What Can You Tell Me About the Episcopal
Church?
The Episcopal Church in the United States is part of the ANGLICAN
COMMUNION. This is a worldwide fellowship of Christians
who trace their origin to the Church of England. The
Archbishop of Canterbury in England serves as the symbolic
head of the Communion.
The Episcopal Church has over 2 million members in several
thousand parishes and missions, most of which are in the United
States although the Church also has active congregations in
Central and South America, Europe, and Asia.
Across the world, there are around 80 million ANGLICANS. Many
of them live in countries that were not part of the British
Empire, testifying to the missionary vitality of the Church. Most
Anglicans now live in Africa, where the Church continues to
experience explosive growth.
"Episcopal" means, "governed by bishops." It
indicates the importance that Episcopalians attach to the historical
continuity of the Church as represented in the office of Bishop. While
the Church in England (the parent church of the Episcopal Church)
separated from the Roman Catholic Church during the reign of
Henry VIII at the time of the Reformation, it did not begin
or start then. The Church in England has a long history
going back almost to the time of the Apostles. For the
first 400 years of its existence, it was largely independent
from Rome. After the Reformation, it again became independent.
Episcopalians believe that the authority of the Church lies
in the Bible, in the history and Tradition of our forbears, and
in the use of our own Reason. Together, Scripture, Tradition,
and Reason guide and inform one another as we seek to live the
Christian life within our modern world. We encourage people
to explore the faith and ask questions. We are unafraid
of doubt and the quest in can inspire, because we believe Truth
ultimately resides in Jesus Christ. Thus, an honest exploration
in search of Truth cannot be detrimental to our faith.
Episcopal belief is centered on Jesus Christ as expressed in
the Christian faith as represented by the Nicene Creed. The
Creed is an ancient statement of Christianity that was born of
the early Church's struggle to understand and vocalize
its experience of God in the Risen Jesus Christ.
Our sense of ministry and vocation flows from our Baptismal
Covenant (Book of Common Prayer p304-305). Our worship
is focused upon the Presence of Christ in the Eucharist (or Communion). We
believe that we are united to Jesus and grow in His image as
we receive His life in the bread that is His Body and the wine
that is His Blood. Episcopal liturgy and belief are centered
in The Book of Common Prayer and its associated, approved texts
(such as Enriching Our Worship, the Hymnal
1982, Lift Every Voice and Sing, The Book of Occasional Services,
and Lesser Feasts and Fasts.)
Active involvement and interaction, as well as the "beauty
of holiness," characterize our worship services. Comprehending
the beauty of God, we strive to reflect and convey God's
Presence through the beauty of our worship. We also seek
to involve the congregation as active ministers, imparting to
the people the message that the Christian life is not passive,
but rather to be lived out in the world. Thus, Episcopalians
pray with the priest, sing, kneel, stand, cross themselves, partake
of Communion, and perform many functions within the service.
The Episcopal Church is a church of commitment. Because
we believe God's Presence permeates this world through
the Incarnation of Christ in Jesus, we expect our members to
be proactive in being Christ's presence in the world. Episcopalians
are expected to worship faithfully and regularly with their parish
and on their own, to deepen their knowledge and love of the Lord
through devotion and education, to give a tithe for the work
of the Church, and to pray and labor for the values and reality
of the Kingdom of God in their community and throughout the world.
Come and find Jesus Christ, alive and present today in the
Episcopal Church!
What Does the Episcopal Church Value?
On Being An Episcopalian
If you are searching and find these concepts appeal to you,
we believe you will find a home in the Episcopal Church. If
you do, we welcome you to the family of St. John's.
- WORSHIP that brings you in, instead of putting you on
the sidelines.
- A THEOLOGY that demands our intelligence rather than ignoring it.
- A WILLINGNESS not only to tolerate, but also to celebrate differences.
- A HERITAGE that takes the Bible seriously yet is not bound by literalism.
- A strong sense of COMMUNITY in which our consensus is in our common relationship to Jesus Christ rather than to an enforced conformity of opinion.
- A devotion to the SACRAMENTS as instituted by Jesus through the Tradition of the Church and which evoke awe rather than factual explanation.
- A sense of MINISTRY that is rightfully the obligation and privilege of every baptized person.
- An insistence on MORALITY (what is good and loving) as opposed to MORALISM (judgmental salvation by code instead of Christ).
Adapted from the Church of the Good Shepherd, Bonita CA.
How Would I Become A Part of the St. John's Community?
Membership at St. John's begins when the date and place
of one's baptism is recorded in the parish register. All
persons who have been baptized in any Christian Church with water
and in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are full
members of the Episcopal Church when this registration occurs.
If a person is not baptized, baptism in the Episcopal Church
makes one a full member thereof. Click here for
information on our baptismal preparation process.
Persons seeking to become members should contact the rector or church office 301-774-6999
either to be baptized, or so that the date and place of their
baptism can be recorded in our register
may also fill out our "Welcome!" form on-line.
What are the Responsibilities of Membership?
The Episcopal Church expects all of its adult members to make
a "mature public affirmation" of their faith in and
commitment to Jesus Christ. This is done through:
- BAPTISM (if a person is not already baptized)
- CONFIRMATION (if a person was baptized at an early
age or has never made
any sort of mature commitment to Jesus Christ)
- RECEPTION (if a person is joining the Episcopal Church
from another
Christian denomination in which a previous mature commitment
to Christ was
made)
Confirmation and Reception occur during the
Bishop's visit to St. John's, or at a regional celebration at
which the Bishop is present. Baptisms occur according
to the parish's baptismal policy (for information, click
here).
Formation classes are held on an ongoing basis which
prepare people of all ages and backgrounds for meaningful membership
in the Church through baptism, confirmation, or reception. The
Pastor in conjunction with other staff and volunteers leads them.
Contact the church office at 301-774-6999 for more information about any of the above.
All Members (established and new) are expected
to take the vows and responsibilities of the Baptismal Covenant
(Book of Common Prayer, p304) seriously. The Catechism
(Book of Common Prayer, p856) describes what this entails:
The duty of all Christians is to follow Christ;
to come together week
by week for corporate worship; and to work, pray, and
give for the
spread of the kingdom of God.
To work and pray for the spread of God's kingdom involves a
daily discipline of:
- Prayer
- Scripture reading
- Devotional Service to God.
It means a commitment to live each day as a witness and disciple
of Jesus Christ. Not only is our time volunteered for the
work of the Church, but each hour of our home and work lives
is consecrated to Jesus and lived according to His will.
The standard of giving established by the General Convention
and Canons of the Episcopal Church is 10% of one's income. All
Episcopalians are urged by the Church to pursue this Biblical
measure as an act of faith, trust, commitment, and thanksgiving.
Thus, all members at St. John's are encouraged and enabled to
be enthusiastic, essential parts of our common life as we make
real the healing love, spiritual vitality, and eternal life of
God's kingdom in Jesus Christ.
What is Expected of Your Parish Leaders?
All who enter into leadership positions
at St. John's will be asked to sign, and work to keep, this "Rule
of Life."
The language "Rule" comes from old monastic usage. It
does NOT imply a legalistic requirement, but rather an ideal
and a goal. We know that no one can perfectly keep our
Rule all of the time. Yet it is a standard towards which
we strive. We believe that in the journey towards it, our
life is enriched and our experience of God made more profound. It
enables leaders to model a daily Christian practice for our congregants.
The Parish Rule of Life
By the grace of God, I affirm that as a baptized minister of
St. John's I commit myself to strive to journey toward the full
living of the following Christian Rule of Life:
- I will take as my standard of life the Baptismal
Covenant (BCP p304),
making every effort to fully live its faith and precepts.
- I will pray for, support, uphold, and further the mission
of the Church (BCP p855 and
the parish Mission Statement).
- I will undertake a program of personal spiritual
growth through
daily Bible reading and
study, daily personal and intercessory prayer, continued
Christian education, and, when possible, annual spiritual
retreats and regular spiritual direction.
- I will regularly attend weekly worship, at which
I will listen to the Word of God and receive the Body and
Blood of Christ.
- I will work toward tithing my income (offering
10% of income) as a sign of my trust in God and of my commitment
to God's work, and as a way of offering thanks to God for
the blessings and life given me in Jesus.
What About Your Parish Finances?
Complete financial information for the parish, school, and/or African
Palms which includes (but is not necessarily limited to) the following,
is available upon request:
- Financial safeguards and procedures
- Most recent audit report
- Annual income
- Current Operating budgets
- Year-to-date financial statements
- Development campaign priorities
- Average operating and development pledges among parish
leaders
- Average operating and development pledges among parish member
St. John's operates with a balanced budget annually, and considers
its fiduciary responsibilities to be of paramount importance. To
this end, we have on staff professional bookkeepers and we conduct
outside audits annually. We also utilize a volunteer treasurer as
well as a finance committee to assist the Vestry in overseeing the
wise stewardship of our finances.
The Finance Committee also acts as an endowment board to receive
and administer planned gifts. Income from donations may be
utilized for parish operations or special ministries as designated
by the donor.
A variety of planned gifts can be arranged which will maximize the
donor's tax benefit in ways advantageous to the donor's
current financial needs and position. For more information,
please contact the church office at 301-774-6999
To make a financial donation to St. John's, click
here
2005 Annual Report
Can You Tell Me about Your Parish History?
We are happy that you have discovered this unique and historic
Christian community and we invite you to grow spiritually - whether
adult or child, single or married, old or young - by sharing the
Good News of Jesus Christ and joining in our mission to grow
the community's relationship with Christ and to prepare and support
the community in a life of faith, hope, and love.
A brief history follows.
(Check out our historical time
line for a detailed look at the first 160 years of our history).
The founding members of St. John's Church met in March, 1842 to establish our
church in Mechanicsville (now Olney). They were: Thomas J. Bowie, William B.
Magruder, Elizabeth Davis, Washington Bowie, Richard Holmes, Millicent R. Wilcoxen,
Elisha J. Hall, Allen Bowie Davis, Caleb Gartrell, Dr. William P. Palmer and
Enoch B. Hutton. Ignatius Waters and his wife, Eliza, gave the land for the church
and the graveyard.
St. John's Church was then a part of the Diocese of Maryland
-- until the Diocese of Washington was established in 1895.
The church was
consecrated on August 22, 1845 by the Bishop of Maryland. Eight
members of the Diocese of Maryland in Baltimore came by horseback
for the consecration. Bishop William Rollison Worthington stayed
overnight at "Roseneath," home
of the Senior Warden Thomas J. Bowie, at the corner of Bowie
Mill Road and Bready Road. The text of the Bishop's twenty-five
page, hand-written text is on file in the Diocese of Maryland
Archives.
At the time St. John's Church was established, the village
was a cross roads between Rockville and Baltimore and Washington,
D.C. and Westminster, Maryland. Located at the western edge
of Sandy Spring, a Quaker community, the area was made up of
large farms and plantations. A blacksmith, potter and other
tradesmen served the community needs.
The first rector was called in 1842 to serve St. John's Church
which included the area from approximately Norbeck Road, including
now Manor Country Club, on the south to the Howard County line
-- above Sunshine to the north, west toward Laytonsville and
east to the Patuxent River.
The rector traveled on horseback or by horse and buggy from
the rectory in Brookeville -- to St. John's Church and St.
Bartholomew's, Laytonsville. He also served St. Luke's Brighton
which it was built in 1870, and a Howard County chapel and
a misson chapel located between Laytonsville and Sunshine in
the late 1800's. As the area changed with more homes and people,
the churches called their own rectors -- St. Bartholomew's in
1948 and St. Luke's in 1963. St. John's rector has served only
our church since 1963.
St. John's Church was originally located in St. John's Cemetery.
In 1910, the Church was moved to its present site. The bell
tower, sacristy and stained glass windows were added.
The second renovation, in 1980, joined the Church to the Parish
Hall, built in 1956. The transept and new sacristy were added
and the vestibule-narthex enlarged. The pipe organ and new
altar window were installed at that time.
In 1961 St. John's School was
founded. In 1976, St. John's Church became the headquarters
of African
Palms, U.S.A., a ministry of outreach that continues to
expand. As a parish of the Episcopal Church, St. John's is
part of the Diocese of Washington, D.C. and of the 70 million
member world-wide Anglican Communion.
From information written by Florence Wesp, St. John's Historiographer.
What Is Your Worship Schedule?
Please see the Worship section of this WEB page.
Where Can I Park?
For first-time guests, there are reserved "Visitor" spots
along the edge of the parking lot, to the Right as you enter from
the street.
What Christian Education opportunities are available?
Please see the Spiritual
Formation section of the WEB site.
I Have A Baby – Can She Stay with Me in Church?
Absolutely! We welcome the cries of life a young child can add
to our service! However, if your child is in a particularly cantankerous
mood one Sunday (we've all been there), feel free to come
and go from worship as needed.
There is a soft area with quiet toys and books in the entry way. A changing
table and a comfortable chair for nursing are in the nursery,
located through the Parish Hall, at the end of the hallway
to the Left, past the kitchen on your Right. Audio from the service
is broadcast into it.
What If I Would Prefer to Use a Nursery – Do You Have One?
Yes! Our nursery is staffed by trained, paid personnel. It
is located through the Parish Hall, at the end of the hallway to the Left,
past the kitchen on your Right. A paging system is available for
parents of infants.
My Child is a Little Older but Get Bored During the Sermon – Is
There Anything for Him?
Indeed! Children too old for the nursery yet too young to be attentive
in Church are welcome to attend our Sunday School program, held during the
11am service. Alternatively, we offer a child-friendly, interactive
Family Service at 9:30am. Click
here for more information.
If I have An Emergency, Whom Do I Contact?
Call the Church office at 301-774-6999 and leave a confidential voicemail
in the Rector's voice mailbox
What Expectations Do You Have for Financial Giving?
Guests and newcomers are welcome to attend without any expectation on
our part that any donation will be made – we are more than happy
to offer our services as a gift that we pray will be a blessing for you.
Members (as noted above) are expected to make a
financial pledge annually in order to support our ministries. While
the amount of the pledger is always a prayerful decision involving
the pledger and God, and can be of any amount (pledges range
from less than $1 per week to several hundred per week), the Church has
established the Biblical tithe of 10% of income as the standard toward
which Christians should strive and be growing.
To obtain a pledge card, contact the office at 301-774-6999 or admin@stjohnsolney.org.
"As each one has received a gift, employ it for one another, as
good stewards of God's varied grace…" (1 Peter 4.10).
To offer a financial gift, click here
How Can I Get Involved in St. John's Recreational, Fellowship, and Ministry Opportunities?
Please contact the church office in order to get more detailed information about anything described
in this WEB page, or in order to offer your talents and time for
a new ministry, or to join any of our activities.
How Can I (or My Child) be Baptized?
Click here for detailed information about our baptismal
preparation process for adults and children.
What is the Next Step?
Contact the church office at 301-774-6999 to discuss your questions, learn more about our parish and/or
experience our worship
And please, join us at one of our worship
services. You will be warmly welcomed! Our parish
greeters and hosts will also be happy to show you around, introduce
you to folks, and get you whatever information can be of
service to you.
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