Who We Are           

 

Church of St. George Banner

 

 

When our congregation was very young we had no name, and were of no fixed address. Our rector helped with the plans for the proposed Church on the Square. We were there when ground was broken, and we had the privilege of moving into the new church when it was built. This became our address, and we adopted its name. We even had a logo. Now we are fourteen years old, our membership has changed and grown remarkably. It seems opportune to explain and update the meaning of  our banner for the present congregation.

 

When the Vestry decided to procure a banner, they examined the possibility of our making it ourselves. And so we  designed and made the red banner hanging on the west wall near to the pulpit. At its center is one of the sacred monograms of Jesus - a cross with IC, XC and NIKA in its arms. IC and XC are the contractions of IHCOYC and  XPICTOC, Greek for Jesus Christ. The Greek word NIKA means Victor or Conqueror. Incidentally we put the cross in red to remind us of St. George, patron saint of England, the mother country of our denomination. We put this symbol of Christ in the heart of that of our congregation which was a blue cross on a beige background.

 

At the bottom of the banner is the Episcopal shield. This has the cross of St. George, a red upright cross on a white   background. In the upper left corner of the shield, a diagonal cross on a blue background, the cross of St. Andrew, patron saint of Scotland where the first American Episcopal bishop was consecrated. This cross is made up of 9 crosslets, (each made of 4 crosslets) the nine representing the first 9 dioceses of the Episcopal Church.

 

At the very top of the banner is the Compass Rose, symbol of the Anglican Communion. This was designed by an Episcopal priest. It consists of St. George’s shield at the center, surrounded by the Greek words meaning “The truth shall make you free.” From this radiates the points of the compass representing the world wide Anglican Communion, the major points gold and blue, the minor ones green and gold. Surmounting the Compass Rose is a bishop’s mitre, symbolizing episcopacy and apostolic succession.

 
   

St George is a conservative congregation upholding scriptural authority located in The Villages Florida, in the Diocese of Central Florida. While most of the congregation resides in The Villages, parishioners also come from the surrounding area. It is a God-centered church with a vibrant, active membership. There are many programs available to engage members in fellowship with others, aid to those in need, maintaining church facilities, and volunteer opportunities. Check out the Ministries section for a list of these. The church strives to be inclusive of its membership and to that end, for those utilizing wheelchairs, some pews are shortened to allow seating within the usual pew area. Hard of hearing assistive listening devices are available for use during services, including an FM radio transmission on 96.3 during the services. Two services are held on Sunday, Rite I at 8am and Rite II at 10am.

Many of the items used in services or gracing the sanctuary were made by dedicated members.