Why Anglicanism?

In modern America, the long established mainline churches are in serious decline. Many of them retain the form of godliness, but deny its power (2 Timothy 3:5), showcasing beautiful, historic churches, now largely empty as museums and artifacts of a previous era. Many of these churches no longer believe in God or his Word in any meaningful sense, and have compromised on major core issues of the Christian faith. On the other hand, though they generally hold the Bible in high regard, evangelical churches seem to exist for the sole purpose of entertainment and fun: rock music, smoke machines, celebrity pastors giving TED talks with no accountability. Historically this was not the case. The traditional church richly cherished the Lord, exalting the Holy Scriptures, and existed to worship a transcendent and holy God. The church therefore had a beautiful, enchanted and other-worldly character. The prose of the liturgy, the ancient hymns, the chants and beautiful architecture, the beautiful Sacramental rites that proclaim the death and resurrection of Jesus. All of these glorified God as aids to worship, lifting us heavenward. This is true even for the church of America, as she was exported by the kingdom of Great Britain. When one watches a movie and hears those words, “ashes, to ashes, dust to dust,” or, “ dearly, beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of this company, to join together this Man and this Woman in Holy Matrimony,” they are hearing words that many, many saints of old have spoken, all of which originate in the Anglican church. 

England has had a rich Christian history, originating just a few centuries after the earthly ministry of our Lord Jesus. The insular, or Celtic Church, was an independent and unique expression of the Catholic faith in the British Isles from the 1st through the 7th centuries, with distinct monastic practices, liturgies and dating for Easter. Though this church submitted to the Latin way of life at the Synod of Whitby (664AD), the English church has had a long legacy of tension with the Roman Church and the authority of the Roman Bishop - the Pope. The Magna Carta, for example, marks one such historic episode in which Pope Innocent III intervened in the rule of King John of England in 1215AD. Centuries later, when King Henry VIII formally separated the English church from Roman authority in the 16th century, this afforded Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer the latitude to make significant ecclesial reforms in the English church. However, Henry's death, and then his son Edwards passing, led to Queen “Bloody Mary” returning the English Church back under authority of Rome. It was under Queen Elizabeth I that English Church finally reached a settlement as a Protestant church with deep Catholic roots; a Reformed Catholic body that has since spread globally. In fact, the American Christian landscape has its origins in Anglicanism. Many of the colonies were established with Anglican churches (Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, East and west Florida), though many also had separated from the Church of England, such as the Puritans, the Quakers, and the Methodists. Even the Baptists originate from nonconformist Anglicans. Though many of these different sects and denominations have unique gifts that they bring to Western Christendom, they best operate united under one expression and theological tradition of English-speaking Protestantism: The Anglican Church. 

Today, the Anglican way has spread all over the globe; and has formed an 80 million member global communion, the majority of modern orthodox Anglicans living in the Global South. This Anglican communion is undergoing a realignment and reset, in which the Western church - which has largely compromised on faith and morals - is being held accountable by the global south, and progressive bodies being replaced by orthodox, Bible-believing Anglican churches. Both the Global South Fellowship of Churches (GSFA), and the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) represent the future, orthodox direction of the international Anglican Communion.

Anglicanism is the best chance for the English-speaking American church to return to its former glory as the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church: to spread the gospel, seek for the kingdom of God on earth as in heaven, and magnify our Lord Jesus Christ.

Interested in learning more about the Anglican Renaissance? Get your start here.