The word “Anglican” means “English”, hence “Anglican Church” means “Church of England.” The English church broke away from the Roman Catholic Church in the early part of the 16th Century. Although this is often attributed to the desire of King Henry the VIII to obtain a divorce, there was much more in play, and God used all of it for good. Unlike the Continental Reformation going on at the same time in Europe, the English church was able to make reforms without jettisoning many of the traditions of the church.
Often today the Anglican Faith is called “Reformed Catholicism.” The most well known result of the English Reformation is the King James Bible (still in print almost half a millennium later) but there are many others, such as the Book of Common Prayer (BCP). Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury, thought it necessary to compile a prayer book for the common man who didn’t understand Latin. We still rely heavily on the BCP today, particulary the 1662 edition. The historic wedding service in the West comes right out of the BCP. Today the Anglican Church is all over the world, with more than 60 million members.
Churches are given quite a bit of freedom within ACNA to follow what the Lord asked them to do, following the guidelines set forth in our beliefs, but here is what that looks like at Anglican Church of the Ascension.
- We are first and foremost, evangelical. We hold to the tenants of the Protestant Reformation, such as justification by faith, the scripture as the ultimate authority and the other “solas.” We say “ultimate” rather than “sole” as we acknowledge many sources of authority in the church (clergy, councils, creeds, tradition, etc.) but the Holy Scriptures trump them all.
- Secondly, we are sacramental. We believe that sacraments are more than just symbols; they are an essential part of the Christian life. All baptized believers are welcome to partake of the Lord’s Table, which we celebrate every Sunday.
- Thirdly, we are catholic with a small “c”, which simply means “universal.” We hold to many traditions and worship practices that go all the way back to the early church such as liturgy. This means we have a very set order for worship. It also means we follow a calendar with set feasts and seasons, such as Lent, Eastertide, Advent, Christmas, and of course Ascension!
- Lastly, we are charismatic, which means we believe the sign gifts were not limited to the first century, but are still in effect today.
Please contact us with any questions!