What We Believe

Who is God?

We believe that God is the creator of Heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. This means that the universe is good, that it is the work of a single loving God who creates, sustains, and directs it. 

Who is Jesus?

When we say that Jesus is the "only Son of God," we mean that Jesus is the only perfect image of the Father, and shows us the nature of God, which is love. By God's own act, God's divine son Jesus received our human nature from the Virgin Mary, his mother.

The divine Son became human, so that in him human beings might be adopted as children of God, and be made heirs of God's kingdom. By his obedience, even to suffering and death, Jesus made the offering which we could not make; in him we are freed from the power of sin and reconciled to God.

By his resurrection, Jesus overcame death and opened for us the way of eternal life. When we are baptized, we share in the New Covenant and become Living Members of Christ.

Who is The Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity, God at work in the world and in the Church even now. The Holy Spirit is revealed in the Old Covenant as the giver of life, the One who spoke through the prophets.

The Holy Spirit is revealed as the Lord who leads us into all truth and enables us to grow in the likeness of Christ. We recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit when we confess Jesus Christ as Lord and are brought into love and harmony with God, with ourselves, with our neighbors, and with all creation. 

What is The Bible (or Holy Scriptures)?

The Holy Scriptures, commonly called the Bible, are the books of the Old and New Testaments; other books, called the Apocrypha, are often included in the Bible.

The Old Testament consists of books written by the people of the Old Covenant, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to show God at work in nature and history. The New Testament consists of books written by the people of the New Covenant, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to set forth the life and teachings of Jesus and to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom for all people.

The Apocrypha is a collection of additional books written by people of the Old Covenant, and used in the Christian Church.

​We call the Holy Scriptures the "Word of God" because God inspired their human authors and because God still speaks to us through the Bible. We understand the meaning of the Bible by the help of the Holy Spirit, who guides the Church in the true interpretation of the Scriptures.

What is the Episcopal Church?

We are part of the Episcopal Church, participants in the worldwide Anglican Communion. As Episcopalians, we are followers of Jesus Christ our Lord, and believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We follow the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church (episcopalchurch.org), and we are guided by the pastoral care leadership of the Bishop of the Diocese of Olympia (ecww.org).

What is the Role of the Church?

We believe that the Church is the Body of which Jesus Christ is the Head and of which all baptized persons are members. The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ. The Church pursues its mission as it prays and worships, proclaims the Gospel (the Good News of God's reconciling grace), and promotes justice, peace, and love.