Anglicanism In A Nutshell
The Anglican Church in North America unites 134,000 Anglicans in 1,062 congregations across the United States, Canada, and Mexico into a single Church. On April 16, 2009 it was recognized as a province of the global Anglican Communion, by the Primates of the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans.
The Most Rev. Dr. Foley Beach is the Archbishop of the Church.
Even more curious? See the FAQs below.
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WHO ARE WE?
First and foremost, Anglicans are Christians.
Globally, Anglicans form the third largest body of Christians in the world (around 80 million members).
WHAT'S WITH THE NAME?
The name “Anglican” is traced back to an ancient Anglo-Saxon tribe of Europe, spelled “Engles” or “Angles.” The tribe’s speech was the precursor to the English language. Their island became known as "England," and the local Christians were known as "Anglicans." (The name has nothing to do with “angels.”)
WHERE ARE WE?
Everywhere. As the English language spread with the British empire, so did Anglicanism. Wherever they went they brought their faith with them. Many Anglicans traveled as missionaries to share the Gospel and today Anglican churches exist in over 165 countries - most of us in Africa - and exceed 35 million. Demographics shifted dramatically. While Christians from Britain, the United States, Canada, and Australia continue to play an important role, the “average” Anglican today is a young woman from Sub-Saharan Africa.
THREE STREAMS?
Our ethos holds together three streams of the Church in a balanced unity:
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Traditional (we look "catholic" when we do church)
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Evangelical (we preach we are saved by grace and promote a personal relationship with Jesus Christ)
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Charismatic (we embrace the Person of the Holy Spirit, his gifts and presence in our life).
Our worship is diverse, but best understood by simply visiting a local congregation. Our common activities of worship finds expression through the Prayer Book. To understand what and how Anglicans pray is to understand what they believe. The Prayer Book, described as "Scriptures arranged for worship," provides helpful resources for everything from personal daily devotions to large public gatherings of worship. It includes prayers for every season of life and has a rich history that keeps us - and fellow Anglicans from all around the world - all on the same page.
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Further below are two videos. One is how we got the prayer book (who "wrote it" it and why), the other speaks to "words," and why they matter in this day and age.
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MAY I READ YOUR THEOLOGY?
We operate from a Biblically orthodox theology. To read and/or download a copy of To Be A Christian (The Anglican Catechism) click here.
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The Anglican Compass is a website with many articles on just about every facet of our church. Here.
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Here's a bit of how we do church. This isn't OUR church, but it will give you a feel of what we are about.