The Episcopal Church

Questions you might have about the Episcopal Church are asked and answered below.

How should I address a deacon, priest, or bishop of the Episcopal Church?

This depends largely on local custom. The custom at The Episcopal Church at Princeton University is to address the chaplain and associate chaplains by their first names since we are all baptized as brothers and sisters in Christ and brothers and sisters ought to be on a first name basis.

In other places with more formal customs, or to show respect when addressing visiting clergy at The Episcopal Church at Princeton University, it might be appropriate to address the priest as "Father Jones" or "Mother Smith" or, if you wish, "Mr. [or Dr.] Jones" or "Ms. [or Dr.] Smith." A deacon is formally addressed as "Deacon [Mr., Ms., Dr.] Jones." A bishop is always addressed as "Bishop Jones."

"The Reverend" is an appropriate title to precede the full name of a priest or deacon. The "Right Reverend" is used for a bishop. Reverend is an adjective, not a noun, and should not be used with a last name only, or without the article "the" as in "Reverend Jones."

Aren't Episcopalians the same as Roman Catholics?

Well, yes and no. We profess the Catholic faith of the apostles and the early church fathers, we have the same sacraments, and our liturgy (rituals) is almost the same. Many - though not all - Episcopalians have a strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and pray the rosary. But we have different understandings of the nature of authority in the church which is at the root of all our other differences. For lots more on this click here.

Are Episcopalians Born Again?

Yes we are; over and over and over again.

But most Episcopalians are not "born again" in the sense of a sudden, one time experience (although some Episcopalians have had these experiences). Anglican spirituality is a mystical spirituality with ancient roots, so we tend to speak of a lifelong journey walking in the way of Jesus Christ. We see all of our lives as a constant striving to accept and follow Christ through corporate worship, the sacraments, private prayer, and works of love and mercy. Thus, we are constantly being born again by living into our baptismal vows, but not in the same way that believers in the Pentecostal, evangelical, or fundamentalist branches of Christianity use the term.

Another reason why we say that Anglicans are born again over and over is because of how we routinely renew our baptismal vows each time we witness another being baptized (Book of Common Prayer, p. 302-303). At those times we renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness that separate us from God, the evil powers of this world that destroy and corrupt the creatures of God, and the sinful desires that draw us from the love of God. Moreover, we affirm that we have accepted Jesus Christ as our savior, that we put our whole trust in his grace and love, and promise to follow him as Lord. We are always striving to renounce evil and accept Christ and we believe that this is the work of an entire lifetime. However, this does not negate or diminish the fact that some Anglicans have, indeed, had sudden powerful conversions to Christ. But we would say that the process of conversion, having begun in a sudden and dramatic way, must continue for the rest of one's life. It must be added that we honor and respect those who have felt a sudden and dramatic conversion. It's just that we do not require such a conversion.

Do I have to believe in everything that Episcopalians believe in order to worship with you?

The Creeds and the beliefs set forth in The Catechism in the Book of Common Prayer form the basis of our beliefs. But absolute faith is not a requirement to worship with us. An open heart and an open mind are. Everyone is welcome. Come join us no matter where you are on your spiritual journey. You will never be asked what you believe or be put on the spot about your beliefs. You will find that many of us have different beliefs about, to cite just one example, how literally to interpret the Bible. There is room in the Episcopal Church for people with diverse approaches to a variety of issues. What holds us together is our common worship and our dedication to searching how to be faithful to Jesus' command that we love one another as he loves us.

At the Episcopal Church at Princeton University there is no rushing, no "bickering", no auditions, no try-outs, no application to be filled out, no doctrinal or morality test. We welcome you always just as you are, just as we believe God loves and accepts us as we are. We believe that God loves each of us unconditionally. We also believe that God gently invites us to be different, that is more and more like God. The essence of Anglican moral theology and the goal of our lives is that we continually strive to align our will with the will of God in everything we do.

Here are some resources where you can find more about the Episcopal, or Anglican, Church, and you can check our links page for even more.

• Start Here (@ Anglicans Online)
  This page may help shed some light on aspects of the 80-million member, worldwide Anglican Communion. We hope you'll find the material here interesting, entertaining - even challenging. After all, we hold that Jesus Christ came to take away our sins, not our minds.
• What do Anglicans believe? (@ Anglicans Online)
  Statements of belief and information on how Anglicans approach doctrinal issues.
• Q&A - Worship at ECP
  Addresses specific questions about worship at the Episcopal Church at Princeton University.