You are welcome to attend any of the services at the Parish of St. Mark. You will never have to join the Parish in order to be active in our day to day activities. If you do wish to make a commitment to the Parish by joining officially, get in touch with the Rector and he can help you determine which path is appropriate in your circumstances.
Baptism – We join the Body of Christ on earth, that is, the Church, through baptism. Our sins are washed away, and we make promises (or our godparents did on our behalf) that we will follow Christ and resist the devil. There is nothing unique about an “Anglican baptism” –– we baptize with water in the Name of the Holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Ghost, as do most Christian churches. Because of this, Anglicans rarely re-baptize someone seeking membership who comes from a different Christian denomination. Baptism makes one a Christian.
Confirmation – Confirmation is done when a person who has been baptized decides for himself that he wants to follow Christ. Confirmation is administered by a bishop. He will anoint the confirmands with oil and call down the Holy Ghost to bless the person being confirmed. Confirmation by an Anglican bishop makes one an Anglican. Usually this follows a confirmation class led by the Rector. Traditionally Confirmation has been the norm before receiving communion in an Anglican church.
Reception – If a person has been confirmed by a bishop in apostolic succession outside the Anglican tradition (such as Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox), Anglicans do not do another confirmation. One would be received by the bishop with a handshake and a hearty welcome. A reception often follows a class similar to a confirmation class, depending on the background of the students.
Transfer – If a person is already a member of another parish of the Anglican Province of Christ the King or a jurisdiction with whom we are in communion, the Rector can request a Letter of Transfer from your former parish. There is normally no liturgical event to mark a transfer, but it will still make one a member of the Parish of St. Mark.
Whether or not you fit neatly into one of these categories, your first point of contact will be the Rector. He will be happy to discuss your situation with you and help guide you in the way forward. Chances are someone else has been in a similar situation. Regardless, we will welcome you in the Name of Christ!
You can reach Father Hart, Rector, by phone (503) 223-2383 or by email: stmarkpdx@gmail.com