The Episcopal Church
The Episcopal Church (www.ecusa.anglican.org) is the American branch of the worldwide Anglican communion, churches whose roots are in the Church of England. The Anglican communion consists of approximately 70 million people in 164 countries. The word “Episcopal” comes from the Greek word “episkopos” meaning bishop. We are a church that is presided over by bishops. There are about 2.5 million Episcopalians in the U.S.
A Bishop is the chief pastor of a geographic area called a “diocese.” St. Alban’s is located in the Diocese of Washington (www.edow.org), which consists of 94 congregations, 12 schools, 3 assisted living centers, 2 treatment centers and a multitude of programs in the District of Columbia and the Maryland counties of Charles, Montgomery, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s. We participate in the life of the Diocese through prayer, financial support and involvement in diocesan events.
As Episcopalians, our faith is grounded in the spirituality of grace rather than guilt. This approach to faith and life creates a broad and diverse community of believers, all seeking to honor God and God’s desire for the world. Our faith and ministry are based upon the Holy Scriptures and their interpretation in the light of Christian tradition and reason.
To find out more about what Episcopalians believe, the Church’s catechism can be found online (“An Outline of Faith”) or in The Book of Common Prayer on pages 844–862.
As Episcopalians, our faith is grounded in the spirituality of grace rather than guilt. This approach to faith and life creates a broad and diverse community of believers, all seeking to honor God and God’s desire for the world. Our faith and ministry are based upon the Holy Scriptures and their interpretation in the light of Christian tradition and reason.