What We Believe

As Episcopalians we believe in:

  • The Holy Scriptures as the revealed Word of God, the ultimate standard of faith, interpreted by the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
  • The Nicene Creed (325 AD) as the basic summary of the Christian faith:
We believe in one God,
    the Father, the Almighty,
    maker of heaven and earth,
    of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
    the only Son of God,
    eternally begotten of the Father,
    God from God, Light from Light,
    true God from true God,
    begotten, not made,
    of one Being with the Father.
    Through him all things were made.
    For us and for our salvation
        he came down from heaven:
    by the power of the Holy Spirit
         he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
         and was made man.
 For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
     he suffered death and was buried.
    On the third day he rose again
         in accordance with the Scriptures;
    he ascended into heaven
         and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
    He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
         and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
    who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
    With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
    He has spoken through the Prophets.
    We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
    We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
    We look for the resurrection of the dead,
         and the life of the world to come.
  • The two Sacraments ordained by Christ—Baptism and Eucharist, also called “The Lord’s Supper.”  In Baptism we affirm Jesus Christ as our savior, make promises, and are given new life in the Holy Spirit.  In the Eucharist we receive the body and blood of Christ through the consecrated bread and wine.
  • Church government through bishops.  In fact the word Episcopal refers to bishops.  The historic episcopate continues the work of the first apostles—guarding the faith, unity, and discipline of the Church and ordaining men and women for leadership.
[An Episcopalian is a person who belongs to The Episcopal Church in the USA.  This is the American branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, spreading from Church of England rootstock.]

A more detailed account of the beliefs of The Episcopal Church may be found in “An Outline of Faith” or “Catechism” on pp. 844-862 in The Book of Common Prayer  (http://www.bcponline.org)

For our Core Values and Mission at St. Timothy's, click here.