All Saints Episcopal Church in Brighton Heights is a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh and of the Episcopal Church of the United States. The Episcopal Church is a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Our Beliefs
We Episcopalians, with all Christians, believe that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). We confess our faith in worship by using the ancient Creeds of the Church: the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed. We believe in the Holy and Undivided Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We believe that the Old and New Testaments of the Bible are the revealed Word of God, that this Holy Scripture is given to guide and govern us both in terms of what we are to believe and of how we are to live–and that it contains all things necessary to our salvation.
The Churches of the Anglican Communion are descended from the renewal of Christian life and teaching in the Protestant Reformation and affirm that salvation is by grace alone, though faith in Jesus Christ.
The Clergy
The Episcopal Church has three “orders” of ordained ministers: deacons, who are called primarily to ministries of service both in the church and in the community, priests, who are called primarily to spiritual ministries of Word and Worship and as pastors in local congregations and to leadership in church governance, and bishops. who are called primarily to serve as spiritual overseers and administrative leaders in larger regions, or dioceses. The clergy presently serving All Saints Church are our priest-in-charge, or “Vicar,” the Rev. Bruce Robison, our deacon, the Rev. Wade Lawrence, and our bishop, the Rt. Rev. Ketlen A. Solak, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh.
Our Worship and Sacraments
The Book of Common Prayer contains the services used for public worship in our Church and additional resources for pastoral occasions and personal devotion. We understand Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion, to be the two great Gospel Sacraments and Ordinances for the whole Church. The content of the Book of Common Prayer, including prayers, creeds, catechism, and the historical formularies of Christian doctrine, is also for us an authoritative resource for Church Teaching.
Holy Communion
Holy Communion is a service of Thanksgiving and Worship instituted by Christ himself as a living Memorial of his Death on the Cross, which accomplished our Salvation, and as a sure Sign of his Resurrection from the dead and continued Real Presence with his Church. Those who “draw near with faith” to receive the Bread and Wine are truly nourished, naturally for this life and supernaturally for Eternal Life, by Christ’s Body and Blood.
All baptized Christians are welcome to receive Holy Communion in the Episcopal Church. Those new to the Church may speak with the Vicar about formal and informal opportunities for instruction and preparation to participate in Holy Communion.
For Parents of Younger Children: Children learn about Communion, first and foremost, of course, by attending church and observing the people around them. They will recognize attitudes of reverence—and they will want to imitate their parents and others and receive Communion as well.
Parents are encouraged to speak with the priest when they feel that their child is ready to receive Communion, so any questions can be addressed and appropriate instruction can be provided. When the children are ready, clergy are happy to coordinate a special date when family and friends may want to celebrate a “First Communion” together as a family.
Holy Baptism
The Book of Common Prayer teaches that Holy Baptism is full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ’s Body the Church. The bond which God establishes in Baptism is the foundation for a New Life as each Christian grows day by day “in the knowledge and love of the Lord.”
Each candidate for Baptism is to be “sponsored” by one or more baptized persons. Parents and godparents, as Christian Sponsors of those who are to be baptized as infants or younger children, make promises in their own names and also take vows on behalf of their child or godchild. Parents and godparents are to be people of faith, instructed themselves in the meaning of Baptism and sincere in their promise to help their child or godchild to grow in Christian life and in time to assume their responsibilities as members of his Church.
Baptismal Sponsors of adults and older children signify their endorsement of the candidates and express their intention to support them by prayer and example in their Christian life.
If you are interested in Holy Baptism for yourself, or for your child or infant, please contact the priest.
Confirmation
In the course of their Christian development, those baptized at an early age are expected, when they are ready and have been duly prepared, to make a mature public affirmation of their faith and commitment to the responsibilities of their Baptism and to receive the laying on of hands by the bishop.
Those baptized as adults, and Christians coming to the Episcopal Church from other denominations (unless they have already been baptized and confirmed with laying on of hands by a bishop), are also expected to make a public affirmation of their faith and commitment to the responsibilities of their Baptism in the presence of a bishop and to receive the laying on of hands.
Christians coming to the Episcopal Church from other denominations who have already been confirmed with the laying on of hands by a bishop may choose to mark their membership in this Church by being formally Received into the Episcopal Church when the bishop is present for his or her Annual Visitation to All Saints Church.
For additional information about Confirmation instruction, or about Reception into the Episcopal Church, please contact the priest.
Holy Matrimony
From the Book of Common Prayer: “Christian marriage is a solemn and public covenant between a man and a woman in the presence of God. In the Episcopal church it is required that one, at least, of the parties must be a baptized Christian; that the ceremony be attested by at least two witnesses; and that the marriage conform to the laws of the State and the canons of this Church.”
For those married persons whose marriage was not solemnized in a Church, the Book of Common Prayer also provides an Order of Service for the Blessing of a Civil Marriage.
Couples who desire Christian Marriage, but who don’t have a Home Church of their own, are welcome and invited to speak with the Vicar of All Saints about being married here.
Because of the sad reality that in our contemporary life many marriages end in divorce, it is important to note here that in the Episcopal Church our bishops may give Consent to a priest to solemnize the marriage of someone whose previous marriage ended in divorce. This Consent may be given at the conclusion of a simple but important process of prayerful pastoral discernment between the couple desiring to be married in the Church and the officiating priest, and upon that priest’s affirmative recommendation.
Priests of the Episcopal Church are required to see that those married in this Church first have appropriate instruction in the meaning and character of Christian Marriage. This instruction may take place over a period of weeks or months before the wedding, and thus it is important for couples to speak with the priest about their plans with as much lead-time as possible. The canons of the Church require a minimum advance notice of 30 days for all marriages.
If you are interested in discussing a celebration or blessing of marriage at All Saints, please contact the priest.
Christian Burial
Pastoral ministry at the time of a death is available to all in the community, whether or not they have been members of the All Saints congregation. We will pray with you and support you in every way we can. Funeral arrangements should be coordinated between the funeral director, priest, and the family. Please contact the priest as soon as possible in time of need.
Adult Education
In the Episcopal Church, we believe that Christian Education and formation is a lifelong process.
How do we address this challenge, and recognize opportunities?
A firm understanding of Scripture provides the foundation:
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)
Each week, our clergy preach and teach the Gospel message from the pulpit, and encourage parishioners to read and study Scripture. Weekly Scripture readings from both the Old and New Testaments are read during the Rite I and Rite II Services, and follow the Lectionary (a pre-selected collection of scriptural readings from the Bible that can be used for worship, study or other theological uses).
Over the past two years the Vicar has prepared toward the end of each week a YouTube video with a pastoral word and an overview of the Collect of the Day and the Readings appointed in the Lectionary for the coming Sunday. These “Vicar’s Videos,” usually about a half an hour in length, have been a resource both for those who (especially in these “pandemic” times) are not going to be able to attend in-person worship and for those who appreciate the opportunity to reflect on the prayers and readings in advance of Sunday morning. To view this week’s video, Click Here: ASBH Vicar’s Video.
As time, resources, and interest allow, we will schedule at All Saints Church opportunities for Inquirer Classes, Bible Studies, Book Discussions, and other programs for Enrichment. Please do speak with the Vicar or with any member of the Vestry if you have ideas!