What Does That Church Believe: Episcopalians?

Where did they come from (Church of England/Anglican)?

• King Henry VIII of England wanted a son, and when Pope Clement VII denied his divorce from Catherine, he took matters into his own hands and influenced the English Parliament in such away that they denied the pope any authority or jurisdiction over the Church of England; the COE declared its independence from the RCC, and Henry VIII declared himself to be the chief authority.
• Henry forced the selection of Thomas Cranmer as the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Cranmer granted Henry an annulment.
• Edward VII took the throne after the death of his father; however, being only 9 years of age, his uncle Edward Seymour guided the decisions of Edward’s throne taking the COE in a very Protestant direction; Bloody Mary returned the COE back to the RCC as she oversaw the burning at the stake of at least 300 Protestants, including Thomas Cranmer; Elizabeth I tried to find a “middle way” between the RCC and Protestantism.

 

Where did they come from (Episcopal Church)?

• Anglican Churches were seen in the 13 colonies as earlier as 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia; by 1775, there were over 400 Anglican Churches in the colonies.
• The Revolutionary War caused a split between those clergy who supported England and those who supported freedom for the American colonies.
• In 1789, two clergy, William White and Samuel Provost, sailed to England and were consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury; earlier, the English Parliament had met and rescinded the requirement that all bishops must swear allegiance to the British crown; this previous requirement no longer applied to bishops who resided in “foreign parts” (like America); the Protestant Episcopal Church or the Episcopal Church in America was officially started in 1789; they were separate from the RCC and ruled by bishops.

 

Where can their doctrines be found?

• The Apostles’ Creed
• The Nicene Creed
• The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion
• The Book of Common Prayer

 

What are their unique beliefs?

• Reject RC doctrines of the pope’s authority over the church, the infallibility of the pope on Christian doctrine and moral truth, the doctrine of purgatory, and the doctrine of transubstantiation (Lord’s Supper).
• Baptism is necessary for salvation (baptismal regeneration).
• Church government is Episcopal in nature; the local parish is the basic unit of worship; a diocese is composed of not less than six parishes in a specific geographical region and is overseen by a bishop; each bishop is elected by a diocesan convention; the diocesan convention meets annually and is composed of all clergy and lay representatives of the local parishes; every three years, the General Convention meets to make broad decisions about policy and worship; the House of Bishops is composed of all diocesan bishops; the House of Deputies is composed of four priests and four laymen from each diocese. 

 

 

 

Major Points of Contention

1. Physical baptism does not remove or forgive sins: a better understanding of Acts 2:38; John 1:12, 3:16, 5:24, 11:25-26; Acts 10:43; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 9:22.  George W. Truett, “Immersion only does not constitute scriptural baptism.  One must be immersed because he is already saved, and not, in any sense to secure salvation.”
2. Election of Katharine Jefferts Schori in June 2006 in Columbus, Ohio to the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church is contrary to 1 Timothy 2:12.

1. Is a marine biologist with a doctorate specializing in squids and oysters.
2. Preached at the convention’s closing Eucharist, “Colossians calls Jesus the firstborn of all creation, the firstborn from the dead. That sweaty, bloody, tear-stained labor of the cross bears new life.  Our mother Jesus gives birth to a new creation—and you and I are His children.”

1. Homosexuality is sin regardless.

1. ECUSA confirmed Bishop V. Gene Robinson in 2003, openly homosexual bishop.
2. ECUSA leaders have viewed the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as having nothing to do with sex, but rather with their lack of hospitality; have said that Paul condemns temple prostitution in Romans 1:18-32, not loving, committed same-sex relationships.
3. Interpreted properly, Scripture presents no impediment to the inclusion and celebration of homosexuality.

 

Who have they been?

• Two-thirds of signers of DOI were Episcopalians.
• At least 9 presidents including Washington and Jefferson.

 

Name	Founded	Members	Congregations	Website
Episcopal Church USA	1789	1,877,271	7364	www.ecusa.anglican.org
Reformed Episcopal Church in America	1873	6400	125	www.recus.org
Episcopal Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of America	1963	6000	200	Eoc.orthodoxanglican.net
Anglican Catholic Church	1977	12,000	200	www.anglicancatholic.org