What We Believe

Stained glass depiction of Jesus Christ wearing a crown, with a blue background and colorful details.

As representatives of Christ, we at St. Andrew's in the Pines pledge to do God's will in the service of His kingdom by knowing, loving and serving all persons.

Anglican & Episcopal Identity

We are part of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta and of the Episcopal Church in the United States, which is connected to the worldwide Anglican Communion. Our identity is shaped by this rich heritage: ancient liturgy, thoughtful theology, and the call to live out Christ’s love in our community.

The Christian Faith & Tradition

We believe that all people are children of God and are invited into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We hold to the historic Christian creeds — such as the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed — as faithful summaries of our shared belief. At the same time, we are committed to thoughtful faith: one that questions, learns, and grows in community.

Commonly Asked Questions

  • Yes. The word protestant began as a derogatory term used for those who were protesting abuses in the church of that day. The word also means “to witness for” and reminds us that our church witnesses for Jesus in the world around us. As a Protestant Church we are not in communion with the Roman Catholic Church, though we wish to work for greater unity among all Christians and churches. We believe that through a relationship with Jesus as our forgiver and leader we come to salvation. We also believe in the divine revelation of the Bible.

  • Yes. The word catholic was described hundreds of years ago as “that which has been believed in all places, at all times, by all people.”

    The word catholic means what has always been believed as the essentials of Christian faith and practice. We are not a part of the Roman Catholic Church, but we welcome their members into full communion with us.

    As a catholic church, we believe there is a great value to the long-standing traditions and practices of Christians throughout time. Among the central practices of a catholic church are the Sacraments.

  • Yes. A sacrament is an outward and visible sign of the inward and spiritual gifts God offers us. We recognize seven sacraments, the most important of which are the two articulated by Jesus in the Gospels, Baptism and Holy Communion. The sacraments of Baptism and the Holy Eucharist (also called Communion or The Lord’s Supper) are most important.

    In Baptism we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and are adopted into God’s family called the Church.

    In Eucharist, we receive the bread and wine of communion which we believe is the body and blood of Jesus — a way of knowing by faith that Jesus is truly with us and in union (communion) with us at that point in time.

  • Yes. The Bible is a book that allows us to hear God’s words to his people and their response to him.

    We believe that all the things you need for faith and salvation are in the Bible. There’s no secret knowledge you need outside of the Bible, and no additional truth that came later that is of the same value as the words of the Bible.

    We also believe God has given us a mind and wants us to use it, as we struggle to interpret, understand, and apply the stories and teachings in the Bible.