OPEN AND AFFIRMING CHURCH
The Evangelical Catholic Church in America is a part of
the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church given by our Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ to His Apostles.
The mandate of Jesus to His Apostles to go out and preach
to all nations is continued in our midst. Therefore, we are a sign
and symbol of God’s love for the world. The People of God are a
people of hope who reach out with a radical openness to the
diversity found in our members and leaders.
In this spirit we seek to approach those who have been
condemned or injured by the Church or her ministers, or others who
speak in the Church’s name, and join with them in their quest for
equality and justice in the Church. The Evangelical Catholic Church
lovingly welcomes all those who have suffered discrimination or who
have been disenfranchised from religious life. Any person, couple,
or family that has been ostracized or shunned by their home parish,
congregation, or denomination because of who or what they are, or
who or what they are perceived to be, are invited to join their
spiritual and religious journey to ours. The Evangelical Catholic
Church invites all persons who wish to practice and fulfill their
Catholic faith into full sacramental activity, membership, and
ministry of this Catholic Church.
With the love of God and the grace of the Holy Spirit, the
Evangelical Catholic Church declares itself an open and affirming
Catholic faith community welcoming all people to full participation
in Catholic life.
Approved July 1, 2001