Emmanuel's Rector, the Rev. Matthew Cadwell with Bishop Bud Cederholm
About Us
About Episcopalians
The Episcopal Church strives to live by the message of Christ, in which there are no outcasts and all are welcome.
Emmanuel Episcopal Church is part of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts: 77,000 members in 194 congregations throughout Eastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod and the Islands. Together, we make up our diocese and our diocese is part of the wider Episcopal Church, which in turn is part of a larger, global community of Anglican Christians. While we share many similarities with other Christian faiths, we also have some unique traditions. Our members reflect the diversity of our communities and our state: lay people from all walks of life and backgrounds, women and men who are ordained to serve as priests and deacons; and women and men who are elected to serve as our bishops.
The Episcopal Church was established following the American Revolution by Christians who wanted to maintain the traditions and practices of the Church of England in United States, while also incorporating many of the ideals of this new nation, such as a democratic church government. Our worship services follow The Book of Common Prayer, which was first published in 1549 and has been adapted and revised several times since, most recently in 1979. We are united to other Christians throughout the world through the Anglican Communion, as well as through ecumenical agreements with Lutheran and Moravian Christians in the United States. We are both catholic and reformed, with the historic three-fold ministry of bishops, priests, and deacons, and an emphasis on the sacraments, especially Baptism and the Holy Eucharist (also commonly called Holy Communion, the Mass, or the Lord's Supper).
The Episcopal Church strives to live by the message of Christ, in which there are no outcasts and all are welcome. Walking a middle way between Catholic and Protestant traditions, we are a sacramental and worship-oriented church that promotes thoughtful debate about what God is calling us to do and be, as followers of Christ today.
The best way to learn about the Episcopal Church is to spend time with us, observing, participating, and questioning. We invite you to come and grow with us!
Visit www.diomass.org or www.ecusa.anglican.org for more information about the Episcopal Church.