No. Members are not bound by any community creed or dogma. Rather, Ethical Societies emphasize the importance of developing a clear personal philosophy that makes your life understandable and meaningful. Learning to benefit from a diversity of viewpoints is one of the challenges of membership. Members encourage each other to think freely and to disagree without being disagreeable. A saying often used in Ethical Culture is "Deed before creed" sometimes expressed as "Diversity in the creed, unanimity in the deed."

Ethical Societies serve as religious congregations in which members can build a community of friends, find inspiration and purpose, provide moral education for their children, celebrate the seasons and life events, and clarify their world views. Professional Ethical Culture Leaders fill the roles of religious clergy, including meeting the pastoral needs of members, performing ceremonies, and serving as spokespeople for the congregation

ESWoW is a new and growing congregation, with members in various locations. We are still learning and trying to find ways that we can do things together, especially celebrating life events, and providing moral education for children of members. We are open to your ideas.