The Episcopal Church
Being an Episcopal Church means …
Trinity is more than the people who worship at the corner of West Berry and Fulton Streets. One of the distinctive things about being an Episcopalian is the sense of connection and fellowship one has with other Anglican and Episcopalian Christians throughout the world.
Trinity Episcopal Church is part of the Diocese of Northern Indiana. Our diocese includes more than 4,000 people who worship God and reach out to others in 36 parishes in 31 counties in northern Indiana. It is one of two Episcopal dioceses in the state of Indiana, the other being the Diocese of Indianapolis (based in Indianapolis). Our bishop is the Rt. Rev. Dr. Douglas E. Sparks. Read more about the diocese here.
The Episcopal Church is a fellowship of 1.8 million Christians in 110 dioceses throughout the United States as well as Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, the Virgin Islands, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Micronesia, Taiwan, and the Convocation of American Churches in Europe. The presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church is the Most Rev. Michael B. Curry. Bishop Curry, previously the Bishop of North Carolina, was elected during the 78th General Convention in June 2015 in Salt Lake City. He took office in November 2015.
The Episcopal Church is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, a global fellowship of 85 million Christians in 40 self-governing provinces. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the Most Rev. and Rt. Hon. Justin Welby. While he is sometimes compared to a pope, a more accurate description of his role is that he is “first among equals” with his brother and sister bishops from throughout the Anglican Communion.
Other Resources
There are a number of sources of more in-depth information about the Episcopal Church and what it means to be an Episcopalian, including:
- • The Inquirer’s Class with Trinity clergy.
- • The Episcopal Church’s web site
- • The Diocese of Northern Indiana’s web site
- • The Book of Common Prayer (the prayer book we use in church)