About Us
Stras Memorial Episcopal Church was founded in 1884 and is a member of the Abingdon Convocation of the Episcopal Diocese of Southwestern Virginia located in Roanoke, VA. Locally, the church is a member of the Appalachian Alliance of Episcopal Parishes in union with Christ Church, Marion, All Saints, Norton, & St Mark's, St. Paul. Grace House on the Mountain (St. Paul) is at the center of our ministry providing charitable services to Appalachian families in crisis.
The present-day church building was completed in June of 1886 and Sunday Worship services including Holy Eucharist, Liturgy of the Word and Morning Prayer Services have been held ever since. We also offer special services including Holy Week Services, Holy Matrimony, Baptism, Confirmation and Funeral/Burial services to meet the needs of our congregation and community.
The Episcopal Church welcomes all who worship Jesus Christ, in 109 dioceses and three regional areas in 16 nations. The Episcopal Church is a member province of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The mission of the church is "To restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ."
The 2012 Episcopal General Convention established the Anglican Communion Five Marks of Mission as a mission priority framework for the 2013-2015 triennium:
· To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom
· To teach, baptize and nurture new believers
· To respond to human need by loving service
· To seek to transform unjust structures of society
· To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth
The Episcopal Church takes reading the Bible very seriously. Approximately 70% of the Book of Common Prayer comes directly from the Bible, and Episcopalians read more Holy Scripture in Sunday worship than almost any other denomination in Christianity. The Book of Common Prayer, which guides and steers our worship services, is a treasure chest full of devotional and teaching resources for individuals and congregations, but it is also the primary symbol of our unity. We, who are many and diverse, come together in Christ through our worship, our common prayer.
As Episcopalians, we are followers of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and we believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We strive to love our neighbors as ourselves and respect the dignity of every person. Our liturgy retains ancient structure and traditions and is celebrated in many languages. Both men and women, including those who are married, are eligible for ordination as deacons, priests and bishops. We believe in amendment of life, the forgiveness of sin, and life everlasting. Lay people exercise a vital role in the governance and ministry of our church. Holy Communion may be received by all baptized Christians, not only members of the Episcopal Church. We celebrate our unity in Christ while honoring our differences, always putting the work of love before uniformity of opinion.
What to Expect
Worship in the Episcopal Church is a participatory event. Episcopalians kneel, bow, turn and make the sign of the cross. We can read that Jesus is God’s son, but when we actually bow as the cross passes us, our bodies learn that Jesus is Lord of our lives. We can read that we are reconciled to God, but when we actually kneel for the Confession of Sin, our bodies (especially our aching knees) learn what a humbled heart feels like. We can read that in Christ all God’s children are blessed and loved, but when we gather together indiscriminately, shoulder-to-shoulder at the altar rail, our bodies learn that the status granted by the world matters not to God.
Weekly bulletins are made available at the entrance of the church which outline the format for the worship service. Page numbers on the left side of the bulletin refer to The Book of Common Prayer and the numbers on the right refer to the Hymnal 1982. The scripture lessons for the day are printed on an insert included in the bulletin. If you prefer to receive a blessing instead of taking communion, simply cross your arms over your chest when you kneel or stand at the communion rail.
Everyone is welcome to participate and become a member of our church. To build on our culture of doing God's work, volunteer opportunities are available for acolytes, altar guild members and lay readers, You may also participate in fellowship events and service mission partnerships. All are welcome to find a spiritual home in the Episcopal Church.
Be thoughtful, be silent, be reverent, for this is the House of God. Before the service, speak to the Lord; during the service, let the Lord speak to you; after the service, speak to one another.
