Since the 1978 Prayerbook and the liturgical renewal that preceded it, the church has recognized the primacy of Baptism. Baptism is all that is required to be a full member of the Body of Christ, and to receive the Eucharist. You can join the Episcopal Church as a Baptized member if you have ever been baptized with water “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit“. Please contact Father Allen or call the church office 813-988-6483.
You should notify your previous parish that you wish a “letter of transfer” from them. This applies only to Episcopal parishes. If you need assistance with this, please contact our church office: 813-988-6483.
One is Baptism, a sacrament performed by a Priest, or a Deacon. When you are baptized in an Episcopal Church you become part of the Body of Christ and a baptized member of that parish.
Another way to join is through Confirmation, a sacrament that is an “adult” statement of faith, a renewal of your baptismal covenant. Only a Bishop can lay hands on someone for confirmation in our tradition. When you are confirmed at St. Catherine of Alexandria Episcopal Church, you become a Confirmed member of the parish. Our Bishop Dabney, or one of our retired assisting Bishops, visits us about every 18 months. When we know the Bishop’s visitation date, a confirmation class is announced for interested parishioners. Youth confirmation is offered as part of our Journey to Adulthood program, during the two years of the J2A program, to youth who regularly attend church and J2A. Confirmation is required for many leadership positions, including Vestry members, those who assist in worship as Lay Readers and Chalice Bearers, and Lay Eucharistic Visitors ( those who take consecrated bread and wine to those unable to attend worship because of illness or infirmity ).
If someone comes to the Episcopal church from the Roman Catholic Church or the Lutheran Church and has been confirmed in one of these traditions, they can be “received” into the Episcopal Church by the Bishop (in the same service as confirmation). We recognize their confirmation as valid, having been done by a Bishop in Apostolic Succession, as is done in our tradition. If someone was confirmed in a tradition without Apostolic Succession, we do not recognize that confirmation as a sacrament so they would be confirmed in our tradition, by our Bishop, who is in Apostolic Succession.
We never re-baptize people in the Episcopal Church. We recognize all baptisms done with water “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit“. ( If you are unsure whether you were ever baptized, you can be baptized, with a “conditional baptism” there is a separate prayer for that as well! )