A Truly Global Movement!
We are part of a missionary movement to the United States, established by Anglicans from Africa and Asia, deeply troubled by the spiritual crisis in this land that sent missionaries to them for generations.
The geographic center of Christianity has shifted to the global South. Across Africa, 1,200 new churches spring up every month: Christianity is spreading faster than at any time or place in 2,000 years. This is at the same time that churches are closing in the United States – with fewer churches in existence each year.
Much of Africa now sees the United States as the mission field – with 130 million unchurched people in America, we are the mission field. We need to be missionaries to the world right outside our door.
The Anglican Church has always been a church that is willing to explore new yet orthodox ways of accomplishing the great commission of Christ. Historically speaking, she was the church that removed the unknown language of Latin within the worship and replaced it with the known language of the people, while still retaining the apostolic theology and format. Over the past few decades the Anglican Church in the West has inherited this global formation mentioned above, embracing rites and cultures outside the West, including those of Africa and other Eastern countries.
We believe that God is calling the Church to become more inclusive, not to what modern, more Western cultures have to offer, but what other more symbolic and humble cultures have to offer. We express this type of mission as “Ancient-Future;” embracing cultures and rites that have preserved the symbolic while also embracing the cultures and rites that have made good use of the modern.
Anglican Christianity
While Anglicanism can vary widely depending on the continent where it is expressed, there are a general set of character traits that are common to it throughout the world. The most common trait is that we Anglicans desire to live out the very faith that we have received from the historic Christian Church of the apostles and church fathers in a way that engages people today. The following characteristics describe this global Anglican Christianity.
Evangelical, but not Protestant
Anglicanism is Evangelical because, like all Evangelicals, our main focus is on what the Bible calls salvation. Like all Evangelicals, we believe that this salvation of individuals, as well as of the world, comes about by the power of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Like all Evangelicals, we also place a high value on the power of biblical preaching, and on the centrality of the word of God for doctrine. In fact, we see the word of God as the canon and the ultimate authority over all that is necessary for faith and salvation.
Yet, unlike the Protestants, we do not look to the Bible apart from the authority of the historic Church. For this reason, Anglican Evangelicalism does not protest against everything that occurred before the Protestant Reformation. Unlike most Evangelicals, we believe that the traditions of the Church handed down to us by those who came before us is “Holy Tradition,” and therefore, we believe that in them we find the true interpretation and application of the Evangelical faith.
Catholic, but not Roman
Anglicanism is also Catholic because, like all Catholics, we are Trinitarian, Episcopal, Sacramental, and Liturgical. The episcopacy of our clergy is of apostolic succession. Our sacramental practices involve signs, gestures, vestments, water, bread, wine, etc. Like all Catholics, our worship practices involve some of the same ceremonies and music of the ancient Church.
However, unlike Roman Catholicism, Anglican Catholicism holds to that which has been believed by all, in all places, at all times, and therefore rejects many of the innovations that are present in today’s Roman Catholic Church. Unlike the Roman Church, we reject the required celibacy of clergy, indulgences, their theology of Mary, the planks of salvation, and many other practices. We reject them for two reasons; first, these innovations are of late entrance into Holy Tradition, and second, because they do not pass the canonical test of scripture.
Orthodox, but not Eastern
Anglicanism also holds to the Holy Orthodox faith, because like the Eastern Orthodox, we see the one faith that existed in the first 1000 years of the Church as something well worth preserving.
Nevertheless, unlike the Eastern Orthodox, we do not exclude traditions outside the East. We believe that the schism beteeen the East and the West in 1054 was a tragedy, but we do not believe that everything after that is to be rejected. We believe the West has much to offer in regards not only to theological truth, but also ceremonial rites and practice. We even go as far as adopting contemporary formations of the West such as technological adaptation within our worship.
