What is the Anglican Faith?
As Anglicans, we are followers of Jesus Christ and his teachings as laid out in the Bible. We believe in the power of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We strive to love our neighbors as ourselves and respect the dignity of all persons. We celebrate our unity in Christ while honouring our differences, always emphasizing the power of love before uniformity of opinion.
Anglicans seek to live a God-centred life and follow the model that Jesus Christ taught to his disciples and want to help others to do the same.
A Welcoming Spiritual Path
Anglicans value their heritage of biblical faith, reason, liturgy, tradition and the rich variety of life in our community. We acknowledge that God is calling us to greater diversity of membership, wider participation in ministry and leadership, better stewardship in God’s creation and a stronger resolve in challenging attitudes and structures that cause injustice.
As Anglicans we are passionate about our communities and work together with a wide variety of local and national charities in following Christ’s example to help and advocate for those less fortunate. We believe in working hard to create a society that is based on Christian values, human rights, equality, and the dignity of the human person.
Anglican liturgy retains beautiful ancient structure and traditions and is celebrated in many languages.
Both men and women, including those who are married, are eligible for ordination as deacons, priests and bishops.
Holy Communion may be received by all baptized Christians, not only members of the Anglican Church.
A Brief History
Anglicanism originated in England, where it is known today as the Church of England.
The Church of England became independent from the Roman Catholic Church during the Reformation in the 16th century. Influenced by the Protestant Reformation at the time, the new English church moved to simplified rituals and introduced common liturgy, enabling services in English instead of Latin. While embracing change, the church preserved certain historical traditions, including the creeds of the early church and the succession of bishops all the way back to the first century apostles. Because of this unique history, Anglicanism is sometimes referred to as “Reformed Catholicism.”
The Anglican faith developed and spread outside England in two stages. Beginning in the 17th century, Anglicanism expanded globally to Canada, United States (where it is known today as the Episcopal Church), Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Later, in the eighteenth century, Anglican missionaries worked to establish churches in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Anglicans worldwide have common beliefs, practices, and ways of worship, which are expressed locally in a wide variety of languages and customs. The Anglican family worldwide now has more than 70 million members in 164 countries, and is known as the Anglican Communion.
The parishes, dioceses and provinces of the Anglican Communion are interdependent, supporting each other by sharing financial and other resources. While each national or regional church within the Communion is autonomous, the Archbishop of Canterbury is the spiritual head and the chief sign of its unity.
The Anglican Faith and You
You and your family are warmly invited to join us for shared worship and Christian community life.
When you attend a service at Christ Church you will see that prayer and communal experience are a central part of our worship. As an Anglican parish we make Eucharist (also known as Communion) a key part of most Sunday services, as is the sharing together of our time and faith as part of the larger Christian community.
We encourage you to spend time with us. Visit one of our Sunday morning services, or attend one of our holiday services throughout the year; you won’t be disappointed. Christ Church is a warm and welcoming Anglican community bringing together a diverse family of Christians who share their love of Jesus Christ and worship together each week.
All are welcome to find a spiritual home in the Anglican Church.