Beliefs

We are a Church that embraces Convergence Worship.  In doing so, we hold to the teachings of the Church Universal. 

We affirm the “Nicene Creed” as the principal creed of the Faith of the Church. We also recognize the Western Baptismal Creed, commonly called the “Apostles Creed,” and the hymn commonly called the “Athanasian Creed” as representing statements of the Nicene Faith. We believe that the Nicene Creed is a literal statement of the belief of the Church and is not subject to interpretation which dismisses as merely allegorical or merely mythological any portion thereof. 

We believe in one God,
      the Father almighty,
      maker of heaven and earth,
      of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
      the only Son of God,
      begotten from the Father before all ages,
           God from God,
           Light from Light,
           true God from true God,
      begotten, not made;
      of the same essence as the Father.
      Through him all things were made.
      For us and for our salvation
           he came down from heaven;
           he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
           and was made human.
           He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;
           he suffered and was buried.
           The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.
           He ascended to heaven
           and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
           He will come again with glory
           to judge the living and the dead.
           His kingdom will never end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit,
      the Lord, the giver of life.
      He proceeds from the Father and the Son,
      and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.
      He spoke through the prophets.
      We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
      We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
      We look forward to the resurrection of the dead,
      and to life in the world to come. Amen.

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
      creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
      who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
      and born of the virgin Mary.
      He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
      was crucified, died, and was buried;
      he descended to hell.
      The third day he rose again from the dead.
      He ascended to heaven
      and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
      From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
      the holy catholic* church,
      the communion of saints,
      the forgiveness of sins,
      the resurrection of the body,
      and the life everlasting. Amen.

*that is, the true Christian church of all times and all places

Whoever desires to be saved should above all hold to the catholic faith.

Anyone who does not keep it whole and unbroken will doubtless perish eternally.

Now this is the catholic faith:

    That we worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity,
    neither blending their persons
    nor dividing their essence.
        For the person of the Father is a distinct person,
        the person of the Son is another,
        and that of the Holy Spirit still another.
        But the divinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one,
        their glory equal, their majesty coeternal.

    What quality the Father has, the Son has, and the Holy Spirit has.
        The Father is uncreated,
        the Son is uncreated,
        the Holy Spirit is uncreated.

        The Father is immeasurable,
        the Son is immeasurable,
        the Holy Spirit is immeasurable.

        The Father is eternal,
        the Son is eternal,
        the Holy Spirit is eternal.

            And yet there are not three eternal beings;
            there is but one eternal being.
            So too there are not three uncreated or immeasurable beings;
            there is but one uncreated and immeasurable being.

    Similarly, the Father is almighty,
        the Son is almighty,
        the Holy Spirit is almighty.
            Yet there are not three almighty beings;
            there is but one almighty being.

        Thus the Father is God,
        the Son is God,
        the Holy Spirit is God.
            Yet there are not three gods;
            there is but one God.

        Thus the Father is Lord,
        the Son is Lord,
        the Holy Spirit is Lord.
            Yet there are not three lords;
            there is but one Lord.

    Just as Christian truth compels us
    to confess each person individually
    as both God and Lord,
    so catholic religion forbids us
    to say that there are three gods or lords.

    The Father was neither made nor created nor begotten from anyone.
    The Son was neither made nor created;
    he was begotten from the Father alone.
    The Holy Spirit was neither made nor created nor begotten;
    he proceeds from the Father and the Son.

    Accordingly there is one Father, not three fathers;
    there is one Son, not three sons;
    there is one Holy Spirit, not three holy spirits.

    Nothing in this trinity is before or after,
    nothing is greater or smaller;
    in their entirety the three persons
    are coeternal and coequal with each other.

    So in everything, as was said earlier,
    we must worship their trinity in their unity
    and their unity in their trinity.

Anyone then who desires to be saved
should think thus about the trinity.

But it is necessary for eternal salvation
that one also believe in the incarnation
of our Lord Jesus Christ faithfully.

Now this is the true faith:

    That we believe and confess
    that our Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son,
    is both God and human, equally.

     He is God from the essence of the Father,
    begotten before time;
    and he is human from the essence of his mother,
    born in time;
    completely God, completely human,
    with a rational soul and human flesh;
    equal to the Father as regards divinity,
    less than the Father as regards humanity.

    Although he is God and human,
    yet Christ is not two, but one.
    He is one, however,
    not by his divinity being turned into flesh,
    but by God’s taking humanity to himself.
    He is one,
    certainly not by the blending of his essence,
    but by the unity of his person.
    For just as one human is both rational soul and flesh,
    so too the one Christ is both God and human.

    He suffered for our salvation;
    he descended to hell;
    he arose from the dead;
    he ascended to heaven;
    he is seated at the Father’s right hand;
    from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
    At his coming all people will arise bodily
    and give an accounting of their own deeds.
    Those who have done good will enter eternal life,
    and those who have done evil will enter eternal fire.

This is the catholic faith:
one cannot be saved without believing it firmly and faithfully.

We accept the Canon of Scripture as handed down from of Old. We affirm the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments containing everything that is necessary for salvation, and as being the rule and ultimate statement of the Faith of the Church. We believe that the Holy Scriptures are inerrant on all matters of faith and morals. 

We affirm the Seven Sacraments of Baptism, Holy Eucharist, Confirmation, Holy Orders, Holy Matrimony, Reconciliation,
and Holy Unction(Anointing with Oil).

We affirm the Historic three-fold ministry of Bishops, Priests and Deacons, and the traditional rights and powers thereof, locally adapted in the methods of its administration according to the needs of the nations in which the Church resides.

We affirm the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist. 

We affirm an openness to all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, including the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues as is
seen in Acts 2. Those who exercise the Charismata are welcome and encouraged to exercise their gifts to the edification of the Church in an orderly, Biblical manner, subject to the godly discipline of the Pastor of the Church to which they have allegiance. We believe that all the Gifts of the Spirit are for today and should be functioning in the Church.  Also, we believe in the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and encourage every believer to experience this gift from God. We further believe that signs, wonders and miracles are for today and should follow the believer (Mark 16).

We affirm that marriage, conducted as a Sacrament, with the full understanding and intention of both parties to make a marriage, is indissoluble except by death. However, we believe that the Church may annul “marriages” which have taken place
without full understanding and intention of the parties involved, and counsel that error be made on the side of compassion for those seeking to make marriages after divorce. We believe that faithful Christian Marriage between a male and a female, free of impediments, is the only legitimate state for sexual expression between individuals.

We believe that there is a possibility that some will reject grace, no matter how often it is offered, and these people freely
choose to remain in a state of separation from God.  It is not the will of the Father that any be lost. We believe that humans are truly endowed with free-will and can freely choose Life in Christ Jesus or death through the rejection of grace. 

We believe that people are justified by faith, which is demonstrated in good works. Both faith and works are necessary to the living of a Christian life.

We use the 1979 and 1928 Book of Common Prayer as our Prayer Books.