Church of England (Continuing)

The Church of England (Continuing) is part of the Continuing Anglican Movement. The church was founded in England on 10 February 1994 at a meeting chaired by David N. Samuel held at St Mary's, Castle Street, Reading, in reaction to the use of the Alternative Service Book and to the ordination of women. The church holds to the unmodified Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion of the Church of England and to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer which alone is used by its parishes for worship.

Although the church was widely discussed in Anglican circles at the time of its founding, it has not achieved significant growth since that time. The suggestion has been made that one reason for this may be the greater acceptance of vernacular worship and women clergy among younger Christians, many of whom would logically have come to the church through the evangelical movement.

Four congregations are listed by the church as of 2012

• St Mary's Church, Castle Street, Reading, Berkshire - minister, the Revd Edward J. Malcolm
• St John's Church, Colliers Wood, London, minister - the Revd Peter Ratcliff
• St Silas' Church, Wolverhampton - minister, the Rt Revd Edward Malcolm
• Holy Trinity Church, Frinton-on-Sea, minister, Phillip Lievesley

The first bishop of the church was the Rt Revd David Norman Samuel, now retired and assistant bishop. The current presiding bishop is the Rt Revd Edward Malcolm, minister of St Silas' Wolverhampton. In addition, the Revd John Shearer serves as a freelance minister and there are several lay readers and preachers.

The episcopal succession of the church is from the mother Church of England through the following lineage of bishops:

John Moore, Archbishop of Canterbury, who consecrated (4 February 1787) William White, who consecrated (31 October 1832) John Henry Hopkins, who consecrated (1 May 1867) Daniel Sylvester Tuttle, who conscrated (6 June 1911) James De Wolf Perry, who consecrated (14 October 1930) Henry Knox Sherrill, who consecrated (5 Aprril 1951) Arthur Carl Lichtenberger, who consecrated (1 October 1962) Albert Arthur Chambers, who consecrated (28 January 1978) Charles Dale David Doren, who consecrated (2 June 1984) Albion Williamson Knight, Jr., who consecrated (11 June 1995) David Norman Samuel, who consecrated (13 September 1998) Edward Malcolm.

The church holds an annual conference at Benson, Oxfordshire.

Since 2008 the church has regularly exhibited at the Christian Resources Exhibition at Esher, Surrey and elsewhere in England.

The church publishes a magazine called The Journal as well as other literature and books.

External links

• Official website