Anglican
Reformed and Catholic
What's an Anglican?
The Anglican Faith is the Christian Faith that took root in Britain in the first and second centuries, established in the fifth century under St. Anselm of Canterbury, and under went the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. As such, the Anglican was considered catholic and reformed. Today, there is no single Anglican expression. Like most denominations, it has been affected by modern impulses to move away from the authority of scripture and traditional standards of orthodoxy. Trinity Anglican Church is part of a world-wide body of Anglican Churches often referred to as "Continuing Anglicans", who remain faithful to traditional Biblical teaching and orthodoxy.
At the Reformation, Anglicanism adopted the many of the tenets of the Reformation, especially the primacy of scripture. However, the English reformers also understood the need to read the scriptures with the insights of the earliest Christians. Consequently, the Bible is our primary source of authority together with what has been believed and practiced by the majority of Christians throughout history.
Anglicans translated the King James Version of the Holy Bible, composed a vast and beautifully rich hymnody, and compiled the Book of Common Prayer. Our Prayer Book is our standard of worship and is comprised of Holy Scripture, the psalms, and prayers. Throughout the world, a thousand new people embrace the Anglican tradition each day.
Leading writers such as C.S. Lewis, John Stott, Oz Guinness, and N.T. Wright all share a common Anglican heritage. Our clergy maintain high standards of education, training and commitment. You will hear expository sermons teaching the great Christian truths, and experience a rich tradition of prayer.
Anglicans translated the King James Version of the Holy Bible, composed a vast and beautifully rich hymnody, and compiled the Book of Common Prayer. Our Prayer Book is our standard of worship and is comprised of Holy Scripture, the psalms, and prayers. Throughout the world, a thousand new people embrace the Anglican tradition each day.
Leading writers such as C.S. Lewis, John Stott, Oz Guinness, and N.T. Wright all share a common Anglican heritage. Our clergy maintain high standards of education, training and commitment. You will hear expository sermons teaching the great Christian truths, and experience a rich tradition of prayer.
Classical Anglican Worship
First, a word about traditional worship. The shape of traditional liturgical worship comes to us from Israel and the early church. Early Christians combined the scripture reading and commentary familiar to synagogue services and joined them with the newly instituted "love feast", or Holy Communion.
Entering into liturgical worship is like entering a new culture. It takes time to lean it and feel comfortable, but the rewards are great. Traditional worship requires more from you than contemporary worship, which is emotional in its appeal. It appeals to our preferences. That's not entirely a bad thing, but it does set up a dynamic where you are always looking for a spiritual "high" from singing. Traditional worship asks much more of you. It requires to to practice being present to God as the service moves between hymns and prayers. You cannot be passive. We think this is a good thing, because it teaches you how to practice being in the presence of God. Worship is a training ground in this sense, because what you cannot do in a worship service you certainly will struggle to do out in the world. The ultimate aim of worship is to make us holy more than making us momentarily happy or satisfied.
Entering into liturgical worship is like entering a new culture. It takes time to lean it and feel comfortable, but the rewards are great. Traditional worship requires more from you than contemporary worship, which is emotional in its appeal. It appeals to our preferences. That's not entirely a bad thing, but it does set up a dynamic where you are always looking for a spiritual "high" from singing. Traditional worship asks much more of you. It requires to to practice being present to God as the service moves between hymns and prayers. You cannot be passive. We think this is a good thing, because it teaches you how to practice being in the presence of God. Worship is a training ground in this sense, because what you cannot do in a worship service you certainly will struggle to do out in the world. The ultimate aim of worship is to make us holy more than making us momentarily happy or satisfied.
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It is Biblical.
Our faith is anchored in the authority of the Holy Bible. The Book of Common Prayer we use today was first produced at the time of the Reformation, with the intent that it should draw heavily from the Bible. Many of the prayers in it are derived from the Bible, we read from the Scriptures each week, and our sermons are always Biblical.
It is Sacramental.
The Sacraments connect us with God in a mystical and powerful way, both communicating to us God's favor and imparting to us a spiritual gift of grace. Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Communion, marriage, Confession, and even anointing with oil, are sacraments that heal and change us. Sacramental churches believe that there is a real inward and spiritual grace given with these things.
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It is Liturgical.
The word "Liturgy" refers to a form of prayer and worship offered in service to God that is common to a group of people. In a way, every church has some sort of liturgy, the question is if it bears any resemblance to what the early Christians knew. Our liturgical tradition is ancient. A good liturgy reinforces Christ-centered prayer, sound doctrine, and spiritual formation. The Book of Common Prayer preserves the ancient forms of worship common to all early Western Christians.
It is Mystical.
God is a great and profound mystery, in Latin "Mysterium Tremendum". This means that God is beyond our ability to rationally take Him all in. He is far beyond us, and yet He has made Himself known to us in His Son, Jesus. But how can we worship God and perceive him with words alone? Classical Christian Worship enters this great mystery with ritual, ceremony, symbols, smells, sights, sounds, words, all to conveying together what words alone cannot express. Classical worship is richer and more human than much of what passes for music today.
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Each of these aspects of worship help shape our vision of God. After a time we are changed by them, as if we were frequent visitors to another culture, the culture of heaven. We have come to see that this sort of worship is transformational on a deeper level. It also calls us to cultivate a truer and deeper Christian life. Come for a while and see.
Anglican Church of America
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We are a parish of the Anglican Church in America (ACA) and a member of the Diocese of the Northeast . The ACA is a Province of the worldwide Traditional Anglican Communion, which is in over 40 countries.
The Anglican Church of America, as part of the Traditional Anglican Communion worldwide, is one of several Anglican jurisdictions intent on preserving orthodox teaching, Our mission is to preach the saving gospel of Jesus Christ and continue to practice and believe as it has been handed down in the English tradition of orthodox and apostolic Christianity. |
Anglicans, The Episcopal Church, and Canterbury
Anglicanism, like many of the churches in the West, are experiencing a time of great upheaval. This has led many Anglicans to separate from others over issues of fidelity to the Faith as it has been handed down. Some Anglicans, like those represented by The Episcopal Church, have in large part rejected classical understandings of Holy Scripture, diminish catholic faith and order, and are fixated on issues of human sexuality rather than the gospel.
"Continuing Anglicans" are those who have separated from such institutions in order to maintain catholic faith and order and hold traditionally orthodox positions. On October 6th 2017 four of the Continuing Anglican churches; the Anglican Church in America, the Anglican Catholic Church, the Anglican Province of America, and the Diocese of the Holy Cross signed a document declaring "communio in sacris", meaning that they fully recognize each other to be orthodox and catholic jurisdictions sharing the same faith, sacraments, holy orders and apostolic succession. In the coming years these four groups will merge into one church. This means that there are hundreds of orthodox Anglican churches around the United States that are in communion with each other, sharing resources, sacraments and faith.
"Continuing Anglicans" are those who have separated from such institutions in order to maintain catholic faith and order and hold traditionally orthodox positions. On October 6th 2017 four of the Continuing Anglican churches; the Anglican Church in America, the Anglican Catholic Church, the Anglican Province of America, and the Diocese of the Holy Cross signed a document declaring "communio in sacris", meaning that they fully recognize each other to be orthodox and catholic jurisdictions sharing the same faith, sacraments, holy orders and apostolic succession. In the coming years these four groups will merge into one church. This means that there are hundreds of orthodox Anglican churches around the United States that are in communion with each other, sharing resources, sacraments and faith.
What we Believe
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Helpful Links
The Anglican Church in America,
Diocese of the Northeast
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