We Believe

lined up books of common prayer

The Book of Common Prayer contains liturgies, prayers, catechism (what we believe), theological documents, and much more. You can download a copy at the Episcopal Church/what we believe/the Book of Common Prayer, or access it online. Hard copies are available from book sellers.

As Episcopalians, we . . .

Believe in a loving, liberating, and life-giving God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Believe in following the teachings of Jesus Christ, whose life, death, and resurrection saved the world.

Believe that God loves all people and calls us all to do the same–without exception.

Believe in the inclusion of all in the life of the church, welcoming all people whatever their race, age, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, or sexual orientation.

Believe that leadership is a gift from God and can be expressed by all people in the church—lay or ordained.

Episcopalians are members of the worldwide Anglican Communion in the United States, we are descendants of and partners with the Church of England, part of the third-largest church body of Christians in the world.

In the Episcopal Church . . .


We seek to see and serve Christ in all people, to love our neighbors as ourselves, to strive for justice and peace among all people, and to respect the dignity of every human being. In the Episcopal Church in Minnesota (ECMN), we seek to embody that by:

  • the daily practice of prayer as disciples,

  • the courage to take risks and innovate for the sake of the Gospel,

  • the belief that Beloved Community calls for healing and reconciling the ‘isms’ that confront us, and

  • the audacity to grow where we are planted, leading to vitality in any and all contexts.

Beloved Community

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. envisioned Beloved Community as a society based on justice, equal opportunity, and love of other human beings.

"Dr. King's Beloved Community is a global vision in which all people can share in the wealth of the earth. In the Beloved Community, poverty, hunger, and homelessness will not be tolerated because international standards of human decency will not allow it. Racism, all forms of discrimination, bigotry, and prejudice will be replaced by an all-inclusive spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood."—Coretta Scott King