Mission Statement l Statement of Faith l Core Values l FAQ

Our Mission:
To serve God, to exalt Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, to proclaim His Word.

Statement of Faith:
We affirm our belief in historic Christianity as revealed in the Scriptures and summarized in the three Creeds (the Apostles, the Nicene, and the Athanasian) and the Thirty-Nine Articles. We recognize the need to proclaim and to reaffirm the following beliefs:

ARTICLE 1 - The Holy Trinity
The mystery of the Holy Trinity, namely, that the one God exists eternally in the three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit; and has so revealed himself to us in the Gospel.

ARTICLE II - The Lord Jesus Christ
The full deity and full humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, God Incarnate, who by reason of his birth of the Virgin Mary, sinless life, atoning death, bodily resurrection, glorious ascension and triumphant reign, is the only Mediator between God and man.

ARTICLE III - The Holy Scriptures
The trustworthiness of the canonical books of the Old and New Testaments as “God’s Word written,” which contain all things necessary for salvation, teach God’s will for his world, and have supreme authority for faith, life and the continuous renewal and reform of the Church.

ARTICLE IV - Justification and Sanctification
The justification of the repenting and believing sinner as God’s gracious act of declaring him righteous on the ground of the reconciling death of Christ, who suffered in our place and rose again for us; and sanctification as the gracious continuing activity of the Holy Spirit in the justified believer, perfecting his repentance, nurturing the new life implanted within him, transforming him into Christ’s image, and enabling him to do good works in the world.

ARTICLE V - The Christian Church
The Church as the Body of Christ, whose members belong to the new humanity, are called to live in the world in the power of the Spirit, worshipping God, confessing his truth, proclaiming Christ, supporting one another in love and giving themselves in sacrificial service to those in need.

ARTICLE VI - Spiritual Gifts and Ministry
The calling of all Christians to exercise their God-given gifts in ministry, and to work, witness, and suffer for Christ; together with the particular calling of ordained ministers, who, by preaching, teaching and pastoral care, are to equip God’s people for his service, and to present them mature in Christ.

ARTICLE VII - The Gospel Sacraments
The sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion as “visible words” which proclaim the Gospel, and are means of grace by which faith is quickened and strengthened.

In particular, the significance of the Lord’s Supper as a communion in the Body and Blood of Christ, who offers himself to us in the action of this sacrament, so that by faith we may feed on him in our hearts and offer ourselves to him in gratitude for our salvation through his cross;

Also, the openness of the Lord’s Table as the place where all baptized believers, being one in Christ, are free to celebrate their common salvation in the Lord, and to express their common devotion to his person and his service.

ARTICLE VIII - The Return of Christ
The personal return in glory of our Lord Jesus Christ at the end of this age for the resurrection of the dead, some to life, some to condemnation, for the glorification of his Church, and for the renewal of the whole creation.

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Core Values:
The following are certain common, nonnegotiable values that unify our efforts and distinguish us as a unique parish church:

We believe in God the Father, Creator of everything, Who loved the world He created and sent His only Son to be our Savior. (Genesis 1:1; John 3:16)

We believe God the Son is Jesus of Nazareth, the Savior sent by God, Israel’s Messiah, born of a virgin, fully man and fully God. (Mat 1:18; Philippians 2:6; Hebrews 4:15; Romans 8:3)

We believe God the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, quickens us from death to life, indwells all those who receive Jesus Christ by faith as Lord and Savior and continuously conforms believers to the image of Jesus Christ. (John 14:17, 14:20, 14:26; John 16: 14; Romans 8:26; II Corinthians 3:18)

The will of God is our highest goal in every aspect of life (Luke 6:46-49) We must know the Word of God, understand it, be able to articulate it, and be ready to defend the faith at all times. (I Peter 3:15)

An atmosphere of grace must pervade our life together. While we expect the highest and best of one another, we accept one another as forgiven and beloved of God. (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 12:9-18).

We are a family – we need each other and rejoice in the gift of supportive, accountable, faithful, prayerful relationships (Mark 3:31-35; I Corinthians 12:12-27)

Nurture of children – we are committed to bringing our children to the knowledge and love of the Lord. (3 John 4, Deut. 6:6-7, Jude 3:4)

Authenticity of life – we all seek to live more like Christ, to be persons of integrity while seeking to grow in Christ. (Matt. 6:33-34; 7:18-21; Ephesians 4:25-26; James 1:22-25, 5:12; Hebrews 12:1-2; Philippians 1:6)

Growth is expected – anointed, scripturally sound, expository teaching, God-honoring worship, supportive relationships, purposeful discipling, daily obedience, wise counsel, prayer, and study are the ingredients we cherish as catalysts for personal and corporate growth in Christ. (Col. 1:28; Matt. 5:48; Romans 12:1-2)

Conversion – apart from Christ, people are lost. As we reach out and share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit, we expect to see a steady stream of new persons becoming believers and joining our family. (John 3:1-6; Luke 15; Matt. 28:18-20)

Scripture – We encourage every member of our church to become a prayerful student of Scripture, for it is the infallible Word of God written. (Matt. 5:17-20; II Timothy 3:14-17; Psalm 119:9-11, Hebrews 4:12)

Prayerful dependence on God – life with Christ can only be lived in the power of the Holy Spirit, whose fullness we seek daily. Prayer, both individual and corporate, must undergird all our life. Prayer focuses us upon the will of God, joins us to the heart of God, and releases through us the miracle-working power of God. (Phil. 2:13, 4:13; Matt 7:7-11; Luke 11:1-13; Luke 6:12)

Gifts for ministry – every believer has been given a gift for ministry. The church functions best when each member discovers, develops, and deploys his own gifts in ministry, and we seek to help all members find their place to serve. (I Cor. 12-14; Eph. 4)

Leadership in the church is to be entrusted only to those with leadership gifts who exhibit consistent spiritual maturity, wisdom, godliness, and a willingness to sacrifice for the sake of Christ. (Acts 6:2-5; Nehemiah 1:2; I Timothy 3, Titus 1:6-9)

Involvement – our church must be actively involved in the culture, seeking to bring the mind of Christ to the issues and challenges of the day. (I Cor. 9:19-23; Acts 19:8)

Attitudes of joy in Christ, gratitude to God, trust, sacrifice, and an ongoing expectancy must characterize our life together if we are to fulfill God’s purposes for us. (James 1:1-8; Luke 1:37: Psalm 100; I Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Giving sacrificially of our money and time to the purposes of Christ, as an expression of our faith, is essential to our maturity. (II Cor. 9:19-23; Acts 19:8m Malachi 3:10)

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Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

Holy Trinity is a new church. How did it begin?
In the fall of 2003 a group of local Episcopal lay people began meeting informally in a private home to pray in response to the crisis in the national Episcopal Church. Following the Holy Spirit’s prompting, this group eventually formed All Saints Fellowship, which initially sponsored a twelve week series of Sunday evening worship services featuring outstanding preachers in the Anglican tradition. These services were held at 5 p.m. at All Saints Chapel at St David’s School Chapel. We eventually extended the series, first through May and later through the summer.

After much prayer and discernment, the group believed the Holy Spirit was prompting the start of a new parish. Holy Trinity Church had its first public worship service at 10:00 on the morning of Sunday, September 12, 2004 at the chapel of Saint David’s School offering weekly Sunday morning worship each week thereafter at Saint David’s.

Will you be affiliated with the Diocese of North Carolina and the Episcopal Church?
No. We initially will be an independent church in the historic and orthodox Anglican tradition. However, we will use the 1979 Book of Common Prayer and the Hymnal 1982 in our services. Our services will be traditional in form, and our music and liturgy will be very familiar to those who have worshipped in the Episcopal church.

Will you be a part of the Anglican Communion?
Yes. As a result of recent actions of the Episcopal Church, there is a great deal of uncertainty regarding the future of Anglicanism in America, and it is too early to speculate as to how these issues will be resolved. However, it is our intention to be a part of the Anglican Communion, whose seventy million adherents worldwide remain overwhelmingly orthodox. We plan to join with all orthodox Anglicans in the United States “to make common cause for the gospel of Jesus Christ and common cause for a united, missionary and orthodox Anglicanism in North America.” (See Note 1 below)

With whom will you affiliate initially?
Holy Trinity has joined the Anglican Communion Network, placing us squarely among the orthodox Episcopalians in the US. The Network is a “Biblically-driven missionary movement of dioceses and congregations committed to the propagation of the unchanging Gospel of Jesus Christ and fulfillment of the Great Commission and submitted to the historic faith and order of the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church as received in Anglicanism.” (See Note 2 below.)

How long will you continue to meet at Saint David’s? What are your long term goals for a facility?
We have secured an agreement with Saint David’s School which will allow us to worship there through the end of 2007. During that time we will seek a permanent location. We will place a very high priority on securing a traditional facility – be it an existing facility or one that we build – with a sanctuary that is consistent with our form of worship.

Do you have a rector?

It was with the greatest pleasure and anticipation that Holy Trinity welcomed two co-rectors, Michael Green and David Drake, to Holy Trinity in the Fall of 2005. Canon Michael Green is well known throughout the Anglican world for his evangelistic gifts, theological clarity and literary defense of the faith. A native Englishman, he has served as Rector of St. Aldate’s Church in Oxford; professor at Regent College, Vancouver, and at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University; and as Advisor for Evangelism to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. He is the author of over 50 books and currently serves as Senior Research Fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University. His wife, Rosemary, has a very active Biblical teaching career and is a member of the pastoral staff of Holy Trinity.

David Drake, originally from New Canaan, Connecticut, worked for FOCUS (Fellowship of Christians in Universities and Schools) for 11 years in Baltimore, Washington, and Boston. He graduated last year from Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry and was ordained an Anglican Priest in the Anglican Diocese of Bolivia in May of 2006. David has a passion for evangelism and leadership development initiatives. In his free time David enjoys basketball, sailing, skiing, tennis, reading, cooking, and playing the guitar. He and his wife, Kristin, have three daughters.  

Upon David’s ordination to the priesthood in May, 2006, Michael offered to step down as Co – Rector and assume the role of Canon Missioner for Evangelism and Outreach. David Drake was made the Rector of Holy Trinity in June 2006.

Do you have a Sunday School, nursery, and other programs?

 From the very beginning as a church we have provided adult and children’s Sunday School programs to the congregation. We have numerous Bible studies and prayer groups going on throughout the week and have developed an extensive network of home fellowship groups.

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1. Quote from a letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury signed by the leaders of orthodox Anglicans in the United States, including Bob Duncan, Moderator of the Anglican Communion Network The full text may be view at the Network’s website, www.anglicancommunionnetwork.org.

2. Definition supplied by the Network via their website.