Holyrood is a traditional Anglican congregation founded in Johnston County in Eastern North Carolina.We are a member congregation of the Untied Episcopal Church of North America.

Who Are We?

Holyrood is a small community of believers based in Smithfield, NC who welcome you to worship, fellowship, and study with us as we continue in the faith of our fathers according to the Anglican tradition. The word Anglican simply means English. We derive our theological heritage and our liturgy from that of the Church of England. In the United States the word Anglican is often used interchangeably with the word Episcopal or Episcopalian. Holyrood is a Congregation of the United Episcopal Church of North America.

We do not compromise Biblical truths and we desire to live out the faith that has been received and carried on by the historic Christian church throughout the centuries in ways that engage people today. This includes a commitment to the Bible as it is the truth by which we order our lives. We also hold firmly to the principle that Jesus Christ is unique as the only begotten Son of God and that salvation is found only in His sacrifice, death, and resurrection. The essence of our beliefs are set down in the historic Nicene and Apostles creeds and in the 39 Articles of the Anglican Church.

Holyrood started by holding our services in our Vicar's living room in November of 2015. We worship using historic Anglican liturgies from the Book of Common Prayer. Our church mostly uses 1928 edition of the Book of Common Prayer which bears witness to the faith and practice of the historical Anglican tradition around the world.

What does Holyrood mean?

Holyrood is a reference to the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified.

The word Holyrood derives from the word Holy, which means sacred, and the Old English word Rood, or cross.

Our Vicar is the Rev'd John Taylor Brantley.

Rev'd Brantley and his wife Amanda were raised outside of Fayetteville, NC. Reverend Brantley attended Cape Fear High School, Methodist University, and Walsingham College. In February of 2013 he received his Th.B. from Walsingham College and was ordained a Deacon. That June he was elevated to the Priesthood. He has continued studies through the Biblical Training Institute in Spokane, Washington. Rev'd Brantley has served as Vicar of Holyrood since 2015. In June of 2015 he was awarded The Old North State Award by the Governor of North Carolina for exemplary commitment to improving the lives of others. Reverend and Mrs. Brantley have one daughter, Paisley Anne, and a long haired calico cat named Geraldine.