Continuing Anglican movement: Difference between revisions
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{{Continuing Anglican}} |
{{Continuing Anglican}} |
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'''Continuing Anglican''' refers to a number of [[Christianity|Christian]] churches that follow what they believe to be the traditional [[Anglicanism|Anglican]] beliefs, values and styles of worship that many |
'''Continuing Anglican''' refers to a number of [[Christianity|Christian]] churches that follow what they believe to be the traditional [[Anglicanism|Anglican]] beliefs, values and styles of worship that many older Anglican churches, including [[The Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal]], no longer hold, such as male only clergy, pro-life values and traditional theology. The movement began in the 1970s when the Episcopal Church in the United States first ordained women and produced a new Book of Common Prayer. Since then, changes within the mainline Episcopal Church, such as the Episcopal Church's ordination of open homosexuals to the priesthood and the episcopate, has further distanced the Continuing churches from their older counterparts. |
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The movement represents approximately 667 parishes across approximately 20 different continuing churches. |
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Many Continuing churches use the term ''Anglican'' in the United States to differentiate themselves from the Episcopal Church, but this has been controversial because ''Anglican'' formerly referred to churches in [[communion]] with the [[Church of England]] and the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]]. Since Continuing Anglicans believe that the archbishop - and many of those churches in communion with the archbishop - have departed from orthodox Christian faith, none of the Continuing churches are in direct communion with the archbishop or seek to be in communion with him. A few, however, have established communion with member provinces or dioceses of the [[Anglican Communion]], which themselves are in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury. |
Many Continuing churches use the term ''Anglican'' in the United States to differentiate themselves from the Episcopal Church, but this has been controversial because ''Anglican'' formerly referred to churches in [[communion]] with the [[Church of England]] and the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]]. Since Continuing Anglicans believe that the archbishop - and many of those churches in communion with the archbishop - have departed from orthodox Christian faith, none of the Continuing churches are in direct communion with the archbishop or seek to be in communion with him. A few, however, have established communion with member provinces or dioceses of the [[Anglican Communion]], which themselves are in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury. |
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==Theological approach== |
==Theological approach== |
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The continuing churches are generally [[Anglo-Catholic]] and their liturgies more [[high church]] than [[low church]]. |
The continuing churches are generally [[Anglo-Catholic]] and their liturgies more [[high church]] than [[low church]]. Most Continuing Churches use the 1928 [[Book of Common Prayer]] for their services. This book preceded the prayer book adopted by ECUSA in 1979, although some use Missals and other forms. Most use of the [[Authorized Version]] of Holy Scripture (also known as the [[King James Version]]), as opposed to modern translations for public readings. |
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Most Continuing Churches use the 1928 [[Book of Common Prayer]] for their services. This book preceded the prayer book adopted by ECUSA in 1979, although some use Missals and other forms. Most use of the [[Authorized Version]] of Holy Scripture (also known as the [[King James Version]]), as opposed to modern translations for public readings. |
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The principles of the Affirmation of St. Louis and, to a lesser extent, the [[Thirty-nine Articles]] of Religion provide some basis for unity in the movement, but the jurisdictions are numerous and often splinter and recombine. |
The principles of the [[Affirmation of St. Louis]] and, to a lesser extent, the [[Thirty-nine Articles]] of Religion provide some basis for unity in the movement, but the jurisdictions are numerous and often splinter and recombine. |
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Reports put the number of jurisdictions at somewhere between 20 and 40, mostly in [[North America]], but fewer than a dozen of the churches popularly called "[[continuing church]]es" can be traced back to the meeting in St. Louis. The 2005/06 ''Directory of Traditional Anglican and Episcopal Parishes'', published by The Fellowship of Concerned Churchmen, contained information on over 400 Continuing Anglican parishes which requested to be listed. |
Reports put the number of jurisdictions at somewhere between 20 and 40, mostly in [[North America]], but fewer than a dozen of the churches popularly called "[[continuing church]]es" can be traced back to the meeting in St. Louis. The 2005/06 ''Directory of Traditional Anglican and Episcopal Parishes'', published by The Fellowship of Concerned Churchmen, contained information on over 400 Continuing Anglican parishes which requested to be listed. |
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Revision as of 16:26, 31 October 2008
Continuing Anglican refers to a number of Christian churches that follow what they believe to be the traditional Anglican beliefs, values and styles of worship that many older Anglican churches, including Episcopal, no longer hold, such as male only clergy, pro-life values and traditional theology. The movement began in the 1970s when the Episcopal Church in the United States first ordained women and produced a new Book of Common Prayer. Since then, changes within the mainline Episcopal Church, such as the Episcopal Church's ordination of open homosexuals to the priesthood and the episcopate, has further distanced the Continuing churches from their older counterparts.
Continuing churches have generally been formed by Anglicans or Episcopalians who left the mainstream churches in the Anglican Communion because they believe those churches departed from scriptural, historical, and orthodox Christianity.
Many Continuing churches use the term Anglican in the United States to differentiate themselves from the Episcopal Church, but this has been controversial because Anglican formerly referred to churches in communion with the Church of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury. Since Continuing Anglicans believe that the archbishop - and many of those churches in communion with the archbishop - have departed from orthodox Christian faith, none of the Continuing churches are in direct communion with the archbishop or seek to be in communion with him. A few, however, have established communion with member provinces or dioceses of the Anglican Communion, which themselves are in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Anglicanism in general has always been a balance between the emphases of Catholicism and Protestantism. Clergy and laity from both of those factions were active in the formation of the Continuing Anglican movement. The issues that most contributed to the founding of the "continuing churches" were the approval by ECUSA of women priests and the introduction of revised prayer books.
Development
The movement originated in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America (ECUSA) and the Anglican Church of Canada. Related churches in other countries, such as the Anglican Catholic Church in Australia and the Church of England (Continuing), were founded later.
In 1976, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America (ECUSA) voted to approve the ordination of women to the priesthood and to the episcopate and also provisionally adopted a new and doctrinally controversial Book of Common Prayer, later called the 1979 version. During the following year, 1977, several thousand dissenting clergy and laypersons responded to those actions by meeting in St. Louis, Missouri under the auspices of the Fellowship of Concerned Churchmen and adopted a theological statement, the Affirmation of St. Louis [1]. The Affirmation expressed a determination "to continue in the Catholic Faith, Apostolic Order, Orthodox Worship and Evangelical Witness of the traditional Anglican Church, doing all things necessary for the continuance of the same."
Out of this meeting came a new church with the provisional name of Anglican Church in North America (Episcopal). The first bishop of the church, the Right Reverend Charles Doren, was consecrated by a retired bishop of ECUSA, the Right Reverend Albert Chambers, along with Bishop Francisco Pagtakhan of the Philippine Independent Church as co-consecrator. Although expected to be the third bishop participating in Doren's consecration, the Right Reverend Mark Pae of the Anglican Church of Korea sent a letter of consent instead. The newly-consecrated Bishop Doren then joined with Bishops Chambers and Pagtakhan in consecrating as bishops the Reverend James Mote, the Reverend Robert Morse, and the Reverend Francis Watterson. Bishop Watterson left the movement shortly afterward and became a Roman Catholic priest.
During the process of ratifying the new church's constitution, disputes developed which split its dioceses into two American churches and a separate Canadian church. These were the Anglican Catholic Church led by Bishop Mote, the Diocese of Christ the King (now the Anglican Province of Christ the King) led by Bishop Morse, and the Anglican Catholic Church of Canada. In 1981, Bishop Doren and others left the Anglican Catholic Church to found the United Episcopal Church of North America in opposition to the alleged inhospitality of the other jurisdictions towards Low Churchmen.
Theological approach
The continuing churches are generally Anglo-Catholic and their liturgies more high church than low church. Most Continuing Churches use the 1928 Book of Common Prayer for their services. This book preceded the prayer book adopted by ECUSA in 1979, although some use Missals and other forms. Most use of the Authorized Version of Holy Scripture (also known as the King James Version), as opposed to modern translations for public readings.
The principles of the Affirmation of St. Louis and, to a lesser extent, the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion provide some basis for unity in the movement, but the jurisdictions are numerous and often splinter and recombine.
Reports put the number of jurisdictions at somewhere between 20 and 40, mostly in North America, but fewer than a dozen of the churches popularly called "continuing churches" can be traced back to the meeting in St. Louis. The 2005/06 Directory of Traditional Anglican and Episcopal Parishes, published by The Fellowship of Concerned Churchmen, contained information on over 400 Continuing Anglican parishes which requested to be listed.
Other Anglican churches
Other Anglican bodies not in communion with Canterbury include the Reformed Episcopal Church (REC) in the United States, which left the Episcopal Church in 1873 in opposition to the advance of Anglo-Catholicism; the Free Church of England, which was founded in 1844 for similar reasons; the Anglican Orthodox Church, another Low Church body that was founded in 1963, and the Orthodox Anglican Communion founded in 1967.
These churches are not always considered to be Continuing Anglican churches, although the REC has recently moved to associate itself more closely with them by entering into agreements with a number of Continuing churches such as the Anglican Province of America. Both of them also have formal agreements in place with several provinces of the Anglican Communion that have been critical of ECUSA. See Anglican realignment.
List of churches
The following is a list of churches commonly called "Continuing Anglican", with the approximate number of North American parishes shown in parentheses. Some also have affiliated churches in other countries.
- American Anglican Church. (12)
- Anglican Catholic Church. (93)
- Anglican Catholic Church of Canada. (42)
- Anglican Churches of America. (2)
- Anglican Church in America. (100)
- Anglican Church of Virginia. (8)
- Anglican Episcopal Church. (4)
- Anglican Orthodox Church. (7)
- Anglican Province of America. (103)
- Anglican Province of Christ the King. (44)
- Christian Episcopal Church. (5)
- Diocese of the Great Lakes. (5)
- Diocese of the Holy Cross (21)
- Episcopal Missionary Church. (30)
- Holy Catholic Church (Anglican Rite). (25)
- Holy Catholic Church-Western Rite (2)
- Orthodox Anglican Church. (12)
- Reformed Episcopal Church. (137)
- Southern Episcopal Church. (3)
- United Anglican Church. (10)
- United Episcopal Church of North America. (22)
List of seminaries
The following is a list of seminaries associated with the Continuing Anglican movement:
USA
- with a branch, Andrewes Hall (Phoenix, Arizona)
- Cummins Memorial Seminary (Charleston, South Carolina)
- Reformed Episcopal Seminary (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
- St. Andrew's Theological College and Seminary (Lexington, North Carolina)
- St. Joseph of Arimathea Anglican Theological College (Berkeley, California)
Licensed outside USA
Further reading
- Divided We Stand: A History of the Continuing Anglican Movement by Douglas Bess, Tractarian Press, 2002, ISBN 0-9719636-0-6. Revised edition, Apocryphile Press, September 2006, ISBN 1-933993-10-3
External links
- List of churches not in the Anglican Communion, at anglicansonline.org. Includes weblinks for most of the Continuing Anglican churches, some churches now defunct.
- The Measure of A Bishop: The Episcopi Vagantes, Apostolic Succession, and the Legitimacy of the Anglican "Continuing Church" Movement. A master's degree thesis, written by a student at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, containing historical information on Continuing Anglican and related churches.