30 min
Why The Episcopal Church? (2.0) (Part II) One More Thing
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- Christianity
Why The Episcopal Church? This episode, we continue to explore the history that led to The Episcopal Church, picking back up at the revolutionary way and continuing through today. We talk about what our church stands for, and where one might learn more about our beliefs. Along the way, we see how the faith continued to evolve, while remaining centered on the creeds and common faith that Christians around the world share.
In the first days, clergy were educated in England and sent to the colonies; there were not priests formed from the local community yet, or Bishops in the colonies. Other religious groups also came over. Those clergy had to swear loyalty to the King; church and state were connected. So when the state(s) separated, the church also had to separate from the Church of England. Thus The Episcopal Church was born of political necessity. Apostolic succession was the hardest to secure—we wanted to keep our connection to the historic church, so our first Bishops received ordination through the Scottish Episcopal Church.
Our Church continued to be governed by the Book of Common Prayer (BCP), revised for the Episcopal Church. The Prayerbook changed over time to fit the needs of our church and our culture. The way that we pray informs our beliefs, and vice versa. We recognize four things that bring Christians together, including us: Scripture, Bishops, Sacraments, and the creeds.
Our Catechism (Outline of the Faith) beginning on p. 845, elaborates on more of our beliefs as a church, though it is not enforced in the way other churches put weight on certain beliefs. We believe these things, and we encourage you to question and wrestle with those beliefs! We seek unity (what we share) more than what separates us from other denominations. Find out more about what your friends or family of different faith traditions or Christian denominations believe! We do our best to include all and make our churches welcoming places for people from all walks of life.
You can learn more about our church and our beliefs at https://www.episcopalchurch.org/
Join us next time for conversation about our own parish home, St. John’s—and hear about where Fr. Chris, Fr. Ben, and Lalla grew up in their home churches!
Reflection Question
If you walked into a church, how would you know it is an Episcopal church, without being told?
Why The Episcopal Church? This episode, we continue to explore the history that led to The Episcopal Church, picking back up at the revolutionary way and continuing through today. We talk about what our church stands for, and where one might learn more about our beliefs. Along the way, we see how the faith continued to evolve, while remaining centered on the creeds and common faith that Christians around the world share.
In the first days, clergy were educated in England and sent to the colonies; there were not priests formed from the local community yet, or Bishops in the colonies. Other religious groups also came over. Those clergy had to swear loyalty to the King; church and state were connected. So when the state(s) separated, the church also had to separate from the Church of England. Thus The Episcopal Church was born of political necessity. Apostolic succession was the hardest to secure—we wanted to keep our connection to the historic church, so our first Bishops received ordination through the Scottish Episcopal Church.
Our Church continued to be governed by the Book of Common Prayer (BCP), revised for the Episcopal Church. The Prayerbook changed over time to fit the needs of our church and our culture. The way that we pray informs our beliefs, and vice versa. We recognize four things that bring Christians together, including us: Scripture, Bishops, Sacraments, and the creeds.
Our Catechism (Outline of the Faith) beginning on p. 845, elaborates on more of our beliefs as a church, though it is not enforced in the way other churches put weight on certain beliefs. We believe these things, and we encourage you to question and wrestle with those beliefs! We seek unity (what we share) more than what separates us from other denominations. Find out more about what your friends or family of different faith traditions or Christian denominations believe! We do our best to include all and make our churches welcoming places for people from all walks of life.
You can learn more about our church and our beliefs at https://www.episcopalchurch.org/
Join us next time for conversation about our own parish home, St. John’s—and hear about where Fr. Chris, Fr. Ben, and Lalla grew up in their home churches!
Reflection Question
If you walked into a church, how would you know it is an Episcopal church, without being told?
30 min