Evangelical
We proclaim the Good News that Jesus is the Messiah of God who died to save broken humanity and offers salvation, free through grace, only for the believing and the asking. We proclaim the new birth an encounter both life changing and empowering. We are a people of the Book, the Bible as the Word of God and a liturgy based on the Scriptures written by 35 authors over roughly five centuries. We live in and through this Book as people of the continued story of God restoring all things in Christ. As God's kingdom has but one race, the human race, so are all those in Christ. We therefore are multi-racial, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural. There is One Bread and One Body of which we Christ-followers are differing parts. In our walk with Christ, the gospel that God loves us as we are not as we should be grounds us in the New Life in Christ Jesus the Lord. We share that love with those who both know Him and do not yet know him in our thoughts, words and deeds. We become a reflection of Jesus, a "little christ" for that is what the word Christian literally means.
Anglican
We proclaim the Good News that Jesus is the Messiah of God who died to save broken humanity and offers salvation, free through grace, only for the believing and the asking.We proclaim the new birth an encounter both life changing and empowering. We are a people of the Book, the Bible as the Word of God and a liturgy based on the Scriptures we live in and through in our walk with Christ.
We are Anglican + We find our theological roots in the church long ago planted in England in the Anglican and Celtic Churches. Our premises are Scripture, Tradition and Reason, informed by experience as well. Since the times of the American War for Independence, this expression has primarily been represented in the Episcopal Church in the USA. In the last 75 years roughly the German school of supposed higher criticism and the rise of secular humanism, many of us felt that we were no longer represented and in some cases, persecuted for holding to more historic beliefs on faith and morality.
While morality is somewhat fluid, the faith expressed in the creeds is not.It has become the sad response to historic Christian faith for many to feel led away to separate to another jurisdiction where force does not equal what is correct. One does not have to abandon the faith once received in order to affirm, love and support those who of a different orientation, creed or background. The gospel is the gospel--period. We pray that one day, when human issues of “Money, Sex and Power” to use the title of the Reverend Richard Foster’s very informative work, have become the battleground for those naming the Name of Jesus. Many felt that the scripture verse which asks the question: “ Can two walk together unless they are agreed” (Amos 3:3) expresses the future of the Anglican faith.Thus for many of us, separation from “power and authority” rather than faith in Christ Jesus became our paradigm for action.
We continue in liturgical expressions (patterns of worship) that put us into the long heritage from the Apostles of Jesus in early church worship.However, that “liturgical expression” evolves and becomes an expression of each community of Christian faith.The liturgy is the “work of the people.” It is the unique way the church has developed from individual worship to congregational worship.The individual worship united by Holy Spirit in the unity of the Blessed Trinity enables us to worship as one.
Catholic
We abide by Catholicism as it was defined in the Vincentian Canon attributed to St Vincent of Lerins in the fifth century : Quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus creditum est” (That Faith which has been believed everywhere, always, by all) This is Catholicism. The word does not begin or end with the Church of Rome but predates its place in Christian history. There are some liturgical expressions of that faith that follow the teaching of Luther that commends us that if something does not take away from scripture or add to it, it is permissible. Every “protestant” (a word that means ‘to stand for’ not ‘to stand opposed’ ) might be shocked to know that in this sense they are also “Catholic”. Outward expressions of this faith are the “externals” that some so called “Protestants” stand against somehow believing that the outward expression somehow negates the inward faith and grace. This is not our belief but rather what Luther taught. We believe that what is helpful to the senses, grounded in Church Tradition and helps affirm and establish faith is good and sensitive to the differing ways of learning and experiencing God especially Holy Spirit.
Pentecostal
From the day of Pentecost, when the Church was first baptized in Holy Spirit and flaming tongues of fire appeared lighting on each believer giving them the gifts empowering for mission and ministry, Holy Spirit has evidenced Himself in every action of God’s Holy Church. It is the Spirit that brings us to Jesus by adult faith or child baptism growing into its belief and profession. It is Holy Spirit who confirms our faith as we pledge obedience to Jesus as Savior and Lord. It is the Spirit who lives inside each believer. It is the Spirit who is our connection to Jesus and Father. God is person and personal. Our Father is not simply “a Name” it is a living reality. Jesus’ Father is now Our Father. It is Holy Spirit in whom we live and move and have our being according to the Scriptures. It is Holy Spirit tht makes us One as Jesus and the Father are one. In the communion of saints, Blessed Mary is in some mystical way our mother and we are still One. The saints are in the one baptism in Christ Jesus and are by One Lord, One Faith and One Baptism our brothers and sisters by water and blood. (Ephesians 4)