What is "The Episcopal Church"?

The Episcopal Church in the United States is a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion. And we, at Christ Church, are a member of the Diocese of Newark.

The Episcopal Church is made up of the essential conditions of both Catholic and Protestant churches. We are a body whose life is nourished by the Sacraments of the Church, and whose ministry of bishops, priests, and deacons follow in the line of succession from the apostles. The Episcopal Church's approach to theology asks that its members NOT check their brains at the door. We are all equal members in our approach to prayer and of our individual and collective experiences of God. This approach provides an open and often exciting dialogue about our understanding of God's presence in the World.

If asked, what does an Episcopalian believe, what would one say? This is a much larger question than can be answered on this site. However, simply put, we would point to the Nicene and Apostles Creed and to our Book of Common Prayer. We are a church which prays what it believes.

For further information regarding the Episcopal Church, the Diocese of Newark and the Worldwide Anglican Communion, please check out those sites. In addition to those sites, please feel free to visit the Diocese of Newark's online newspaper, The Voice, or read a sermon given by our rector that instructs those not raised in the Episcopal Church about our different customs in our services. For ease of understanding, the sermon is divided into four parts, representing the four major parts of our service. Please click one of the links below to read the sermon: