Episcopal and Anglican
What does it mean to be an Episcopalian and an Anglican?
We Episcopalians try to follow Jesus Christ. We seek every day to love God with our whole heart, mind and soul, and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:36-40).
We strive to be good stewards of the natural beauty where we live and work. We want our communities to be better because The Episcopal Church is here.
Trinity is part of the Episcopal Diocese of Maine, with more than 10,000 people in 59 churches and ministries all across Maine. We are also part of The Episcopal Church, which is the American branch of the Anglican Communion. The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian body worldwide, with over 78 million people.
We are known for our engaging and beautiful worship services. For those who have grown up Roman Catholic, the service, known as the Mass, Eucharist or Holy Communion, will be very familiar. For those of reformed tradition or no religious tradition at all, we think you may find a spiritual home in a church that respects its tradition and maintains its sense of awe and wonder at the power and mystery of God. Some Episcopal services are more contemporary, some more traditional, and they usually follow patterns found in the Book of Common Prayer.
We often talk about the Episcopal Church as following the “via media” or middle way in our theology and discussions. We walk the “middle way” between protestant and catholic traditions. And we believe that, whether or not we agree on a particular topic, we all are children beloved by God and we can have thoughtful and respectful discussions.
The Episcopal Church embraces the diversity of humanity including LGBTQ persons. All parishioners are fully included in the church’s life, ministry and leadership.
There are no prerequisites in the Episcopal Church … Everyone is welcome. We worship together, study, serve and ask questions as we move more deeply into the mystery of God.
(This was adapted from The Episcopal Church and Episcopal Diocese of Maine websites.)