About Anglicanism

What does it mean to be Anglican?

Anglicanism is an ethos or understanding that is best caught and experienced rather than explained. Yet it is our comprehensiveness which defines us most. In all ways, we are seeking to incorporate, experience, and embody the fullness of the Christian faith.

The word “Anglican” simply means related to, or coming from, England. Anglican churches draw their identity and historical roots from the Church of England, one of the main bodies formed during the Protestant Reformation of the 16th Century.

The Word & Table

Every Sunday, our service comprises two main parts: Receiving the Word of God through the public reading of Scriptures and through preaching; and receiving the gifts of Holy Communion.

What To Expect

In a single word...

FULLNESS.
Historical connections aside, what it means to be Anglican can be summed up in a single word – "fullness." As Anglicans, we are about the fullness of the faith in several important ways:

Worship

When the Reformation happened in England, the reformers there sought to improve upon and correct the worship they had known in the Roman Catholic Church. Yet they took care not to “throw the baby out with the bath water.” It means our worship retains a sense of holiness that comes from worshipping in a way that connects us with the ancient church – the same way Christians worshipped in ages past.

Globally

The Anglican Communion is a global church and the third largest Christian body in the world. This means we are connected with brother and sister Anglicans around the globe – especially in the developing world where faith is vibrant and the church is growing rapidly. We are part of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). (See below.)

Beliefs

Anglicans affirm all basic Christian truths – that which has been believed everywhere, always, and by all. We recite the Nicene Creed together every week as the core of our faith. We have no distinctive doctrines we hold apart from other Christians. We have never claimed we are the one true or only church.

A Middle Way

Arising out of the Reformation, we share core principles and beliefs with the Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, and all Protestants. By retaining much of what has been handed down to us, we share much with the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and other ancient Churches. Anglicans have always sought to find a middle way among extremes. At CTR, we embody this by keeping Christ as our main focus without interference from political or theological agendas. We are a safe place to ask questions which lead to a deeper, fuller faith.

A Way of Life

Anglicans, then, are simply Christian. What defines us isn’t a set of particular doctrines. We are defined by a way of life: by praying and living the Book of Common Prayer, by worshipping together and receiving the Body of Christ in weekly Holy Communion, by loving and serving others as Christ loves us.

Scripture & Creeds

Anglican Christianity is unified by its center, not by its boundaries. In particular, the three creeds of the church (the Apostles’ Creed, Nicene Creed, and Athanasian Creed) constitute the core of Anglican belief. But what exactly is a creed? A creed is a brief statement of faith used to summarize Biblical teaching, clarify doctrinal points, and distinguish truth from error.

Holy Communion is the climax of our Sunday worship, when we come to receive from the Lord. It is a physical demonstration of our relationship with Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We believe that the presence of Christ is given to us in the bread and wine as we receive them in faith; however, the nature of Christ’s presence remains a mystery. All baptized Christians are welcome to receive communion at Church of The Resurrection regardless of denomination.

Anglicans Beliefs on Holy Communion

Baptism marks the beginning of a journey with God which continues for the rest of our lives. It is the first step in response to the love God makes known to us in Jesus Christ.

In Scripture, baptism has many meanings, including:

At Church of The Resurrection, in accordance with the history and practice of Christians since the earliest days, the practice of Baptism of “young children” is to be retained where parents (and godparents or sponsors) are willing and able, in all conscience, to:

This is better known as “Christian Family Baptism.” Scripturally, there is no such thing as “infant baptism.” It is our belief that casual (sometimes known as indiscriminate) Baptism, especially of young children, is inappropriate.

We also affirm and respect the preference of some parents who wish to leave the Baptism of their children until later years (this is entirely consistent with Scripture).

In the case of adults and older children who come for Baptism, we encourage, as far as is practically possible, Baptism by immersion. (The meaning of the Greek verb “baptizo” implies submersion in water, and it is probable that Jesus himself received the Baptism of John by this mode.)

If you are interested in Baptism for you or a family member, would like to know more about preparing for Baptism, or if you have questions or concerns – we would love to talk with you about it! Please contact Rev. Bill Steinberg.

What do Anglicans believe?

In one sense, Anglicans have no distinct beliefs of their own. Anglicans simply believe what Christians have espoused since the times of the historic creeds and councils. These essentials are what C. S. Lewis had in mind when he wrote Mere Christianity in order “to explain and defend the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times” (Mere Christianity [New York: Collier Books, 1952], vi.).

Since the earliest of times, Christians have believed the teachings of the Bible and recited the creeds during times of prayer and worship to remind them of the faith they professed, the faith handed down to the apostles and guarded by the church to the present day.

However, in another important sense, Anglicans do have a unique set of beliefs that embraces the best of the ancient Christian faith and the Protestant Reformation. In an article titled “Is There an ‘Anglican Understanding’ of the New Testament?” Professor Wesley Hill said the following about Anglican beliefs:

“Anglicans may be confident that they are adhering to the same apostolic teaching and inhabiting the same ecclesial order as their earliest forebears in the faith did. . . . We are distinctive precisely by aiming not to be distinctive. Our theology is the theology of the early church, the era of the Fathers, the best of the medieval world and the Reformation—all set decently on the table in our prayer book and other formularies.”

Rather than reinventing the faith, Anglicanism reminds us that we need to get back to the foundational truths of Christianity, back to orthodoxy. Perhaps this is why the late Rev. Billy Graham told his final biographer that if he were starting all over again, "I would be an evangelical Anglican."

Still Curious?

There are many great resources out there to help you learn more about Anglicanism. The first we would commend to you is the site for the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), of which we are a part.

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