Holy Cross Church,
Wilcot
Wilcot
How the Church first came into being
Christianity begins with Jesus of Nazareth and the Jewish people in first-century Palestine. After Jesus was crucified, the apostles formed the backbone of the church.
After the apostles died, the faith was carried on by those who had been taught by them. Until about the year 312 the church had been unlicensed and was considered a depraved religion having no legal status and often considered as an enemy both to the state and to the people. Nevertheless, we know that the faith spread like wildfire, making its way throughout the whole Roman Empire.
A small group in a remote corner of a mighty empire preached commitment to one who died a despised criminal, but they also affirm that this same one rose from the dead and is alive today through His Holy Spirit. They were compelled by an unshakable conviction that Jesus was Lord and that they were duty bound to bring His gospel into the whole world.
Christians were not wanted, yet, they managed to take advantage of the times and the conditions offered by the Roman Empire to spread rapidly. Over their first 300 years a presence was established in most parts of the empire and across all classes and social boundaries.
A small group in a remote corner of a mighty empire preached commitment to one who died a despised criminal, but they also affirm that this same one rose from the dead and is alive today through His Holy Spirit. They were compelled by an unshakable conviction that Jesus was Lord and that they were duty bound to bring His gospel into the whole world.
Christians were not wanted, yet, they managed to take advantage of the times and the conditions offered by the Roman Empire to spread rapidly. Over their first 300 years a presence was established in most parts of the empire and across all classes and social boundaries.
What it means to be an Anglican
The Scriptures and the Gospels, the Apostolic Church and the early Church Fathers, are the foundation of Anglican faith and worship in the 38 self-governing churches that make up the Anglican Communion. The basic Anglican tenets are:
We view the Old and New Testaments ‘as containing all things necessary for salvation’ and as being the rule and ultimate standard of faith.
We understand the Apostles’ creed as the baptismal symbol, and the Nicene creed as the sufficient statement of the Christian faith.
The two sacraments ordained by Christ himself – Baptism and the Lord’s Supper – are administered with unfailing use of Christ's words of institution, and the elements are ordained by him.
Anglicans trace their roots back to the early Church, and their specifically Anglican identity to the post-Reformation expansion of the Church of England and other Episcopal or Anglican Churches. Historically, there were two main stages in the development and spread of the Communion.
Beginning with the seventeenth century, Anglicanism was established alongside colonisation in the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. The second stage began in the eighteenth century when missionaries worked to establish Anglican churches in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
We view the Old and New Testaments ‘as containing all things necessary for salvation’ and as being the rule and ultimate standard of faith.
We understand the Apostles’ creed as the baptismal symbol, and the Nicene creed as the sufficient statement of the Christian faith.
The two sacraments ordained by Christ himself – Baptism and the Lord’s Supper – are administered with unfailing use of Christ's words of institution, and the elements are ordained by him.
Anglicans trace their roots back to the early Church, and their specifically Anglican identity to the post-
Beginning with the seventeenth century, Anglicanism was established alongside colonisation in the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. The second stage began in the eighteenth century when missionaries worked to establish Anglican churches in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
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