What Defines Membership in All Saints' Church

          If your new to the Church, don't worry we will explain everything to you.

Let us ask the question, "Who is a member of the church?" The Episcopal Church definition is that a member of the Episcopal Church is a Baptized person.

What are the various forms of membership that any parish can use to sort through "who is what" in membership. The information is found in the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church in Title I, Canon 17.

You can be a baptized member, as noted before. You can be a baptized confirmed member if a Bishop of the Episcopal Church has confirmed or received you through the laying-on-of-hands. If you are a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, the Polish National Catholic Church, the Philippine Independent Church or other Christian churches in full inter-communion with the Episcopal Church, then you are in this status also.

You are a baptized confirmed communicant; if you received Holy Communion at least three times in a year. Normally this means at Sunday morning Eucharist and surpasses, such folk known as "c & Episcopalians-Christmas and Easter).

An adult member in any of these categories is at least 16 years of age.

Many Episcopal churches carry a number of people on the books who have not been at worship in a long time. This creates another category; there may be many baptized confirmed members who are listed as inactive. Others who attend and received Communion, but who are not givers of record, may be active, but they are not listed as "members in good standing".

Who makes such determinations? The parish administrator is responsible for keeping records current. Per our bishop's counsel (and as is customary in the Episcopal Church), the Rector or parish priest, works with these records as well as direct pastoral knowledge to decide who fits where.

As a newcomer or someone investigating the possibility of joining the Church this information may be a bit confusing.  We encourage you to come and visit, call or e mail us.  We would consider it a pleasure to answer questions and introduce you to All Saints' Episcopal Church.