WHO WE ARE

Holy Cross Anglican Church is a faithful and friendly congregation. We believe the Bible to be the inspired and authoritative Word of God, containing all things necessary for salvation. It is through God's revelation of Himself in the Holy Scriptures that people can enter into a saving relationship with His Son Jesus Christ. Our mission is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who do not yet know Him as their Lord and Saviour, and to teach the fullness of the Apostolic Faith to those who do. Holy Cross Anglican Church is small enough to make you feel part of a real church family, but large enough to meet your spiritual needs - and you won't find a more friendly congregation anywhere.

The word Anglican comes from the Latin and means "English," and refers to our spiritual heritage and roots in the ancient Church of the British Isles (England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland). The Anglican Church is also a Reformed Church. The word Reformation means "a return to an earlier normal condition." The English Reformation of the 16th Century was not a rebellion, nor was it the creation of a new Church. It was a reform of errors and abuses that had entered Christendom during the Middle Ages, and a return to the Biblical faith and rich heritage of the early Church. Chief among these reforms were a return to a Biblical understanding of grace and the Gospel, the restoration of worship in the language of the people, a renewed emphasis on preaching, the frequent reception of Holy Communion, and free access to the Holy Scriptures by all the people.

The Anglican Church came to North America with the early English explorers, missionaries and colonists, with the first parish established 400 years ago in 1607, at Jamestown, Virginia. George Washington and most of the founding fathers of the United States were Anglicans, including about two-thirds of the signers of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. Anglican missionaries have carried the Gospel and planted the Church all around the world. Today, the Anglican Communion consists of more than 80 million baptized members, in over 160 countries, and makes up the third largest body of Christians in the world.

WHAT WE BELIEVE

We believe in Evangelical Truth and Apostolic Order. The Holy Scriptures are our rule of faith, containing all things necessary for salvation. The Church and its faith are called Catholic in the ancient Creeds because they are universal and hold for all time, in all places, and for all peoples, the whole truth as it is in Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

We are an Episcopal Church, meaning that our Church is led by bishops. We believe in Apostolic Order, and the ministry of our Church consists of bishops (overseers), presbyters (elders/priests), and deacons (servants) in an unbroken historic succession from the Apostles. This historic succession, going back like an unbroken chain to the earliest days of Christianity, gives our church doctrinal integrity, organizational stability and real historicity.

We are a liturgical Church, using the historic Book of Common Prayer in worship. The Book of Common Prayer was first published in 1549 when English replaced Latin in the Worship Services of the Church. The Book of Common Prayer is composed almost entirely of selections from Scripture which are placed together in such a way that the congregation can worship God together in an orderly manner. The Book of Common Prayer calls us to worship and repentance; leads us to confess our sins; assures us of God's forgiveness; and fills our hearts with the desire to praise and worship God in psalms and hymns. It instructs us through the Bible readings found in every Service, and orders the petitions of our prayers, insuring that they are being worthily offered in the Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Through the faithful administration of Holy Communion every Lord's Day (Sunday), the Gospel of Christ is presented in Word and Sacrament and we are strengthened in our faith and walk with our Lord. In the Sacrament of Holy Communion, the Body and Blood of Christ are taken and received by the faithful. The Book of Common Prayer provides for the intelligent participation of all worshippers regardless of age, background, or spiritual maturity. The Services are both responsive and corporate. As the name of the book affirms, the prayers are common or shared by all of the participants.

The Book of Common Prayer and the King James Version of the Bible, often called the "Authorized Version" because it was translated, published and authorized for use by the Anglican Church in the 17th century, are two jewels of the English language and of Christian devotion that are gifts of our Church to the English speaking world.

A CHURCH FOR TODAY - AND TOMORROW

Many great Christians of the past have been Anglicans, but the Anglican Church is not merely an ancient Church; it is also a Church for today and tomorrow. Well known Anglicans of the modern era include: C. S. Lewis, Dorothy Sayers, J. I. Packer, John Stott, and N. T. Wright. And this short list doesn’t include the tens of millions of faithful Anglican Christians from every continent on earth today.

We are an Evangelical Church that has deep roots going all the way back to the Apostles themselves; and we are a Catholic Church that submits to the authority of Scripture and is committed to fulfilling the Great Commission. The Anglican Church is an ancient Church steeped in Christian history; a living and faithful Church for today; and is growing so fast all around the world that it is the Church of tomorrow.

In these uncertain times - in the midst of changing values, spiritual questioning, and the advance of secularism - it is good to know that there is a Christian Church that still offers an unchanging message. Holy Cross Anglican Church is a faithful, friendly and growing church, and we have a place for you!