Overview
You are always welcome at St. Ann’s, regardless of your religious or spiritual background, your doubts, your questions, your past life, or anything else about you. Just come. We are a community that strives to embody and practice the love of Jesus Christ in our care for one another.
Contact: The Rev. Patricia A. Conley, Rector
New to Church in General or to the Episcopal Church?
Check out the glossary.
Ways To Get Started at St. Ann’s
• Come to our services. Eucharist is St. Ann’s music, liturgy, and worship at its fullest.
• Talk to one of the people who greet you as you enter or leave the Sunday service. These friendly folks would love to know more about you and to welcome you to the parish.
• Talk to our Rector, The Rev. Patricia A. Conley (815-338-0950).
What Do Episcopalians Believe?
Episcopalian beliefs, like Episcopalians themselves, are quite diverse. The standard is the Book of Common Prayer, which contains excerpts of passages from the Bible and various prayers for use in Church (that is, when people gather together for public prayer) and at home (for when a person is alone with his or her God). The Book of Common Prayer also contains several ancient Creeds. A creed is a statement of belief, and these ancient creeds proclaim what the earliest Christians believed to be true.
Included in the Book of Common Prayer, as a complement to the Creeds and Prayers, is a Catechism. A catechism states the beliefs and practice of the Church in a very concise format. It is in the catechism that you may find, generally, how Episcopalians view God, Jesus Christ, death, good and evil, and sin. It also explains in a practical fashion what the goal of human life is, and how we may pursue that goal.
The Episcopal Church is one branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion numbering 60 million members in over 100 countries. It is often described as the bridge church because it includes both Catholic and Protestant traditions. It preserves the ancient Catholic faith and sacraments and the historic ministry with Bishops as its chief pastors. (“Episcopal” comes from the Greek word for “bishop.”) It is at the same time Protestant, focusing on the basic authority of Holy Scripture and a proclamation of the word of God.
On a more day-to-day level, to be Episcopalian means thinking critically about issues which confront everyone -- and responding in a particular way. The Episcopal Church is quite diverse, and welcomes people of all backgrounds, allowing them to take on responsibilities ranging from those of the clergy, to teachers, or simply congregation members. Although we maintain rituals common to the Christian Church since its inception, the Episcopal Church is not a "dogmatic" Church.
