Until the American Revolution, there was no Episcopal Church in America. In colonial times, worshipers of the faith were called Anglicans, and they followed the structure and rules laid down by the Church of England. But as tensions between the colonies and Great Britain grew worse, the ties between the Anglican Church in America and the Church of England severed, mostly over the prayers for the King that were a mandatory requirement of each service. In the aftermath of the Revolution, many Americans wanted to remain Anglicans but could not align themselves formally with a church whose figurehead was the British King. Thus, in 1789, a convention was held at Christ Church in Philadelphia to create a new faith for a new American nation. For a model, they looked to the renegade Scottish Episcopal Church, which had been at odds with the Church of England since the exile of Scottish-born James II in 1688. What the convention fashioned came to be called the American Episcopal Church.
The full name of the church created in 1789 is the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, where “Protestant” means not owing allegiance to the Pope and “Episcopal” means governed by bishops. In essence, it is a church with few rock-hard obligations. Episcopalianism seeks to point out, not dictate, the individual’s response to God. Because its founders were the very men who had framed the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, the church they initiated carries a structure similar to that of the United States government, where the decisions of the parishioners take primacy through their elected church leaders. But regardless of American Episcopalianism’s unique identity, many of its traditions have root in its cousin Scottish Episcopalianism, in its mother Anglicanism (with which the American Episcopal Church formally reconciled in 1886 by proposing the worldwide Anglican Communion), and in its grandparent Catholicism, making it a faith that’s instantly recognizable to worshipers from other backgrounds.
Three basic sources make up the foundation of Episcopalian beliefs. They are:
- Holy Scripture, which was written by men but inspired by the Holy Spirit, and is the primary source of doctrine;
- Reason, which helps man discover the full depths of God’s Truths;
- and Tradition, which draws wisdom from past generations through the development of the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
The interpretation of beliefs in the Episcopal faith varies somewhat from parish to parish, but within that framework, all Episcopal churches believe in the Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit as summarized in the Nicene Creed, which is read aloud during each service. And while the Episcopal faith does not believe in Original Sin per se, it does claim Salvation, seeking to end man’s separation from God through the sacrifice made by Jesus of death on the Cross.
Episcopalian worship is liturgical, meaning its contents are drawn from past as well as present sources. To affect worship, the American Episcopal Church uses three books — the Bible, which is regularly read throughout the year; the Hymnal, which contains songs and chants of spiritual significance; and the Book of Common Prayer. The central focus of the Episcopal faith are the two sacraments instituted by Jesus as described in the Gospels — Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. While other sacraments such as Confirmation, Penance, Marriage, Ordination and the Ministry of Healing are part of the Episcopal tradition, they were not directly commanded by Jesus and are not considered essential to salvation; thus, they are not applicable to everyone.
Baptism is the gateway to the family of God. It is administered once to each person, typically in infancy, although it can come later if a person seeks God later in life. During Baptism, water is poured on the head, or the participant is immersed in water, to symbolize the washing away of sins. Baptism is a pledge of repentance, of trust in God, and of obedience to God’s will.
Once baptized, a parishioner may partake of the Holy Eucharist, or Communion, as it is typically called. Holy Eucharist is an act of remembrance, praise and thanksgiving for Jesus’s death and resurrection. During Communion, ordinary bread and wine become the spiritual vehicle for Jesus’s presence within us (unlike Catholicism, there is no doctrine of transubstantiation in the Episcopal faith). When receiving Communion, Episcopalians offer themselves to God in repentence, love and faith by recalling Jesus’s death, acknowledging His sacrifice and renewing their hope in God’s heavenly banquet.
The American Episcopal Church is structured as a three-fold ministry comprised of elected Bishops (who preside over the diocese — a grouping of individual parishes and missions), Priests (who act as parish leaders), and Deacons (who assist the priest in parish work). Within the Episcopal faith, bishops, priests and deacons can be men or women, and they are allowed to marry. Each Episcopal diocese is self-governing, which means that it controls its own destiny in concert with the Anglican Communion. And while the Presiding Bishop is the chief bishop of the Episcopal Church in America, he is not an archbishop or a pope and cannot hand down mandatory dictums. Even the Archbishop of Canterbury, who has primacy of honor throughout the Anglican Communion, cannot dictate the fortunes of individual diocese. In American Episcopalianism, each diocese makes it on its own, with financial support from its member parishes. Individually, each parish receives direction and administration from its diocese, as well as from its elected vestry and committees.
The American Episcopal Church is a church devoted to the individual who seeks community in Christ, who strives to fulfill Jesus’s mission of redemption, and who actively participates in the world by selflessly serving God and Man. At its core, however, it is a church that understands the frailties of human nature, that encourages spiritual growth through reflection, and that accepts each person for who they are. It’s why each Episcopal church in America lives by a very simple motto — “All are Welcome.”
If you’d like to learn more about Episcopalianism, please contact Christ Church. The members of our clergy are always available to answer any questions you may have. Also, check out these sources and links below.