The Tradition
The Church of the Incarnation is a parish of the Episcopal Church in the Anglican Communion.
Early Church
Anglicans draw spiritual wisdom for their lives from careful, scientifically-informed study of the Bible and from the major theologians of the Early Church.
Roman Catholic Church
The first significant numbers of Christians in the British Isles were brought to faith through Celtic missionaries such as St. Patrick and St. Columba. The Pope sent later missionaries, including St. Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury, and, gradually, British Christians came to hold allegiance to Rome. Liturgy and doctrine followed the Western tradition, while spirituality retained some practical influence of the Celtic tradition.
Church of England
This obedience was ruptured during the 16th century reign of King Henry VIII who eventually assumed the title of Supreme Head of the Church of England. While the present British monarch still holds the same title, the Archbishop of Canterbury is the effective head as “Primate of All England.”
Episcopal Church
The Episcopal Church in the United States became independent following the American Revolution. It is now one of 34 autonomous provinces making up the Anglican Communion. While respect and prayers are offered for the Archbishop of Canterbury, the effective leader of the Episcopal Church is the Presiding Bishop, who is headquartered in New York City.
Broad Church Movement
We are also fortunate to be able to build on a rich intellectual heritage. Led in the 19th century by clergy in the Anglican “Broad Church” movement, Incarnation worked for progressive social causes such as the abolition of slavery and the education of women. Its clergy also introduced new scientific and political thinking into Christian theology.
Today
Our parish builds on this tradition with different study groups for adults and many other programs for the parish and the community. In our worship, we try to present a number options for worship, ranging from formal liturgy on Sunday mornings to informal worship on Sunday evening and during the week. We intend our services to appeal to people of all Episcopal “parties,” as well as to a growing number of visitors with other Christian and non-Christian backgrounds, and to those with no religious training at all.