OUR MISSION
Our mission is to advance the Kingdom of God in the tradition of the Episcopal Church by reaching out to and welcoming all persons. We strive to live our commitment to Christ by faithful worship, biblical preaching, prayer and loving service.
HISTORY
Initial efforts to start an Episcopal parish in North Fort Myers began in October of 1986 when several interested laypersons contacted the Diocese for permission and assistance in establishing a mission. A commercial site on Slater Rd and Bayshore Rd was selected as the potential site for the church because of the reasonable rent and its proximity to land donated by St. Luke's Episcopal Church for mission development.
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The initial meeting of 31 prospective members, Diocesan representatives, and interested community partners met on November 1, 1986. At this meeting, the Diocese gave its blessings, a Priest in Charge was designated t, and the rector from St. Raphael's Episcopal Church in Fort Myers Beach presented All Souls with the first financial gift of support.
The first worship services were held the very next day, All Souls Day, November 2, 1986.
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At the Diocesan Convention in October of 1988, title to two acres of land fronting Bayshore Rd was deeded to the Diocese by St. Luke's and consequently used for construction of a church home for All Souls.
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We moved to our current location on Cleveland Ave in 1993 where we were able to expand our ministries, and be a more visible presence in our community. And by the grace of God, here we will stay. Our church home has survived a fire as well as numerous major hurricanes and has been blessed to recover every time.
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We welcome you to become part of our history.
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What is the Episcopal Church?
There is a great breadth of diversity in the Episcopal Church: congregations and congregants can be Anglo-Catholic, evangelistic, charismatic, conservative, or liberal, and very often a mix of all of the above.
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But first and foremost, Episcopalians are Christians. We believe God has created us, we proclaim and follow Jesus as Lord. We believe God is active in our day-to-day lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.
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The church is the body of which Christ is the head and all baptized people are the members. The Church is a community of faith and commitment, not an organization like a club. We are part of the Anglican Communion, a fellowship of autonomous churches in communion with the Church of England.
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All Anglican churches are drawn together by a common loyalty to:
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Scripture as the revealed Word of God;
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The historical Creeds of the Church as sufficient statements of Christian belief;
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The celebration of the seven sacraments of the Church with particular emphasis on Baptism and Eucharist;
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The apostolic ministry of bishops, priests, and deacons in the life of teaching and service in the Church;
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The use of scripture, Church tradition, and reason in matters of belief and practice.
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In worship, Episcopalians sit, kneel, stand, sing, pray aloud, and pray silently. Some bow and make the sign of the cross; others don't. We use the Book of Common Prayer, The Hymnal, and (in many places) a service bulletin with the liturgy included. These tools are designed to help us worship and pray together, something fundamental to Anglican Christians.
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Episcopal worship calls for the full participation of all the people. The Prayer Book (and the service bulletin) will guide you in what to do, and what to say or sing. Our people are friendly and helpful. We have an open communion; those who are Baptised Christians may take Holy Communion.
BECOME A PART OF OUR FAMILY
