What We Believe
Photo: Christopher Sikkema
We believe in the God whom Christians name the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, the three in one.
We believe that God was fully present in human form in Jesus of Nazareth; that Jesus was raised from the dead after being crucified; and that Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection inaugurated a new way of relating to God.
We believe that our lives as disciples of the risen Christ are guided by the power of God through the Holy Spirit, and that God’s ultimate loving design for the cosmos will be fulfilled.
We believe our core work as Christians is to love God with our whole being and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
We believe that human beings are made in God’s image and are beloved of God. This is why we place a high value on maintaining human dignity and seeking justice for the oppressed.
Explore more about what we believe in the texts and subjects below:
Bible
The Scriptures—which we interpret through reason and tradition—provide our foundation. Episcopal worship is filled with scriptural passages, and they also make up about 70% of the Book of Common Prayer.
Baptism
Like those before us, from the earliest days of the faith, we believe that baptism—through immersion or the pouring of water—marks a formal entrance into the body of Christ, the church. We view it as a necessary sacrament for all Christians, as foundational for the fullest participation in the church, and required for anyone seeking ordination as a church minister.
Baptismal Covenant
Found in the Book of Common Prayer, the baptismal covenant is the set of promises that one makes during the ceremony of baptism. These vows express what it means to follow Christ and live a life of faith.
Catechism
A catechism is a set of questions and answers that teach the foundational truths of a church’s faith. The catechism of The Episcopal Church is contained in the Book of Common Prayer.
Sacraments
Sacraments are ritual actions that signify God’s loving presence in a special way. We recognize baptism and Eucharist as the two sacraments Christ gave the church. Our journey of faith and worship also commonly includes these sacramental markers: confirmation, confession, marriage, ordination, and anointing with oil those who are sick or dying.
‘Signs and Grace: An Introduction to the Sacraments
This three-session, video-based course invites participants to engage more deeply with Scripture and the liturgy of The Episcopal Church to explore baptism, Eucharist, and the sacramental rites of the church.
