What is Anglicanism?

Anglicanism is a Christian tradition that goes almost all the way back to the apostolic age. The first missionaries came to the British Isles in the second century. Monasticism, the arts, and the intellectual life of the university have all left their stamp on it. The spiritual revolution of the Reformation of the 16th century dramatically transformed it by insisting on the primacy of scripture as ‘God’s Word written’ but without jettisoning the influences of patristic and medieval eras. Engagements with the natural and human sciences, the dismantling of the British empire, and mission among a vast array of cultures in the modern age have all expanded and enriched it. 

Today it is the largest Christian body on earth outside of Roman Catholicism and Orthodoxy, with 85% of its adherents living in the majority world. It has catholic, evangelical, and pentecostal expressions across the globe and is characterized by a sense of ‘comprehensiveness’ and appreciation for the spectrum of Christian worship and spirituality. In its mission, it strives to hold together the biblical priorities of sharing the good news of Jesus and enacting mercy and justice in local communities.

Although we embrace the richness and diversity of Anglicanism, Immanuel is most closely identified with the catholic stream of Anglican spirituality. We believe that the emphases on corporate spirituality, beauty and symbolism in worship, contemplation, and Christ’s true, real, and objective presence in word and sacrament, all gifts of the catholic emphasis in Anglicanism, are deeply needed and healing resources for a culture marked by distrust, noise, and profound loneliness and isolation. 

Anglican Resources

Since the 16th century, Anglican worship has followed the pattern of The Book of Common Prayer. We gather together in person for Holy Eucharist each week, and we regard this as our most central and formative act of worship. Each day, either individually or in small groups, we are encouraged to pray two prayer services, Morning and Evening Prayer, collectively known as the Daily Office. These services shape our individual prayers and devotions by our patterns of corporate worship. If you want to learn more about The Book of Common Prayer or Anglicanism, we recommend the following resources:

  • Anglican Church in North America’s Book of Common Prayer (2019)

  • Anglican Church in North America’s To Be A Christian: An Anglican Catechism

  • Chapman, Mark. Anglicanism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.

  • Jacobs, Alan. The Book of Common Prayer: A Biography. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2019. 

  • McKenzie, Thomas. The Anglican Way. Self-Published, 2014.

Our Diocese

Immanuel is a part of the Church for the Sake of Others (C4SO) diocese, which belongs to the province of The Anglican Church of North America (ACNA). Our Bishops are Todd Hunter (Diocesan) and Brian Wallace (Suffragan). 

Our Bishops

Our Province

Immanuel Anglican Church and the Diocese of Churches for the Sake of Others is a part of the province of The Anglican Church in North America (ACNA).