The Episcopal church in the United States is a part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. From the bottom up, each congregation is a part of a diocese (headed by a bishop which for us is the portion of Louisiana west of the Mississippi River), and each diocese is a part of a province (about 10-12 dioceses), and each province is a part of a national structure (headed by a presiding bishop or archbishop), and each national structure is a part of the worldwide communion (Canterbury is our historic center). We worship around the world from a Book of Common Prayer which stresses the two sacraments instituted by our Lord-Holy Baptism and Holy Eucharist. Through baptism of water and the Holy Spirit we are all ministers, and there are four orders of ministries: bishop, priest, deacon and layperson. Central to our community worship is the Holy Eucharist, also known as the Lord's Supper, the Divine Liturgy, Holy Communion and Mass (the word "mass" originates from Latin which means to "send forth"). The present form that we use dates back to the Early Church remembering Jesus' words, "Do this in remembrance of me." The Eucharist has two parts. The first is the liturgy of the Word, wherein the scriptures are read and reflected upon in a sermon in hope of making them relevant and challenging to our lives. In the event that the preacher gets a little off target, there is no need to worry because the sermon is followed by the Nicene Creed which was written in 325 A.D. as an outline of the Orthodox faith for all of Christendom. Then we offer our prayers of intercession for the world and the Church. This is followed by our Confession of Sin (which is omitted during the Great 50 Days of Easter) wherein we ask forgiveness of God and our neighbor publicly, with a public pronouncement of God's forgiveness (just in case we need reassurance that God has really forgiven us), and then we share the peace of Christ with one another. This is the first part of our worship. During the first three centuries of Christendom, those who sought to be baptized departed for instruction about the faith (the instruction lasted three years!), and those baptized remained for the second part, which is the Holy Communion. Having heard God's Word proclaimed, having prayed for one another, having asked God's and one another's forgiveness, we draw near to the table. Here we recount the story of salvation, speak Jesus' words of institution, and ask the Holy Spirit to descend upon the bread and wine that it may be for us the Body and Blood of Christ. How, you may ask? We do not pretend to have an answer, but can only say that through this action together, we sense a change continually happening in our lives. We are by no means perfect, but we give our lives anew again and again as we come to the altar that God may continue the work of perfection in our lives. This work takes a lifetime, and we would like for you to join with us on this journey. There are a lot of gaps in this synopsis, but if you stick around, we'll tell you the rest of the Episcopalian story.

There are three basic sources of belief as Episcopalians and Anglicans. 

• First is the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures, written by humans but inspired by God through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Old and New Testaments of the Bible contain the essence of Christian teaching and help us to know God's will, revealed supremely through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

• Second, members of the Episcopal Church use Reason to explore and comprehend God's works and to penetrate the full depths of God's truth. The Church does not control interpretation and practice. Instead, it offers guidance of the Scriptures with help of the clergy and the Christian community, tempered by response to sincere prayer.

• Third, our Tradition expresses the way the corporate community has developed through the centuries under guidance of the Holy Spirit. Through tradition we share the experiences of Christians over every era and preserve the prayers, liturgical practices, and music which has sustained the faith over time. Tradition is the persistent, public expression of faith which not only preserves the faith but actively transmits it. Tradition lets us celebrate the essential truth of Scripture as tested and affirmed with continuity and consistency.

We summarize our faith through Creeds which we share with all Christendom. The Apostle's Creed comes from the second century Church in Rome and the Nicene Creed was developed by the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. to clarify Church doctrine.

We believe that God is three persons: God the Father is the infinite, good, omnipotent creator. God the Son, Jesus, is the joyous union of God and human being. God the Holy Spirit is the power of God moving within us and empowering us with his gifts in mysterious and unexpected ways.

Worship is our corporate, joyous response to God's love. It is an expression of our hope for salvation, a chance to praise God and receive strength and forgiveness, and a way to share our faith and lives with other believers. We worship in accordance with the Book of Common Prayer. The large print in the book is the actual service. The rubrics, or directions for the service, are found in the smaller print. Generally, we stand to sing. We sit to listen to the word of God when it is preached (except that we stand for the Gospel). We kneel, sit or stand to pray -- all of which are historical ways to offer prayer.

All baptized persons may become members and all confirmed adults are voting members. If you are coming from another Episcopal church, we will request a transfer from your former church. If you come from another Christian tradition or do not have a previous church affiliation, we will direct you as to the appropriate steps. For information about church membership or any of the activities offered by the church, contact the church office at (318) 323-3139.