WHO WE ARE
The Episcopal Church
is a denomination (or, community) within the Christian faith (just as Baptist, Lutherans, Methodists, etc. are also communities of Christianity.) Our origins date back to sixteenth-century England when new ideas about Christian community, worship, and
communion swept across much of Europe What emerged in England was Anglicanism. The Episcopal Church is simply the name of the branch of Anglicanism in the United States and is the third largest group of Christians in the world.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
Unlike some traditions, that have a strict set of beliefs, our identity is rooted in our common worship of God as made known to us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and reconciling all people with each other, with God, and with God’s creation.
- We celebrate our unity in Christ while honoring our differences, always putting the work of love before uniformity of opinion.
- We believe in following the teachings of Jesus Christ, whose life, death, and resurrection saved the world.
- We have a legacy of inclusion, aspiring to tell and exemplify God’s love for every human being; women and men serve as bishops, priests, and deacons in our church. Laypeople and clergy cooperate as leaders at all levels of our church. Leadership is a gift from God, and can be expressed by all people in our church, regardless of sexual identity or orientation.
We believe that God loves you – no exceptions.
WHAT WE SEEK
We seek love
To know God’s love, to love and be loved by others, and to love ourselves.
We seek freedom
From the many forces – sin, fear, oppression, and division – that pull us from living as God created us to be: dignified, whole, and free.
We seek abundant life
Overflowing with joy, peace, generosity, and delight. Where there is enough for all because we all share with abandon. A life of meaning, given back to God and lived for others.
We seek Jesus
The Way of Jesus is the Way of Love,
and that way has the power to change lives and change the world.
Learn more about the beliefs and practices of the Episcopal Church.
The Diocese of Washington
Historically, bishops oversee the Church in particular geographic areas, known as dioceses. Each bishop and diocese, operating through a local annual council, determine the character of life and work in that diocese within a set of general decisions made by a triennial General Convention of The Episcopal Church. These decisions are formalized as canons, or rules that govern. Each diocese elects and sends clergy and lay representatives to the General Convention.
We belong to the Diocese of Washington, which includes congregations, schools and other ministries are located in four Maryland counties–Charles, Montgomery, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s–as well as the District of Columbia. We are approximately 45,000 people in 89 congregations, and we’re learning together what it means to follow Jesus and to be the church in our time.
We are proud to be Episcopalians, stewards of a rich spiritual tradition that speaks powerfully to the questions of this age. We experience God through both heart and mind, in mystical experience and in community, in prayer, service and striving for justice. Ours is an expansive, generous understanding of God that invites rising generations to know, love, and follow Jesus, and also to be respectful and open to the insights of other faith traditions. You are welcome here. Click here to learn more about the Episcopal Diocese of Washington.
Meet our Bishop: The Rt. Rev. Mariann Budde.
