What We Believe

"St John’s, by the grace of the Spirit, seeks to be an open community, walking in the way of Jesus, engaging with an ever-changing world and living a faith that is timeless yet contemporary, thoughtful and compassionate."

A person reading a paper in front of a piano in a cozy room with warm lighting and Christmas decorations.
A person reading a paper in front of a piano in a cozy room with warm lighting and Christmas decorations.

  • Our faith is rooted in Jesus Christ and expressed through the worship, life, and tradition of the Scottish Episcopal Church. We are a Christian community who strives to welcome all, whoever you are and wherever you find yourself on the journey. We worship the triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We proclaim God’s abundant, reconciling, and boundless love in our Lord Jesus Christ for each and every one of us; we trust God’s Spirit to guide, lead, challenge, disturb, and protect us.

  • “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

    “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1:5)

    We believe that God is revealed in the life, death, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In his incarnation and death on the cross, Jesus showed us a God who is not distant and impersonal, but deeply involved in our messy human lives. His resurrection belongs to a new world and creation, the Kingdom of God, which we we are called to build through the power of the Holy Spirit.

  • “Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:7)

    “And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.’” (Luke 1:46-48a)

    We believe that God is active in our lives through the Holy Spirit and longs to be in a relationship with his creation, especially with whoever finds themselves at the margins of society. The Holy Spirit inspires and strengthens us to follow Jesus through worship, prayer, and service. The Spirit also challenges us to allow our faith shape every part of our life in a way expressed long ago by Julian of Norwich: “Love was what our Lord meant.”

    Therefore, whoever you are and whatever your situation in life, we hope that you will feel welcome in this place, regardless of your age, denominational affiliation, socio-economic background, gender identity, sexuality, marital status, ethnicity, nationality, education, or capability.