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Last update Jan 1, 2002 The overheads and handout for this session, as well as the general reference list for the series can be downloaded as a .pdf file from the Download Page.
Topics 1.1.
Wherever Christ Is, There is the
Catholic Church 1.2.
How is Christ Present in the Church? 1.2.1.
Christ is Present in What Way? 1.2.2.
Christ is Present in the Church through
the Proclamation of the Word 1.2.3.
Christ is Present in the Church
Sacramentally 1.2.4
The Church as Both "Event" and
Institution 1.3.
The Visible vs. the Invisible Church 1.4.
The Notes or Marks of the Church 1.4.1.
The Four Notes or Marks
2.1.
The General Ministry vs. the Special
Ministries 2.2.
The General Ministry of the People of
God
3.1.2.
Governance of the Parish 3.1.3.
Choosing Clergy Leadership 3.1.4.
Removing Clergy Leadership 3.2.1.
Parishes and the Diocese 3.2.2.
The Bishop and Diocesan Council 3.2.4.
Other Bishops in a Diocese 3.2.5.
The Selection of a New Bishop for a
Diocese 3.3.1.
The Nine Provinces of the National
Church and Special Dioceses 3.3.2.
Governance of the National Church 3.4.
The Worldwide Anglican Communion 3.4.1.
The Members of the Anglican Communion 3.4.2.
Other Important Structures and
Gatherings in the Anglican Communion
1.1. Wherever Christ Is, There is the Catholic Church
In essence: “wherever Christ is, there is also the catholic church” - Ignatius of Antioch, 1st century
1.2. How is Christ Present in the Church? 1.2.1. Christ is Present in What Way? “wherever Christ is. . .” “Is” in what way? What kind of presence?
1.2.2. Christ is Present in the Church through the Proclamation of the Word Christ is present in the church through the proclamation of the Word
The church is the community that comes into being wherever the word of God is faithfully proclaimed and received
This sense of the church implies the church is fundamentally an “event;” the institution of the church is secondary / incidental. This sense of the church is dominant in most Protestantism
1.2.3. Christ is Present in the Church Sacramentally Christ is present in the church sacramentally. The church is a sacrament of Christ, or like a sacrament:
The church is thus the community of people in the world and in history (= in space and time) who are in communion with God
This sense of the church implies the institution of the church itself has a fundamental importance (although not its particular structure). This sense of the church is dominant in Roman Catholicism.
1.2.4 The Church as Both "Event" and Institution The Anglican view of the church combines both the sense of the church as an event in which the word of God is being proclaimed, and the sense of the church as an institution (= community of believers in space and time) which lives in the world and in history as the visible sign or sacrament of Christ on earth.
By affirming the Church as that place where Christ is present both sacramentally and in the Word, the Anglican church believes:
1.3. The Visible vs. the Invisible Church Theologians have asked if the true church is the "Visible" church or the "Invisible" church.
The Invisible Church is the church whose members are:
The Visible Church is the church whose members are:
Article XIX: affirms that Anglicans hold that the true church is the visible church
1.4. The Notes or Marks of the Church 1.4.1. The Four Notes or Marks The “notes” or “marks” of the Church are:
1.4.2. One The church should be One.
Today, unity that we can affirm includes:
However, we must also acknowledge the disunity in the church:
1.4.3. Holy Holy means being set apart by God for God.
There is no mention in the New Testament of “institutional holiness” The only holiness is the holiness of the individual. Therefore: the church can be holy only to the degree that the individuals making it up are holy.
Since all individuals are also sinful, we must say:
1.4.4. Catholic Catholic is a word referring to the universal, total, entire church, as distinct from just the local church. A catholic church is a community concerned with the whole, universal, world-wide church
1.4.5. Apostolic To say the church is Apostolic is to say each member of the church is called to live in accord with the testimony of the apostles
2. Ministry 2.1. The General Ministry vs. the Special Ministries We can distinguish two facets of ministry:
2.2. The General Ministry of the People of God The general ministry of the people of God is the continuation of the work of Christ (St. Paul called this the work of reconciliation):
The whole church (membership through baptism) is a royal priesthood and kingdom of priests (I Peter 2:5,9, Rev 1:6, 5:10, 20:6)
Mission is the outgoing, expanding aspect of ministry.
By the early second century a threefold ministry had been defined in the church:
By the third century, Apostolic Tradition had been defined by Hippolytus:
Presbyters were called priests by the mid 3rd century
The specific ministries of the clergy are ministries which the clergy accept in addition to the general ministry that they and every Christian accept. The clergy are the “guardian of the word and sacraments”. They must:
Their special ministry involves:
3. Organization 3.1. The Parish Church 3.1.1. Church Membership "Church" Membership From the Prayer Book:
Membership in a particular Episcopal Church By Canon Law, a membership in a particular Episcopal church requires:
Communicant Members of a particular Episcopal church are members who have received communion at least 3 times in previous year
3.1.2. Governance of the Parish The Rector. Duties are:
The Vestry
Annual Parish Meeting
3.1.3. Choosing Clergy Leadership The procedure for choosing Clergy leadership:
3.1.4. Removing Clergy Leadership Removing Clergy Leadership is possible only with:
3.1.5. Rectors vs. Vicars If a parish is self-supporting, the priest is called a “rector” (Latin for “ruler:” he or she presides over Vestry Meetings).
If a parish is non self-supporting congregations (“missionary congregations”), the priest is called a “vicar” (one who represents another [the bishop]).
3.2. The Diocese 3.2.1. Parishes and the Diocese A diocese can range in size from ~20 parishes to nearly 200 parishes
The diocese provides:
Each parish is assessed certain monetary amount to pay for work of diocese
3.2.2. The Bishop and Diocesan Council The work of a diocese is directed by a Bishop and a Diocesan Council Together, they administer the budget and programs of the diocese.
3.2.3. The Annual Convention Each diocese holds an Annual Convention.
Delegates include:
The Annual Convention:
3.2.4. Other Bishops in a Diocese Other bishops in a diocese might include:
3.2.5. The Selection of a New Bishop for a Diocese Steps in the Selection of New Bishop:
3.3. The National Church 3.3.1. The Nine Provinces of the National Church and Special Dioceses The dioceses of the National Church are grouped into 9 provinces
The National Church includes several overseas and special dioceses:
Maps of the Nine Provinces:
(Image files of the provinces are taken from the Website of the Episcopal Church U.S.A.)
3.3.2. Governance of the National Church The work of the National Church is directed by the Presiding Bishop and the Executive Council. They are each elected through a General Convention.
The Presiding Bishop is
A General Convention of the Episcopal Church is
3.4. The Worldwide Anglican Communion 3.4.1. The Members of the Anglican Communion The members of the worldwide Anglican Communion each began from a “Church of England” established
3.4.2. The Lambeth Conference In 1867, the first Lambeth Conference was held at the residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Lambeth Palace. 87 bishops attended. Since then, a Lambeth Conference has been held every ten years (except during WWII).
About 800 bishops attended the 1998 Lambeth Conference.
A Lambeth Conference is for “conferring,” not “legislating”
3.4.2. Other Important Structures and Gatherings in the Anglican Communion Anglican Congresses
Anglican Consultative Council
Anglican Executive Officer
4. Mission 4.1. Foreign Missions As Anglican churches around the world have grown independent, the character of foreign missionary work out of the American Episcopal Church has changed. Important groups to note include:
Christian Theology. An Introduction. Second Edition. Alister E. McGrath. Blackwell Publishers. 1997. Introduction to Theology. Revised Edition. Owen C. Thomas. Morehouse Publishing. Harrisburg. 1983 The Anglican Vision. The New Church's Teaching Series, Volume 1. James E. Griffiss, Cowley, Boston.1997 Welcome to the Episcopal Church An Introduction to Its History, Faith, and Worship. Christopher L. Webber. Morehouse. 1999 What is Anglicanism? Urban T. Holmes III. Morehouse Publishing, Harrisburg, 1982.
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