Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Episcopal Church Catholic or Protestant?

Actually the Episcopal Church is both Catholic and Protestant. In fact, many Episcopalian scholars classify the Episcopal Church as a “Reformed Catholic Church.” We are catholic in that we have maintained in an unbroken manner the sacraments, worship, and ordained ministry (apostolic succession) that have existed since the very beginning of Christianity. In that sense Episcopalians share much in common with the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Oriental Orthodox Churches. If you were to study the Liturgy of the Episcopal Church, you would find that there are many elements we share with the most ancient Churches throughout the world.

We are protestant (perhaps a better term is “reformed”) because we have always placed tremendous emphasis upon the authority of the Bible as a guide for doctrine, worship and practice. We do not require that members accept dogmas as necessary for salvation that cannot be found within the Sacred Scriptures, examples of this being Transubstantiation, Purgatory, the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Papal Infallibility, and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary body and soul into Heaven.

What does the Episcopal Church believe about the Holy Bible?

The Bible is central in the life of the Episcopal Church, especially when it comes to our prayer and worship. Our primary forms of worship, the Holy Eucharist and the Daily Office (Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer and Compline) are saturated with readings from the Bible, and our liturgical texts are essentially paraphrases of scripture. The Bible is of such importance in the life of the Church that whenever a person is ordained to ministry – either as a deacon, priest, or bishop – a copy of the Bible is given to the newly ordained as a part of the ceremony.

We believe and profess that the Bible the Word of God “because God inspired [its] human authors and because God still speaks to us today.” (1979 Book of Common Prayer, page 853.) For us the Bible isn’t something that has been fully understood, written in stone, or is merely for memorization. It is a way in which the Holy Spirit leads, guides, and speaks to us until the end of time. In the Catechism we are taught that we “understand the meaning of the Bible by the help of the Holy Spirit, who guides the Church in the true interpretation of the Scriptures.” (BCP, pages 853-854.) We believe that the Holy Spirit guides the Church’s understanding of the Bible through tradition (what Christians have believed and taught in the past) as well as reason (approaching the Scriptures with our intellects so that we can apply the Bible to current circumstances).

Must Episcopalians always use the Book of Common Prayer when they pray?

The purpose of the Book of Common Prayer (also referred to as the “BCP”) isn’t to prevent other forms of prayer, such as just speaking to God in your own words.

When Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury, compiled the very first BCP in 1549, the intention was to standardize all of the liturgies and sacraments of the Church of England in the language of the people, as well as removing elements from the ancient liturgical forms that were deemed to be in error. It was designed to present the public liturgies of the Church so that everyone would be on the “same page”, so to speak, which explains why the word “common” was used in the title. All worship was to be communal and orderly, thus maintaining the ancient tradition of the Church. Since America was originally a colony of England, this style of worship and prayer became the foundation of what would eventually become the Episcopal Church of the United States of America (ECUSA).

While it is true that one will find numerous private prayers and devotions within the BCP of the Episcopal Church, it has never been understood that we should limit our lives of prayer to these materials; these are seen to be aids to prayer, not the only way we should communicate with God. In reality there is great diversity in the ways we pray, including quiet meditation, extemporaneous prayer, using the Anglican Rosary, and one can even find Episcopalians who are charismatics.

It should be noted that the Episcopal Church does not look upon the BCP as being on the same level as the Bible. The BCP definitely has great importance in the worship of the Church, but it can be modified by the Church whenever it is deemed necessary, something that cannot be said of the Bible.

Do I have to bow, make the sign of the cross, etc., when I attend the Holy Eucharist in the Episcopal Church?

Within the Episcopal Church we have a tradition of using our bodies in worship and prayer, such as bowing, making the sign of the cross, kneeling, and numerous other ritual actions and gestures. These sacred signs of respect and devotion originate from the very earliest days of Christianity, and have been maintained by the ancient Churches of the Catholic tradition – Anglicans, Eastern Orthodox, and Roman Catholics, to name a few.

Having said that, the Episcopal Church never requires that anyone do these things, and you will find that not all Episcopalians use the traditional ritual gestures. The Episcopal Church does not believe in compulsion, and so we believe that people should have the freedom to decide for themselves. If you visit an Episcopal Church, you shouldn’t feel any requirement to do exactly what everyone else is doing. You should do only what you feel comfortable doing when you’re in church. In a word, you’re not any holier or more righteous for performing or not performing the traditional gestures.

Does the Episcopal Church ordain women?

The Episcopal Church believes that just as our Lord Jesus Christ calls all people to come to Him, He calls people to serve His Church as deacons, priests, and bishops regardless of gender. We believe that God can and does select men and women from all walks of life to be chosen vessels for ministry, and we aren’t comfortable placing limitations upon the people God selects. We base this belief on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians, which reads

As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. [Galatians 3:27-28, NRSV]

Therefore the Episcopal Church does not prevent qualified candidates from seeking ordination to Holy Orders because of their gender. The Church has been ordaining women to the Priesthood for a little over 30 years, and consecrating them to the Episcopate for nearly 20, and we have seen the abundant fruits of the Holy Spirit in their ministries.

Is the Archbishop of Canterbury your “Pope”?

There isn’t anyone within the Episcopal Church or the Anglican Communion in general (more about this later) that has the same power and authority that the Pope does in the Roman Catholic Church. In Anglican/Episcopalian theology, the absolute Head of the Church is the Lord Jesus Christ, and one of the seminal principles of the Anglican Communion is that no one individual or national Church should have authority over another.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primary religious leader of the Church of England, and because all of the various Churches that comprise the Anglican Communion originally derive from the Church of England (usually through missionary efforts in British colonies), the Archbishop is recognized as “first among equals”; the Archbishop has a special place of honor within the Anglican Communion but does not possess more authority than any other bishop. This is quite similar to the polity of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, where the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople has a primacy of honor but does not have universal jurisdiction or authority over any other national Church.

In the Episcopal Church of the United States of America we have a Presiding Bishop (also known as “Primate”) who directs the work of the National Church, but does not have absolute authority over the other Bishops. The Episcopal Church is a very democratic organization, and authority is exercised nationally by the Church Convention, which is composed of the House of Bishops and the House of Delegates (made up of priests and laypersons), and meets every three years to vote on legislation and elect the next Presiding Bishop whenever his/her 9-year-term has expired. Furthermore, each diocese (the state or regional division of the Episcopal Church that is headed by a Bishop) has its own Convention that usually meets on an annual basis that establishes policy and even elects the Bishop.

May I receive Communion in the Episcopal Church?

It is the practice of the Church that all Christians who have been baptized in water and in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (see Matthew 28:18-20) are invited to receive the Holy Eucharist. The Episcopal Church understands the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist not as something that excludes Christians, but rather unites us together as the Body of Christ on earth. It is very unfortunate that the Holy Eucharist has become a sign of division and exclusion in many Churches.

Now for a practical matter… We use unleavened bread and real wine for the Holy Eucharist (just as our Lord Jesus Christ did during the Last Supper, and has been the practice of most Churches from the very beginning), and it has always been the practice to allow everyone to partake of both elements. Traditionally we receive the consecrated Bread in our hands, and then to receive the consecrated Wine we either sip directly from the chalice or we dip the Bread into the Wine (which is called “intinction”). If it is the case that you aren’t comfortable partaking of the Wine, then it would be entirely appropriate for you to receive the Bread alone.

Is the Episcopal Church liberal or conservative?

Contrary to what you may read in the newspapers or watch on the television news broadcasts, the Episcopal Church is neither conservative nor liberal. One of the fundamental guiding principles of Anglicanism is that of the Via Media – the “Middle Way.” From the very beginning the Anglican Church sought to be the middle ground between the extremes of Roman Catholicism on one end, and Puritanism on other end of the ecclesiastical spectrum, and this desire has influenced the philosophy of the members of the Anglican Communion (of which the Episcopal Church is a part) ever since. We seek to avoid being so conservative that we become fossilized, and being so liberal that we completely throw out the proverbial baby with the bath water.  The Episcopal Church works very hard to maintain balance and moderation in all things.

On an individual level, there is really no such thing as a “typical Episcopalian.” You will find that the Episcopal Church is filled with people who are theologically conservative, theologically liberal, and everywhere in between. There are Episcopal churches that are, liturgically speaking, practically indistinguishable from a Roman Catholic parish (sometimes with greater pomp and ceremony than most Roman Catholic parishes are accustomed to), and there are parishes where the Holy Eucharist is celebrated in a very simple, quiet manner. But most Episcopal parishes fall somewhere in the middle. So the Episcopal Church is, at its best, an enormous “tent” where everyone is welcomed.

Why is it called “The Episcopal Church” rather than “The Anglican Church”?

The name of our Church is due mainly to historical circumstances. Prior to the American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the Church in America was seen as just an extension of the Church of England, or the Anglican Church (“Anglican” is derived from the Latin word for “English”). When the original 13 Colonies broke with England, the leadership of the Anglican Church therein decided that it would be necessary for the American Church to gain autonomy from England. This separation was not due to doctrinal or liturgical issues Americans had with the Church of England; the major issue was the requirement that priests and bishops swear allegiance to the King of England, which Americans obviously could not do.

So in 1789 the first national Church Convention was held, and the name chosen for the American Church was “The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America.” The name “Anglican Church of the United States of America” wasn’t selected because at the time Great Britain and anything associated with it weren’t especially popular. The name that was chosen by the Convention was to emphasize that the Church wasn’t Roman Catholic (“Protestant”) yet it maintained Apostolic Succession and the Sacraments (“Episcopal”). Eventually the name was shortened to just “Episcopal”.

The Episcopal Church was the very first mission of the Church of England to become an independent national Church, and this was the beginning of what would become the Anglican Communion.

Would you like to know more about the Episcopal Church?

There are numerous different resources available to all people that will assist you in learning about the Church’s worship, spirituality and teachings. Of course the best way to learn about the Episcopal Church is to join us for worship and thus gain a better appreciation of our diversity and life of prayer. The people of Emmanuel Episcopal Church cordially invite you to join us for the Holy Eucharist on Sunday, which is celebrated at 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM. Following the 10:00 AM Holy Eucharist we have a fellowship brunch open to everyone.

If you happen to be interested in a more in-depth introduction to the Episcopal Church, Emmanuel Episcopal Church has weekly meetings of the Guild of Sts. Peter and Paul, which is a discussion group that studies the history, doctrine, liturgy and spirituality of the Episcopal Church for the purposes of personal growth and evangelization. The Guild Meetings are held every Tuesday night, beginning at 7:00 PM in the Patchett Hall of the parish. Please feel free to contact Emmanuel Church at (304) 788-4475 or withus@verizon.net for an updated schedule (using the email option is probably the most effective means of contacting us). You may also wish to visit the Guild of Sts. Peter and Paul Yahoo newsgroup.

On-Line Resources:

The Episcopal Church embraced the Internet revolution with great zeal, and therefore there are a plethora of materials available to anyone with a net connection. The following sites are what we feel are ideal for introducing people to our Church, and more web sites will be added in the future.

Official Sites:

The Episcopal Church of the United States of America: This is the official web site of the National Church, and contains an astounding amount of information. 

The Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia: Here is the best place to learn about the ministry of the Episcopal Church in West Virginia, of which Emmanuel Church is a member. 

The Anglican Communion Official Website: The Episcopal Church of the United States of America is a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and this site introduces people to the mission of the Communion. 

Educational Sites:

Anglicans Online: Dedicated to news and information from Anglicans throughout the globe, Anglicans Online is a wonderful resource for those curious about the Anglican/Episcopalian tradition. 

Basic Beliefs from the Episcopal Diocese of Texas: This is a superb place for a very quick yet intelligent introduction to the beliefs of the Episcopal Church. 

The On-Line Book of Common Prayer: If you really want to get to know the Anglican tradition in general, and the Episcopal Church in particular, there’s really no better way than to study the various editions of the Book of Common Prayer. This site presents electronic versions of historic and modern Prayer Books from around the world. 

Come and Grow: This is an evangelism site for the Episcopal Church, and is designed for both newcomers and more seasoned Episcopalians.

The Anglican Library: As the name suggests, this site is a repository for electronic versions of classical Anglican texts. 

The Oremus Bible Browser: Whenever you wish to search the Scriptures online, this is the place to go. 

Early Christian Writings: The Anglican Church (and by association the Episcopal Church as well) has always been interested in the study of the Fathers of the Church, and this site is a good place to start for those who wish to learn more about Patrology.

Theological Education for All: The Episcopal Church has developed a national program to encourage increased theological study for all people, not just the clergy.