What is Anglicanism?

Anglicanism is the expression of the historic Christian faith that developed in England and that has been practiced by English-speaking people the world over for centuries. Today, the Anglican tradition is shared by people of many languages and cultures.

Anglicans regard the Holy Bible as the written Word of God and as the record of His revelation to humanity. This revelation is perfected and fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of God Himself, who became a human like us in real time and space to bring us back to God.

This work of redemption happens through His Church, which is the organic, visible society that our Lord founded through his Holy Apostles while still on earth and which was animated by the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Anglicans believe that salvation is not mainly a decision made on one’s own, but a life lived in fellowship in the “blessed company of all faithful people.”

In and by His Church the Lord pours out His grace most clearly through the Holy Sacraments, those “outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace.” The Sacrament of Holy Communion is for Anglicans the weekly Sunday celebration and is, in fact, the center of the whole Christian life. We take Jesus’ words “This is my Body, this is my Blood” seriously and believe that He is especially present among His people in the Bread and Wine of the Lord’s Supper.

This weekly (or sometimes even daily) celebration is our chief liturgy. Anglicans are liturgical; our order of worshiping God is uniform and made of forms that have been used since the very earliest days of the Church. This connects us both to our brethren who worship God on earth and those who worship Him in the heavens.

Anglicans seek not to conform Christ to their own image, but to be conformed to the image of Christ through His Word and Sacrament in His Holy Church.