|
A Place to Stand --- A Call to Mission
PREFACE
The mission of the Church is, according to Jesus' Great Commission, to
"go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything
that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20). In a fresh commitment to
that mission, we join together in common confession of the Gospel and in a
radical commitment to support one another in accordance with classical
Anglican orthodoxy.
A COMMON CONFESSION OF THE GOSPEL
The Gospel and the Triune God: We rejoice in the grace of the Triune God,
who has forgiven our sins and given us redemption in Jesus Christ. We
proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, fully human and fully divine, who
became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, lived a life of perfect obedience to
his heavenly Father, died on the cross to atone for the sins of the world, and
rose bodily in accordance with the Scriptures. God the Holy Spirit draws us to
faith in Jesus Christ, through whom alone we are justified and found
acceptable by God the Father.
Christian Obedience: We confess Jesus as the Lord to whom all authority in
heaven and earth has been given by the Father. We commit ourselves to
follow him and love him above all else and to conform our lives to his
example and teaching by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Holy Scripture: We believe all Scriptures were "written for our learning"
(Romans 15:4), that they are "God's Word written," and that we are to "hear,
read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them." We commit ourselves to
regular Bible study and to preach and teach only that which is in accordance
with Holy Scripture.
Congregational Life: We hold corporate worship, discipleship, and mission
to be interconnected and indispensable aspects of our response to God as
he revealed himself to us in Jesus Christ. We are committed to being
sacrificially involved in all three aspects of congregational life.
Mission and Missions:The Risen Lord commissioned his disciples to
preach the gospel and to follow his commandments. The mission of the
Church includes both evangelistic proclamation and deeds of love and
service. We commit ourselves and our resources to this mission, both
locally and to the uttermost parts of the earth. We affirm our particular
responsibility to know, love, and serve the Lord in our local settings and
contexts. Since the biblical pattern of witness moves from the local to the
global, we will endeavor to be well-informed about our local communities
and active in church planting, evangelism, service, social justice, and
cross-cultural, international mission, with particular concern for the poor and
the unreached peoples of the world.
Historic Faith, Ecumenical Vision: We affirm the Faith of the Church as it is
set forth in the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds and in the classical Prayer
Book tradition, including those documents contained in the "Historical
Documents" section of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. We further affirm
the principles of the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral as an expression of the
normative authority of Holy Scripture and as a basis for our present unity
with brothers and sisters in the Anglican Communion and for the future
reunion of all the divided branches of Christ's one holy, catholic and
apostolic Church.
CONTEMPORARY IMPLICATIONS OF THE GOSPEL
Christian mission is rooted in unchanging biblical revelation. At particular
times, however, specific challenges to authentic faith and holiness arise
which require thoughtful and vigorous response. We therefore speak to the
following issues of our time and culture.
The Uniqueness of Jesus Christ: While religions and philosophies of the
world are not without elements of truth, Jesus Christ alone is the full
revelation of God. In and through the Gospel, Jesus judges and corrects all
views and doctrines. All persons everywhere need to learn of him, come to
know and believe in him, and receive forgiveness and new life in him, as
there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved
(Acts 4:12).
Church and State. Biblical social commandments and Christian ethical
principles are foundational to the well-being of every society. Recognizing
the call of Christians to be faithful witnesses and a challenging presence in
society, we are committed to seek ways to express these commandments
and principles in all spheres of life, including the public life of the nation.
Sanctity of Life. All human life is a sacred gift from God and is to be
protected and defended from conception to natural death. We will uphold
the sanctity of life and bring the grace and compassion of Christ to those
who face the realities of previous abortion, unwanted pregnancy, and
end-of-life illness.
True Inclusivity. In grateful response to Christ Jesus, in whom there is
neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, we will extend the
welcome of the Church to every person, regardless of race, sex, social or
economic status, sexual orientation, or past behavior. We will oppose
prejudice in ourselves and others and renounce any false notion of
inclusivity that denies that all are sinners who need to repent.
Marriage, Family, and the Single Life. God has instituted marriage to be a
life-long union of husband and wife, intended for their mutual joy, help, and
comfort, and, when it is God's will, for the procreation and nurture of children.
Divorce is always contrary to God's original intention, though in a fallen world
it is sometimes a tragic necessity. The roles of father and mother, exercised
in a variety of ways, are God-given and profoundly important since they are
the chief providers of moral instruction and godly living. The single life, either
by call or by circumstance, is honored by God. It is therefore important for
unmarried persons to embrace and be embraced by the Christian family.
Human Sexuality. Sexuality is inherent in God's creation of every human
person in his image as male and female. All Christians are called to
chastity: husbands and wives by exclusive sexual fidelity to one another and
single persons by abstinence from sexual intercourse. God intends and
enables all people to live within these boundaries, with the help and in the
fellowship of the Church.
SUPPORT OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
We desire to be supportive of congregations, dioceses, provinces, and the
national structures of the Episcopal Church and the worldwide Anglican
Communion. However, when there arise within the Church at any level
tendencies, pronouncements, and practices contrary to biblical, classical
Anglican doctrinal and moral standards, we must not and will not support
them. Councils can err and have erred, and the Church has no authority to
ordain anything contrary to God's Word written (Articles of Religion XIX, XX).
When teachings and practices contrary to Scripture and to this orthodox
Anglican perspective are permitted within the Church or even authorized
by the General Convention, in obedience to God, we will disassociate
ourselves from those specific teachings and practices and will resist them
in every way possible.
INVITATION TO ASSOCIATION
We invite all members of the Episcopal Church who concur in this classical
Anglican perspective, to stand with us for mutual enlightenment,
encouragement, mission, and ministry, and, where necessary, for protection
of the right to live and minister in obedience to Scripture, Anglican tradition,
and conscience. We further invite all persons who share this faith to stand
with us.
www.americananglican.org
|
