Anglican Distinctives
“Show us some truth in the Bible that we are not teaching, and we will teach it; show us something we are teaching that is denied in the Bible, and we will stop teaching it.” This was the oft-quoted summary that renowned missionary bishop Stephen Neill claimed distilled the essence of Anglican theology. It has no special feature of its own. It is simply the Christianity of the Bible, pure and simple, as it has been received through the history of the English people. What is distinctively Christian should describe Anglicanism.

The English Reformation of the sixteenth century is seen by some as a massive disturbance in the unfolding story of English church and national life. The church—its doctrines, liturgy, legal standing, and international relationships—experienced profound change.

But the title has stuck: this was a reformation, one that many were persuaded was necessary because of a significant drift from gospel truth.

Much has been made of the political aspects of this story, together with the matrimonial issues facing Henry VIII. These should not obscure the realization that England, in common with much of Europe, was experiencing a revival in religion. Continental leaders like Luther, Zwingli, and later, Calvin, all made their mark on the English church.

The direction, though not without its critics, was clear: The authority of the Roman church was cast off. A liturgy in the common tongue was promoted. A teaching rooted in apostolic doctrine through the Bible was upheld. A preaching ministry or priesthood learned in the Scriptures was provided. And all of this was done with the intent of enabling the people of the nation of England to find a personal faith and live together in accord with the gospel.

Thomas Cranmer and his colleagues had a vision for a nation united in common worship and corporate allegiance to Christ, achieved through a new emphasis on the ministry of the Word. In contrast to some more radical expressions of reformation seen elsewhere, the English or Anglican Reformation generally resisted extremes. Cranmer and others worked hard to establish a generous principle of reform: “If something in church practice is not forbidden in Scripture, we are free to retain it.” This proved a more helpful approach in national life than the more severe: “we will permit in church life only what is enjoined in Scripture.”

By the time of Elizabeth I, a Protestant expression of faith was enshrined in the (eventually) 39 Articles of Religion, The Prayer Book, and The Ordinal (regulations for ordination). The reformation retained the succession of the historic ministry of bishops, priests, and deacons; and taught an approach to church life based clearly on the authority of the Bible and such traditional practices that the Scriptures do not deny, bound up for mutual benefit with the life of the nation. It is this Elizabethan settlement that has guided our progress over the years. Succeeding centuries have witnessed the impact of the English Civil War and the Restoration (17th), the Evangelical Revival and growth of the Missionary Societies (18th), and the rise of the Oxford movement and Anglo-Catholicism (19th).

The most recent feature has been the emergence of the international Anglican partnership, as missionary churches have matured and taken their place on the world stage alongside the older colonial churches. In a real sense, the Anglican Communion itself is the latest development. Implicit in the worldwide growth of churches related to the Church of England, the Anglican family has had international institutions only since 1868, when the first Lambeth Conference of bishops was held—the Anglican Consultative Council and the Meeting of Primates date only from late in the 20th Century. The Anglican Communion as a self-conscious body is recent realization, but one emerging from a clear tradition of commitment and life, owning several corporate distinctives. It is to these we now turn.

Biblical
Our first distinctive, then, is that we are a proudly biblical church. The authority of the Scriptures is as clearly established in Anglicanism’s foundational documents as in any church; and even today, it is these foundational documents to which the Archbishop of Canterbury assents when he assumes his office. They guide us in the ways we are to interpret Scripture. Our liturgy is biblical. We clearly expect to read through the Scriptures and hear the Bible taught and explained. At ordination, our ministers are symbolically presented with copies of the Scriptures as a sign that they are to read, obey, preach, and to enable lay people to read and obey, the Bible. Our history shows that when we are closest to the Scriptures, both the church and national life prosper. When questions of importance arise, our foundational understanding is that the considered teaching of the Bible shall be decisive.

Liturgical
We acknowledge that we are a distinctively liturgical church. Dom Gregory Dix described Cranmer’s order for Holy Communion as an admirable attempt to frame the Eucharist around the doctrine of justification by faith. Though he was not meaning that as a compliment, this order has nourished and instructed generations for the gospel. We acknowledge our sins as “provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against us.” The cross of Jesus Christ is presented as “the full perfect and sufficient sacrifice, oblation and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world.” We receive the sacrament with the words, “The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ that was given for you, preserve your Body and soul unto everlasting life. Take and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your heart by faith with thanksgiving.” The best practice gives worshippers a balance of Word and Sacrament, both proclaiming the gospel. Today, even when many have moved to revised services that sometimes incorporate questionable elements, it is difficult to extinguish the gospel message. Yet more people experience the church around the world through Morning and Evening Prayer, which also take their origin in Cranmer’s reworking of existing texts. These services have presented the ancient principles of worship, Scripture and prayer, in a way that has formed countless lives through generations. Also, the lectionary readings and collects bring us to the Bible and prayer in a theologically profound manner, and enable a personal encounter for spiritual strengthening.

Pastoral
The third distinctive is that we are a practically pastoral church. Services of baptism, marriage, and burial provide a biblical framework for pastoral interaction at key points in individuals’ lives. The Anglican church expects (even demands) a community life to work successfully: the parish system in England with the provision for a local resident leader, the corporate assumption for worship, the rise of vestries and synodical government involving the responsibilities of lay people in various ways—all speak of a community life that is primarily pastoral and relational. The contemporary growth in the healing ministry, together with the rise of the cell church or small group ministry approach to church life, emphasizes the corporate connections for the faith, possible and expected at the local level. Though we have not often called our ministers pastors, that is what they are.

Lay-focused
This leads naturally to the fourth distinctive, that we are a laity focused church. This may seem not to be the case when in some parts of the church we expend great energy over-emphasizing the ordained ministry, but the truth is that the lay members are the primary members of the church. It was the reformation vision of Bible translator William Tyndale that every plough boy would be able to read the Scriptures for himself; it was the implicit intention for lay leadership and authorized lay ministries (like lay reader and lay preacher) to develop and benefit the local church; and it has been this Anglican vision that has promoted education all around the world as a means to achieving this end. Today it can be argued that the church is growing fastest where lay leaders are in charge of congregational expansion, and the ordained ministry serves them, rather than the other way around.

Contextual
The fifth distinctive needs to be stated carefully: our roots as an established church (not a state church, please note) in England mean that we have always sought a partnership between the work of the church and the progress of the life of the nation. Anglicans have been good chaplains, seeking to promote the gospel on the public stage in ways that have been mutually beneficial. We have sought to promote education as noted above, and have also shown a Christian interest in the medical and healing professions, in law and government, and in the world of commerce. This has not always been possible in some nations, and as the West becomes increasingly secular, these links will of necessity become links of prophetic critique rather than support. But where these arrangements are possible, they have enabled a witness to the society in which they have been set, and have enabled the society avenues of corporate religious expression at times of national or local need.

Missional
Finally, we are a church seeking to participate in God’s mission, that is, in what God is doing in the world. It has been said that the nearest we come to the acknowledgement of mission in the works of Cranmer are the Good Friday prayers for the conversion of non-Christians. By the time of the Evangelical Revival in the eighteenth century, Anglicans were taking their share in international mission, and have been influential in missional strategy and thinking ever since. We are an international community increasingly influenced by the churches of missionary expansion over the churches of colonial settlement. Anglican churches are aware of their responsibilities both inside their borders and outside, and of the growing awareness of the multidimensional aspects of the meaning of mission.

The Church with these marks has been a powerful contributor to the work of the gospel worldwide. This is distinctive Anglicanism, and it is not without distinction.

A New Anglican Reformation
At the Anglican Communion Network’s “Hope and a Future” conference in 2005, Rick Warren called for a “new Anglican Reformation.” What will such a reformation look like? The 16th century reformers had the ambition to restore and rebuild the apostolic church root and branch. When things get as chaotic as they are now, it gives the opportunity to revisit issues which are overlooked or finessed in ordinary times. What can American Anglicans do to recapture our original vision? What more would the Lord have us do to recover our lamp stand?

Spiritual Disciplines
While the Episcopal renewal movement of the 1970s had moments of Holy Spirit power, it lacked the steady influence of the Spirit in prayer, fasting, and through personal and disciplined study of Scripture. Evangelicals (e.g., Dallas Willard, Richard Foster, Eugene Peterson, and Rick Warren) have given the church contemporary resources for the spiritual disciplines. If we combine these with the rich heritage of Prayer Book worship, Anglicans may once again offer the wider church and the world a renewed “Canterbury Trail” of thoughtful biblical meditation, majestic corporate worship, and sacrificial prayer and fasting.

Evangelism and Congregational Development
Let’s face it: American Anglicans have been poor at evangelism and church planting, leaving that hard work to other churches. By contrast, our African Anglican colleagues have an apostolic gift. We should humbly learn from them. At the same time, Episcopalians bring organizational gifts to the area of congregational leadership
and development in a way that would benefit some African churches. By sharing gifts in this way there can be an equal exchange (2 Corinthians 8:14).

Marriage and Family Life
The Episcopal Church changed the divorce canon in 1973, as a pastoral concession to a few “hard cases.” These few turned into an avalanche of divorce-on-demand at all ranks of the church. Clearly we need to go back and rethink the church’s marriage discipline, for laity and for clergy. In addition, we shall need to tap into positive resources, like Marriage Savers, which can help build up and preserve the life of our families. Once again, we may ask of our African friends how to capture something of that solidarity of the extended family which characterizes their traditional and Christian culture.

Mission and Money
Certain parishes and mission agencies have promoted the growth of mission consciousness in recent decades. That said, the Episcopal Church as a whole, liberal and conservative, has had a miserable track record in taking the Great Commission as a mandate rather than an option. The Anglican Communion Network and Anglican Mission in America have set a 50% standard of giving towards missions. Giving time, talent, and treasure will be a real challenge when congregations find they may have to start over again. Good and generous stewardship demands a balance in frugally meeting the needs of the local parish, domestic ministry needs, and cross-cultural mission partnerships.

International partnership
Faithful congregations must free themselves of every shred of racial insensitivy, which has no place in the church of Christ. Some Episcopalians also suffer from a condescending prejudice against non-western or non-northern regions where Anglicanism is thriving. This sentiment is often expressed in terms of “Africa is a basket case.” One Episcopalian has said that helping Africa was like pouring water down a rabbit-hole. That is a serious misconception. True, there are good and bad ways to help. Above all, we need bold investment and accountable partnerships. Creative partnerships for economic development have already been established by organizations, such as Five Talents. American Anglicans have an opportunity to partner with Anglicans in other provinces to advance a godly reformation of those societies.

Education
Education is one of the highly felt needs of the majority of the world today. Dr. Stephen Noll speaks of “education as mission”; as our Lord said, “go make disciples . . . teaching them.” We are involved today in a “worldview war,” as Francis Schaeffer, Charles Colson, and others have observed. If Christians don’t educate people, someone will; someone without a Christian worldview will fill the need by teaching students from a non-Christian perspective. We need to wake up to the need to train spiritually mature Christians who can defend and extend the faith once delivered to the saints.

There are many other ways that the Spirit may work in the new Anglican Reformation. Let us look forward to participating in building up the Body of Christ in this new era.