It has been a long tradition that every Christian should be committed to a local church, not only to be nurtured and grow in faith, but also in order to be a faithful steward of one's time, talents and treasures.
If you are not already a member of a church, I urge you to become a member of St. Martin's. There are three ways to become a member of St. Martin's:
- by transfer from
another Episcopal Church
- by transfer from
another Christian denomination, and
- by baptism
However you come to us, all who wish to become members of St. Martin's are asked to attend the class, "Discovering Your Membership At St. Martin's -- Membership 101." During this session, you will learn the mission of our Church and the values we hold dear. You also will meet our Rector, the Rev. Dr. Russell J. Levenson, Jr., and he will meet you. You will learn what St. Martin's has to offer and what we expect of our members. Many have expressed their appreciation of the class.
If you have not been baptized, you are asked to call the Pastoral Care department to schedule your baptism by one of our priests. Contact Cyndy Ensign at 713/985-3808 and she will be pleased to schedule this service for you. You will then become a Baptized-Only-Member of this Church and, you are expected to be Confirmed at the next visit of a bishop to St. Martin's, which happens twice a year.
If you are a member of another Episcopal Church, you may ask our office to have your membership transferred to St. Martin's. Contact Kris Johnson at 713/830-4126 and she will be happy to write for your records. If you have not been confirmed, you will be made a Baptized-Only-Member and are asked to be Confirmed by the bishop.
If you were baptized in another Christian denomination, your baptism will be accepted here. We do not re-baptize people who are already Christians. You are also urged to be Received or Confirmed into the Episcopal Church when the bishop comes to visit St. Martin's.
After being made a Baptized-Only-Member, you are asked to prepare - as soon as possible - to be received or confirmed by attending one of the Adult Confirmation Classes taught throughout the year. Those who were previously confirmed in another denomination, or have made an adult profession of faith in Jesus Christ, will be Received into the Episcopal Church. Those who have not made an adult profession of faith, will be Confirmed.
If you have any questions or would like to speak to a priest privately, please call 713/621-3040.
