The nuts-and-bolts details of formal membership.
Are you a member of St Anne’s? . . .
There are two basic categories of membership in the Episcopal Church. A Baptized Member is any baptized Christian of whatever age, whose name and date/place of baptism is recorded in an official book called the “Parish Register.“ If you have come to St Anne’s from another (non-Episcopal) church, and intend to make St Anne’s your spiritual home, you should ask to have your name and baptism recorded in our parish register.
A Confirmed Communicant is a Baptized Member who has received the Laying-on of Hands by an Anglican bishop, either in Confirmation (those from Protestant churches) or Reception (those from Roman Catholic or Orthodox churches). The standard of maintaining this status in good standing is to be “faithful in corporate worship, unless for good cause prevented” and “faithful in working, praying, and giving for the spread of the kingdom of God.“ (Canon I.17.3)
Confirmed Communicant status is the expected norm for adults. It is required for voting at an Annual Meeting and for service on the Vestry, and for other leadership positions.
If you are a Baptized Member who would like to become a Confirmed Communicant, there is a preparatory process for this. We ask three things: 1) Attend Sunday Christian Formation on a regular basis, 2) Attend four Saturday “mini-retreats” spaced about three months apart, 3) be an active member of one of our Life Groups. Please speak to the Rector if you are interested or have more questions.
Membership status is transferable between parishes of the Episcopal Church and to and from parishes anywhere in the Anglican Communion. This is accomplished by a document called a “Letter of Transfer.“ When you move between parishes, you should ask the Rector of your new church to request a Letter of Transfer from your former parish. Contact Debbie in the parish office ( , 267-6266) and we will be happy to take care of this for you.
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