The Anglican Way?
The group of leaders, parishioners, and guests the Lord has brought to St. Thomas come from many different church backgrounds and contexts. Some of our clergy and leaders grew up in the Anglican Church. Others grew up Southern Baptist, Wesleyan, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, non-denominational, etc. Many who come to St. Thomas have never been to an Anglican Church or worshipped in a liturgical setting. With all that in mind, here’s how we describe it:
The Anglican Church is a biblically based church with ancient roots that helps us grow as followers of Jesus and serve Him as Christians in the world.
Anglican Churches are connected churches. As a parish, we are connected locally with a group of churches in a diocese, the Anglican Diocese of the South. Our diocese is connected with other dioceses in a province. And our province, the Anglican Church in North America, is connected with other Anglicans all over the globe. As an Anglican Church our theological beliefs and commitments are in line with our diocese and province. We embrace and are held accountable to the theological statement of the Anglican Church in North America.
Theological Statement of the Anglican Church in North America
We believe and confess Jesus Christ to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no one comes to the Father but by Him. Therefore, the Anglican Church in North America identifies the following seven elements as characteristic of the Anglican Way, and essential for membership:
We confess the canonical books of the Old and New Testaments to be the inspired Word of God, containing all things necessary for salvation, and to be the final authority and unchangeable standard for Christian faith and life.
We confess Baptism and the Supper of the Lord to be Sacraments ordained by Christ Himself in the Gospel, and thus to be ministered with unfailing use of His words of institution and of the elements ordained by Him.
We confess the godly historic Episcopate as an inherent part of the apostolic faith and practice, and therefore as integral to the fullness and unity of the Body of Christ.
We confess as proved by most certain warrants of Holy Scripture the historic faith of the undivided church as declared in the three Catholic Creeds: the Apostles, the Nicene, and the Athanasian.
Concerning the seven Councils of the undivided Church, we affirm the teaching of the first four Councils and the Christological clarifications of the fifth, sixth and seventh Councils, in so far as they are agreeable to the Holy Scriptures.
We receive The Book of Common Prayer as set forth by the Church of England in 1662, together with the Ordinal attached to the same, as a standard for Anglican doctrine and discipline, and, with the Books which preceded it, as the standard for the Anglican tradition of worship.
We receive the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion of 1571, taken in their literal and grammatical sense, as expressing the Anglican response to certain doctrinal issues controverted at that time, and as expressing the fundamental principles of authentic Anglican belief.
In all these things, the Anglican Church in North America is determined by the help of God to hold and maintain as the Anglican Way has received them the doctrine, discipline and worship of Christ.
"The Anglican Communion," Archbishop Geoffrey Fisher wrote, "has no peculiar thought, practice, creed or confession of its own. It has only the Catholic Faith of the ancient Catholic Church, as preserved in the Catholic Creeds and maintained in the Catholic and Apostolic constitution of Christ's Church from the beginning." It may licitly teach as necessary for salvation nothing but what is read in the Holy Scriptures as God's Word written or may be proved thereby. It therefore embraces and affirms such teachings of the ancient Fathers and Councils of the Church as are agreeable to the Scriptures, and thus to be counted apostolic. The Church has no authority to innovate: it is obliged continually, and particularly in times of renewal or reformation, to return to "the faith once delivered to the saints."
To be an Anglican, then, is not to embrace a distinct version of Christianity, but a distinct way of being a "Mere Christian," at the same time evangelical, apostolic, catholic, reformed, and Spirit-filled.
Resources:
Key Resources for learning more about the Anglican Way include the Book of Common Prayer (2019) that governs our worship and devotional life together as a Parish and To Be A Christian - The Catechism of the ACNA. You can download each of them below. If you would like to purchase a copy, visit Anglican House Publishers. There are lots of books and resources we would recommend for learning more about the Anglican Way. Our top two recommended books for this (especially for those new to the Anglican Way) are The Anglican Way by Thomas McKenzie and Anglican Spirituality by Greg Peters.
We also have several video resources on these topics and offer regular classes and seminars. By far, the best way to learn more is to begin worshipping Sunday by Sunday in an Anglican parish and exploring the devotional resources contained in the Book of Common Prayer during the week. To learn more about regular morning prayer and our teaching resources visit the BCP section of our website.