Episcopalians

[Lewis]

I went to a funeral today for my aunt, and it was at a Episcopalian church, called St Thomas. And you would have thought that you were in a Catholic service, they did everything like the Catholics on down to sprinkling smoke around, I always knew that the Episcopalians were a off spring of the Catholic church, but I did not know just how much. But to tell you the truth I did not see any difference between them and the Catholics, and this is a black church. We had a Baptist minister do the eulogy, and he preached with fire. But the Episcopalians seem to be a little dry to me. They had a great outstanding opera type gospel singer though. And every time they turned towards the cross with Jesus on it, they would bow, or bow and cross their hearts. They don't jump up and down when they are hit with the Holy Ghost, they are so subdued and the Methodist church is the same way. I almost got happy in a Methodist church in the VA onetime, and I was looked at with displeasure. I was thinking to myself, could I join a church like this ? God would have to send me, or it would not happen. But anyway here is their site. But anyway I like Pentecostal type fire, but that's just me
http://www.aecst.org/

 

[D4Christ]

You are right about Episcopalians. My grandmother was an Epis. and I was christened in an Epis church as a baby. One major difference I know about the Epis and the Catholics (having gone to Catholic schools all my life and by default participating in more masses than most Catholics) is that the Epis don't empahsize Mary the way the Catholics do. You also won't find, at least in the Epis churches I have visited, all of the statues so visible in Catholic churches. I also don't think they say the Hail Mary.

One other thing about Epis that disappointed me. My grandmother told me when I was young that she was discrimenated against in her own church growing up because her skin was dark. The discrimenation was at the hands of other "lighter" blacks. Take a good look, do some research...you will find that a lot of older, "lighter" blacks in our community are Episcopalians. The man that bapitized me in my baby photo was black...I would have never known and usually I can tell. I wish I had the photo to upload.

I asked her why she never left the church...they used to make her use a different entrance....she could never give me a good reason why she stayed. I guess blacks to some degree were used to putting up with racism on many levels...jim crow wasn't just in the south....it was a mentality shared by many regardless of race.

Blessings,
Dee

 

[Lewis]

Yeah you are right Dee, not as many statues and they don't talk about Mary like the Catholics, even though she was mentioned yesterday once. I have also never taken communion at a funeral, but I did yesterday. It was a very interesting experience though.

 

[Vic C.]

They are closely affiliated with the Anglican church.

http://anglican.org/church/ChurchHistory.html

There are both liberal and conservative Episcopalian churches here in the US. Most are liberal and that is one of several things that differentiate them from the RCC.