I have always been an Episcopal
Yesterday a friend asked a question.
If you go to the Catholic church you are a Catholic
If you go to the Methodist church you are a Methodist
If you go to the Baptist church you are a Baptist
If you go to the Lutheran church you are a Lutheran
If you go to the Presbyterian church you are a Presbyterian
If you go to the Jewish synagogue you are a Jew
If you go to the Episcopal church you are an Episcopalian
Why the differences?
Most folks who are attuned to language have thought about this. One thing is sure. In earlier years when we were living in a rectory and had many people come to the door asking for food, shelter or other help, it was easy to spot the liars who said, “I have always been an Episcopal.” Years ago one man begging for money at the rectory door in Apalachicola even told me, “I have always been an Episcopal. I used to work for the Archdiocese of St. Louis. You can call them if you want to; they know me there.”
We are not Episcopals and we certainly have no Archdiocese of St. Louis. In fact we have no archdioceses at all, that’s a term used by the Roman Catholic Church.
Our daughter Tassy grew up in Apalachicola, and enough shady characters came to the rectory door in Apalachicola that we were always uneasy about her being home alone. The rectory doors were always locked, but our cars had remote door unlocking devices, remotes with an alarm button that causes the horn to start honking; and the cars were always parked in front of the house. As a security precaution we said that if there should ever be an alarming event, Tass should grab the remotes and start all the car horns honking.
But I digress.
Baptist is both noun and adjective; thus I am a Baptist and I attend First Baptist Church.
Lutheran is both noun and adjective.
Methodist is both noun and adjective.
Catholic is both noun and adjective.
Presbyterian is both noun and adjective.
But Jew is a noun and Jewish is an adjective. If I attend Jewish synagogue I am a Jew. One might say I am Jewish, still casting Jewish as an adjective, but never I am A Jewish and never I attend the Jew synagogue.
If I say I am Baptist, then Baptist is at least arguably an adjective. But if I say I am A Baptist, then Baptist is a noun.
Episcopal is an adjective and Episcopalian is a noun. I attend the Episcopal Church and I am an Episcopalian. One might say I am Episcopal, which still casts Episcopal as an adjective; but never I am AN Episcopal, because Episcopal is never a noun. However I suppose one might say I am an Episcopalian Christian which might sound less awkward than I am an Episcopal Christian; I don't think so though.
I am an Episcopalian and I am an Episcopal priest. But I am not an Episcopalian priest. And I am not an Episcopal who is a Episcopalian priest.
Once you get the hang of it it comes naturally and correctly. If you don’t get the hang of it you stand out like a sore thumb whether or not you are an Episcopalian.
TW+
Sorry, I downloaded the welcome sign and didn't take time to crop the sign of the measurements. If I had bothered to crop it, it would have looked nice like this:
