Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT IS THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH?

The word “Episcopal” refers to government by bishops (from the Greek “episcopoi” meaning “bishops”). The historic episcopate continues the work of the first apostles in the Church, guarding the faith, unity and discipline of the Church, and ordaining women and men to continue Christ’s ministry.

WHAT IS AN EPISCOPALIAN?

An Episcopalian is a person who belongs to The Episcopal Church, a branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

As Episcopalians, we are followers of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and we believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We strive to love our neighbors as ourselves and respect the dignity of every person. We celebrate our unity in Christ while honoring our differences, always putting the work of love before uniformity of opinion. All are welcome to find a spiritual home in the Episcopal Church.

WHAT ARE THE BELIEFS?

As Episcopalians, we believe:

The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the revealed Word of God “containing all things necessary to salvation.” 

The Apostles’ Creed is the earliest of Christian creeds, considered to be an authentic expression of the apostolic faith, with its three sections concerning God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This creed was the basis for the original baptismal formula, and candidates were baptized after their response of faith to each of the three questions concerning Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Nicene Creed is a later creed of the Christian faith, clearly stating the full divinity of the Son, the second person of the Trinity, as well as the full divinity of the Holy Spirit, the third person. The Apostles’ Creed is used during baptisms, funerals, and in the Daily Office, while the Nicene Creed is used during Eucharist. 

There are two great Sacraments associated directly with our Lord Jesus Christ —Baptism and Eucharist. Baptism is full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ’s Body, the church. God establishes an indissoluble bond with each person in baptism, adopting us and making us members of the church and inheritors of the Kingdom of God. In baptism we are made sharers in the new life of the Holy Spirit and the forgiveness of sins. Baptism is foundational to church participation and ministry. 

The Holy Eucharist is the principal act of Christian worship, as we remember and participate in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ until his coming again. Christ's sacrifice is made present by the eucharist, and in it we are united to his one self-offering, receiving forgiveness of our sins, the strengthening of our union with Christ and one another, and a foretaste of the heavenly banquet which is our nourishment in eternal life. We believe Christ's body and blood are really present in the sacrament of the eucharist and received by faith.

HOW DOES THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH DIFFER FROM OTHER DENOMINATIONS?

Historically, bishops oversee the Church in particular geographic areas, known as dioceses. In the worldwide Anglican Communion, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who oversees the Diocese of Canterbury, occupies a special position by virtue of history and tradition but he does not hold a governing position. We are a confederation of equals. Bishops from the Anglican Communion meet every 10 years for the Lambeth Conference, at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, but the resolutions coming from that Conference do not hold authority over all members of the Communion. Collegiality among bishops is the substitute for authority, and communal discernment is the substitute for decision-making power.

Each bishop and diocese, operating through an annual convention (sometimes called a synod or 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 as a whole. These decisions are formalized as canons—rules that govern—by The Episcopal Church and subsequently by each affected diocese. Each diocese elects and sends clergy and lay representatives—deputies—to the General Convention. The annual Convention of the Diocese of Atlanta usually takes place each November.

THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH CELEBRATES DIVERSITY.

We are young and old, male and female, gay and straight, single, married, divorced and widowed, Anglo, African American, Latino, African, Asian, CEO and unemployed, student and teacher, rich and poor. We worship together, study and ask questions as we move more deeply into the mystery of God.

We honor tradition and strive to live by the example of Jesus Christ, welcoming the stranger and the outcast, helping our neighbors and offering love and forgiveness. We want our communities to be better because The Episcopal Church is here.

We are known for our engaging and beautiful worship services. For those who have grown up Roman Catholic, the service, known as the Mass, Eucharist or Holy Communion, will be very familiar. For those of reformed tradition or no religious tradition at all, we think you may find a spiritual home in a church that respects its tradition and maintains its sense of awe and wonder at the power and mystery of God. Some services are more contemporary, some more traditional but all follow the same form found in the Book of Common Prayer.

There are no prerequisites in the Episcopal Church . . . everyone is welcome.

We walk the "middle way" between Protestant and Catholic traditions. We often talk about the Episcopal Church as following the “via media” or middle way in our theology and discussions because we believe that, whether or not we agree on a particular topic, we all are children beloved by God and we can have thoughtful and respectful discussions.