OUR BELIEFS
Who is the Episcopal Missionary Church?
The Episcopal Missionary Church is continuing in the faith of Jesus Christ in the English tradition since 1992. There’s a lot to unpack there, but let’s make it easy. We are:
The Book of Common Prayer, 1928 Edition, is the basis for all of our worship. The Prayer Book is a document which is best described as being orthodox in its expressions of the Christian faith, using the liturgies which have been a part of catholic worship for centuries. There is no modern “innovation” in the Prayer Book; it calls upon us to conform ourselves to God’s word, rather than trying to change the church’s teachings to fit mankind’s “desires.
Molding believers, influencing the world
The Lessons at Morning and Evening Prayer and at the Holy Communion shall be read from a translation of the Holy Scriptures approved by this Church, among which are the following: The King James or Authorized Version; The New King James Version; The Revised Standard Version of 1952; The New International Version; The New English Bible. If the Rector of a congregation desires to use any other translation he shall request permission of the Bishop.
Biblical
We believe that the Bible shows us the way to Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. It’s why we read the Bible in our services, and why we preach from the words we just read together. As Anglicans, we’ve been following the same Bible Reading Plan for nearly 500 years!
Traditional
We honor the Christian witness we have inherited by all those believers who came before us. Part of how we honor them is to carry on their ministries with our own. It doesn’t mean that all you’ll see is dusty hymnals and rickety pews. It does mean that we try to live out the way of faith that’s been modeled to us by those who have lived out their faith for generation after generation.
Missional
It’s our goal to be the church, both inside our parishes and in the whole world. We believe that we are laborers of the harvest and are on a mission from God: to live out the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, here and now, no matter where we live or who we are. Sometimes that doesn’t look like your usual Sunday service. Sometimes it’s chaplaincy, sometimes it’s serving in a shelter, sometimes it’s counseling, or medical practice, or just helping rebuild after a storm. It’s not just about believing Jesus but believing in Jesus with the way we live.
Episcopal
Our ministers are servant leaders; they don’t work for a board of directors, stewards, elders, or trustees. To be “Episcopal” means that we have ministers called bishops whose job it is to pastor your pastor and to represent Christian unity between congregations.
Anglican
Anglican – Our way of worshipping descends from the Book of Common Prayer, published in England during the 16th century as an answer to problems in the Roman Catholic Church at that time. For nearly 500 years, Anglicans the world over have worshipped using words derived from this monumental guide to worshipping together as one body. In fact, if you’ve ever been to a wedding, you’ve probably already heard some words from the Book of Common Prayer!