The Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is a loose fellowship of autonomous churches (Provinces), united by historical ties to the Church of England, and held together by “Instruments of Communion” . Briefly, these are the Archbishop of Canterbury , the Lambeth Conference , the Primates’ Meeting , and the Anglican Consultative Council. It is important that none of these have any legislative authority over the member churches (Provinces), although there are continuing but resisted attempt to attribute such to one or more of them.
Anglican Beliefs
It has been noted that if you ask three Anglicans about doctrine you’ll get five different answers! (Visit this page and subpages forextensive details.) Anglicanism’s greatest strength - its willingness to tolerate a wide variety in Anglican faith and lifestyle - is also the thing that provokes the most debate among its practitioners. An absolute minimum ,of what it is to be "Church" is the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral, yet formally this is only an "opinion" of the Lambeth Conference of 1888.
Anglican heological method that has been described as balancing a three-legged (sometimes four-legged) stool. Underpinning any theological statement are Scripture, Tradition, and Reason and Experience. Holy Scripture is normative, but it is interpreted through the 2000-year tradition of the Church, as found in the historical Creeds and the decisions of Councils (particularly the first 6 ecumenical Councils of an “undivided” Church), and considering accepted science and the lived experience of Christians past and present. This is not however, “do-it-yourself” theology, it is a process of councils, local discussion groups, regional task forces, and wrestling with disagreements, which Anglicans believe allows the Holy Spirit to lead the Church to truth. It is messy, and sometimes not comfortable, but it is the Anglican Way of being Church. Bishop Desmond Tutu, asked what made the Anglican Communion stick together famously said, “We Meet!”
Anglican Orders of Ministry
All Christians are a part of the laos, commonly translated as the laity, but within that are persons set ordered, or ordained, to specialized functions which enable the whole Church to carry out its mission. Thus Anglicans have the historical three orders of ministry that one can find in Scripture, bishops, priests, and deacons.
Bishops are the guardians of the faith, and they are the chief pastors of other clergy and the laity of a a diocese (georgraphic region). They are chosen by different means in different provinces, but universally that process involves an election by laity and other clergy, and the agreement of other bishops. Bishops have the sole authority to ordain other Clergy. Bishops are also the ministers of Confirmation (a person taking responsibility for vows other madeat their baptism).
Priests are the delegate pastors of the bishop in a local area (parish) usually with at least one church. They teach, preach, and administer the sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Eucharist (Communion) as well as well officiate at Marriages, hear confession and absolve, anoint with oil for healing, and bless persons or objects. Priests are responsible for all worship services in their parish. They usually are responsible for the charitable and outreach work of their church, which is really the ministry of a deacon (see below), but as priests are also (and first) ordained deacons this merging of roles is acceptable.
Deacons are the service ministers of the church. The office of deacon originated in the selection of seven men by the apostles to assist with the charitable work of the early church (Acts, chapter 6). In Canadian Anglican practice “transitional” deacons are persons called to be priests, but following ancient practice are first ordained deacons, and work under the supervision for some time until ordained priests. “Vocational” deacons are persons who feel called to the service ministry of the church ). They are attached to a parish, often with a specified ministry, but also work in the world to earn an income. It is their duty to report to the church the concerns and needs of the world. Deacons also function liturgically by acting out their “serving” role by reading the Holy Gospel, preparing the altar for Communion,and dismissing the congregation at the end of worship to “Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord”.
Anglican Liturgy
The word liturgy derives from a Greek word leiturgia which can mean “work of the people” or “work for the people”. Coming together for worship is part of being Anglican (logically, you cannot be a solitary Anglican). Liturgy is “ordered”, that is, it has a structure that is agreed to by the whole church, although this does not mean rigidity. Anglicans are a “pragmatic” church, how we worship embodies what we believe. To understand Anglican theology of ordination one studies the sectionof our worship book called the “Ordinal”, if you ask about marriage, the “Service of Holy Matrimony” is the text to read.
Every Province in the Anglican Communion has an authorized book of worship services called “The Book of Common Prayer”, related, through a number of revisions to The Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England last revised in 1662. For various reasons there may also be one or more “alternative” books, which remain within the Prayer Book tradition but offer more variety in worship. It is probable that on any given Sunday there will not be two churches in the Communion with exactly the same liturgy, yet a visiting Anglican in any church would not find the liturgy totally unfamiliar.
Anglican Governance
The basic unit of “Church” within Anglicanism is a diocese under a bishop. There will also be a legislative body, generally called a “synod” that meets (usually) annually. In most dioceses all active clergy (priests and deacons) are members/delegates of synod, and each parish elects one or more laypersons to synod (based on parish size). Matters of any importance need to be passed by a majority in each of the clergy and laity (a vote by “houses”) and all need the “consent” of the bishop to pass. An Anglican diocese is episcopally (by a bishop) led and synodically governed.
Parishes are geographic areas within a diocese, with one or more churches, with a priest appointed by the bishop but selected by a defined process by the parish. The congregation of a church is responsible for all its own expenses and also for a portion of the diocesan budget. Parishes are responsible for raising and maintaining their buildings, but usually the title to real estate is held by the diocese, and purchases and sales require the consent of the diocese.
Any national organisation beyond the individual diocese is, in a sense, voluntary; the national church cannot “force” its laws (canons) on a diocese. But the national church (province) fulfils a useful function across a country or larger geographic area Provinces are led by a Primate (or equivalent title) and governed by provincial synod whose members are elected by diocesan synods to “houses” of laity and clergy, with all bishops of province forming a house of bishops. For some matters the provincial synods votes en masse, for other by houses, and for some important matters may require a super-majority in each house. A primary concern is the ordering of liturgy; thus prayer books, alternative prayer book, and trial liturgies are dealt with at the provincial level. Others may be clergy discipline, standards for matrimony, mobility of clergy between dioceses, education and selection of clergy candidates, and pension and benefits plans for clergy and other church employees. Nevertheless, the diocesan bishops and synods remain independent, and may or may not adopt decisions and structures made at the national level.
The Anglican Church of Canada
We are a Province within the Anglican Communion, led by a Primate and governed by a General Synod, which meets every three years. We are a rarity among other Anglican Provinces in that we have a detached primacy; our Primate is not a diocesan bishop, although elected from among all active bishops. The national offices are in Toronto, and the Primate resides in that city, but has no cathedral, nor churches.
Internally, we are further divided into four internal Provinces; going from east to west, Canada, roughly everything east of the Ontario/Quebec border; Ontario, roughly contiguous with the civil Province; Rupert’s Land, the Prairie Provinces and Nunavut and the North-West Territories; British Columbia and Yukon, contiguous with the civil province and territory.
Our beliefs can best be found here; other tabs on that page can be used to find information on much of our Canadian church.
We use two prayer books, The Book of Common Prayer-Canada (1962) which is in continuity with the English book, and uses language common in the mid 17th century, and The Book of Alternative Services, which uses contemporary English (of the later 20th century) and liturgical structures which are actually earlier than The Book of Common Prayer and more closely resemble liturgical practice before the Reformations (European and English).
The Anglican Church of Canada is in full communion with The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. This is not a merger, but in practical terms means full interchangeabilty of clergy, and the possibility of joining together of congregations from both churches with clergy from either or both.