419 Turnpike Road. Mills River, NC 28759
- 419 Turnpike Road. Mills River, NC 28759
Phone: (828) 891-9375
Like all churches, we are sometimes asked, “What do you believe?” Underlying this question is the unspoken inquiry: “You are Christian, but what kind of Christian are you?” Our beliefs are biblically based and draw upon 2,000 years of Christian theology, thought, and practice.
As Episcopalians we believe in a loving, liberating, and life-giving God.
We believe there is one God, who is a Trinity of three inseparable persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe that God’s revelation to humanity did not end with the prophets of Israel, nor did it end 2,000 years ago when the New Testament was written. Instead, we believe that God continues to be present and active in this world.
We also believe the Holy Scriptures are the revealed word of God, written by human beings under the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
We take the bible seriously, but not literally. We understand that scripture is authoritative and normative for the Christian faith, but we also read scripture critically and contextually. We know that scripture is sometimes used to hurt and oppress people, but that it also has the power to heal and liberate us. We are not afraid to wrestle with texts, argue with their conclusions, and be transformed by the truths they contain.
We believe that we receive the gift of God’s love and grace through Christ at the communion table.
The Holy Eucharist, also known as Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper, is a sacrament commanded by
Christ for the continual remembrance of his life, death, and resurrection.
We believe that, through the waters of Baptism, we are claimed as beloved children of God and marked as Christ’s own forever.
Episcopalians practice infant baptism because through baptism we become members of Christ’s Body, the Church.
Whenever we renew our baptismal covenant, the liturgy asks us questions and we make these promises:
To proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ.
To seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves.
To strive for justice and peace among all people, and to respect the dignity of every human being.
We believe in the Church as the Body of Christ.
One that is holy, universal, and apostolic, continuing the teachings of Jesus through the apostles to this day. The Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed, found in the Book of Common Prayer and often recited in our liturgy, outline our basic beliefs about God.
In the Anglican tradition, there are three sources of authority by which we approach the task of theology: scripture, tradition, and reason. As part of the Anglican Communion, Episcopalians draw upon a deep and rich theological tradition; however, our approach to faith and belief is not dogmatic. We do not require uniformity in belief, but rather we encourage each member of our community to draw upon scripture and tradition and think for herself or himself, to wrestle with doubt and the questions of faith, and to arrive at conclusions which may be different than those of other members within the community. What binds us together is not doctrine, but rather our shared experiences of God in the worship and the life of the community. Our Christian faith and how we live our lives in service to God is distilled to this simple statement from Jesus.
Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39)
What Is the Episcopal Church? Learn About our Faith, What We Believe, and Who We Are as a Church.
We believe that faith is a journey and grace is a gift.
We believe that how we treat each other matters.
We believe that “all people are worthy of respect and honor, because all are created in the image of God, and all can respond to the love of God.” (BCP, Catechism, p. 846)
We believe that God loves You – no exceptions.
We believe we are expected to love God and love people as God loves His people. It’s as simple and as complicated as that.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash