated word by word. Our order of worship, found in the Book of Common Prayer, retains ancient structure and traditions, and is celebrated in many languages. We are people of faith, but also of science and see no necessary conflict between the two.
The Episcopal Church is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and traces its heritage to the beginnings of Christianity. The Episcopal Church has members in the United States, as well as Colombia, the Domican Republic, Ecuador, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Haiti, Honduras, Micronesia, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, Venezuela, and the Virgin Islands.