What is Anglicanism?
As Anglicans, we are part of a global communion of churches established over the centuries by the Church of England. The word Anglican actually means “of England.” As British Anglicans, compelled by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, took their faith around the world, churches were established on every continent and in many nations. British pastoral leaders encouraged autonomy and collegiality among these daughter churches, and over time, 39 separate “provinces” of the Anglican Church were established around the world. Today these provinces function in a voluntary communion based around common beliefs and practices. The leaders of each province, called archbishops, gather periodically to discuss the work of the church and to resolve issues that may arise.
The Anglican Church is a biblically based church with ancient roots and a treasure of rich resources that help us grow as followers of Jesus Christ to love God and serve our communities as Christians.
Anglicans have always sought to worship God faithfully with living forms of worship. Therefore, our services and liturgies mirror the worship of the ancient apostolic church while incorporating the common language and culture of the communities in which they are practiced. Furthermore, Anglicans incorporate both ancient sacramental practices and visual symbols to celebrate the certainty of our faith and the mysteries of God. Together, sacrament, symbol, and word, enlivened by the Holy Spirit, connect our senses with our minds and hearts.
In order to remain true to the teachings of Christ and the apostles, Anglicans have historically upheld the Holy Scriptures as God’s Word, have held to the summary of evangelical beliefs known as the Thirty-Nine Articles of Faith, and have accepted the three great Christian creeds, the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed, as the fundamental statements of the Christian faith. We celebrate the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper as commanded by Jesus and we uphold the historic order of bishops, presbyters, and deacons in the administration of the church’s life and mission.
Today the worldwide Anglican Communion is experiencing both tremendous stress and tremendous renewal. The stress comes as some provinces depart from historic Anglican faith and practices and from the orthodox understanding of the Holy Scriptures. On the other hand, the renewal comes from the explosive growth of the gospel through Anglican churches and missions in many locations, particularly the "two-thirds world.” For example, there are more than 15 million Anglicans in Nigeria—more than all Anglicans in the United States!
It is indeed an unusual and exciting time to be Anglican. Those of us gathered here at All Saints Church, without ambivalence, wholeheartedly embrace that we have been called to be followers of Jesus Christ in the Anglican tradition for such a time as this. We have a deep sense that God is calling us to live more faithfully and trust him more genuinely than ever.
What is PEARUSA?
PEARUSA is a Missionary District (MD) and church planting movement of the Anglican Church of Rwanda (Province de L’Eglise Anglicane au Rwanda – PEAR) and a sub-jurisdiction of the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA). It is a movement of clergy and churches who are birthed in Rwanda, planted in North America, bearing fruit in our communities.
PEARUSA’s relationship with Rwanda does not exist as a matter of utility. Rather, it is our Rwandan brothers’ and sisters’ pursuit of reconciliation, that church’s legacy of conciliar decision-making and governance, their commitment to prayer, transparency, and Gospel-driven mission that God first gave as hallmarks of the East African Revival, and their submission to Biblical truth that binds their church to our own. PEARUSA is, in fact, being shaped by Rwanda in an ongoing relationship of friendship, collaboration, and discipleship as we move through life together with Christ Himself and as brothers and sisters in the Gospel. Through Rwanda, PEARUSA is also shaped by the Global South and through a growing coalition of confessional Anglicans gathering under through Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON). GAFCON’s common faith is clarified in the Jerusalem Declaration.
The people and churches who make up PEARUSA share a zeal for communicating the Gospel of Jesus Christ by word and deed. We are united in our strategy of growth through planting churches. We are actively committed and involved on multiple levels with the growth of united, biblical, mission-driven Anglicanism in North America as a sub-jurisdiction of ACNA.
You can learn more about PEARUSA at www.pearusa.org.
What is the Anglican Church in North America?
In June 2009, an encouraging development of authentic Anglican ministry and mission occurred in Bedford, Texas, with the establishment of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). The ACNA is a duly constituted federation of nine different evangelical, orthodox Anglican movements serving the people of the North America. It is recognized as a new province of Anglicanism by a growing number of global Anglican archbishops and is led by Archbishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburg, PA. The AMiA (and thus by extension All Saints Church) is a founding member of ACNA. Through this provincial alliance, our local church is now connected constitutionally as well as spiritually with like-minded faithful Anglicans throughout the continent. We rejoice at the growing cooperation and unity with our brothers and sisters around the world and in our own nation.
As the future unfolds, we fully expect that our participation in ACNA will become increasingly important and visible in our everyday life as a church.
You can learn more about the Anglican Church in North America at www.anglicanchurch.net.
