The Church of the Messiah

The Church of the Messiah is a parish in the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church.  As part of the CEC, we incorporate the three main streams of historic Christianity.  The Church of the Messiah is:

Evangelical:

As a precious possession of Christian faith, we hold that the Holy Scriptures are the inspired, infallible Word of God and that they contain all things necessary to salvation and godly living.  We are committed to faithful reading, studying, teaching, and preaching from the Bible as a wellspring for spiritual maturity.  We also embrace the evangelical distinctives that underline the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, a holy life through grace of the Holy Spirit, evangelism, and outreach through missionary activity.

Sacramental:

From the beginning of the Church, after the resurrection of Christ, many men and women have faithfully served in the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church (“catholic” meaning in accord with the universal church from the beginning).  From the richness of our historic heritage, we are currently seeing a recovery of the beauty and authenticity of the ancient liturgies, symbols of worship, and the regular celebration of the Holy Communion., which the early Christians observed.  We believe in seven sacraments, the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, and Biblically based worship through the use of historic liturgies and traditions.

Charismatic:

Holy Scripture abounds with instances of the Holy Spirit anointing men and women to do remarkable deeds.  Saint Paul frequently writes to the various churches about the power of Holy Spirit and the gifts that may come with receiving the Spirit of God.  We believe that those gifts are available for believers today just as they were two thousand years ago and before.  We anticipate and look for the Holy Spirit to move in our services and are open to prophetic words, healings, and whatever miraculous God is willing to work through our willingness!

Blending the Three Streams:

We believe God is doing something very unique in our day.  In churches across our nation and around the world, He is removing religious barriers and braiding together the three strands of the church into one strong cord.  This is the commitment of the Church of the Messiah: we are, in our worship and approach to faith,  seeking to express all three historic streams together.

You might have seen this symbol in our services. The three colored symbols represent the streams of the worldwide church.  The top symbol is wine. This wine represents the Sacramental churches where the faith is maintained through its clergy, rituals and creeds.

The middle symbol is an open Bible. This Bible represents the Evangelical churches where the Bible and the need for a personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, is emphasized.  The bottom symbol is a flame. This flame represents the Charismatic churches where the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit are emphasized.  The framework reveals three more symbols; a cup, an altar and a fireplace.  This represents the worship and ideology of the Charismatic Episcopal Church and the Church of the Messiah.

The Church of the Messiah is not a part of the Episcopal Church USA or of the Broader Anglican Communion.  “Episcopal” in our names means that we are governed by bishops (episcopos in Greek) and is not meant to suggest affiliation with any other religious body.