Denomination profile: the Episcopalian Church

As a community of believers here at Eastern, the unfortunate tendency is to know very little about any denominations except for our own.

Because of this, The Waltonian has decided to open a window into the Episcopalian denomination.

The Institutional Research Department notes that here at Eastern, there are 28 students who identify themselves as Episcopalian.

An offspring of the Church of England, the Episcopalian Church in America contains roughly 2.5 million members in their largest sect.

The symbols of doctrine and the accepted doctrinal documents are the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed and the 39 articles of the Church of England, all of which have been modified over the years to fit American social conditions. The three foundations of faith are found in Holy Scripture, reason and church traditions.

Both Roman Catholic and Evangelical traditions are seen in Episcopalian practices. Out of the seven sacraments, only two of them, baptism and the Eucharist, are believed by Episcopalians to be ordained by Christ. They do, however, honor the other five. In their tradition, baptism is given to infants. The baptism itself is when they believe an individual is born again and has received the Holy Spirit.

When performing the Eucharist, it is not only a meal for remembrance but Christ himself is made present in the elements. Episcopal priests believe they are re-offering Christ’s sacrifice through the Lord’s Supper.

Recently the Episcopal Church has been involved heavily in the ecumenical movement and focusing on social issues. The church maintains missionaries in U.S. territories and many parts of Africa, Asia and South America.

The Episcopal Church has also been heavily involved in the support and operation of hospitals, orphanages and homes, along with war and natural disaster aid.

There are many Episcopalian churches active in the communities of the St. David’s and Radnor areas. Some include St. David’s Episcopal Church, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, and the Church of the Good Samaritan.

Information compiled from: biblebelievers.net, infoplease.com, encarta.msn.com.