Frequently Asked Questions

Becoming a Member

Everyone is welcome to attend our church, regardless of whether you chose to officially become a  member or not.  But if you do chose to become a member, here is some information that you will find helpful.

When you are attending Sunday worship and have reached a point when you consider Abingdon to be your church home, let the church office know the date and place of your baptism and you will be accepted as a member.  If you have not been baptized, contact the priest to learn about baptism.

  To become confirmed in the Episcopal Church, a candidate must have been baptized (in any Christian church), attend formal Episcopal Confirmation classes, and be officially received into the church during one of our confirmation worship services.

  Transferring membership from another Episcopal Church is an easy process.  All that is required is a letter of transfer from the church where your membership is currently registered.  This letter can be obtained by contacting your former church and requesting they forward your membership to Abingdon.

Baptisms, Confirmations, and Reaffirmations

Holy Baptism  may occur at any age and is performed in the church as part of a regularly scheduled service.  We believe baptism is an event all our members must share because it represents three important aspects of Life in Christ:

Welcomes a new member into the Fellowship of Christians

Establishes a covenant with God that the entire church community will participate in guiding and helping the baptismal candidate throughout all stages of their life.

Affirms the vows of Love, Faith, and Servitude for our God

Confirmation is a formal process of education and ceremony for our youth and adults.   Confirmation is typically a 3 month annual educational program which establishes a one-on-one personal relationship between a confirmand and a mentor as they work through a structured format of exploration on what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.  Although we always strive to teach our children and adult members the teachings of Christ, it is the process of confirmation that allows an individual to knowingly and willfully reaffirm baptismal vows.  For this reason, we typically request the confirmation process be entered into by our youth only when they have reached an age when they can fully understand the commitment they make with the confirmation vows.  Young people ages 12-18 are eligible.  

Reaffirmation of youth and adults is similar to the confirmation process.  It involves formal education and vows of affirmation during a formal church service.  The major difference is that Affirmation candidates must  have been previously confirmed in the Episcopal church.

Use of Our Church and Parish Hall

We carefully review requests for use of our church because of the historical significance of the Abingdon building and the reverence we hold for it as a place of worship, .  However, we do open our doors for many occasions and activities.   Examples of these types of activities are concerts, art and floral shows, and many other forms of community support activities.

Our Parish Hall doors are open for many community activities.  Examples of these activities are Bible Study, Banquets, Red Cross Activities, and other approved organizational gatherings or  meetings.   Please contact our administrative office if you are interested in exploring opportunities for use of our facilities.

NOTE: Approval for use of our facilities and grounds is based upon guidelines established in our church by-laws and will require approval by our Vestry.   To ensure ample time for this review process, please contact us as early as possible.

Handicap Accessibility of Our Church and Parish Hall

Both our Church and Parish Hall are designed for handicap accessibility.  

 Our Church has a ramp at the south wing that permits wheelchair use.   As you will see when you visit, our church pews are contained within a series of raised pew box areas along the aisles of the church.  We have modified one of these pew box areas with a ramp.  This pew box has had one church pew removed making it large enough to accommodate multiple wheelchairs.  The remaining pew is still in the box area so that family or friends may sit with folks that are wheelchair bound.  This pew box area is also one of the closest areas to the altar and pulpit, ensuring you will be fully involved in all activities of any service you attend.

At the Parish Hall, we ensure accessibility through the ramp at the east side of the building.  This ramp will bring you into the hallway that connects to the Great Room that serves as the meeting place for the congregation at large.  From the Great Room, you can gain access to all of our first floor classroom, offices, library, and the handicap accessible restroom.