Anglican Communion
Anglicanism is the global expression of a Christian tradition with its roots in the Church of England. England's traditional form of worship spread widely through the British Empire. Today, there are as many as 100 million Anglicans around the world, making it the third largest group of Christians after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Anglicans around the world are organized into Provinces which are autonomous and not under a single authority, but are in communion with each other.
Anglican Worship
It is helpful to think of Anglicanism as expressed in three streams that flow together in one river: a catholic stream that is in continuity with Christian tradition in sacramental and liturgical worship, an evangelical stream that views scripture as the highest authority for Christians, and a charismatic stream that believes in the supernatural empowerment of the Holy Spirit. These three streams are not really distinct from each other. They are part of a single, inseparable river that flows together in the Anglican church.
Anglican Beliefs
Anglicans are not confessional, meaning we do not adhere to a strict set of detailed doctrines. Instead, Anglicans are distinguished by our prayer and worship as envisioned in the Book of Common Prayer (BCP). The BCP affirms our adherence to the Nicene Creed, the Apostles' Creed, and the Athanasian Creed. These creeds date back to the early church and have always served as the definition of Christian orthodoxy. In accordance with the BCP, Anglican churches are unified by bishops in apostolic succession. This means that groups of local churches form a Diocese which is under the authority of a bishop who can trace his lineage back to Jesus Christ. Additionally, some Anglicans hold to the 39 Articles in the BCP which historically defined the Church of England.
Anglo-Catholicism
Anglo-catholic does not mean Roman Catholic. Anglo-catholics are Anglicans ("anglo" means English) who emphasize being a part of the universal church ("catholic" means universal). In other words, anglo-catholics don't think Anglicanism was started by King Henry the VIII. We value the continuity of English Christianity which started much earlier and developed over time. We embrace Celtic Christianity which began independently in England prior to the 3rd century. We value the traditions that developed under Roman Catholic influence beginning around the 7th century. We participated in the Protestant Reformation which returned the church to independence from the Pope in the 16th century. Therefore, our commonalities with both Protestants and Catholics are an authentic part of our Anglican identity going back 1800 years.
Church Affiliation
This church plant is part of the Diocese of San Joaquin, led by Bishop Eric Menees. Our Province is the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), which is in communion with the Global Anglican Communion.