As Anglican Christians, our beliefs come from several sources:
1. The Holy Bible (also referred to as the Holy Scriptures) is the highest authority for our beliefs, as God's inspired "Word Written." It is through the Bible that God's Holy Spirit reveals God's Truth to us, and that we are to conform our lives to its teachings.
2. The early Creeds of the Church, which we accept as orthodox interpretations of the doctrines which are found in the Holy Bible.
3. Anglicans also look to the "Articles of Religion" (also called "The 39 Articles") as a way to show our distinctiveness in belief from Roman Catholicism and Calvinism. This has been called the Via Media, or the "middle way." The Articles of Religion were relegated to the "Historical Documents" section of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer (page 867).
4. The Church of St. Clement is affiliated with several orthodox Anglican organizations and ministries, each of which has an orthodox statement of faith. These may be found on the websites of The Anglican Communion Network, The American Anglican Council, and Anglican Global Mission Partners, which are listed under Affiliates on this website.
The Creeds of the Church
The Book of Common Prayer contains the three creeds subscribed to at St. Clement: The Apostles' Creed , The Nicene Creed , and the Creed of Athanasius . Creeds are a basic summary of belief. At St. Clement we say the Apostles' Creed during morning and evening prayer services, and at baptismal services. The Apostles Creed was used by the early church in Holy Baptism and it is accepted by virtually all Christians. The Nicene Creed is part the Holy Eucharist (Holy Communion). This creed was adopted as it is now in A.D. 381 but the original council met in 325.The Creed of Athanasius is only rarely recited but it is found in the BCP on page 864. The text uses the word "catholic" in its meaning as "universal."
How Do I Become a Member of St. Clement's
To be a member of the Church of St. Clement, you need to be a baptized Christian. It is when we receive Holy Baptism that we pledge to trust in Jesus Christ for our salvation, and to follow him as our Lord. It does not matter in which church or denomination you have been baptized, as long as it is Christian.
Individuals become members of the church in four ways:
1. By being baptized at St. Clement's. If you have received the sacrament of Holy Baptism at St. Clement's, either as a child or an adult, your name was added to our membership records. If you have not yet been baptized, and would like to do so, please speak to a member of the clergy.
2. By being "confirmed" at St. Clement's by an Anglican bishop. Confirmation is when those who have been baptized recieve the "laying on of hands" by a bishop of the church. Confirmation Classes are offered for youths and adults during the year.
3. By being "received" into the church by an Anglican Bishop, if you have already been confiirmed in the Roman Catholic or Lutheran church. Those who desire to be received into St. Clement's should also attend confirmation classes.
4. By having your baptism recorded at St. Clement's. wing through the Sacrament of Confirmation, which is the laying on of hands by a Bishop. the year prepare children and adults for confirmation.
5. By having your membership transferred from an Anglican Church. Call the church office to see if your membership can be transferred to St. Clement's. For churches that do not transfer membership, you may have your baptism recorded at St. Clement's.
To be eligible to vote, you must:
1. Have your baptism recorded by one of means listed above
2. Have attended worship services regularly in the previous year
3. Have been active in "working, praying, and giving" for the Kingdom of God in the previous year.
Note: To vote, you must be a "giver of record," which means to have used an envelope with your name on it, or a check, or some other means to identify yourself, at least once in the previous year.
General Request Form