Joining the Episcopal Church and St. Stephen's

We are delighted for you to visit our church for any Sunday or Tuesday service. Additionally, we will be thrilled if you would like to explore becoming a member of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church! Please see the information below.

​

If you are coming to us from an Episcopal background, you can email our Parish Secretary, Elizabeth Pack, secretary@ststephensor.org, or call her at 483-8497 and ask her to contact your previous church to transfer your membership. If you come from a tradition other than the Episcopal, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, or Orthodox, we request that you attend our Confirmation class and be confirmed when the annual visit of the bishop occurs. Please watch for the date because it varies from year to year.

 

Confirmation

 

Confirmation represents a public affirmation of faith. In the Anglican and Episcopal tradition, confirmation is always done by the bishop. Bishops perform the act of confirmation as a way to acknowledge “apostolic succession” —that is, the presence of bishops guiding the Church from the earliest days, centuries ago. Those joining the Episcopal Church from other faith traditions, even if they have already been confirmed, are asked to be confirmed at the time of the bishop’s annual visitation to St. Stephen’s. Exceptions include those confirmed in the Lutheran or Roman Catholic Church, in which case the bishop simply “receives” the candidate during the worship service.