The Episcopal Church is a Christian denomination with members in the United States and 16 other nations. We are part of the Anglican Communion, the third largest family of churches in the world. Anglicans and Episcopalians are descended from church reform movements in England and Scotland, but we trace our roots in common with most of the world’s Christians all the way back to Jesus and the apostles.

As for the word itself, “episcopal” (ee-PIS-koh-pull) just means “having to do with a bishop.” When we were founded, it was unusual to be a Protestant church with bishops, so the name stuck. Try it out in your next game of Scrabble.

Episcopalians believe that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus changed the universe, and that God is on a mission to overcome division and brokenness in all its forms. By being part of a community that follows Jesus, we can be part of that mission and experience God’s healing love ourselves. We believe that God made the world and everything in it, which means that God can show up to us in all kinds of ways to remind us we are not alone. Because the world is so diverse, we value hearing from lots of different perspectives as we listen for God’s voice, so Episcopalians have earned a reputation for inclusivity and paying attention to overlooked people (which is what Jesus did, after all).

Our core statement of faith is the Nicene Creed. You can read more about Episcopal beliefs in our Outline of the Faith.

Nope! This is a house of prayer for all people, whether you are in your first steps toward seeking God, or if you and God have been on a long journey already; whether you were raised in another denomination, or none in particular; whether you are a person of another faith or of no faith at all. Episcopalians are ready to meet you wherever you are.

Some students who come here decide to join the Episcopal Church officially. This happens through the rite of confirmation (or reception if you have been confirmed already), which takes place annually when one of our bishops visits.

We welcome all college students (and college-age folks, even if you’re on a different life path) in Austin to join us, so if that sounds like you, come on in!

Active members are baptized Christians who pray daily, attend worship on most Sundays, seek growth in their discipleship, and contribute to the success of the ESC and our ministries.

Baptism is the first step in becoming a Christian. If you haven’t been baptized (in any denomination), talk to Fr. Noah and he’d be happy to help you decide if that’s right for you.

We hope it’s a blend of fun, beautiful, and reflective. Our services have some prayers that are written down for everyone to say together aloud or quietly, we sing songs (a blend of traditional hymns and modern music), we hear some stories from the Bible and a sermon that explores how those ancient stories connect to our stories today. Services last about an hour, and we don’t have a dress code (seriously, come as you are; we’re just glad you’re with us and so is Jesus).

Most weeks we share in Holy Communion—aka the Lord’s Supper, the Mass, the Eucharist. It’s a ritual meal of bread and wine, where we remember Christ gave his life for us so that we can have abundant life. We believe that by receiving the bread or wine, that spirit of life enters us and strengthens us for the journey ahead. Everyone is welcome to participate.

We believe it’s God’s Table, not ours, so if you have been baptized in any Christian denomination, we really hope you’ll receive communion with us. If you haven’t been baptized, or just aren’t ready to partake, you can come up and receive a personal blessing from the priest. If you’d like to be baptized, Fr. Noah would be happy to talk about next steps.

Sunday evenings are our biggest event of the week so it’s best way to get to know us, but we get that not everyone is ready for that. All of our events are open to everyone, so if you want to just hang out for our discussion groups on Wednesdays or come to a movie night, we’d be thrilled to have you.

Ask us! Someone will be in touch with you soon.