[Episcopal News Service] The op-ed page of May 12, 2007 editions of The New York Times carried a display ad marking the beginnings, 400 years ago, of the Jamestown Colony and the Episcopal Church's heritage and mission in North America.

© 2007 Episcopal Life Online

A pdf of the ad is available at
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/documents/newYorkTimes_opAd.pdf.

A THINKING PERSON'S CHURCH:
The Episcopal Church is particularly suited for those people who like to think for themselves and like to make up their own minds. In the Episcopal Church the priest does not preach at or talk down to the people in the pews. Instead the priest invites the people to think with him or her. As a result the Episcopal Church is a church of dialogue in which people are encouraged to make their own faith journeys. The clergy and other members of the congregation are there to support the person and to share their experiences with the person. But in the end the individual makes his or her decision in the faith journey.

HOW DECISIONS ARE MADE IN THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH:
Decisions are made by a conscientious examination of three different elements:
1) Scripture, 2) Tradition and 3) Reason. To these three elements a fourth is often added: Experience. For example, the issue of Infant Baptism which is practiced in the Anglican Communion. In making the decision to baptize infants, the Church first looked to Scripture. The New Testament tells us that entire families were baptized which would have included infants. Tradition tells us that the Church continued this practice because of the high infant mortality rate. Reason and Experience tell us that God adopts us as children of God not by anything we know or do, but by God's grace alone. Hence Scripture, Tradition, Reason and Experience support Infant Baptism, and it is incorporated into the life of the Anglican Communion.

A WORLDWIDE CHURCH:
The Episcopal Church in the United States of America is part of the Anglican Church or Anglican Communion---the worldwide Church of England. The Episcopal Church is one of the 38 independent, self-governing, national and regional churches which make up the Anglican Communion. There are some 70 million Anglicans representing a diverse variety of races, languages, cultures, and political conditions. We include more than 64,000 congregations in 164 countries.

GOD'S GRACE BESTOWED THROUGH WORD AND SACRAMENT:
Episcopalians believe that God's grace (God's love, blessing, forgiveness) is given through God's Word (the Bible) and through the receiving of the Sacraments. As one hears and reads the Bible, that person is enlightened and thereby receives God's blessing. As one hears the Bible read in worship and hears biblical teachings in sermons and classes, that person is enlightened and receives God's blessing. In addition God's grace is given by receiving the Sacraments (visible signs and acts which transmit God's blessing). There are two major sacraments: Baptism and the Holy Eucharist (Communion) and five lesser sacraments: Confirmation, Marriage, Penance (Confession of Sin and Absolution), Unction (Anointing the sick with oil and the Laying on of Hands for Healing), and Ordination (the grace of God given to those being ordained to become ministers in the Church).

Used by permission from Trinity Episcopal Church, Gatlinburg, TN

See also:

What Beliefs are Episcopalians Expected to Hold?

About the Episcopal Church, from St. Elizabeth, TN

The Episcopal Church Welcomes You