What is an Episcopalian

We are an Episcopal Church in the Diocese of West Texas.

What does this mean? It means, first of all, that we are Christians, united with all other denominations through Baptism. Yet we also have our distinctive style and traditions.

For example, The Nicene Creed is our statement of faith. We believe in the saving work of Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of sin, the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, and life everlasting. We believe that church is important. We respect the dignity of every person and seek to love our neighbors as ourselves. We have room for people who are exploring their beliefs and we welcome people from other traditions. This is a safe place to learn and grow.

Episcopalians are part of a worldwide network of churches called the Anglican Communion, which traces its heritage to the beginnings of Christianity. The word "Episcopal" comes from the Greek word for "Bishop." Our Bishop the Rt. Rev. David Reed, oversees 85 churches in the Diocese of West Texas. The Episcopal Church has members in the United States and the territory of Puerto Rico; and also in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Venezuela, Curacao, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Haiti, Honduras, Micronesia, Taiwan, and the Virgin Islands.

What is an Episcopalian?

We are a church of Word and Sacrament. This means we uphold the authority of the Bible as God's Word written, and we consider baptism and communion to be "outward signs of an invisible grace." We baptize both infants and adults, and welcome to Holy Communion all baptized Christians of any denomination.

No matter what you have done or who you have become, we extend the grace of God to everyone who walks through our doors, because we believe that each person is made in the image of God, and that Jesus Christ has died for all of our sins.

We believe every member of the church has a uniqueness and special gift to share, and we encourage you to discover your giftedness and your beauty at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church.