The Anglican Communion

by Don Palmer

The Anglican Communion is a worldwide brotherhood of churches. (I can’t bring myself to be politically correct and say “worldwide personhood” or “worldwide brother and/or sisterhood”). Until the early 1900s most Anglican churches were found in countries over which the British flag had flown, and witnessed to the missionary zeal of the Church of England. As time passed, the success of the far-flung Church of England branches brought the realization that its very size made it a structure which would best be served by a policy that each country or region would have its own autonomous church. There is no written agreement or constitution other than loyalty to the principles declared in the several Books of Common Prayer of the individual churches, based upon the Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England. There are great comfort, camaraderie, vision, and fellowship in this great community of believers.

The Anglican Communion is made up of 38 independent, self-governing regional and national churches (“provinces”) and includes 70 million members, representing 64,000 congregations in 164 countries. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the head of the Church of England, and the spiritual leader of the Anglican Churches in the Communion. He has legal authority only over the Church of England, but the power of his leadership is enormous. He is “first among equals”, “primus inter pares”. The leaders of the many provinces are referred to as the “primates”.

Every ten years the 450 Anglican diocesan bishops all over the world meet in Lambeth Palace, the See of the Archbishop of Canterbury. (“See” is kin to the word “seat”). The word “cathedral” is from the Latin word for “chair”. The late and beloved Rt. Rev. C. C. J. Carpenter, the “big bishop”, who confirmed Elaine, traveled the entire state in his car, for many years. He commented that his cathedral was the front seat of his car, since that’s where his seat was much of the time.) Resolutions adopted at the Lambeth Conferences have great teaching authority, but are not binding.

At the 1930 Lambeth Conference a definition of the Anglican Communion was adopted which acknowledges it as a fellowship dedicated to upholding the (Holy) Catholic and Apostolic faith and order, bound together not by a central legislative or executive authority, but by mutual loyalty sustained by the common counsel of the bishops.

Church polity differs among the constituent members with many provinces being much more of a hierocracy, dominated by the bishops, than our Episcopal Church, with its leadership shared by bishops, priests, deacons and the laity.

The concept of being “in communion” with other members of the Anglican Communion has been described as more of a mood than a theology. From the Web: “If an Anglican church is a member of the Anglican Communion, it is said to be in communion”.

The actions of our last General Convention, which were legally done and are within the autonomous structure of the Episcopal Church, have brought statements by some of the other provinces that they are in “impaired communion” with us. This means that they disagree. Actually, some have been in impaired communion with us for many years, because we ordain women as priests and bishops. I think this illustrates autonomy within fellowship.

We must do what we believe to be true to the faith, our own and the faith of the church.