What We Believe – Saint Mark's Episcopal Church

Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church is a parish within the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas. This means that Saint Mark’s is part of the Episcopal Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion, whose members trace their spiritual and liturgical lineage to the Church of England.

No better expression of our Anglican beliefs can be found than the Creeds agreed to by the early church. As stated in The Book of Common Prayer, the Nicene Creed is “the sufficient statement of the Christian faith” (The Book of Common Prayer, p. 877). We recite the Nicene Creed at every Sunday celebration.

The shorter Apostles’ Creed, though not written by the Apostles, summarizes the apostolic teaching of Holy Scripture. Its origins date back to the second century where it is thought to have developed as a statement of faith in conjunction with Holy Baptism. In our liturgy, the Apostles’ Creed is recited at every baptism and at the Daily Offices of Morning and Evening Prayer.

Click here to learn more about the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion.

To get a sense of the fundamental beliefs of the Episcopal Church, please see our Book of Common Prayer and read our Catechism.

The Nicene Creed

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

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.