Frequently Asked Questions
Episcopal Church Q's & A's
by Catherine Anne Caimano
Excerpts republished here courtesy of Forward Movement Publications, ©1999
What does it mean to be Episcopal?
It means that our church is governed or "overseen" by bishops. The
word "episcopal" comes from the Greek word episcope, which
means "oversight." Each individual church (or "parish") belongs to a
larger governing area called a "diocese," which is overseen by an
elected bishop. All the discoeses together make up the church across
the whole country (and a few missionary dioceses in other
countries), and they are overseen by a specially elected bishop,
called the Presiding Bishop. A bishop is one kind of ordained clergy
person, along with priests and deacons.
What does it mean to be welcoming?
It means that everyone who seeks a place in the Episcopal Church
finds one! Seeking is an important part of this church, and you will
find most people in the pews have more questions than answers, which
is the way we like it. The fundamentals of the Episcopal Church are
based on Scripture, Tradition, and Reason. Anyone with questions
about who God is and how God works in their lives will find a seat
in the Episcopal Church, and many people with whom to share
questions and journeys.
What is Tradition?
The tradition of the church is the record of what the church
believes, that is formed over time. Important traditions in the
Episcopal Church are the use of the Book of Common Prayer and the
sacraments, particularly the sacraments of Baptism and the
Eucharist. Tradition also refers to how we worship, our liturgy and
the music in our hymnals, and to the creeds we say as part of our
worship. In these ways, the important truths of our faith are kept
alive and handed down through generations.
What is the Book of Common Prayer?
It is the book that contains the prayers and liturgies that are part
of the life in worship Episcopalians share with each other. It also
contains historical documents, church calendar, the catechism
(statement of what we believe) and the lectionary (a schedule of
Scripture readings to use in liturgy). The Prayer Book binds
together all those in the Anglican Communion. The very first Prayer
Book was written in 1549, and the first Book of Common Prayer for
the new Episcopal Church in the United States was written in 1789.
You will find Prayer Books in every Episcopal Church, and you can
follow any service by reading it.
What are the Sacraments?
The sacraments are defined in the Prayer Book as "outward and
visible signs of inward and spiritual grace, given by Christ as sure
and certain means by which we receive that grace." This means that
we recognize God as active and sustaining in our lives, and through
the sacraments we participate in this sustaining and saving power.
The two main sacraments in the Episcopal Church are the sacrament of
Baptism, in which we are initiated into new life with Christ, and
the Eucharist, in which we remember and celebrate Jesus' life,
death, and resurrection. Baptism happens only once in a person's
life, but the Eucharist is celebrated at least once a week. The
other traditional rites that have sacramental character include
confirmation, ordination, marriage, reconciliation (confession and
absolution), and anointing of the sick.
What do you mean by Reason?
This means that we recognize that God is always working in the
world, and we value our God-given intellect which we use to
continually understand God's will. Within the boundaries of
Scripture and Tradition, we wrestle with the issues of living
together on earth, and we recognize that there are no easy answers.
This is why you may find many faithful Episcopalians who disagree on
things such as interpretation of Scripture or social issues. We
believe that true faith includes our minds as well as our hearts.
This is why you find many Episcopal scientists, historians, and
philosophers, because we believe strongly that increasing your
ability to think critically also increases your ability to know God
more fully.
What do Episcopalians believe?
Episcopalians believe in a Trinitarian God (the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit) who created us, redeems us, and never lets us go.
This means that God is the source of all life, that through the
life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven
and our lives are brought into closer union with God. It also means
that God's love is present in the world and with us always. We
believe in the church as the body of Christ, one that is holy,
catholic (or universal), and apostolic, continuing the teaching of
Jesus through the apostles to this day. The Nicene Creed and the
Apostles' Creed, found in the Book of Common Prayer and often
recited in our liturgy, outline our beliefs. More specific
explanations of the beliefs of Episcopalians can be found in the
catechism (or outline of faith) that is also in the Book of Common
Prayer
What is the history of the Church?
The Episcopal Church is descended from the Church of England, and
through the consecration of bishops, has roots all the way back to
Jesus and his original followers. The Church of England developed
during the 16th century, as it moved away from being overseen by the
Pope but did not reject its Catholic origins. Thus, the Church of
England grew to be called the via media, or the "middle way,"
between what became known as the Protestant churches and the Roman
Catholic Church. In this way, churches in the Anglican Communion are
both Protestant and Catholic and maintain traditions found in both
of those branches of Christianity.
When did the Episcopal Church start?
It started when the United States started in 1789. Members of the
Church of England started a new, independent church to go along with
their new, independent country, and it was based on a lot of the
same principles. While we are self-governing, the Episcopal Church
maintains a relationship, based on common faith, traditions, history,
and use of the Book of Common Prayer, with the Church of England and
more than 30 other Anglican churches all over the world. All
churches in this tradition make up the Anglican Communion.
How many churches are there in the Episcopal Church?
Today we have more than 2.5 million members and 7,500 parishes and
missions in the United States. Although we are not one of the larger
denominations in America, as part of the Anglican Communion, we make
up one of the largest Christian denominations in the world. In fact,
the fastest growing branches of the Anglican Communion can be found
in Africa and Asia, making us part of a true world-wide church.
There are currently more than 75 million people in the Anglican
Communion.