Our commitment to loving God and loving our neighbors
The Gloria Dei Church building has been established for Christian worship services – to include the celebration of marriages. While our congregation is committed to the Episcopal tradition, we recognize that no particular church or denomination has God entirely figured out, and we believe that God seeks to be in relationship with all people. Therefore, we also want to support couples who might not be part of our tradition, but who are open to inviting God into their special day.
The congregation of Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Episcopal Church is committed to loving God and loving our neighbors. We look to the life and teachings of Jesus as the fullest revelation of God’s love and grace, and we hope to share in his triumph over death. We place a strong emphasis on welcome and inclusion, recognizing that God’s love knows no boundaries and that all people reflect the image of our Creator. We believe that we are called to be part of God’s work of healing and redemption for a broken world. And we strive to be good stewards as we preserve and care for the beauty property and rich history that has been entrusted to us.
As part of the broader Episcopal Church, we believe that marriage is a gift from God in which two people are bound together for life. Marriage is meant to be a source of mutual joy for the couple, helping each person to grow in love and grace for their partner, for God, and for the world around them. In marriage, each spouse commits to providing help and comfort to their partner, in both prosperity and adversity. When a couple is blessed with children, marriage is to be a foundation for raising and nurturing children in the knowledge and love of God. In light of these commitments and responsibilities, we believe that marriage is to be unconditional, mutual, exclusive, faithful, and lifelong – and that a couple should be encouraged to seek the help of God and the support of their community.
