At the heart of the REA academic crest is the shield of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. The shield is comprised of several crosses. The first is the large St. George’s Cross. St. George is the patron saint of Scotland, and this cross represents our ties to the Scottish Episcopal Church whose bishops ordained the first bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States, Samuel Seabury.

The nine small crosses that make up the St. Andrew’s cross represent the nine diocese that signed the original constitution of the Episcopal Church in the United States in 1789.

The red, white and blue of the shield echo the colors of the United States flag.

Theologically, we understand red to represent the blood of Christ, white to signify purity and blue is the traditional iconic color for the Virgin Mary.

The olive branches that enclose the shield represent REA’s commitment to peace. “The peace of God that passes all understanding.” (Phil. 4:7) The Roman numerals at the base of the crest, MMVII, are the year of our founding, 2007.

If you are interested in learning about the history of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America, the history of crosses and colors, contact 123helpme Here you can read ready-made studies or order your own on these and any other topics.