What Is the Episcopal Church?

The Episcopal Church is the American descendent of the Church of England. It is a member of the Worldwide Anglican Communion, which is comprised of over forty National Churches and Provinces in places as varied as Latin America, Africa, China and New Zealand.

The Episcopal Church is a liturgical church, meaning that it follows the same kind of calendar of feasts and seasons, such as Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost, as the Roman Catholic, Lutheran and Orthodox Churches. Its worship centers on celebration of the Holy Eucharist, also called the Mass or The Lord's Supper. Episcopalians traditionally rely upon three supports for our Christian Faith: Scripture, Tradition and Reason.

The Episcopal Church is democratic. Bishops, ministers, delegates and parish council members are elected. We believe that the Spirit of God moves through the deliberations of our elected leaders. Women can serve in all levels and ministries of the Episcopal Church.

To visit the web site of the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York, click here.

To visit the web site of the Episcopal Church USA, click here.

For more information on St. John's-Grace, click on one of the items below.