We at St. Paul’s see our particular expression or local embodiment of the Episcopal Church as combining Catholic, Protestant, and Evangelical elements in an open community. Below you will find an explanation of what we understand these words to mean.

Catholic...
Most people tend to understand the term "catholic" to refer to a particular church with a world-wide membership. But the word "catholic" (from the Greek kath' holou meaning “after—or according to—the whole”) denotes wholeness and fullness. It refers not so much to geography and statistics of membership as to an orientation of life and striving.

When we profess belief in "one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church," we reaffirm our willingness to participate in and exemplify God's dynamic unconditional love by looking to and working toward the redemption of all; being subject to one another out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:21). As we understand it, to be catholic in the truest sense, a church must embody the meaning of Easter as a living incarnation of the healed, forgiven, reconciled, and re-created world.

Protestant...
It is unfortunate that the term "protestant" (derived from the protest in 1529 of the reforming members of the Diet of Speyer against the decisions of the Catholic majority) retains a negative connotation. Being "Protestant" does not so much mean being against anyone or anything. Rather, the chief characteristics of classical Protestantism are the acceptance of the Bible as the Word of God containing all things necessary to salvation, emphasis upon justification by faith alone, and the universal priesthood of all believers.

However, the Reformation did instill a healthy respect for the individual and for personal freedom in the living out of one's Christian vocation. After all, God calls each of us to faith individually and that call is heard by each of us in a unique way. We at St. Paul’s believe that being "Protestant" in the best sense means respecting the inviolability of each individual's personal response to God.

Evangelical...
We understand "evangelical" to mean accepting and acting on the fact that the love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit invites each of us to personal conversion and participation in divine love. We understand personal conversion to be a lifelong process of cooperation with God's grace and attentiveness to God's will. In this process we are guided primarily by Christ's teaching as contained in the four Gospels, but also by the lives and writings of holy men and women of faith from generations past who have sought to walk with God and do God's will.

We see the conversion process as necessarily including personal witness and action on behalf of the poor, the needy, and the outcast of society; for the Scriptures teach us that no one is beyond the scope of God's redeeming love.

An Open Community...
We believe the basis for the open community of the Church is not some sense of liberality or equality, or even the humanistic acceptance of other people. The Church's community is founded upon God's act of universal reconciliation in Jesus Christ, the sovereign initiative of divine mercy. Easter's meaning includes our striving to live into this new reality. To refuse to do so is to continue in the rebellion of self-righteousness against God.

While concern for the inclusion of all people can appear to be divisive, we need to remember that even the early Church dealt with disputes and tensions over deep theological issues. But if Christ is truly Lord of our lives, no one should discount or reject another human being, Christian or non-Christian, because of a difference of opinion. The grace of Easter will not permit it!