Chapter 16: every tradition · Christianity

The Episcopal Church

A parish of The Episcopal Church, the Anglican Communion's province in the United States: the Holy Eucharist from the Book of Common Prayer (1979) every Sunday, often a spoken early service and a sung one at ten with organ and choir from The Hymnal 1982, communion at the altar rail with wine and the common cup for all the baptized, children included. Infants and adults are baptized, usually by pouring, and the bishop confirms at a visitation. The vestry calls the rector with the bishop's consent, and rectors stay as long as both wish, with an interim priest between; the building is held in trust for the diocese and the Church by the Dennis Canon, so a parish that leaves leaves it behind. Each parish pays its diocese an assessment, and each diocese pays 15% of its income to the churchwide budget. Women have been ordained since 1976, and same-sex marriage rites have been available in every diocese since 2018. Congregations are small (a median Sunday attendance of 38 in 2024) and many priests serve part time.

All 80 traditions · its profile in Faiths and traditions, with how to play it; How people feel, what every factor is.

At a glance

FaithChristianity
Its wordsparish, church, nave; the rector leads the service; the sermon; Sunday; the Bible
Worshipsacrament focus, reserved, high formality (1.00 of 1); seated on pews
Musicorgan expected; choir expected; recorded discouraged
The room's soundlikes a ringing room (organ and choir)
Its yearwestern; full observance; fasts light
Leansliberal on moral questions, liberal on economic ones
Polityepiscopal; leaders come by call; property trust
Leadersone leader, full time, trained by seminary; marriage any
Belongingmoderate commitment, pastoral discipline, admitted by clergy
Givingtithing taught; collected by pledges, plate, online; also rentals
Way of lifealcohol permitted, dress casual, sabbath relaxed

Back to top ↑

The week's services

DayTimeServiceLed byPeople look for it
Sunday8:00 amLiturgythe rectoroptional
Sunday10:00 amLiturgythe rectorexpected

Back to top ↑

Rites

Back to top ↑

Baptism, confirmation, and joining

Back to top ↑

Giving, and what goes up

How its people give and what else comes in, as Money explains it for every faith.

Back to top ↑

The rector, the staff, and who decides

Back to top ↑

Life together

What its Community screen offers it, with the dilemmas only its own faith or family meets; see The congregation in its community.

Back to top ↑

What the building needs

Back to top ↑

What people here feel

How each sermon lands

The topics its leader can choose from (some are only for one faith or family), and what each is worth.

Back to top ↑

Every item, for this tradition

Fit runs from −1 (jars) to +1 (just right); the building fit is the average over the characterful items in the worship rooms. An item with no character (a table, a toilet) has no fit. A rule applies wherever the item is.

ItemFitRule
Seating
Box pew+1
Choir stalls+1expected A choir leads the singing and needs a place to stand or sit together.
Meeting benchno fit
Oak pewno fit
Row of chairs-1
Liturgical furniture
Altar+1required Belief in Christ's real presence in the Eucharist calls for an altar, the focal point of the sanctuary.
Baptismal font+1required Infant baptism by pouring needs a baptismal font, traditionally near the entrance as a sign that baptism is entry into the church.
Baptistryno fit
Bishop's chair+1
Brass eagle lectern+1
Columbarium niches+1
Communion rail+1required Communicants receive at a rail, kneeling or standing.
Communion stationno fit
Communion tableno fit
Communion traysno fit
Confessional screenno fit
Coptic cross+1
Epitaphios0
Flaming chalice-1discouraged The flaming chalice is another tradition's symbol.
Foot-washing basinsno fit
Haikal screen+1
Iconostasis+1
Immersion font+1
Lecternno fitexpected Scripture is proclaimed from an ambo or lectern near the altar.
Litany desk+1
Mercy seatno fit
Octagonal stone font+1
Paramentsno fit
Pulpitno fit
Readers' desksno fit
Rood screen+1
Sanctuary lamp+1expected A lamp burns before the reserved sacrament, a sign of Christ's presence.
Tabernacle+1required Consecrated elements are reserved after the service, which needs a tabernacle.
Three-bar cross+1
Thurible and standno fit
Music
Brass band stands0
Chanter's stand+0.5
Drum kit-0.5
Electronic organ+1
Grand piano0
Hammond organ0
Handbell table0
Pipe organ+1expected The parish expects hymns led by an organ.
Sound system-0.5
Upright piano0
Decor
Advent wreathno fit
Banner0
Christmas Eve candlesno fit
Cross+1expected An empty cross is the expected focal symbol.
Crucifix0
Easter liliesno fit
Eternal flameno fit
Flag of the church0
Great dome+1
Icon0
Memorial plaqueno fit
National flag0
Painting of Christ0
Paschal candleno fit
Plain spireno fit
Small domeno fit
Stained glass window+1
Statue0
Steeple and bells+1
Votive candle standno fit
Furnishings
Alms boxno fit
Coffee potno fit
Commercial coffee potno fit
Computerno fit
Cribno fit
Deskno fit
Desk chairno fit
Folding tableno fit
Full-length mirrorno fit
Pillar+1
Prie-dieu+1
Projection screen-1
Vestment cabinet+1
Wooden tableno fit
Utility
A/V rackno fit
Camerano fit
Cast-iron boilerno fit
Central air conditionerno fit
Commercial HVAC plantno fit
Commercial stoveno fit
Congregation vanno fit
Ductless heat pumpno fit
Electric wall heaterno fit
Gas furnaceno fit
Hearing loopno fit
Liftno fit
Packaged heat pumpno fit
Plumbing stackno fit
Rampno fit
Shuttle busno fit
Sinkno fit
Solar panelsno fit
Stairsno fit
Toiletno fit
Used school busno fit
Wall camerano fit
Window air conditionerno fit
Grounds
Evergreen treeno fit
Flower bedno fit
Fountainno fit
Garden benchno fit
Hedgeno fit
Lychgate+1
Playgroundno fit
Shade treeno fit
Standing crossno fit

Back to top ↑

Sources

Back to top ↑