The Episcopal Church
What We Believe
The Episcopal Church is one of the three great branches of Christianity. We trace our roots first to the Apostles, then through their missionary expansion into Great Britain. St. Alban is the first known British martyr in about 304 AD. With the expansion of the British Empire, Anglican missionaries came to this country. Following the Revolutionary War, Anglican clergy and lay leaders, George Washington being among them, established the Episcopal Church in union with the Church of England. We remain a part of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Among the many well known modern world leaders who are a part of the Anglican Communion are: The Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey; the retired Archbishop of South Africa, Desmond Tutu; former President George Bush; and national pollster George Gallop. Our current Presiding Bishop is Katharine Jefferts Schori. The Bishop of the Diocese of Southwest Florida is Dabney Smith.
As Christians, we believe in one God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our faith is grounded in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, informed by two thousand years of church tradition, and shaped by reason. We affirm the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds, celebrate the two great Sacraments of the Church, Holy Baptism and Holy Communion (also known as Holy Eucharist, The Lord's Supper, or the Mass), and acknowledge the historic Episcopate (the Apostolic Succession of Bishops).
We are a diverse body with pastoral tolerance for a wide variety of views and differing understandings. We lead through persuasion, not coercion and trust that the mercy of God will forgive the sins we, through commission or omission commit.
The Church of England was the first to use the vernacular (the language used by the people in everyday conversation) in worship (1558) and is the Church that, under King James, in 1611, translated the Bible in its entirety into English enabling everyone the opportunity to read and interpret Scripture. Nearly every other branch of Western Christianity has since followed the lead of the Anglican Communion and of the Episcopal Church. We welcome all people who with hope and sincerity seek to know and serve the Lord our God.