In a world of detachment, division, and isolation, St. Paul’s is a place of belonging.
St. Paul’s is a part of The Episcopal Church, a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion. We all, first and foremost, find our belonging in God’s love and embrace. Being Episcopalian puts some context to that belonging and provides a path within it, and joining a particular parish church like St. Paul’s offers a tangible, everyday home for each of us to live along that path—the path of living as the beloved of God and of one another. You can find out more below about what it means to be a member of Christ’s Church universal, The Episcopal Church specifically, and St. Paul’s locally.
the one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church
The universal Church is the union of followers of Jesus Christ throughout the world and throughout time—also known as the communion of the saints or the body of Christ. All people baptized with water in the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, no matter what denomination or tradition within Christianity they might be a part of are members of this communion. In the words of the fourth-century Nicene Creed, this is the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. It is holy and one because it is united in Christ’s perfect life of love through sharing in his life, death, and resurrection. To pass through the waters of baptism is to pass through into newness of life in Christ, marked by love, justice, peace, and mercy. It is catholic because it is made up of all followers of Jesus, everywhere and throughout time. The word catholic means universal. So, while different Christians might be a part of different local churches throughout the world, they are all part of the universal Church. The Church is apostolic because it was established by Christ through the apostles, his first followers, and continues their faith and ministry. The apostolic life of the Church is passed on and continued not only through beliefs or spiritual practices, but in the physical presence of the Church through bishops, whose ministries are in succession from the apostles.
the episcopal church
The Episcopal Church is the branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion in the United States. Anglican is a word that comes from the Latin for “English,” and the “mother Church” of the Anglican Communion is the Church of England, with the Archbishop of Canterbury being its leader. Anglicans make up the third largest Christian group in the world. “Episcopal” comes from the Greek word in Scripture episcopos meaning “overseer” or “bishop.” Some Anglicans use this word for the name of their Church (like The Episcopal Church) drawing special attention and focus to the fact that the Church is led by bishops and connected worldwide and throughout time by them.
Episcopalians hold to the historical creeds and formulations of the Church (see the Our Beliefs page) and believe that in this faith the loving and liberating God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit opens us up to the love and liberation of others. As such, we have a legacy of inclusion, aspiring to proclaim and live God’s love for every human being. People of all genders and sexual identities or orientations serve as bishops, priests, and deacons and laypeople and clergy cooperate as leaders at all levels of our Church.
The Episcopal Church is made up of various territories called dioceses. Each diocese is under the oversight of bishops. Dioceses both place the Church under the leadership of bishops and enhances our sense of place. We are the people of the incarnation—of God among us in time and place; God near to us. Having dioceses as localized expressions of the universal Church directly exemplifies this and unifies us as Christians throughout the world. St. Paul’s is a church of the Diocese of Massachusetts. Our diocesan bishop is Bishop Alan Gates and our suffragan (assistant) bishop is Bishop Gayle Harris.
st. paul’s church, newburyport
To be a member of St. Paul’s is take part in the local reality of the universal Church, and particularly its Episcopalian identity. We are a Church that seeks to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, who was and is Emmanuel, God with us. In Christ we see what the life and love of God look like when lived out in our world, and we seek together to join that life and love among us today in our time and place. We do this through our worship, centered on the sacraments and scripture, prayer, caring for one another, and serving the world around us, particularly those in need. Members are baptized members of the universal Church (see above). They commit to regular attendance in worship, to generous living, giving of their financial resources as they are able for the building up of our community and our care of others, and to living together in community: rejoicing in the dignity of one another and every person, striving for justice, equality and peace, and proclaiming Christ’s love and truth in their lives.
Being a member of St. Paul’s is not like being a member of a club or society, where people pay their dues to get something in return. Joining us as a member of our parish community is to join a family, to seek to provide for that family, to be there for one another, encourage one another, and serve others together. We do not only “go to church,” we are the Church, and church membership is finding a home, where we take ownership of our life together and make things happen for one another’s good and the blessing of the world.
If you are interested in learning more about becoming a member of St. Paul’s, get in touch with Fr. Jarred.