Frequently Asked Questions

What Church affiliation do you have?

We are affiliated with the Reformed Episcopal Church.

What does “reformed” mean?

We do not embrace the current liberal trends of The Episcopal Church USA.

We affirm the authority and inerrancy of Scripture.

We are faithful to the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion.

We affirm a literal six-day creation.

We believe homosexuality is sinful in all circumstances and that same sex unions are forbidden by God in Scripture.

We believe in the sanctity of human life and that human life begins at the moment of conception. Abortion, euthanasia, infanticide, and suicide are, in nearly all cases, the unlawful taking of human life and are, therefore, murder.

We are evangelical, that is, we believe that Christianity is more than intellectual assent to certain doctrines, regular attendance on Sundays, and participation in certain prescribed forms of worship. The Christian faith begins with a living, personal faith relationship with Jesus Christ which is then lived out in a vital relationship with a community of other believers. Together congregations fulfill the Great Commission.

We are complementarians. We believe that men and women are created of equal value in the eyes of God and equal with respect to inheriting the benefits of salvation. We also believe men and women are created to fill different roles and responsibilities in marriage and in the Church. We affirm the concepts of headship and subordination in marriage and that in the Church, some offices requiring governing authority over the whole congregation (presbyter and bishop) are reserved by God for men only.

What does “Episcopal” mean?

It means primarily four things:

1. Ancient English Church. We are a branch Christ’s Church that originated in ancient England and continues to this day.
2. Bishops. Local congregations in the REC have the benefit of pastoral counsel and oversight from men historically known as bishops or overseers.
3. The Thirty-Nine Articles is our chief doctrinal statement written during the English Reformation.
4. The Book of Common Prayer (1662 & 1928) contains the services we use in our Lord’s Day worship.

What do you consider to be essential doctrines?

While we do believe the little things matter, we focus on and emphasize those doctrines considered essential to all orthodox Christian churches. These are things that set Christianity apart from all other religions.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Our Order of Service

Why We Worship the Way We Do

Also, visit the Reformed Episcopal Church website