"Anglican" churches are those whose heritage is the Church of England. Part of the western Catholic Church, the Church of England's reformation began during the reign of King Henry VIII (1509-1547). Initially a political act to perpetuate the Tudor dynasty, and not a theological reformation (under Henry traditional Catholic doctrines were re-affirmed), the CofE quickly began to be influenced by the reformers in Europe. At first Lutherans were an infuence, however the Augsburg Confession was not adopted.

By the revision of the Book of Common Prayer during the reign of King Edward VI (1547-1553), Calvinism had supplanted the Lutheran theological influence -- though it would be not be until the reign of Queen Elizabeth (1558-1603), and finally the establishment of the Hanoverian dynasty (which began with the crowning of King George I -- a German Lutheran! -- as King in 1714) that religious and political peace would be settled in England. Catholic practices and theology (which had never completely disappeared) began to be reasserted in the mid-19th Century. The changing political relations between the nations and colonies of United Kingdom led to the institutional independence of the "Church of England" in those lands, and the formation of a loose Anglican Communion.

North American Anglicans

Anglicans in the 13 English colonies of eastern North America formed the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States after the colonies had severed their political ties with England in the American Revolution.

The Episcopal Church, USA

The official web site of the Episcopal Church in the USA, the church of the Anglican Communion in the United States.

The Diocese of Quincy

The Episcopal diocese headquartered here in Peoria, Illinois, and shepherded by the 8th Bishop of Quincy, +Keith L. Ackerman, SSC .

Neighboring Anglican Parishes in the Peoria area.

This is a part of a larger listing of local Christian congregations with whom Zion (the Lutheran congregation served by Pastor Zip) has relationships.

The Anglican Church of Canada

The ACC's official web site.

Independent Anglicans and the "Continuing Church"

Theological disagreements (most particularly the introduction of women priests within the ECUSA and ACC and the revision of the Book of Common Prayer in the 1970s) have led to the breaking of communion and the formation of new "Continuing" Anglican denominations which retain (or "continue") traditional doctrines and forms. The consecration of a gay bishop in an ECUSA diocese has further upset the relationships between Anglicans in the USA and internationally. For now, Pastor Zip is leaving the organizing of appropriate web links to others.

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Anglican-Lutheran Agreements in North America

Because of the English Channel, Anglicans and European Lutherans rarely had contact. So while developing differences in emphases, Anglicans and Lutherans have never issued theological condemnations against each other. In the USA, it is as much an accident of political history and immigration patterns that has caused the Lutheran and Episcopal churches to remain separated. While an "Interim Eucharistic Sharing" agreement was reached in 1982, only in the year 2000 was full communion established between Lutherans and Episcopalians in the USA.

The Concordat of Agreement

This agreement for full communion between the ECUSA and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America was approved by the ECUSA Convention in July 1997, but was narrowly defeated (6 votes shy of a required 2/3rds majority) at the ELCA's Churchwide Assembly the next month. The next day that Assembly nearly unanimously declared that full communion remained a goal and asked for a "better" agreement to be presented to the 1999 Churchwide Assembly.

Called to Common Mission

is that "better" agreement. A revision of the Concordat of Agreement (above) and still highly controversial within sectors of the ELCA, CCM was approved at the 1999 ELCA Churchwide Assembly and the 2000 ECUSA Convention. A by-law approved at the 2001 ELCA Churchwide Assembly reveals all is not well with this agreement in the ELCA. These are the ECUSA documents on CCM.

Called to Full Communion

Also called The Waterloo Declaration, this established full communion between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Anglican Church of Canada.