Who We Are & What We Believe

Saint Andrew’s is a parish of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA), a mission of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion). We are Anglican because our practice of the faith is rooted in the tradition of the Church of England and the Book of Common Prayer. Our standard of worship is the 1928 American Book of Common Prayer and The Hymnal 1940. The translation of the Holy Bible used in worship is the Authorized King James Version with Apocrypha.

ANGLICAN/TRADITIONAL EPISCOPAL

We are Anglican because we believe and practice the ancient and universal, or catholic, faith of the church.

We also describe ourselves as "Traditional Episcopal" because most people in America know of the Anglican tradition through the Episcopal Church. However, we are not part of the Episcopal Church.

ANGLICAN AND CATHOLIC

The word catholic is not synonymous with Roman Catholic. The early church described itself and the faith it believed as catholic. One church father wrote that the catholic faith is "that which has been believed everywhere, always and by all." For the early church the opposite of a Catholic was not a Protestant; the opposite of a Catholic was a heretic.

The essentials of the ancient and universal faith of the church can be summarized under four headings: 1) The Bible, 2) The Creeds and Traditions, 3) The Apostolic Ministry, and 4) The Sacraments.

1. The Bible
The early church, guided by the Holy Spirit, selected the writings that were inspired and placed them together to form the Bible. We believe that the Bible is the Word of God.

2. The Creeds and Traditions
When issues of biblical interpretation arose, the church met to decide the issues under the guidance of the Holy Spirit (cf. John 16:13). These meetings are called The Ecumenical Councils. Seven councils of the undivided church were held between AD 325 and 787. They produced definitive statements of the church's faith. The teaching of the councils is summarized in the creeds. We accept the teachings of the Ecumenical Councils and the three ancient creeds: the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed and the Creed of St. Athanasius.

3. The Apostolic Ministry
Before the apostles died, they appointed certain men in the church to succeed them in their apostolic ministry. These men were called bishops. The New Testament also mentions elders or presbyters (who came to be known as priests) and deacons. We maintain the apostolic ministry of bishops, priests and deacons, standing in unbroken line of succession from the apostles.

4. The Sacraments
The Word was made flesh in the person of Jesus Christ (John 1:1f). Jesus continues to be present to his church through visible signs called sacraments. We become members of the body of Christ through the water of baptism (Romans 6:3f., Galatians 3:27). There are, as commonly held in the Eastern and Western Churches, seven sacraments. Two of these were instituted by Christ himself as generally necessary means of salvation, namely baptism and the Eucharist. The three sacraments of character, which bestow a permanent and indelible character and mark upon the soul, are baptism, confirmation, and ordination. These three sacraments cannot be repeated. Repetition of a sacrament is a grave sacrilege. If there is any doubt as to the validity of a prior administration of such a sacrament, it is performed ‘conditionally’: ‘N.N., if thou art not already baptized, I baptize thee in the Name of etc.’ The church gathers together each Sunday to celebrate the Lord's Supper, commonly called the Eucharist, or the Mass, in which we feed on "the bread of life" (John 6:48). We continue to administer the sacraments, through which God pledges grace to his people.

MODERN DEVELOPMENTS

A division has risen within Christianity in modern times that, in many ways, overshadows the old divisions of the Reformation. On the surface, debates have raged over things such as the ordination of women, the marriage and ordination of practicing homosexuals and various other issues of gender, morality and doctrine. Underlying these issues is a larger conflict over the nature of the Christian revelation.

On one hand there are those who believe that God has fully and finally revealed himself to mankind in the person of Jesus Christ and that this revelation is timeless, unchanging and binding upon all people at all times. On the other hand, there are those who believe that the revelation contained in the Bible and received by the church was so influenced by the ancient culture that it needs to be reinterpreted and, indeed, changed for each new generation.

Many churches today, including the Episcopal Church, have abandoned both the ancient and catholic faith of traditional Anglicanism. Instead, many believe and teach that each person can have his own truth. The result is that many churches that call themselves Christian practice a religion that bears little resemblance to the faith and practice of the apostles and the church down through history.

The Meeting in St. Louis

Consequently, in 1976, faithful Anglicans gathered in St. Louis, Missouri, for an event known as the St. Louis Congress. A document called The Affirmation of St. Louis was composed, which expressed the commitment to the ancient and universal faith of the church. Saint Andrew’s Anglican Church believes and accepts The Affirmation of St. Louis as a profession of orthodox Anglican faith and practice.

THE MISSION OF OUR CHURCH

A Return to the Faith

Traditional Anglicanism has a prophetic message for Christians today. For more than a generation now, churches have purposely abandoned tradition with the idea that this was necessary to attract believers in the modern world. In a replay of ancient iconoclasm, crosses and pictures were torn down and religious symbols were discouraged. Talk of sin was muted. The focus came to be on whatever might attract a larger crowd. Religion became another consumer product.

The inordinate desire for what is new, coupled with the abandonment of the received faith, has had negative consequences. Much that is called Christianity today is not very Christian in any biblical or historic sense. As one commentator said, "She who marries the spirit of the age becomes a widow in the next generation." This is why St. Paul told the Thessalonians, "Stand firm and hold to the traditions you were taught" (2 Thessalonians 2:15). We call for a return to "the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3).

A Return to the Bible

As traditional Anglicans, we also realize that many people who think of themselves as Christians need to be introduced to the Jesus of the Bible. Many of the problems in the church in the modern world result from ignorance of the Bible. Church leaders were able to promote non-biblical teachings and practices because the people did not know the Bible. Consequently, we emphasize Bible reading and study.

The tradition of the church provides a fruitful environment for Bible study. We follow the church calendar that leads us to worship through the life of Jesus, from birth to Ascension, each year. We follow a plan for daily Bible reading that takes us through the Bible each year. Our services are composed of biblical prayers and expressions. Our church members are exposed to a great deal more Bible than is typical for those who attend what are known as "Bible churches."

A Return to Prayer

We believe that prayer is essential to the Christian life. The church's life of prayer is centered in the Eucharist, or Holy Communion, which we celebrate each Sunday. The life of prayer is continued in daily hours of prayer, which incorporate the praying of the Psalms, Bible reading and prayers. These daily hours of prayer are perpetuated in the Anglican Tradition in the services of Morning and Evening Prayer. Many Christians do not have a daily sense of communion with God in Christ because they do not pray. We encourage people to begin to live a life of prayer.

Tradition: Past and Future

Traditional Christians are often accused of being stuck in the past. However, the greater danger for Christians today is an uncritical acceptance of new teachings and practices. Because "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever" (Hebrews 13:8), the faith of the past is the wave of the future. As God said through the prophet Jeremiah, "Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls" (Jeremiah 6:16).