Who we are, What we do, How we do it, and Why

Welcome to Saint Martin's!

We are a diverse community that joyfully prays and worships God in word and action; we proclaim the Good News that God is united with humanity in the gift of Jesus Christ. Saint Martin's is an open and affirming parish of about seven hundred members, diverse in background, ideas, and demographics. This is a community in which all of God's children are welcome and included.

Our mission is to answer God's call to work for the restoration of all people to unity with God and each other in Christ. For us, this means that we rigorously engage Christian tradition and faith to live lives that are Jesus-shaped: loving, peace and justice-centered, and above all, God-driven.

We are at the heart of our community and have the community in our hearts. We are located just over a mile from the center of Charlotte, in a century-old neighborhood, beside one of Charlotte's great city parks. Our parish is active every day of every week; we are a service-centered community and our building is a gathering place for our neighbors. Our ministries offer space for all God's people to meet and find Christ in each other. At Saint Martin's, we strive to be a resource of prayer and spirituality and to offer bold moral leadership in our city. Many in our community consider Saint Martin's their church, even if they do not attend on Sundays. Here, we welcome you wherever you are in your journey.

Our Beliefs
We believe there is One God who creates all things, redeems us from sin and death, and renews us as the Children of God. As Episcopalians we promise to follow Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. We believe the mission of our church is restoration of all people to unity with God and each other in Christ. We are enriched by your presence.

Our Worship
In worship, we are united, acknowledging the holiness of God, to hear God's Word, to offer prayer and to celebrate God's presence among us. All are welcome to participate in our worship because it is in worship that we live out our life as a Christian family together. Scripture is the foundation of our worship.

The service follows an order found in our worship book called The Book of Common Prayer. Worship is filled with readings from the Bible; prayers and hymns; and sermons that speak to living life in our present. day. The Book of Common Prayer includes a variety of ancient and modern prayers for times when the while community gathers, and for individual use. It invites everyone to participate, reminding us that we are all an important part of the worship.

Music is a vital part of our worship for we are a community that sings. The music, a central part of the liturgy, may be traditional hymns, contemporary music, meditative music, choir offerings, from different cultures and countries. We celebrate and rejoice through music.

Celebrating God's Presence
In our worship, we celebrate God with us through water, bread and wine. Our Lord jesus Christ tells us through Baptism we are united with God, and become the children of God. The Episcopal Church believes that through Baptism-- in any Christian denomination--we become brothers and sisters in God's family. (If you are not baptized and wish to be, you may contact the church office fore more information.)

Jesus shared bread and wine with his disciples; and as we participate in the Eucharist, Jesus is with us today. In Baptism, we become a part of the family of God and by Eucharist we are sustained in our lives of faith. Any baptized person is welcome to receive this Sacrament.