COLEGIUL NATIONAL “MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU” Anglican Church STUDENT: COORDINATOR: Tataru Andrei Prof. Drăgan Aurora 12B G A L A T I MAI 2018 2 CONTENTS… [606329]

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COLEGIUL NATIONAL “MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU”

Anglican Church

STUDENT: [anonimizat]:
Tataru Andrei Prof. Drăgan Aurora
12B

G A L A T I
MAI 2018

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CONTENTS
ARGUMENT ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. .. 3
HISTORY ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ……. 4
Early Christianity in England ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ……. 5
Separation from Rome ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ……………… 6
Stuart period ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. … 7
Overseas developments ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ……………… 8
19th century ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. .. 10
20th century and after ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ……………… 11
DOCTRINE AND PRACTICE ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. …. 12
Worship and liturgy ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………… 14
Women's ministry ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ……………………. 14
Same -sex unions and LGBT clergy ………………………….. ………………………….. ……………………….. 16
Liberal theology ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………. 18
Bioethics issues ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………. 18
MEMBERSHIP ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ……………………… 19
STRUCTURE ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. …………………………. 20
Primates ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. …….. 22
Representative bodies ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………. 23
General synod ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. …………………………. 24
House of Lords ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ……………………….. 26
CONCLUSION ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ……………………….. 27
BIBLIOGRAPHY ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ……………………. 28

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ARGUMENT

I have chosen to write about this topic because of the importance that the Anglican
Church played in the history of England, but also because of the lack of faith the
UK is facing at this time.
Therefore, I want to approach this subject because it fits my values perfectly. Also,
I want to inspire people to get interested in knowing the history of this church,
little known outside the United Kingdom, but of overwhelming significance when
discussing its influence within the English society.
Since i ts appearance, during the reign of Henry the VIII, the Church of England
inspired feelings of independence, equality and justice. As the novelist Henry
Fielding said “When I mention religion I mean the Christian religion; and not only
the Christian religio n, but the Protestant religion; and not only the Protestant
religion, but the Church of England.”
In this paperwork I will present a brief history of the Church of England and its
most representative events and doctrines and I will try to offer an accurate picture
of the way the Church evolved, taking into consideration the social and political
factors.

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HISTORY

The Church of England (C of E) is the state church of England.
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior cleric,
although the monarch is the supreme governor.
The Church of England is also the mother church of the
international Anglican Communion. I t traces its history to the
Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of
Britain by the third century, and to the 6th -century Gregorian
mission to Kent led by Augustine of Canterbury.
The English church renounced papal authority when Henry VIII
failed to secure an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of
Aragon in the 1530s.
The English Reformation accelerated under Edward VI's
regents, before a brief restoration of papal authority under
Queen Mary I an d King Philip. The Act of Supremacy 1558
renewed the breach and the Elizabethan Settlement charted a
course enabling the English church to describe itself as both
Catholic and Reformed:
• Catholic in that it views itself as a part of the universal church of Jesus Christ in
unbroken continuity with the early apostolic church. This is expressed in its emphasis on
the teachings of the early Church Fathers, as formalised in the Apostles', Nicene, and
Athanasian creeds.
• Reformed i n that it has been shaped by some of the doctrinal principles of the 16th –
century Protestant Reformation, in particular in the Thirty -Nine Articles of Religion and
the Book of Common Prayer.

Saint Augustine
of Canterbury

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Early Christianity in England

According to tradition, Christianity arrived in Britain in the 1st or 2nd century, during which
time southern Britain became part of the Roman Empire. The earliest historical evidence of
Christianity among the native Britons is found in the writings of such early Christian Father s as
Tertullian and Origen in the first years of the 3rd century. Three Romano -British bishops,
including Restitutus, are known to have been present at the Council of Arles in 314.
Others attended the Council of Sardica in 347 and that of Ariminum in 360, and a number of
references to the church in Roman Britain are found in the writings of 4th century Christian
fathers. Britain was the home of Pelagius, who opposed Augustine of Hippo 's doctrine of
original sin.
While Christianity was long established as t he religion of
the Britons at the time of the Anglo -Saxon invasion,
Christian Britons made little progress in converting the
newcomers from their native paganism.
Consequently, in 597, Pope Gregory I sent the prior of the
Abbey of St Andrew's (later canon ised as ) from Rome to
evangelise the Angles. This event is known as the
Gregorian mission and is the date the Church of England
generally marks as the beginning of its formal history.
With the help of Christians already residing in Kent,
Augustine establ ished his church at Canterbury, the capital
of the Kingdom of Kent, and became the first in the series
of Archbishops of Canterbury in 598.
A later archbishop, the Greek Theodore of Tarsus, also
contributed to the organisation of Christianity in England.
The Church of England has been in continuous existence
since the days of St Augustine, with the Archbishop of
Canterbury as its episcopal hea d.
Despite the various disruptions of the Reformation and the
English Civil War, the Church of England considers itself to be the same church which was more
formally organised by Augustine. While some Celtic Christian practices were changed at the
Synod of Whitby, the Christian in the British Isles was under papal au thority from earliest times.
Chair of St. Augustine, the
archiepiscopal throne in
Canterbury Cathedral.

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Queen Bertha of Kent was among the Christians in England who recognised papal authori ty
before Augustine arrived, and Celtic Christians were carrying out missionary work with papal
approval long before the Synod of Whitby.
The Synod of Whitby established the Roman date for Easter and the Roman style of monastic
tonsure in England. This meeting of the ecclesiastics w ith Roman customs with local bishops
was summoned in 664 at Saint Hilda's double monastery of Streonshalh (Streanæshalch), later
called Whitby Abbey. It was presided over by King Oswiu, who did not engage in the debate but
made the final ruling.

Separatio n from
Rome

In 1534, King Henry VIII separated the English Church from
Rome. A theological separation had been foreshadowed by
various movements within the English Church, such as
Lollardy, but the English Reformation gained political support
when Henry VIII wanted an annulment of his marriage to
Catherine of Aragon so he could marry Anne Boleyn.
Pope Clement VII, considering that the earlier marriage had
been entered under a papal dispensation and how Catherine's
nephew, Emperor Charles V, might react to such a move,
refused the annulment. Eventually, Henry, although
theologically opposed to Protestantism, took the position of
Supreme Head of the Church of England to ensure the
annulment of his marriage. He was exco mmunicated by Pope
Paul III.
In 1536 –40 Henry VIII engaged in the Dissolution of the
Monasteries, which controlled much of the richest land. He
disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in
England, Wales and Ireland, appropriated their income,
disposed of their assets, and provided pensions for the former
residents.The properties were sold to pay for the wars. Bernard
argues:
King H enry the VIII

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The dissolution of the monasteries in the late 1530s was one of the most revolutionary events in
English history. There were nearly 9 00 religious houses in England, around 260 for monks, 300
for regular canons, 142 nunneries and 183 friaries; some 12,000 people in total, 4,000 monks,
3,000 canons, 3,000 friars and 2,000 nuns….one adult man in fi fty was in religious orders.
Henry maint ained a strong preference for traditional Catholic practices and, during his reign,
Protestant reformers were unable to make many changes to the practices of the Church of
England. Indeed, this part of Henry's reign saw the trial for heresy of Protestants as well as
Roman Catholics.
Under his son, King Edward VI, more Protestant -influenced forms of worship were adopted.
Under the leadership of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, a more radical
reformation proceeded. A new pattern of worship was se t out in the Book of Common Prayer
(1549 and 1552). These were based on the older liturgy but influenced by Protestant principles.
The confession of the reformed Church of England was set out in the Forty -two Articles (later
revised to thirty -nine).
The reformation however was cut short by the
death of the king. Queen Mary I, who succeeded
him, returned England again to the authority of
the papacy, thereby ending the first attempt at an
independent Church of England. During her co –
reign with her husband, King Philip, many
leaders and common people were burnt for their
refusal to recant of their reformed faith. These
are known as the Marian martyrs and the
persecution led to her nickname of "Bloody
Mary ".

Stuart period

For the next century, through the reigns of
James I, who ordered the creation of what
became kno wn as the King James Bible, and
Charles I, culminating in the English Civil War
and the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell, there
were significant sw ings back and forth between
two factions: the Puritans (and other radicals)
The title page of King James
Bible (1611)

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who sought more far -reaching Protestant reforms, and the more conservative churchmen who
aimed to keep closer to traditional beliefs and Catholic practices. The failure of politica l and
ecclesiastical authorities to submit to Puritan demands for more extensive reform was one of the
causes of open warfare.
By Continental standards, the level of violence over religion was not high, but the casualties
included King Charles I and the A rchbishop of Canterbury, William Laud. Under the
Commonwealth and the Protectorate of England from 1649 to 1660, the bishops were dethroned
and former practices were outlawed, and Presbyterian ecclesiology was introduced in place of
the episcopate. The 39 Articles were replaced by the Westminster Confession, the Book of
Common Prayer by the Directory of Public Worship. Despite this, about one quarter of English
clergy refused to conform to this form of State Presbyterianism.
With the Restoration of Charles II, Parliament restored the Church of England to a form not far
removed from the Elizabethan version. One difference was that the ideal of encompassing all the
people of England in one religious organisation, taken for granted by the Tudors, had to be
aban doned.
The religious landscape of England assumed its present form, with the Anglican established
church occupying the middle ground, and those Puritans and Protestants who dissented from the
Anglican establishment, and Roman Catholics, too strong to be s uppressed altogether, having to
continue their existence outside the national church rather than controlling it. Continuing official
suspicion and legal restrictions continued well into the 19th century.

Overseas developments

The history of Anglicanism since the 17th century
has been one of greater geographical and cultural
expansion and diversity, accompanied by a
concomitant diversity of liturgical and theological
profession and practice.
At the same time as the English reformation, the
Church of Ireland was separated from Rome and
adopted articles of faith similar to England's Thirty –
Nine Articles. However, unlike England , the
Anglican C hurch there was never able to capture the
loyalty of the majority of the popu lation (who still
adhered to Roman Catholicism).
St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin

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As early as 1582, the Scottish Episcopal Church was inaugurated when James VI of Scotland
sought to reintroduce bishops when the C hurch of Scotland became fully Presbyterian . The
Scottish Episcopal Church e nabled the creation of the Episcopal Church in the United States of
America after the American Revolution, by consecrating in Aberdeen the first American bishop,
Samuel Seabury, who had been refused consecration by bishops in England, due to his inability
to take the oath of allegiance to the English crown prescribed in the Order for the Consecration
of Bishops.
The polity and ecclesiology of the Scottish and American churches, as well as their daughter
churches, thus tends to be distinct from those spawned by the English church —reflected, for
example, in their looser conception of provincial government, and their leadership by a presiding
bishop or primus rather than by a metropolitan or archbishop. The names of the Scottish and
American churches inspire th e customary term Episcopalian for an Anglican; the term being
used in these and other parts of the world. See also: American Episcopalians, Scottish
Episcopalians
At the time of the English Reformation the four (now six) Welsh dioceses were all part of the
Province of Canterbury and remained so until 1920 when the Church in Wales was created as a
province of the Anglican Communion. The intense interest in the Christian faith which
characterised the Welsh in the 18th and 19th centuries was not present in the sixteenth and most
Welsh people went along with the church's reformation more because the English government
was strong enough to impose its wishes in Wales rather than out of any real conviction.
Anglicanism spread outside of the British Isles
by means of emigration as well as missionary
effort. The 1609 wreck of the flagship of the
Virginia Company, the Sea Venture, resulted in
the settlement of Bermuda by that Company.
This was made official in 1612, when the town
of St George's, now the oldest surviving English
settlement in the New World, was established.
It is the location o f St Peter's Church the
oldestsurviving Anglica n church outside the
British Isles (Britain and Ireland), and the oldest
surviving non -Roman Catholic church in the
New World, also established in 1612.
It remained part of the Church of England until 1978, when the Anglican Church of Bermuda
separated. The Church of England was the state religion in Bermuda and a system of parishes
Consecrated in 1612, Saint Peter's
Church, in St Geo rge's, Bermuda, is
the oldest Anglican church outside
the British Isles .

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was set up for the religious and political subdivision of the colony (they survive, today, as both
civil and religious parishes).
Bermuda, like Virginia, tended to the Royalist side during the Civil War. The conflict in
Bermuda resulted in the expulsion of Independent Puritans from the island (the Eleutheran
Adventurers, who se ttled Eleuthera, in the Bahamas). The church in Bermuda, before the Civil
War, had a somewhat Presbyterian flavour, but mainstream Anglicanism was asserted afterwards
(although Bermuda is also home to the oldest Presbyterian church outside the British Isle s).
Bermudians were required by law in the 17th century to attend Church of England services, and
proscriptions similar to those in England existed on other denominations.
English missionary organisations such as USPG —then known as the Society for the Prop agation
of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge (SPCK)
and the Church Missionary Society (CMS) were established in the 17th and 18th centuries to
bring Anglican Christianity to the British colonies. By the 19th century, such missions were
extended to other areas of the world.
The liturgical and theological orientations of these missionary organisations were diverse. The
SPG, for example, was in the 19th century influenced by the Catholic Revival in the Church of
England, while the CMS was influenced by the Evangelicalism of the earlier Evangelical
Revival. As a result, the piety, liturgy, and polity of the indigenous churches they established
came to reflect these diverse orientations.

19th century

By the Fift h Article of the Union with Ireland 1800, the
Church of England and Church of Ireland were united
into "one Protestant Episcopal church, to be called, the
United Chu rch of England and Ireland". Although this
union was declared "an essential and fund amental Part
of the Union", the Irish Church Act 1869 separated the
Irish part of the church again and disestablished it, the
Act coming into effect on 1 January 1871.
The growth of the twin "reviva ls" in 19th century
Anglicanism, Evangelical and Catholic, was hugely
influential. The Evangelical Revival informed important
social movements such as the abolition of slavery, child
welfare legislation, prohibition of alcohol, the
St. John's Episcopal
Church

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development of public he alth and public education. It led to the creation of the Church Army, an
evangelical and social welfare association and informed piety and liturgy, most notably in the
development of Methodism.
The Catholic Revival had a more penetrating impact by transfor ming the liturgy of the Anglican
Church, repositioning the Eucharist as the central act of worship in place of the daily offices, and
reintroducing the use of vestments, ceremonial, and acts of piety (such as Eucharistic adoration)
that had long been prohi bited in the English church and (to a certain extent) in its daughter
churches.
During this time , in the US , the Episcopal C hurch (founded in 1789, including the Anglican
parishes from USA , Taiwan and Caribbean) began to grow in membership, reaching about
1,400,000 baptized members.
In 1816 was build St. John's Episcopal Church at crossing between Sixteenth Street and H Street
NW, in Lafayette Square , Washington, D.C. The church i s a historic Greek Revival Episcopal
church designed by Benjamin Latrobe. Ever y US sitting president has attended the church at
least once since it was built in 1816, starting with James Madison .
With the exception of Richard Nixon, every president since Franklin D. Roosevelt has attended
spiritual services on Inauguration Day, m any at St. John's. It was designated a Nation al Historic
Landmark in 1960, and it is known as the " Church of the Presidents ".

20th century and after

The current form of military chaplain dates from the era of the First World War. A chaplain
provides spiritual and pastoral support for service personnel, including the conduct of religious
services at sea or in the field. The Army Chaplains Department was granted the prefix "Royal" in
recognition of the chaplains' wartime service. The Chaplain General of the British Army was
Bishop John Taylor Smith who held the post from 1901 to 1925.
An attempt to revise the Book of Common Prayer in 1928 was nullified by opposit ion in the
House of Commons.
During the Second World War the head of chaplaincy in the Britis h Army was an (Anglican)
chaplain -general, the Very Revd Charles Symons (with the military rank of major -general), who
was formally under the control of the Permanent Under -Secretary of State. An assistant chaplain –
general was a chaplain 1st class (full co lonel), and a senior chaplain was a chaplain 2n d class
(lieutenant colonel).

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A movement towards unification with the Methodist Church in the 1960s failed to pass through
all the required stages on the Anglican side, being rejected by the General Synod in 1 972. This
was initiated by the Methodists and welcomed on the part of the Anglicans but full agreement on
all points could not be reached. The Church Assembly was replaced by the General Synod in
1970.
The first black archbishop of the Church of England, Jo hn Sentamu, formerly of Uganda, was
enthroned on 30 November 2005 as Archbishop of York.
In 2006 the Church of England at its General Synod made a public apology for the institutional
role it played as a historic owner of slave plantations in Barbados and Barbuda. The Reverend
Simon Bessant recounted the history of the church on the island of Barbados, West Indies, where
through a charitable bequest received in 1710 by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel,
thousands of sugar plantation slaves had b een appallingly treated and branded using red -hot irons
as the property of the "society".
In 2010, for the first time in the history of the Church of England, more women than men were
ordained as priests (290 women and 273 men).

DOCTRINE AND PRACTICE

The canon law of the Church of England identifies the
Christian scriptures as the source of its doctrine. In addition,
doctrine is also derived from the teachings of the Church
Fathers and ecumenical councils (as well as the ecumenical
creeds) in so far as these agree with scripture.
This doctrine is expressed in the Thirty -Nine Articles of
Religion, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Ordinal
containing the rites for the ordination of deacons, priests, and
the consecration of bishops.
Unlike other tradit ions, the Church of England has no single
theologian that it can look to as a founder. However, Richard
Hooker's appeal to scripture, church tradition, and reason as
sources of authority continue to inform Anglican identity.
The Church of England's doctrinal character today is largely
the result of the Elizabethan Settlement, which sought to
Richard Hooker
(1554 –1600), one of
the most influential
figures in shaping
Anglican theology .

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establish a comprehensive middle way between Roman Catholicism and Pr otestantism.
The Church of England affirms the Protestant Reformation principle that scripture contains all
things necessary to salvation and is the final arbiter in doctrinal matters. The Thirty -nine Articles
are the church's only official confessional s tatement. Though not a complete system of doctrine,
the articles highlight areas of agreement with Lutheran and Reformed positions, while
differentiating Anglicanism from Roman Catholicism and Anabaptism.
While embracing some themes of the Protestant Refor mation, the Church of England also
maintains Catholic traditions of the ancient church and teachings of the Church Fathers, unless
these are considered contrary to scripture. It accepts the decisions of the first four ecumenical
councils concerning the Tri nity and the Incarnation.
The Church of England also preserves Catholic order by adhering to episcopal polity, with
ordained orders of bishops, priests and deacons. There are differences of opinion within the
Church of England over the necessity of episco pacy. Some consider it essential, while others feel
it is needed for the pr oper ordering of the church.
The Church of England has, as one of its distinguishing marks, a breadth and "open –
mindedness". This tolerance has allowed Anglicans who emphasise the C atholic tradition and
others who emphasise the Reformed tradition to coexist. The three "parties" in the Church of
England are sometimes called high church (or Anglo -Catholic), low church (or evangelical
Anglican) and broad church (or liberal).
The high church party places importance on the Church of England's continuity with the pre –
Reformation Catholic Church, adherence to ancient liturgical usages and the sacerdotal nature of
the priesthood. As their name suggests, Anglo -Catholics maintain many traditi onal Catholic
practices and liturgical for ms.
The low church party is more Protestant in both ceremony and theology. Historically, broad
church has been used to describe those of middle -of-the-road ceremonial preferences who lean
theologically to wards liberal Protestantism. The balance between these strands of churchmanship
is not static: in 2013, 40% of Church of England worshippers attended evangelical churches
(compared with 26% in 1989), and 83% of very large congregations were evangelical. Such
churches were also reported to attract higher numbers of men and young adults than others.

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Worship and liturgy

The Church of England's official book of liturgy as established in English Law is the Book of
Common Prayer. In addition to this book the Gener al Synod has also legislated for a modern
liturgical book, Common Worship, dating from 2000, which can be used as an alternative to the
BCP. Like its predecessor, the 1980 Alternative Service Book, it differs from the Book of
Common Prayer in providing a r ange of alternative services, mostly in modern language,
although it does include some BCP -based forms as well, for example Order Two for Holy
Communion. (This is a revision of the BCP service, altering some words and allowing the
insertion of some other l iturgical texts such as the Agnus Dei before communion.) The Order
One rite follows the pattern of more modern liturgical scholarship.
The liturgies are organised according to the traditional liturgical year and the calendar of saints.
The sacraments of ba ptism and the Eucharist are generally thought necessary to salvation. Infant
baptism is practised. At a later age, individuals baptised as infants receive confirmation by a
bishop, at which time they reaffirm the baptismal promises made by their parents or sponsors.
The Eucharist, consecrated by a thanksgiving prayer including Christ's Words of Institution, is
believed to be "a memorial of Christ's once -for-all redemptive acts in which Christ is objectively
present and eff ectually received in faith".
The us e of hymns and music in the Church of England has changed dramatically over the
centuries. Traditional Choral evensong is a staple of most cathedrals. The style of psalm chanting
harks back to the Church of England's pre -reformation roots. During the 18th century, clergy
such as Charles Wesley introduced their own styles of worship with poetic hymns.
In the latter half of the 20th century, the influence of the Charismatic Movement significantly
altered the worship traditions of numerous Church of England pa rishes, primarily affecting those
of evangelical persuasion. These churches now adopt a contemporary worship form of service,
with minimal liturgical or ritual elements, and incorporating contemporary worship music.

Women's ministry

Women were appointed as deaconesses from 1861 but they could not function fully as deacons
and were not considered ordained clergy. Women have been lay readers for a long time. During
the First World War, some women were appointed as lay readers, known as "bishop's

15

messengers" , who also led missions and ran churches in the absence of men. After that no more
lay readers were appointed until 1969.
Legislation authorising the ordination of women as deacons was passed in 1986 and they were
first ordained in 1987. The ordination of women as priests was passed by the General Synod in
1992 and began in 1994. In 2010, for the first time in the history of the Church of England, more
women than men were ordained as priests (290 women and 273 men).
In July 2005, the synod voted to "set in train" the process of allowing the consecration of
women as bishops. In February 2006, the synod voted overwhelmingly for the "further
exploration" of possible arrangements for parishes that did not want to be directly under the
authority of a bishop who is a woman.
On 7 July 2008, the synod voted to approve the ordination of women as bishops and rejected
moves for alternative episcopal oversight for those who do not accept the ministry of bishops
who are women.
Actual ordinations of women to the episco pate
required further legislation, which was narrowly
rejected in a vote at General Synod in November
2012.
On 20 November 2013, the General Synod voted
overwhelmingly in support of a plan to allow the
ordination of women as bishops, with 378 in favour, 8
against and 25 abstentions.
On 14 July 2014, the General Synod approved the
ordination of women as bishops. The House of
Bishops recorded 37 votes in favour, two against with
one abstention. The House of Clergy had 162 in
favour, 25 against and four abstentions. The House of
Laity voted 152 for, 45 ag ainst with five abstentions.
This legislation had to be approved by the
Ecclesiastical Committee of the Parliament b efore it
could be finally implemented at the November 2014
synod.
In December 2014, Libby Lane was announced as the first woman to become a bishop in the
Church of England. She was consecrated as Bishop of Stockport in January 2015.
In July 2015, Rachel Treweek was the first woman to become a diocesan bishop in the Church of
England when she becam e the Bishop of Gloucester. She and Sarah Mullally, Bishop of
Elizabeth Jane
Holden "Libby" Lane ,
first female bishop of
the Church of England

16

Crediton, were the first women to be ordained as bish ops at Canterbury Cathedral. Treweek later
made headlines by calling for gender -inclusive language, saying that "God is not to b e seen as
male. God is God."
After the consecration of the first women as bishops, Women and the Church (WATCH), a
group supporting the ministries of women in the Church of E ngland, called for language
referring to God as "Mother".
This call for more gender inclusive language has receive d the outspoken support of the Rt Rev
Alan Wilso n, the Bishop of Buckingham. In 2015, the Rev Jody Stowell, from WATCH,
expressed her support for female images saying "we're not restricted to understanding God with
one gender. I would encourage people to explore those kinds of images. They're wholly
Biblical."

Same -sex unions and LGBT clergy

The Church of England has been discussing same -sex
marriages and LGBT clergy. The church holds that
marriage is a union of one man with one woman, however
"Same -sex relationships often embody genu ine mutuality
and fidelity." The "Church of England does not conduct
Civil Partnership Ceremonies or Same Sex Marriages but
individual churches can conduct a service of thanksgiving
after a ceremony." Within guidelines, "the law prevents
ministers of the Church of England from carrying out
same -sex marriages.
And although there are no authorised services for blessing
a same -sex civil marriage, your local church can stil l
support you with prayer." The Archbishops' Council said
that "clergy in the Church of England are permitted to off er
prayers of support on a pastoral basis for people in same –
sex relationships;" As such, many Anglican churches, with
clergy open to it, "already bless same -sex c ouples on an
unofficial basis."
Civil Partnerships for clerg y have been allowed since 2005.
By 2010, the General Synod voted in favour of extending
Nicholas Alan "Nick"
Chamberlain , first gay
bishop of the Church
of England

17
pensions and other employee rig hts to clergy in civil unions.
In a missive to clergy, the church communicated that "there was a need for committed same -sex
couples to be given recognition and 'compass ionate attention' from the Church, including special
prayers." Some congregations have published "Prayers for a Same Sex Commitment."
After same -sex marriage was legalised, the Archbishops' Council asked for the government to
continue to offer civil union s saying "The Church of England recognises that same -sex
relationships often embody fidelity and mutuality … Civil partnerships enable these Christian
virtues to be recognised socially and leg ally in a proper framework."
In 2014, the Bishops released guidelines that permit "more inform al kind of prayer" for couples.
Some congregations invite same -sex couples to receive "services of thanksgiv ing" after a civil
marriage. In the guidelines, "gay couples who get married will be able to ask for special pray ers
in the Church of England after their weddin g, the bishops have agreed."
In 2016, The Bishop of Grantham, the Rt Rev Nicholas Chamberlain, announced he is gay, in a
same -sex relationship and celibate; becoming the first bi shop to do so in the church. The church
had decided in 2013 that gay clergy in civil partnershi ps could become bishops. “The House [of
Bishops] has confirmed that clergy in civil partnerships, and living in accordance with the
teaching of the church on human sexuality, can be considered as can didates for the episcopate."
In 2017, the House of Clergy voted against the motio n to 'take note' of the Bishops' report
defining marriage a s between a man and a woman. Due to passage in all three houses being
required for passa ge, the motion was rejected.
After General Synod rejected the motion, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York called for
"radical new Christian inclusion" that is "based on good, healthy, flourishing relationships, and
in a proper 21st century understanding of being human and of being sexual." The Diocese of
Hereford approved a motion calling for the church "to cr eate a set of formal services and prayers
to bless those who have had a same -sex marriage or civil partners hip."
Regarding transgender issues, the 2017 General Synod voted in favour of a motion saying that
transgender people should be “welcomed and affi rmed in their parish church…” The motion also
asked the Bishops "to look into special services for transgender people." The Diocese of
Blackburn has already begu n recognising the ceremony. Since 2000, the church has allowed
priests to undergo gender trans ition and remain in office. The church has ordained openly
transgender clergy since 2005.

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Liberal theology

Just as the Church of England has a large conservative or "traditionalist" wing, it also has many
liberal members and clergy. Approximately one thir d of clergy "doubt or disbelieve in the
physical resurrection". Others, such as the Revd Giles Fraser, a contributor to The Guardian, have
argued for an allegorical interpretation o f the virgin birth of Jesus.
The Independent reported in 2014 that, accordi ng to a YouGov survey of Church of England
clergy, "as many as 16 per cent are unclear about God and two per cent think it is no more t han a
human construct." Moreover, many congregations are seeker -friendly environments. For
example, one report from the C hurch Mission Society suggested that the church open up "a
pagan church where Christianity [is] very much in the centre" to reach out to spiritual people .

Bioethics issues

The Church of England is generally opposed to
abortion but recognises that "there can be – strictly
limited – conditions under which it may be
morally preferable to any available alternative".
The church also opposes euthanasia.
Its official stance is that "While acknowledging
the complexity of the issues involved in assisted
dying/suicide and voluntary euthanasia, the
Church of England is opposed to any change in
the law or in medical practice that would make
assisted dying/suic ide or voluntary euthanasia
permissible in law or acceptable in practice."
It also states that "Equally, the Church shares the
desire to alleviate physical and psychological
suffering, but believes that assisted dying/suicide and voluntary euthanasia are not acceptable
means of achie ving these laudable goals."
However, George Carey, a former Archbishop of Canterbury, announced that he had changed his
stance on euthanasia in 2014 and now advocated legalising "assisted dying". On embryonic
Canterbury Cathedral , the seat
of the Anglican Church
(previousl y a Roman Catholic
Cathedral )

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stem -cell research , the church has announced "cautious acceptance to the proposal to produce
cytoplasmic h ybrid embryos for research".

MEMBERSHIP

Official figures from 2005 showed there were 25 million baptised Anglicans in England and
Wales. Due to its status as the established church, in general, anyone may be married, have their
children baptised or their funeral in their local parish church, regardless of whether they are
baptised or regular churchgoers.
Between 1890 and 2001, churchgoing i n the Unite d Kingdom declined steadily. In the years
1968 to 1999, Anglican Sunday church attendances almost halved, from 3.5 per cent of the
population to 1.9 per cent. By the year 2014, Sunday church attendances had declined further to
1.4 per cent of th e population. One study published in 2008 suggested that if current trends were
to continue, Sunday attendances could fall to 350,000 in 2 030 and just 87,800 in 2050.
In 2011, the Church of England published statistics showing 1.7 million people attendin g at least
one of its services each month, a level maintained since the turn of the millennium;
approximately one million participating each Sunday and three million taking part in a Church of
England service on Christmas Day or Christmas
Eve.
The church also claimed that 30% attend Sunday
worship at least once a year; more than 40%
attend a wedding in their local church and still
more attend a funeral there. Nationally the Church
of England bapti ses one child in ten (2011). In
2015, the church's statistic s showed that 2.6
million people attended a special Advent service,
2.4 million attended a Christmas service, 1.3
million attended an Easter service, and 980,000
attended ser vice during an average week.
The Church of England has 18,000 active
ordained cler gy and 10,0 00 licensed lay ministers.
In 2009, 491 people were recommended for
ordination training, maintaining the level at the
turn of the millennium, and 564 new clergy (266
women and 298 men) were ordained. More than

20

half of those ordained (193 men and 116 women) were appointed to full -time paid ministry.
In 2011, 504 new clergy were ordained, including 264 to paid ministry, and 349 lay readers were
admitted to ministry; and the mode age -range of those recommended for ordination training had
remained 40 –49 since 1999.

STRUCTURE

Article XIX ('Of the Church') of the 39 Articles defines the church as follows:
“The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in which the pure Word of God
is preached, and the sacraments be duly ministered according to Christ's ordinance in all those
things that of necessity are requisite to the same.”
The British monarch has the
constitutional title of Supreme
Governor of the Church of England.
The canon law of the Church of
England states, "We acknowledge that
the Queen's most excellent Majesty,
acting according to the laws of the
realm, is the highest power under God
in this kingdom, and has supreme
authority over all persons in all causes,
as wel l ecclesiastical as civil."
In practice this power is ofte n
exercised through Parliament and the
Prime Minister.
The Church of Ireland and the Church in Wales separated from the Church of England in 1869
and 1920 respectively and are autonomous churches in the Anglican Communion; Scotland's
national church, the Church of Scotland, is Presbyterian but the Scottish Episcopal Church is in
the Anglican Communion.
In addition to England, the jurisdiction of the Church of England extends to the Isle of Man, the
Channel Islands and a few parishes in Flintshire, Monmouth shire, Powys and Radnorshire in
Wales which voted to remain with the Church of England rather than jo ining the Church in

21
Wales. Expatriate congregations on the continent of Europe have become the Diocese of
Gibraltar in Europe.

The church is structured as follows (from the lowest level upwards):
• Parish is the most local level, often consisting of one church building and community,
although many parishes are joining forces in a variety of ways for financial reasons. The
parish is looked after by a parish pr iest who for historical or legal reasons may be called
by one of the following offices: vicar, rector, priest in charge, team rector, team vicar.
The first, second, and fourth of these may also be known as the 'incumbent'. The running
of the parish is the joint responsibility of the incumbent and the Parochial Church Council
(PCC), which consists of the parish clergy and elected representatives from the
congregation. The Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe is not formally divided into parishes.
• There are a numbe r of local churches that do not have a parish. In urban areas there are a
number of proprietary chapels (mostly built in the 19th century to cope with urbanisation
and growth in population). Also in more recent years there are increasingly church plants
and fresh expressions of church, whereby new congregations are planted in locations
such as schools or pubs to spread the Gospel of Christ in non -traditional ways.
• Deanery , e.g., Lewisham or Runnymede. This is the area for which a Rural Dean (or area
dean) i s responsible. It consists of a number of parishes in a particular district. The rural
dean is usually the incumbent of one of the constituent parishes. The parishes each elect
lay (non -ordained) representatives to the deanery synod. Deanery synod members each
have a vote in the election of representatives to the diocesan synod.
• Archdeaconry , e.g., the seven in the Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe. This is the area
under the jurisdiction of an archdeacon. It consists of a number of deaneries.
• Diocese , e.g., Diocese of Durham, Diocese of Guildford, Diocese of St Albans. This is
the area under the jurisdiction of a diocesan bishop, e.g., the Bishops of Durham,
Guildford and St Albans, and will have a cathedral. There may be one or more assisting
bishops, usuall y called suffragan bishops, within the diocese who assist the diocesan
bishop in his ministry, e.g., in Guildford diocese, the Bishop of Dorking. In some very
large dioceses a legal measure has been enacted to create "episcopal areas", where the
diocesan b ishop runs one such area himself and appoints "area bishops" to run the other
areas as mini -dioceses, legally delegating many of his powers to the area bishops.
Dioceses with episcopal areas include London, Chelmsford, Oxford, Chichester,
Southwark, and Li chfield. The bishops work with an elected body of lay and ordained
representatives, known as the Diocesan Synod, to run the diocese. A diocese is
subdivided into a number of archdeaconries.

22

• Province , i.e., Canterbury or York. This is the area under the jur isdiction of an
archbishop, i.e. the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. Decision -making within the
province is the responsibility of the General Synod (see also above). A province is
subdivided into dioceses.
• Primacy , i.e., Church of England. In addition to his specific authority in his own
province, each archbishop is "Primate of All England" (Canterbury) or "Primate of
England" (York) and has powers that extend over the whole country —for example his
licence to marry without the banns (marriage licence).
• Royal Peculiar , a small number of churches more closely associated with the Crown, and
a very few with the law and are outside the usual church hierarchy though conforming to
the rite. These are outside episcopal jurisdiction.
All rectors and vicars are ap pointed by patrons, who may be private individuals, corporate bodies
such as cathedrals, colleges or trusts, or by the bishop or directly by the Crown.
No clergy can be instituted and inducted into a parish without swearing the Oath of Allegiance
to Her M ajesty, and taking the Oath of Canonical Obedience "in all things lawful and honest" to
the bishop.
Usually they are instituted to the benefice by the bishop and then inducted by the archdeacon into
the possession of the benefice property —church and
parso nage. Curates (assistant clergy) are appointed by rectors
and vicars, or if priests -in-charge by the bishop after
consultation with the patron.
Cathedral clergy (normally a dean and a varying number of
residentiary canons who constitute the cathedral chapt er) are
appointed either by the Crown, the bishop, or by the dean and
chapter themselves. Clergy officiate in a diocese either because
they hold office as beneficed clergy or are licensed by the
bishop when appointed, or simply with permission.

Primates

The most senior bishop of the Church of England is the
Archbishop of Canterbury, who is the metropolitan of the
southern province of England, the Province of Canterbury. He
Justin Portal Welby ,
the 105th
Archbishop of
Canterbury

23
has the status of Primate of All England.
He is the focus of unity for the worldwide Anglican Communion of independent national or
regional churches. Justin Welby has been Archbishop of Canterbury since the confirmation of his
election on 4 February 2013.
The second most s enior bishop is the Archbishop of York, who is the metropolitan of the
northern province of England, the Province of York. For historical reasons (relating to the time
of York's control by the Danes) he is referred to as the Primate of England. John Sentam u
became Archbishop of York in 2005. The Bishop of London, the Bishop of Durham and the
Bishop of Winchester are ranked in the next three positions.

Reprezentative bodies

The Church of England has a legislative body, the General Synod . Synod can create two types of
legislation, measures and canons. Measures have to be approved but cannot be amended by the
British Parliament before receiving the Royal Assent and becoming p art of the law of England.
Although it is the established church in England only, i ts measures must be approved by both
Houses of Parliament including the non -English members. Canons require Royal Licence and
Royal Assent, but form the law of the church, rathe r than the law of the land.
Another assembly is the Convocation of the English Clergy , which is older than the General
Synod and its predecessor the Church Assembly. By the 1969 Synodical Government Measure
almost all of the Convocations' functions were transferred to the General Synod. Additionally,
there are Diocesan Synods and dea nery synods, which are the governing bodies of the divisions
of the Church.

24
General synod

By the Synodical Government Measure 1969, the Church Assembly renamed and reconstituted
itself as the General Synod of the Church of England. It also took over almost all the powers
formerly exercised by the Convocations of Canterbury and York.
The synod is tricameral, consisting of the House of Bishops, the House of Clergy and the House
of Laity. There are currently 467 members in total.
The House of Bishops is made up of the 30 diocesan bishops in the Province of Canterbury, the
12 diocesan bishops of the Province of York, the suffragan Bishop of Dover (in the Province of
Canterbury), and seven other suffragan bishops (four from Canterbury and three from York)
elected by all suffragan bishops.
The House of Clergy comprises clergy elected by the following:
• 128 elected from the dioceses of the Province of Canterbury,
• 54 elected from the dioceses of the Province of York,
• 1 elected by each of the Universities of Oxfo rd, Cambridge, and London,
• 1 elected jointly by the Universities of Durham and Newcastle,
• 2 elected by the other Universities (one from each Province),
• 6 deans elected from Cathedrals, plus either the Dean of Jersey or the Dean of Guernsey,
• the 3 senior An glican Chap lains of the Armed Services, plus the Chaplain -General of
Prisons, and
• 2 members of religious communities.
Members of the House of Laity are elected by lay members of the Deanery Synod in each
Diocese every five years by a system of single transferable vote. There are:
• up to 170 members elected by the laity of the Province of Canterbury,
• up to 80 members elected by the laity of the Province of York,
• the Dean of the Arches,
• the Vicars -General of the Provinces of Canterbury and York,
• the three Church Estate Commissioners,

25
• the Chairman of the Central Board of Finance,
• the Chairman of the Church of England Pensions Board,
• the members of the Archbishops' Council who are communicants of the Church of
England.
There are two or three synodical sessio ns per year (4 –5 days each), one or two in Church House,
Westminster, the other at the University of York, and each session is officially opened by the
monarch. Meetings are presided over by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York as joint
presidents.
The f unctions of the synod are:
• to pass measures dealing with the government of the church and its institutions,
• to pass canons, determining doct rine and the form of worship,
• to approve the liturgy and make other rules and regula tions through Acts of Synod,
• to regulate relations with other churches,
• to consider and express their opinion on any other matters of religious or public interest,
and
• to approve or reject the annual budget of the church
Measures or canons must be passed by a majority of the members of e ach house of the synod.
Most other business can be passed by a majority of the members of the synod overall. However
changes to church doctrine, rites and ceremonies, or the administration of the sacraments, can
only be made in the form agreed by the House of Bishops .
Also, changes in the services of Baptism or Holy Communion, as well as proposals for union
with any other church, cannot be approved unless they have also been approved by a majo rity of
the diocesan synods. Some Measures do not extend to the D iocese of Sodor and Man unless so
provided by a measure passed by the Sodor and Man Diocesan Sy nod and approved by Tynwald.
The General Synod also elects some members of the Archbishops' Council.

26
House of Lords

Of the 42 diocesan archbishops and bishops in the Church of England, 26 are permitted to sit in
the House of Lords. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York automatically have seats, as do the
Bishops of London, Durham and Winchester.
The remaining 21 seats are filled in order of seniority by consecration. It may take a diocesan
bishop a number of years to reach the House of Lords, at which point he becomes a Lord
Spiritual. The Bishop of Sodor and Man and the Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe are not eligible t o
sit in the House of Lords as their dioceses lie outside the United Kingdom.

Crown dependencies

Although they are not part of England or the United Kingdom, the Church of England is also the
Established Church in the Crown dependencies of the Isle of Ma n, the Bailiwick of Jersey and
the Bailiwick of Guernsey. The Isle of Man has its own diocese of Sodor and Man, and the
Bishop of Sodor and Man is an ex officio member of the Legislative Council o f the Tynwald on
the island.
The Channel Islands are part of the Diocese of Winchester, and in Jersey the Dean of Jersey is a
non-voting member of the States of Jersey. In Guernsey the Church of England is the Established
Church, although the Dean of Guernsey is not a member of the States of Guernsey.

27
CONCLUS ION

Having presented this short chronology of the Anglican Church, or Church
of England officially , I must say that the above -presented are only the main events
and personalities with great impact on the evolution of this church , at least from
my point of view, because the church has been a part of English culture for as long
as England has been a country, reason which makes such a classification extremely
subjective.
Although such a wide subject canno t be presented exhaustively in only a few
pages I hope my findings have offered an insight into the world of the Anglican
Church, the way it has developed along the ages and the way that it has influenced
the English s ociety.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglicanism
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_England
3. http://www.anglicancommunion.org/
4. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Anglicanism
5. http://ang lican.org/church/ChurchHistory.html
6. http://www.anglicanchurch.net/
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglican_Communion