The Anglican Church
The establishment of The Anglican Church was born out of a deep sense of individuality, recognition and survival. Beginning in the early 1500’s, a small, but vocal group referred to as the “Cambridge Protestants” began a cry for ecclesiastical reform. King Henry VIII, who was then the monarch, could no longer ignore the movements of this band of reformers. Not fully trusting their motives (for Henry was undyingly loyal to the Roman Catholic Church), Henry decided to appoint a Cambridge graduate by the name of Thomas Cranmer as his Archbishop of Canterbury. In a sense, Cranmer served as the connection between the reformers and the monarchy.
There is an outstanding, erroneous rumor that The Anglican (Episcopal) Church was founded by Henry VIII. The truth is that The Anglican Church was a fledgling, but well-established entity long before Henry decided to grant favor to it. However, The Anglican Church decided to reserve judgment about the King, accepting his as a possible instrument of reform.
There came a time in Henry’s life when he was in need of yet another divorce, since his wife had been unable to produce a male heir. Petitioning the Roman Catholic Church to grant him an annulment, Henry found the Church a formidable adversary. To degrade and embarrass the Pope and the whole of Catholicism, Henry decided to seek the pastoral guidance of this struggling, but recognized entity known as The Anglican Church. The Anglican Church, sensing that it could use the situation to its advantage, granted him a divorce in return for his becoming Anglican (at least in principle, if not in deed).
The Episcopal Church in America
Into this history, The Episcopal Church in America was born. The Episcopal Church in America was, along with the American Revolution, a movement of reform. Two thirds of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were members of The Episcopal Church, a testament to the strength of the Church itself.
Shortly following the beginning of the Revolutionary War, Samuel Seabury became the first consecrated bishop for American succession, thereby starting the ecclesiastical history of The Anglican Church in America. Today The Episcopal Church has between two and three million members in the U.S, Mexico, and Central America, all of which are under the jurisdiction of the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori.
Organization of the Episcopal Church
We are called Episcopalians because our form of church governance recognizes the diocese (usually a geographic region) as the primary unit. A diocese is presided over by a bishop (from the Greek word episcopos), who has his or her “seat” (Greek cathedra) in the cathedral. Calvary is in the Diocese of West Tennessee, which has its diocesan seat at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Memphis. Our bishop is the Rt. Rev. Don E. Johnson.
The Episcopal Church consists of lay persons, deacons, priests, and bishops. We consider all baptized Christians to be “ministers” as they share their gifts and talents. However, some members of the church feel called to be ordained as deacons, priests, or bishops. In the Episcopal Church, both women and men are eligible for ordination.
Deacons serve as a bridge between church and community. They help to interpret the needs and concerns of society to church leaders and to help support and nurture church members.
The priest serves as a pastor and teacher to members of the church, leads worship, preaches, and supports members of the congregation. Some priests find their vocation in a non-church setting, such as a hospital, school or university, or prison chaplaincy.
Bishops are elected by priests and lay people. They provide leadership and care for congregations and serve as a link with the mission and ministry of the national and international church and with other faith traditions.
The Anglican Communion
Episcopalians are part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The Anglican
Communion incorporates about 70 million people across the globe and
includes about 64,000 individual congregations in over 160 countries.
These various congregations are one worldwide family held together
by common worship practices, and a commitment to uphold the faith
and tradition of the early Church and the first apostles. Today the
Anglican Communion's most significant growth is on the continent of
Africa; thus, globally, we are predominantly a church of color.
From its beginning, the Anglican approach to the Christian faith has attempted to blend the best aspects of the Catholic and Reformed traditions into its own theology and practice. As the via media, or middle way, Anglican spirituality seeks to avoid extremes while taking seriously the challenge of emphasizing both communal history and ritual as well as personal faith and relationship with God.
This middle way continues to be a component of church life today. Church life and ministry are based upon the Holy Scriptures and their interpretation in the light of Christian tradition and reason. Anglicans believe that the Bible as Holy Scripture is the revealed Word of God. It is the root of how we understand God and God’s relationship to humanity. Anglicans also believe that God’s Holy Spirit is at work in the history of the Church and in the human soul’s capacity for reason, which is the image of God.
Thus, in Anglican spirituality all three are important: God’s message to us of who God is, the Church’s history of interpreting and acting on that message, and the individual’s using reason to understand both.
The Episcopal (Anglican) Church is sometimes described as the Church that encourages its members to use their minds, as well as their emotions, when responding to God's call in their lives. This approach to faith and life creates a broad and diverse community of believers, all seeking to honor God and God's desire for the world.