The Anglican Province of America is an Anglican Church, which means she is a part or branch of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church founded by Jesus Christ our Lord. The Church is the Body of Christ, the Divine Family, of which Our Lord is the Head and all the Baptized are the members - and in which Bishops, Priests and Deacons minister and the Sacraments are given. The Anglican Church is the Catholic Church founded by Jesus Christ and found in Great Britain, the United States, and other English-speaking countries. Anglicans are Catholics who belong to the English Church.
The Church founded by Our Lord has the Faith, Order and Sacraments which Jesus Christ gave to the Twelve Apostles. The Anglican Church receives from Christ the same teaching, ministry and Sacraments that He gave to the Apostles. The Anglican Church is an episcopal Church, which means 'Church of Bishops.' The Anglican Church is governed, that is, led, by men called Bishops. The word Bishop means 'overseer' or 'supervisor.' Bishops have the exact same ministry which Jesus gave to the Apostles. The Bishops are the Apostles of Jesus Christ today. Only Bishops can ordain other Bishops. Only Bishops can ordain Priests and Deacons. Only Bishops give Confirmation. The Apostles handed down their authority to teach, govern, and bless to the Bishops. The Bishops of the Church are the Successors of the Apostles. The Bishops of the Anglican Church descend directly from the ancient Church. The Body of Jesus Christ, the Catholic Church, always has Bishops as its leaders. The Catholic Church is present only where Bishops lead. No Bishop, no Church.
The Anglican Province of America, because she is an Anglican Church, has received her Bishops, Ministry and Sacraments from the English Church. 'Anglican' means 'English' or 'British.' The Anglican Church comes from England, where the Church is called the Church of England. The faith, teaching and worship of the Anglican Church originally come from the Church of England. Our Bishops have an English Succession, meaning that the Bishops who consecrated our Bishops originally came from Great Britain.
The service book which contains all the essential services or liturgies of the Anglican Church is called The Book of Common Prayer. 'Liturgy' means 'work of the people.' All true Anglican Churches use the Book of Common Prayer, which was created in 1549.
The Book of Common Prayer takes all of the ancient services of the early Church and translates them into beautiful English. Each Anglican Church in each country has its own government, with the right to draw up its own constitution (the document which it uses to govern itself) and to create or revise its own Book of Common Prayer. All true Anglican Churches recognise that the faith and doctrine of Christ's Holy Catholic Church is best expressed in the Book of Common Prayer. The Prayer Book is the chief bond which has always held Anglicans together as the Church.
The Anglican Church is part of the Catholic Church because she has kept what is called Apostolic Succession. Together with the Faith of the Church found in Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition, and with the Seven Sacraments, Apostolic Succession is necessary for the Church's life and ministry.
What is essential to Anglican belief?
Anglicans share with the whole Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ:
1. The Holy Scriptures: The 39 Books of the Old Testament, the 27 Books of the New Testament, and at least 7 Books of the Apocrypha.
2. The Three Creeds: The Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Creed of Saint Athanasius (the Athanasian).
3. The Seven Holy Sacraments:
a. The two Greater or Dominical Sacraments of the Gospel: Holy Baptism and the Holy Eucharist or Holy Communion.
b. The five Lesser Sacraments: Confirmation, Holy Orders, Matrimony, Penance and Unction of the Sick.
4. The Apostolic Ministry of Bishops, Priests and Deacons.
Our succession of Bishops ordained by Bishops right back to the Apostles is a lifeline that hands-down and safeguards the teaching, faith, ministry and Sacraments of Jesus Christ. Apostolic Succession means that the Bishops, Priests and Deacons of the Church can trace their ordinations in a direct line, a chain, straight back to Our Lord and the Apostles. Apostolic Succession is the authority and commission of Christ which guarantees that the Sacraments convey grace. Men ordained in Apostolic Succession act not in their own name or power, but in the Name and power of Christ, who gives them His power in Ordination. Only Bishops, Priests and Deacons act in Christ's Name in this way. We call this the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
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