We believe ...
The Progressive Episcopal Church continues the sacramental ministry of the Historic Episcopate. We believe Christ is the founder and living head of the Church and is the true minister of all sacraments (Colossians 1:18).
To maintain continuity with the heritage of the ancient Christian traditions, the Progressive Episcopal Church maintains as our foundation the historic documents of the church in the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, and that which is commonly called the Apostle's Creed. We recognise and accept, however, that God cannot be defined by human creeds; to do so would limit the believer's experience of that which is the great I AM.
We hold that the Holy Bible and its Apocryphal writings are the inspired word of God, written by men, and contain therein sound teachings which are a rule & guide to living the Great Commandment to love the Lord our God with heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbours as ourselves.
Our position ...
On marriage : We believe marriage is a sacred covenant between two people built upon a foundation of mutual respect and love. We believe that love knows no gender boundaries. Marriage in the Progressive Episcopal Church is open to all couples, regardless of gender.
On abortion : We support a woman's choice to govern her own body. We also recognise that human life is sacred, both that of the mother and her unborn child. Any mother considering abortion should prayerfully consider all aspects of her situation, and follow her conscience. Each choice has its consequences; the weight of responsibility lies fully with the mother, and no one else. We will support her, regardless of her choice and whether or not we agree with it.
On the nature of sin : "Sin" is a term that comes to us from medieval archery, and it means "to miss the mark." To sin in archery is to have your arrow sail right past the target. Likewise when we sin in thought, word, or deed we miss the target which is given to us in the Great Commandment. As humans we are imperfect creatures. We are born with the Original Blessing of Adam, and we are also born with the gift of free will. It is this free will which allows us to make choices. When we make the wrong choice, we may sin against God, ourselves, our neighbour, our community. Jesus taught us that forgiveness comes from within: as we forgive others who sin against us, so will we be forgiven our transgressions by God. But we must first forgive our neighbour before we ourselves can be forgiven. We are fully responsible for our actions at all times.
To maintain continuity with the heritage of the ancient Christian traditions, the Progressive Episcopal Church maintains as our foundation the historic documents of the church in the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, and that which is commonly called the Apostle's Creed. We recognise and accept, however, that God cannot be defined by human creeds; to do so would limit the believer's experience of that which is the great I AM.
We hold that the Holy Bible and its Apocryphal writings are the inspired word of God, written by men, and contain therein sound teachings which are a rule & guide to living the Great Commandment to love the Lord our God with heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbours as ourselves.
Our position ...
On marriage : We believe marriage is a sacred covenant between two people built upon a foundation of mutual respect and love. We believe that love knows no gender boundaries. Marriage in the Progressive Episcopal Church is open to all couples, regardless of gender.
On abortion : We support a woman's choice to govern her own body. We also recognise that human life is sacred, both that of the mother and her unborn child. Any mother considering abortion should prayerfully consider all aspects of her situation, and follow her conscience. Each choice has its consequences; the weight of responsibility lies fully with the mother, and no one else. We will support her, regardless of her choice and whether or not we agree with it.
On the nature of sin : "Sin" is a term that comes to us from medieval archery, and it means "to miss the mark." To sin in archery is to have your arrow sail right past the target. Likewise when we sin in thought, word, or deed we miss the target which is given to us in the Great Commandment. As humans we are imperfect creatures. We are born with the Original Blessing of Adam, and we are also born with the gift of free will. It is this free will which allows us to make choices. When we make the wrong choice, we may sin against God, ourselves, our neighbour, our community. Jesus taught us that forgiveness comes from within: as we forgive others who sin against us, so will we be forgiven our transgressions by God. But we must first forgive our neighbour before we ourselves can be forgiven. We are fully responsible for our actions at all times.