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A Description of Anglicanism 
from a sister church

Anglican Quick Facts

Anglicans are the third largest communion of believers in the world (behind Roman Catholic and Orthodox).  The movement started in England, but spread all over the world.

The church in England ( Before it was called Anglican) dates back to about the second century.  The church in England  was only under the Bishop of Rome for less than a century, from 1664s to the mid-1500s.  This makes us unique among the Reformation churches.  The reformation in England was just a returning to the way things were before 1664.

Anglicans translated the King James Bible. It is often called the Authorized version because it was Authorized to be used in the Church of England.  

Some Famous Anglicans

C.S. Lewis - Oxford Don, medieval scholar and writer of The Chronicles of Narnia.

N. T. Wright - Writer, New Testament Scholar

J. I. Packer - Theologian

George Washington - The first president

Rev. Wilbert Awdry   - Author of Thomas the Tank Engine

John Kasich - Author, politician, television personality and former presidential candidate 

John Newton - Author of the hymn "Amazing Grace."

Johnathan Wesley - Founder of the Methodist movement. He was an Anglican clergyman all of his life.

And many more

What is an Anglican?

 

The Anglican Church is a Christian denomination that has a global presence in many countries numbering around 80 million participants.  It is a part of historic Christianity that emerged through the Church of England, which in the 16th century embraced reforms that restored much of the worship and practice of the early church.

 

Beyond that, giving a concise definition of the term "Anglican" is extremely difficult. There is a fairly broad path that can accommodate many expressions that exist or have existed within the Anglican tradition.  Furthermore, the past 500 years of history in the Anglican church give ample examples of the breadth of this denomination.  If you do some searching around, you'll find Anglican churches that are more evangelical or more catholic, more charismatic or more orthodox, more conservative or more liberal, more contempletive or more activist.       

 

To simplify, we occassionally refer to three streams flowing as one river:  the Scripture, the Sacred, and the Spirit. The Anglican denomination embraces all three of these to varying degrees. It is rare to find all three present in a church that is not Anglican.  Here is a brief explanation of each:

 

The Scriptures. The canonical books of the Old and New Testaments are trustworthy as God's written word.  They sufficiently teach God’s will for His world, and have supreme authority for faith, life, and the continuous renewal and reform of the Church. They are inspired, infallible, and contain all things necessary for salvation.  The Bible contains the Good News that Christians are to proclaim to all the world.  

 

The Sacred.  Worship in the Anglican tradition seeks to include both word and sacrament.  Jesus instituted two sacraments, baptism and communion.  These are a means of grace for Christians and appropriately, we make a big deal about them.  We welcome a sense of wonder and mystery and expect the real presence of Christ in the sacraments.  Baptism and communion truly are holy events.  In reverently receiving these things as sacred unto God, we acknowledge God's otherness, holiness, and transcendance.  

 

The Anglican church ordains its leaders into what are called "sacred orders." The three orders are bishop, priest and deacon.  This is an ancient hierarchy of church leadership going back to the days of the Apostles.  

 

The Spirit.  Anglican practice is explicitly trinitarian in recognizing that there is One God who eternally exists in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  The third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, dwells in all believers and serves as our point of contact with God.  He is a person and not an "it."  Whereas in the Old Testament days, the Father's action was primarily seen, and in the Gospels, the Son's work was boldly on display, in our time the Holy Spirit's work is most prominent. In returning to the Father, the Son sent the Spirit to remain with us.  He is active in the lives of believers empowering us to accomplish God's will for us.  We welcome his ministry in our worship services and our daily lives.  

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