Saint James is a member of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas and we are united with fellow Episcopal and Anglican churches in the world-wide Anglican Communion.
We believe in a Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, which means we believe in one God of creation and redemption who is a living and self-revealing God and who has most supremely revealed himself in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Guided by the tradition of the church, we seek to follow that which God has chiefly used to disclose who he is – Holy Scripture. Thus, as a community of believers, we seek to consistently be humble before God and His revealed word.
Our beliefs can be summed up in two creeds which are recited by the congregation during worship services: The Nicene Creed and The Apostles’ Creed, both found in The Book of Common Prayer (1979) which resides with the Holy Bible in our pew racks.
The Nicene Creed
The Nicene Creed is the most universally accepted profession of the Christian Faith. It is affirmed by most Protestant denominations, as well as by the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church. It was adopted by the Council at Nicaea in 325 AD and was revised again to its present form by the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD. It has served as an affirmation of belief by Christians over the centuries and is an essential part of what we confess we believe when we gather for worship at St. James.
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
The Apostles’ Creed
We also profess the Apostles’ Creed which serves as the basic creed of Reformed churches and which derives its name from its antiquity. Its origin dates back to within a lifetime of the last of the New Testament writings.
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day He rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.