Episcopal 101

Episcopal 101: An Introduction for Inquirers (and a refresher for Episcopalians)

Jesus sent his first disciples into the world to proclaim the Good News and be ministers of reconciliation. The Church’s ministry is the ministry of Jesus Christ. In our baptisms we become members of the Body of Christ, the Church, and inheritors of Christ’s mission given to his disciples. The Church’s mission is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ; and we do this as we pray and worship, proclaim the Gospel, and promote justice, peace, and love (The Book of Common Prayer, p. 855).

Part of One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church
Episcopalians represent a branch of the continuous tradition of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. The Church is One because we are members of one Body, under one Head, our Lord Jesus Christ. The Church is holy because the Holy Spirit dwells in it, blesses its members, and guides us to do God’s work. The Church is catholic (meaning universal or “all-inclusive”), because it proclaims the Faith of the early, undivided Church. The Church is apostolic, because it continues in the teaching and fellowship of the apostles and is sent to carry out Christ’s mission to all people. Our bishops are successors to the Apostles in the same way as Roman Catholic and Orthodox bishops are, yet our Church governance is marked by a democratic process that includes our bishops, priests, deacons, and lay people.

Hallmarks of Episcopal Faith
If one wants to get a sense of what Episcopalians believe, then spending some time reading the Book of Common Prayer will provide a good introduction. The Book of Common Prayer contains our Catechism (An Outline of the Faith), the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds, key historical documents about Church and faith, the Lectionary (appointed daily and Sunday readings from the Bible), and our written prayers and liturgies (worship). We often say that “praying shapes believing” or, put another way, our faith is expressed in our prayers and through those prayers it shapes a better understanding of what we believe.  Anglicans around the world look to the Prayer Book (as adapted for local use) as a summary of our faith and structure for our worship. The Book of Common Prayer is important to Episcopal/Anglican Christians as it helps define how we have received and proclaim the Christian faith.

The Bible, Tradition & Reason
The Episcopal Church is a biblical church. Over 80% of the Book of Common Prayer is directly from the Bible and most of the rest contains references to Holy Scripture. Because of this, our worship is rich with the use of the Bible and the influence of the Scriptures. Along with all Christians, Anglicans proclaim that the Bible is the Word of God, and as such, “contains all things necessary to salvation.” While the Bible is the Word of God, most Episcopalians do not interpret everything in the Bible as being literally true.

A definite hallmark of Anglicanism is the use of Scripture, Reason (itself a gift from God) and the collective experiences of the Church (both past and present) when approaching what the Bible says and how it applies in our lives today. The Anglican approach to theology is known as the “three-legged stool” of Scripture, Tradition and Reason and was articulated best by 16th Century priest and theologian Richard Hooker.

Doing Theology, Faith Seeking Understanding:
Episcopal/Anglican Christians are not held to beliefs that were not part of the early, undivided Church. At the same time, Anglicans actively engage our faith and seek the ways that God is working through the Church today. We look to the Apostles’ Creed as the creed of Baptism and the Nicene Creed as the sufficient statement of Christian faith. One aspect of Christian faith that is particularly important to Anglicans is the Incarnation. The Incarnation is the Christian belief that the God in whom we believe has been revealed uniquely in the person and life of Jesus Christ. The Incarnation roots us deeply in relationship with God and with others and places the emphasis on community.

Sacraments in The Episcopal Church
The Episcopal Church is a Sacramental church. Sacraments are “outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace.” The two great Sacraments given to the Church by Jesus are Baptism and Eucharist. Baptism is where we become members of the Christian community. Eucharist is where we share in the spiritual presence of Christ’s Body and Blood in consecrated (blessed) Bread and Wine, as Jesus commanded us at the Last Supper. Episcopalians believe that these two biblical sacraments are necessary for all Christians to participate in (Baptism once, and the Eucharist repeated throughout our lives). We also celebrate the Sacramental Rites of: Confirmation, Ordination, Marriage, Unction (anointing the sick), and Reconciliation (private Confession). These differ from Baptism and Eucharist in that, while important, are not required of all Christians.

Episcopal Church Structure & Governance
"Episcopal" comes from the Greek episkopos, meaning "bishop," and the Episcopal Church is governed in part by its bishops. The basic unit of ministry in the Episcopal Church is the "diocese" (a geographic region of Episcopal parishes). Each diocese is presided over by a bishop and may be assisted by other bishops.  The Bishop ordains priests and deacons to serve the parishes of the diocese, which carry out the mission and ministry of the Church their local communities. 

The priests lead the parish in worship, make decisions related to the sacramental, spiritual, and pastoral life of the parish, and in general, leads and supports the ministry of the worshiping Christians there.  The senior priest in a parish is known as the Rector.  Each year the parish holds an annual meeting, presided over by the Rector, where reports on mission and ministry are presented, some decisions about congregational life are made, and elections are held for parish lay leaders (vestry) and lay delegates to represent the parish at the annual diocesan convention.  The Vestry supports and assists the Rector in making leadership decisions about parish life and they have responsibility for parish finances and maintenance of property as legal agents of the parish.

The clergy and elected lay delegates from every parish take part in an annual diocesan convention, presided over the bishop, that helps make decisions about the mission, ministry, policies, and procedures for the diocesan community.  Every three years the diocesan convention elects clergy and lay deputies to join the bishop in representing the diocese at the Episcopal Church General Convention.

The General Convention consists of the House of Bishops and a House of Deputies (elected clergy and lay representatives from every diocese) that makes decisions on the mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church over the next three years.  The House of Bishops is presided over by the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church (elected by the House of Bishops every nine years).  The House of Deputies is presided over the President of the House of Deputies (elected by the House of Deputies).  Much like Congress, both the House of Bishops and House of Deputies must pass legislation for it to become "law" or an act of General Convention.

Church History
The Episcopal Church is part of the global Anglican Communion of churches that share a common faith and tradition with the Church of England. It is a widely held misconception that the Church of England was founded by King Henry VIII because he wanted a divorce. The Church of England’s tradition goes back much further and its history is more complex. While it is unknown at what date Christianity first arrived in Great Britain, it is possible that a Christian community existed in Britain as early as 200 AD. We certainly know that an organized Church with bishops existed in Britain by 314 AD as British bishops attended the Council of Arles held that year. The Roman church sent a mission to England, headed by St. Augustine of Canterbury, in 597 AD. The Celtic and Roman branches of the Church were joined following the Council of Whitby in 664 AD. Through succeeding centuries, a good deal of friction developed between the English and Roman churches, culminating in 1534 in separation of the Church of England from Rome by an “Act of Supremacy” passed by the English Parliament.

Church reforms began under Edward VI and in 1549 Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer published the first Book of Common Prayer. This restored the Church of England’s worship to the language of the people and for the first time provided the monastic office of daily prayer for everyone. After the reign of Mary I, the Elizabethan Settlement of Queen Elizabeth I resulted in a via media (Middle Way) between those in England who supported the Church in Rome and those influenced by the Protestant Reformation. The via media represented a reformed Church of England that maintained the doctrine and practice of the ancient Catholic (meaning universal) Church – from the early, undivided Church, but repudiated Medieval doctrines (e.g. clergy celibacy and the selling of indulgences).

The Church of England emerged from the 16th century having maintained the three orders of ordained ministry: bishops, priests, and deacons; the centrality of Baptism and the Holy Eucharist; and the Creeds as central to the teaching of Christian belief; while joining other reformers in placing the authority of Scripture as primary and encouraging the widespread reading, study, and discussion of the Bible as guided by the Holy Spirit. The reforms also led to the unique contribution of the Book of Common Prayer as a summary of faith and guide to worship. The via media has been a defining aspect of Anglican identity ever since.

The Episcopal Church in The United States: The Episcopal Church in the United States traces its roots to the English settlers who arrived in the seventeenth century and founded Church of England congregations in the colonies. Following the War of Independence, the Episcopal Church in the United States began organizing its own governing structure. William White, rector of Christ Church in Philadelphia, was instrumental in the establishment of the Episcopal Church in the United States. Samuel Seabury, a priest from Connecticut, became the first bishop for the Church in the United States when he was consecrated by bishops in Scotland in 1784.

In 1785, the Episcopal Church would hold its first General Convention in Philadelphia. In 1786 the Consecration of Bishops Abroad Act made possible the consecration in England of bishops for dioceses in other parts of the world. In 1787, William White and Samuel Provost (a priest from New York) were consecrated in England to become the first bishops of Pennsylvania and New York, respectively (Bishop White would also serve as the first Presiding Bishop for the national church). With apostolic succession secured, the Episcopal Church in the United States formed itself into an autonomous body in full communion with the See (Archbishop) of Canterbury at General Convention in 1789 (again meeting in Philadelphia). This marked the beginning of the Anglican Communion (churches in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury) outside of Great Britain.

The General Convention of 1789 adopted the Church’s constitution, canons (church laws), and a revised Book of Common Prayer (the first Prayer Book for the American Church). In 1821, the Church established the Domestic & Foreign Missionary Society (D&FMS) to emphasize the spread of the apostolic mission. In 1835, our role as “a people sent” was further emphasized when General Convention made the organizational structures of the D&FMS and the Episcopal Church USA one and the same (highlighting that all Episcopalians are active participants in Christ’s mission)! Today, there are over 2 million Episcopalians worshiping in over 7,500 Episcopal parishes in over 100 dioceses throughout the United States, Latin America, the Caribbean, and a convocation of congregations in parts of Europe. Episcopalians number among the 80 million Anglicans worldwide.?

Worship in The Epsicopal Church
Worship is our central act of offering praise and prayer to God, hearing God's word, and participating in the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist as a gathered community of baptized people.  To learn about worship in The Episcopal Church -- and specifically here at St. Luke's, please visit our "Worship at St. Luke's" page under our "Worship & Prayer" section of this website.