Anglicans are a global family of faith: there’s over 85 million of us in 165 countries, with the vast majority residing in the Global South. The “average” Anglican is a 20-something African woman! Since IAC was planted by the Rwandan Anglican church, we see the kingdom as broader than our borders and deeper than merely cultural Christianity.
Anglicans see themselves in continuity with the ancient church. The gospel has not changed: we are inheritors of a faith preached by the apostles, handed down through the early centuries of the church, and renewed in the English Reformation. Even our forms of worship would be recognizable to 2nd-century Christians as belonging to the same lineage of faith.
Anglicans are quite a diverse and vibrant corner of the kingdom. Many people have encountered Anglicanism through C.S. Lewis, N.T. Wright, J.I. Packer, John Stott, the Alpha Course, or various leaders in Peace & Reconciliation movements. We seek to proclaim the gospel both in word and deed and are committed to planting churches, developing leaders, and discipling the rising generations.
Anglicans value the historic practices of the church as means of forming us in the gospel of Christ. These practices include the sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist, the 3-fold order of church governance (bishops, presbyters/priests, and deacons), and the historic order of worship known as the liturgy.
Anglicans value the Scriptures as authoritative for Christian life and practice. We read Scripture in worship, pray Scripture within the liturgy, preach Scripture in sermons, provide Scripture reading plans for daily devotion, and rely on the Scriptures to shape our understanding of the gospel.
Anglicans believe in the ongoing work of the Spirit in our midst. This work includes awakening every believer to faith and growing all Christians in the character of Christ. It also includes occasional gifts such as physical healing, words of prophecy, empowerment for ministry, and other displays of Christ’s authority to restore all things.
The book Simply Anglican by Winfield Bevins is a good first step for further research into Anglicanism.
The Jerusalem Declaration is a short statement about how global Anglicanism is grappling in navigating the modern world.
The ACNA Catechism is a helpful modern summary of Christianity “with an Anglican accent” in a Q&A format.