Essential to our common faith is the belief that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, who died on the cross and rose again to bring new life for all people. We hold to essentials of the Nicene Creed the Incarnation (that Jesus was the Son of God who came into the world and lived a human life) and the Trinity (God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God in three “persons” or expressions). We further believe that the Bible is the revealed word of God, which speaks to us in our own time and place, and which may be interpreted through the use of tradition and reason.
We believe that every person is a loved and beloved child of God and should be treated with love, dignity, compassion and respect. Our way of life is guided by the promises we make at our baptism:
- Participation in prayer and worship
- Perseverance in doing what is right, and repentance when we fall short
- By our word and example living the Good News of God in Christ
- Serving Christ in all persons and loving our neighbor as ourself
- Striving for justice and peace, and respecting the dignity of the earth and every human being
The Episcopal Church is a church of relatively little doctrine, and does not dictate interpretation or practice. Indeed, it allows for a broad spectrum of understanding, opinion and expression. The Episcopal/Anglican Church is distinctive in that it finds its unity and identity in its worship, and it is here, in talking to and with God, that we express what we believe about God. Therefore, the sources of our written theology are in our books of worship, namely the Book of Common Prayer and the Hymnal.