Freq. Asked Questions about Anglicanism

FAQs about the People of
Church of the Holy Spirit Anglican (Tulsa)
Q: What is the Anglican Communion?
The Anglican Communion is a worldwide network of 38 autonomous geographic areas called "provinces." English colonists and missionaries spread Anglican Christianity to every corner of the world between the sixteenth and twentieth centuries. The Communion is the third largest body of Christians, having more than seventy-million members. Only the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox churches are larger.
Q: How is the Anglican Communion organized?
The Anglican Communion is organized around conciliatory bodies; that is, it is based on councils at every level: communion, provinces, dioceses, and parishes.
Q: Who leads an Anglican Province?
The leader of each province is called an Archbishop or Primate. For example, the Most Rev. Gregory Venables is Primate of the Province of the Southern Cone, being comprised of parishes and diocese in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.
Church of the Holy Spirit Anglican, Tulsa (CHS), is in the Diocese of Argentina.
Q: Are the Anglican Primates bishops of dioceses as well?
Almost all the Provincial Archbishops serve also as diocesan bishops. For example, Gregory Venables serves also as Bishop of the Diocese of Argentina.
Q: Who is the Archbishop of Canterbury?
The present Archbishop of Canterbury is the Most Rev. Rowan Williams. He is one of the two Primates of England and is selected by the English monarch after extensive review by church leaders and the British Government.
Q: Is the Archbishop of Canterbury like the Pope in the Roman Catholic Church?
No. The Archbishop of Canterbury is more like a "first among equals" or senior Primate. However, because of his position as the head of the Church of England or Mother Church he is extremely influential and a focus of unity.
Q: What are the Anglican "Instruments of Unity?"
The Archbishop of Canterbury, along with the Anglican Consultative Council, the Primates Meeting, and the Lambeth Conference, are the four "Instruments of Unity" within the Anglican Communion. In concert, the Four Instruments speak with authority.
It is important to note that all four Instruments of Unity warned The Episcopal Church not to take positions on human sexuality, marriage, and the sanctity of Holy Scripture that depart from Anglican belief and tradition.
Q: When Church of the Holy Spirit separated from the Episcopal Church, did we automatically become Anglicans?
If you were an Episcopalian, you have also been an Anglican. TEC has been a part of the Anglican Communion since its very beginning, but it has now been reduced to playing what theologians describe as “a diminished role” in the Anglican Communion.
Q: How did Church of the Holy Spirit Anglican end up in the Diocese of Argentina?
Having decided to separate from TEC and the Diocese of Oklahoma, the parish accepted Archbishop Gregory Venables’ agreement to provide episcopal (or bishop’s) oversight to the parish; that is, he agreed to be our bishop. In that way CHS was able to remain in full standing in the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Q: What does it mean to be an Anglican in the Diocese of Argentina?
The core beliefs of the Province of the Southern Cone and of Church of the Holy Spirit Anglican are totally the same. We believe in the authority of Holy Scripture; believe that Jesus is the (not a) way, the truth and the life; believe in the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman in a lifelong relationship, commitment to Great Commission ministry, etc.
That we are under the Episcopal authority of a bishop half a world away is really no problem, given the communications and travel capabilities of the 21st Century.
Q: What has or will change at CHS?
Not much has changed since our transfer to the Diocese of Argentina. Our core purpose and values, our mission statement, our commitment to discipleship, our teaching and our worship services remain the same as before the separation. The only tangible changes are organizational and locational. CHS has changed locations and purchased property that belongs to the parish.
Q: Will we financially support the Diocese of Argentina?
Yes and no. Our bishop has requested that we not direct funds toward his finances. Instead he asks us to provide a portion of our offerings to the entire Global South¾those provinces located in Africa, in Asia, and in Central and South America. He asks us to direct our mission giving through EKKLESIA, a highly respected outreach society in the Anglican Communion (http://www.ekk.org/news.php).
Q: How will Archbishop Gregory oversee the running of CHS?
Archbishop Gregory has expressed great confidence in the leadership at CHS and expects the church to continue to be led by our Senior Pastor and vestry.
Q: Will someone else be able to take over our property?
Archbishop Gregory has made it quite clear that he has no interest in ownership of CHS property. Nor will a new Anglican jurisdiction in North America, when it emerges, have any rights to our property.
Q: What happens to our relationship with Bishop Moody and the Diocese of Oklahoma?
We are no longer under Bishop Moody’s episcopal authority. When our parish walked away from the Yale Avenue property on July 1, 2005, by mutual agreement we have no formal relationship with Bishop Moody or legal commitment to the Diocese of Oklahoma.
Q: Can Bishop Moody inhibit and/or depose CHS clergy?
Although some TEC bishops have sent letters of inhibition and deposition to clergy who remain loyal to the Anglican Way, these actions have no effect on CHS clergy, who are safely under another provincial jurisdiction and discipline.
Q: How many other parishes have left or will leave the Episcopal Church, USA.
It is hard to get an exact number, but several hundred parishes have already left TEC and sought Episcopal oversight in other Anglican jurisdictions. Some have affiliated with the Anglican Mission in America (AMiA), others with dioceses in Canada, South America, and Africa. A significant number of orthodox clergy have left TEC to affiliate with the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Churches, or overseas Anglican dioceses.
The actions of the 2006 General Convention indicate that TEC may opt to walk apart from the rest of the Anglican Communion. Now even more parishes, clergy, and even whole dioceses are or are contemplating leaving TEC.
Q: What is the Anglican Communion Network of Dioceses and Parishes (ANC)?
The ACN is a network of American parishes and dioceses, both within TEC and in other Anglican dioceses. The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Rowan Williams, suggested the formation of the Network. A gathering of mainstream Anglican leaders (including four Primates) in London in November, 2003 laid out initial plans for the Convocation. Ultimately thirteen TEC bishops signed this meeting’s Memorandum of Agreement. The Memorandum stated the intention of these bishops to begin organizing a network of "confessing" dioceses and congregations within TEC. Since that initial signing, a total of 10 Episcopal dioceses Albany, Central Florida, Fort Worth, Pittsburgh, Quincy, Rio Grande, San Joaquin, South Carolina, Springfield and Dallas have ratified their affiliation
The Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes was officially launched January 20, 2004, at the Network’s Organizing Convocation held at Christ Church, Plano, Texas.
Q: Who are the Anglican Communion Network members?
The Organizing Convocation included representatives from twelve Episcopal dioceses. Individuals and parishes around the United States organized into five Episcopal Church geographic convocations and one non-geographic convocation (Forward in Faith North America). The gathering unanimously adopted a Structural Charter and affirmed a Theological Charter.
The new Network immediately invited parishes belonging to overseas Anglican dioceses to join as “Anglican Communion Partners.” Our parish became a partner soon after joining the Diocese of Argentina.
The Network has attracted more members than TEC has lost, so the Network is true to its evangelical mission. In addition, a number of Anglican churches and societies outside the Anglican Communion have joined the Network as “Common Cause Partners.” The Reformed Episcopal Church is one.
The Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan was elected Moderator of the new Network and serves a three-year term. To date the Network includes approximately 800 affiliated parishes, more than 2,000 clergy, and at least 200,000 Episcopalians. Persons and parishes in Partner status may well double the overall number.
Q: How is Church of the Holy Spirit involved with the ACN?
CHS is a Network partner in good standing in the ACN Mid-Continental Convocation, a 20-state area in the heartland. The Rev. D.O. Smart is Dean, communicating with clergy and parishes who choose to stand for the same biblical principles, Anglican teachings, and Christian doctrine. Sally Cline assists Father Smart in day-to-day ACN operations.
Q: What will happen to the ACN long term?
It appears likely that, in time, the ACN will evolve or morph into the orthodox Anglican jurisdiction in the United States, replacing ECUSA as the recognized province of the Anglican Communion. Just exactly how the organization of dioceses, clergy, and parishes may look would be strictly a matter of conjecture at this time.
Q: How can ACN help Church of the Holy Spirit in Tulsa?
Being an ACN partner affords CHS the opportunity to be in dialogue and companionship with mainstream Anglicans, both here and abroad, and to be on the cutting edge of developments in the worldwide Anglican Communion. Consistent with our core values, we serve as a beacon of hope to others who seek to stand in the faith once delivered to the saints.
Q: Where can I learn more about these subjects?
Go to this website and choose from the links on the left side of the home page.
www.acn-midcon.org