Who We Are
Established by a group of faithful Episcopalians in 1947, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Andalusia, Alabama, continues to strive to fulfill Christ’s vision of an open and welcoming community of faith. We encourage each member to use his or her unique gifts as we come together to be the Body of Christ in the world.
OUR MISSION
St. Mary's Episcopal Church is committed to growing deeper in the knowledge and love of our Lord Jesus Christ through our worship, study, and service. We desire to be faithful witnesses to the power of God's love and in that witness help others come to know and experience God more fully.
OUR PARISH
St. Mary’s is a parish made up of a diversity of people—single and married; families with young children and older adults; people who have been Episcopalians all their lives; those who have come to the Episcopal Church from other faith traditions and backgrounds; and people who are looking for a new way to live. We seek to worship and serve God, to reach out to each other and to the world in Christ’s love, and to journey together in our faith. All are welcome to find a spiritual home in the Episcopal Church and at St. Mary’s.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
As Episcopalians, we are followers of Jesus Christ and believe in a loving, liberating, and life-giving God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We uphold the Bible and worship with The Book of Common Prayer. We celebrate our unity in Christ while honoring our differences, always putting the work of love before uniformity of opinion. The Episcopal Church is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion and traces its heritage to the beginnings of Christianity.
THE BAPTISMAL COVENANT
At the heart of who we are as Episcopalians is the Baptismal Covenant, a set of promises made at Holy Baptism and renewed throughout the life of the Church. These promises remind us that baptism is not only a moment in the past, but a way of life we are called to live every day.
The covenant begins with the ancient words of the Apostles’ Creed, grounding us in the faith of the Church: our belief in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. From there, we promise, with God’s help, to continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers; to resist evil and return to God when we fall short; to proclaim the Good News of God in Christ; to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves; and to strive for justice and peace among all people, respecting the dignity of every human being.
These promises shape our common life at St. Mary’s. They call us to worship, prayer, service, compassion, welcome, forgiveness, and love. They remind us that following Jesus is something we do together, strengthened by God’s grace and sent out to share God’s love in the world.
At St. Mary’s, the Baptismal Covenant helps guide who we are and how we seek to live: a community rooted in worship, shaped by grace, and committed to seeing and serving Christ in every person.