The Episcopal Church is affiliated with the Anglican Communion, a global body of churches which strives to be a “via media,” or middle way, between the Catholic and Protestant traditions.

Like the Catholic Church, we adhere to many ancient traditions that we believe go back to the original Church founded by Jesus Christ. Our bishops are members of an unbroken like of apostolic succession, going back to the original disciples of Jesus. We participate in sacraments, which are visible signs of spiritual grace. And our liturgy, or communal worship ritual, contains a depth of symbolism that pre-dates our church.

Like the Protestant churches, we encourage our members to bring their own interpretations of Scripture to the table. We value intellectualism, discernment, and personal study of the faith. We also believe that God’s grace is a gift freely given to all, and is not dependent on anything we could do or say.

We participate in two sacraments, which we believe are outward, visible signs of inward, spiritual grace given to us by Christ (Book of Common Prayer, page 857). These sacraments are Holy Baptism and the Holy Eucharist.

Holy Baptism is a ritual in which a person is symbolically immersed in water (we usually pour water over a person’s head). The “immersion” is the outward sign of our God-given grace.

The Holy Eucharist is the central ritual of our worship services. We consume consecrated bread and wine, which is the outward sign of our communion with God. (That is why another word for the Eucharist is Communion.)

By participating in the sacraments, we believe that we are experiencing union with God.

All Sunday services include Communion. We believe Jesus made no exceptions for who was welcome at his table, and so we place no restrictions on who is welcome to participate in this ancient and sacred ritual.

The Episcopal Church recognizes that women are the equals of men, and that women have always played an integral role as leaders in the Christian tradition. Therefore, women are free to fully participate in the Episcopal Church in whatever way they choose.

The Episcopal Church was the first Christian denomination to ordain women priests, starting in 1974. As of 2026, nearly half of all Episcopal priests are women.

The Episcopal Church recognizes that all people are beloved children of God. No exceptions. We recognize that people who identify as LGBTQ+ are sometimes rejected by their Christian communities, which is why we work to make our congregations safe and welcoming for all.

The Episcopal Church was one of the first Christian churches to ordain openly gay clergy, starting in 1977. In 2003, the Episcopal Church ordained the first openly gay bishop in history. As of 2022, more than one quarter of our new clergy identify as LGBTQ+.

The Episcopal Church is not aligned with any political identity. We welcome a diversity of political opinion, just as we welcome diversity of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and gender expression. We actively encourage our members to think for themselves and to form their own opinions. We also actively work to create inclusive communities where people can disagree respectfully and support each other constructively.

The Episcopal Church has a long history of supporting social justice movements, such as the Civil Rights movement, the reproductive rights movement, and the gay marriage movement. We believe that Christ calls us to love each other as we would ourselves, first and foremost. That is why the Church actively works to heal the injustices caused by prejudice and hate.

Absolutely! No matter who you are, or where you are on your spiritual journey, we believe you are a beloved child of God, and we want you to feel welcome with us in our church. We encourage you to form your own theological opinions, and we respect your right to those opinions.