Our Beliefs
God Is Love.
No Exceptions.
Episcopalians believe in a loving, liberating, and life-giving God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our faith is summed up in the historic Apostles' & Nicene Creeds: We believe that God created the world, redeemed and saved us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and continues to strengthen and guide us by the Holy Spirit.
Much of our ministry and life of faith is lived out in the local worshipping community, but we are united with siblings in Christ throughout the world, and we are part of a tradition deeply rooted in history yet striving to live faithfully in the world today. As part of the global Anglican Communion, the Episcopal Church descends from the Church of England, maintaining a heritage that is both catholic and reformed.
'Episcopal' comes from the New Testament Greek word for 'Bishop', one is responsible as pastor and overseer for a collection of churches in an area called a diocese. St. Timothy's is part of the Diocese of Mississippi.
As a church, The Book of Common Prayer is central to our life together, as a source of communal worship and personal devotion. We believe that what we pray together expresses our faith, so one of the best ways to understand what Episcopalians believe is to come and worship with us.
Scripture, Tradition & Reason
Scripture
The Old and New Testaments contain all things necessary to salvation and are the Word of God. We read Scripture through the lens of the whole of Christian tradition and the wisdom of the ages.
Tradition
The Episcopal Church maintains the historic creeds, the apostolic ministry of bishops, priests, and deacons, and the sacraments as channels of God's grace connecting us to 2,000 years of Christian faith.
Reason
God gave us minds to use. The Episcopal Church honors intellectual inquiry, honest doubt, and dialogue as part of a living, growing faith. You are not asked to leave your mind at the door.
"The Episcopal Church has a legacy of inclusion, aspiring to tell and exemplify God's love for every human being. Women and men serve as bishops, priests, and deacons. Leadership is a gift from God, and can be expressed by all people."