• The Holy Scriptures are the revealed word of God, which inspired the human authors of the Scripture, and which is interpreted by the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
• The Nicene Creed is the basic statement of our belief about God. It was adopted in the 300s by the early church founders and is said every Sunday in churches around the United States and world. Read the Nicene Creed.
• The two great sacraments of the Gospel, given by Christ to the Church, are Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. In Baptism we renounce Satan, repent of our sins, and adopt Jesus as our Lord and Savior. In the Holy Eucharist, the center of our worship life, we remember and participate in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ until his coming again.
• Catechism means the teachings and beliefs of the church; they’re outlined in the Book of Common Prayer.

How is the Church governed?

Historically, bishops oversee the Church in particular geographic areas, known as dioceses. In the worldwide Anglican Communion, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who oversees the Diocese of Canterbury, occupies a special position by virtue of history and tradition but he does not hold a governing position. We are a confederation of equals. Bishops from the Anglican Communion meet every 10 years for the Lambeth Conference, at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, but the resolutions coming from that Conference do not hold authority over all members of the Communion. Collegiality among bishops is the substitute for authority, and communal discernment is the substitute for decision-making power.

Each bishop and diocese, operating through an annual council, determine the character of life and work in that diocese within a set of general decisions made by a triennial General Convention. These decisions are formalized as canons—rules that govern—by each affected diocese. Each diocese elects and sends clergy and lay representatives—deputies—to the General Convention. The annual Convention of the Diocese of San Diego, of which St. Paul's is a member, takes place each November.

We honor tradition and strive to live by the example of Jesus Christ, welcoming the stranger and the outcast, helping our neighbors and offering love and forgiveness. We want our communities to be better because St. Paul's members are working out in the world.

We are known for our engaging and beautiful worship services. For those who have grown up Roman Catholic, the service, known as the Mass, Eucharist or Holy Communion, will be very familiar. For those of reformed tradition or no religious tradition at all, we think you may find a spiritual home in a church that respects its tradition and maintains its sense of awe and wonder at the power and mystery of God. Some services are more contemporary, some more traditional but all follow the same form found in the Book of Common Prayer.

We often talk about the via media or "middle way" in our theology and discussions because we believe that, whether or not we agree on a particular topic, we all are children beloved by God and we can have thoughtful and respectful discussions.

In the Diocese of San Diego, we have more than 11,000 members in 48 congregations. We also have 8 pre-schools, 2 college ministries, a refugee support network, a retirement home, a social service agency and more than 500 ministries that reach out to help make our communities better and more caring places to live. We are part of the global Anglican Communion, which has 70 million followers.