First-time visitors
Welcome!
Our Episcopal Church in Edenton welcomes everyone into the full life and ministry of the church. If you're looking for a Spirit-filled, Christ-centered community where you can grow in your faith and relationship with Jesus, you'll feel right at home in our congregation.
Founded in 1701, St. Paul’s is the first and oldest active congregation in North Carolina. We're part of a long line of faithful ministers of the gospel—valuing scripture, tradition and reason as the foundation of our faith. We seek to know Christ, and make him known in the community of Edenton, our surrounding counties and cities, and in all the world.
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DEFINING OUR CHURCH
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A fairly large congregation with a small- town feel (140 folks on a Sunday)
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An active community of faith with programs, groups, activities, and events for people of all ages and interests.
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A Christ-centered Episcopal Church—rooted in scripture, tradition, and reason, with the sacraments as the foundation of our worship services. We are respectful of and strengthened by our differences.
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A place of deep faith—a loving community of support and spiritual growth as devoted stewards of God’s blessings, serving the needs of our local community and the world.
Getting around
Street parking is available Church Street or Gale Street. Our church also is within walking distance of the historic business district, with downtown parking.
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Frequently asked questions
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Can I come to breakfast?
Yes! All first-time visitors can join us for breakfast, free of charge! If you like your meal, we'd appreciate a $5 donation on your next visit (to offset the cost).
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Can I join in on the Sunday programming?
Yes! Feel free to bring your children to the nursery or to our kids' programs, or join in on our adult classes. All are welcome!
Where do I sit?
You're welcome to sit anywhere in the Sanctuary—however, if you sit in the first middle section pew on the right, you will be in Martha's pew. She would love to have you! Our pews have the colonial locking doors and may be tricky to open—if you sit with Martha, she'll help you. Or wave at one of our ushers, and they'll help you open the door.
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What is the worship like?
A bulletin is provided to guide you through the service. We use a book called the Book of Common Prayer, as well as a hymnal. The priest will also call out page numbers so you can follow along. We also have children's bulletins and worship bags to keep your young ones engaged with the service.
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Can I receive Communion?
All Baptized Christians are welcome to the table. Not Baptized? We'd love to welcome you to St. Paul's wherever you are on your journey of faith—and talk with you about ours.
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Common Episcopal terms
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While deeply rooted in tradition, there are plenty of terms in the Episcopal Church that might be unfamiliar to those from other denominations or new to Christianity entirely. Below are the ones you'll encounter most often, but you can also view the full Episcopal Dictionary >
Book of Common Prayer (BCP)
Official book of worship of the Episcopal Church. The BCP provides liturgical forms, prayers, and instructions so that all members and orders of the Episcopal Church may appropriately share in common worship. Anglican liturgical piety has been rooted in the Prayer Book tradition since the publication of the first English Prayer Book in 1549.
Diocese
A unit of church organization, typically geographically boundaried in some way. A bishop is the head of a diocese that may contain many parishes and churches. Larger diocese have staff devoted to various areas of focus and ministry.
Eucharist
The sacrament of Christ's body and blood, and the principal act of Christian worship (known in some denominations as "Communion.") Its roots come from words that mean “gratitude” or “to show favor.” The Holy Eucharist is our central rite and is so much like the Roman Catholic Mass that many Episcopalians also use the term “Mass.” The Eucharist is a thanksgiving comprising two main parts: Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Table.
Faith Formation
Usually called "Christian Education" and "Sunday School" in other denominations, many Episcopal churches favor the term "faith formation" for our study opportunities on Sunday mornings and other times throughout the year that support a lifelong journey in Christ. We believe this term makes it clear we are not just teaching information and obtaining Christian knowledge for knowledge’s sake. Spiritual formation is learning how to hear the voice of God and acting on it. It’s about developing Christ-like character and your relationship with God. And we are always in that process of being formed.
Lay Person
A lay person in an Episcopal church is a baptized member who is not ordained clergy. The term "laity" refers to all baptized members, and lay people are integral to the church's life through their participation in worship, governance, and ministry in both their congregations and the wider world
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There are many lay leadership roles at St. Paul's, including:
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Lector is a lay person who will not vest or serve at the Altar, but will sit near the front of the church and come up and read the Old Testament lesson at our later service, then return to their pew.
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Lay Eucharistic Minister reads all of the Lessons and Prayers at the 8:00 service, the rest of the Lessons and Prayers at the later service, and also offers The Blood of Christ in The Chalice, assisting at The Altar.
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Lay Eucharistic Visitor shares The Eucharist with our parish members who are unable to attend church after the services on Sundays.
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Lectionary
The book that contains the Old Testament and New Testament scriptural readings. The readings are arranged according to a three-year cycle, beginning with the new church year on the first Sunday of Advent.
Narthex
Also known as the "vestibule," it the front area that in some denominations would be called simply a "lobby." The narthx provides transitional space for leaving the world to enter the nave. The new fire of Easter is frequently lit in the doorway between the narthex and the nave.
Nave
The name literally means “ship” and refers to the main body of the sanctuary between the narthex and the chancel. This is the central part of the church building, intended to accommodate most of the congregation and is surrounded by aisles.
Parish
An established, self-sustaining congregation in which day-to-day matters are handled by a panel of elected lay people called a “vestry.” The term also refers to the geographic region around a church.
Rector
Rector refers to the head priest of a parish. Derived from the Latin, regere, meaning “ruler,” both in the sense of a leader and an instrument for producing straight lines. The rector handles spiritual and worship-related matters, and usually serves in an advisory capacity on church committees.
Rite
“A rite is a form for religious ceremony. It includes both what is said and what is done in the religious observance. Rite expresses the church's relationship with God through words, actions, and symbols. It orders the church's common worship. Rite enables the community to share its faith and experience God's presence in a particular liturgical and pastoral context.”
— An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, A User-Friendly Reference for Episcopalians
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Rites I & II
Rites in traditional language are known as Rite I, and the contemporary-language rites are known as Rite II. In the Episcopal Church, Rite I and Rite ll both come from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer (BCP), which provides the services of Morning and Evening Prayer, the Holy Eucharist, and the Burial Office in both traditional language and contemporary language rites.
Vestry
The vestry is the governing board of an Episcopal parish, consisting of elected lay members. Originally the word referred to the room where the priest put on vestments, at which time lay people would meet to discuss the affairs of the parish. The vestry of an Episcopal church has three primary responsibilities. The first two are managerial: to take care of parish finances and the parish buildings. The third is to choose individuals to fill various positions of leadership and representation, such as the calling of a priest-in-charge or the creation of a call committee to find a new a rector and the nomination of replacement vestry members for members whose terms are due to expire.
The vestry includes a Senior Warden, who is chosen by the rector, and a Junior Warden, who is elected by the vestry. Vestry members serve a term of three years, unless circumstances arise that prevent them from continuing. The rector is the parish’s chief liturgical and pastoral officer, and the vestry serves as an advisory council. Conversely, the rector is an advisor to the vestry on financial matters, but vestry members have final responsibility in that area. A vestry secretary is present at the monthly meetings, but is often not a member of the vestry.