Becoming a member
We receive you into the household of God. Confess the faith of Christ crucified,
proclaim his resurrection, and share with us in his eternal priesthood.
Book of Common Prayer, page 308
proclaim his resurrection, and share with us in his eternal priesthood.
Book of Common Prayer, page 308
Holy Nativity Church welcomes you! We welcome anyone and everyone to join us for church services on Sunday mornings or at any of our church activities. While we encourage you to seriously consider official membership when you are ready, you do not have to join the parish in a formal way in order to worship, attend classes, or participate in activities. The most important thing is that you worship and fellowship with us as we explore and strengthen our relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
The Sacrament of Holy Baptism is the initiation rite into the Christian Church. The Episcopal Church recognizes as Christian all persons who have been baptized with water and in the name of the Holy Trinity. At The Church of the Holy Nativity and throughout the Episcopal Church, anyone baptized with water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, regardless of age or denomination, is welcome to receive Communion.
Anyone who has received the Sacrament of Holy Baptism with water in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, whether in the Episcopal Church or in another Christian Church, and whose Baptism has been duly recorded in the Episcopal Church, is a member of the Episcopal Church. Canon I.17.1(a). That includes both adults and children. Members sixteen years of age and over are considered adult members. Canon I.17.1(b).
If you were baptized in an Episcopal congregation then, in addition to becoming a member of the Christian Church, you were enrolled as a member of that particular congregation and also became an “Episcopalian.” You are a member at the church where you were baptized until death or until you transfer to another congregation.
If you were baptized in another Episcopal Church and wish to become a member of The Church of the Holy Nativity, you must ask that the record of your baptism be transferred from the church where you were baptized to this church. This is called a letter of transfer.
If you were baptized in another Christian communion or denomination, you can become a member of The Church of the Holy Nativity by providing records of your baptism or a letter of transfer so that you can be enrolled on the books of our parish. This makes you a baptized member of the Episcopal Church in general and a member of The Church of the Holy Nativity specifically.
All members of the Episcopal Church who have received Holy Communion in the Episcopal Church at least three times during the preceding year are considered communicants of the Episcopal Church (Canon I.17.2 (a)), and all communicants of the Episcopal Church who, for the previous year have been faithful in corporate worship, unless for good cause prevented, and have been faithful in working, praying, and giving for the spread of the Kingdom of God, are considered communicants in the Episcopal Church in good standing. Canon I.17.3.
Anyone desiring to become a member of The Church of the Holy Nativity must provide written evidence of compliance with Canon I.17.1(a) (Holy Baptism). In order to be a “communicant in good standing” in The Episcopal Church and become a full voting member of The Church of the Holy Nativity, it is necessary to satisfy the requirements of both Canons I.17.2 and I.17.3 of The Episcopal Church and Canon 29.5 of the Canons of the Episcopal Diocese of Hawai’i. Under the Canon 29.5, to be eligible to vote at a meeting of the Parish, one must be an adult member and a communicant on the records of The Church of the Holy Nativity or a baptized person who has been a contributor to the funds of The Church of the Holy Nativity for six months and whose name as a regular contributor has been entered for that period or is entitled to be entered upon the books of the Treasurer of Holy Nativity.
To review the The Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church, 2012, click here.
The Sacrament of Holy Baptism is the initiation rite into the Christian Church. The Episcopal Church recognizes as Christian all persons who have been baptized with water and in the name of the Holy Trinity. At The Church of the Holy Nativity and throughout the Episcopal Church, anyone baptized with water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, regardless of age or denomination, is welcome to receive Communion.
Anyone who has received the Sacrament of Holy Baptism with water in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, whether in the Episcopal Church or in another Christian Church, and whose Baptism has been duly recorded in the Episcopal Church, is a member of the Episcopal Church. Canon I.17.1(a). That includes both adults and children. Members sixteen years of age and over are considered adult members. Canon I.17.1(b).
If you were baptized in an Episcopal congregation then, in addition to becoming a member of the Christian Church, you were enrolled as a member of that particular congregation and also became an “Episcopalian.” You are a member at the church where you were baptized until death or until you transfer to another congregation.
If you were baptized in another Episcopal Church and wish to become a member of The Church of the Holy Nativity, you must ask that the record of your baptism be transferred from the church where you were baptized to this church. This is called a letter of transfer.
If you were baptized in another Christian communion or denomination, you can become a member of The Church of the Holy Nativity by providing records of your baptism or a letter of transfer so that you can be enrolled on the books of our parish. This makes you a baptized member of the Episcopal Church in general and a member of The Church of the Holy Nativity specifically.
All members of the Episcopal Church who have received Holy Communion in the Episcopal Church at least three times during the preceding year are considered communicants of the Episcopal Church (Canon I.17.2 (a)), and all communicants of the Episcopal Church who, for the previous year have been faithful in corporate worship, unless for good cause prevented, and have been faithful in working, praying, and giving for the spread of the Kingdom of God, are considered communicants in the Episcopal Church in good standing. Canon I.17.3.
Anyone desiring to become a member of The Church of the Holy Nativity must provide written evidence of compliance with Canon I.17.1(a) (Holy Baptism). In order to be a “communicant in good standing” in The Episcopal Church and become a full voting member of The Church of the Holy Nativity, it is necessary to satisfy the requirements of both Canons I.17.2 and I.17.3 of The Episcopal Church and Canon 29.5 of the Canons of the Episcopal Diocese of Hawai’i. Under the Canon 29.5, to be eligible to vote at a meeting of the Parish, one must be an adult member and a communicant on the records of The Church of the Holy Nativity or a baptized person who has been a contributor to the funds of The Church of the Holy Nativity for six months and whose name as a regular contributor has been entered for that period or is entitled to be entered upon the books of the Treasurer of Holy Nativity.
To review the The Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church, 2012, click here.
