What is Anglicanism?
In the 1840’s The Church of the Holy Apostles was begun in Barnwell as a mission of St Michael’s Parish in Charleston. With the exception of a few years during the Civil War, Holy Apostles has faithfully worshipped God for the past 170 years, mostly as a member of The
Episcopal Church and now part of the Anglican Church in North America. I have been the priest here since October of 2020.
One thing I have discovered is that people not raised in the Anglican tradition, do not know who we are or what we believe. My wife of 29 years, raised Baptist, said before she met me she was not sure that Episcopalians/Anglicans were Christians. So exactly what do Anglicans believe?
First, Anglicans believe that the Old and New Testaments, the Bible, is the inspired word of God to his people. It is not just an historic document written by men about God. It was written by men, but through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It reveals who God is, his character, his love for his creation, and his plan for our redemption. Second, Anglicans believe that Jesus Christ is God the Father’s only begotten Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, and the only way to eternal life. He is not just a great teacher, he is fully human and divine. He was born of a virgin, died on the cross for our sins and was raised to life on the third day. He has defeated sin, death, and the devil. He is enthroned with the Father now, but he will come again. We believe the Holy Spirit is active in the world and in the life of every born-again, baptized, believer.
Our order of worship is first of all Bible based, and observes the traditions of both the Jewish synagogues and the New Testament churches. Our typical Sunday worship has selected oral readings from the Old Testament, the Psalms, the Epistles, and the Gospels. A sermon follows usually expanding on one or more of the lessons, with the goal of relating something written thousands of years ago with life today. Following the sermon, most of our congregations participate in spoken prayer for the world and ourselves. Last we celebrate the Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper. We believe that it is important to follow the faith that we have received from those who have gone before us, beginning with the Apostles and the New Testament church through the centuries to today. Acts 2:42 “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
Is Anglicanism the only good way to worship our Lord? Absolutely not! For many today, it may seem like a different and unusual way when compared to large community churches which often focus on praise music and preaching. For most of the past two thousand years, our form of worship has been the norm, and not the exception. If one wants to know what an Anglican believes, then one should look at Anglican worship, centered on Jesus Christ and Scripture. It may seem different to many folks, but for those of us who practice it, it is a rich in theology, history, and tradition. And most importantly—it is Christian. Come and see!
The Reverend Doctor William (Bill) Clarkson
