What is Anglicanism?The Anglican Church is rooted in a historic, worldwide faith, reaching back to the history of England. The Anglican church holds to Protestant beliefs while still incorporating some of the church's valuable Catholic traditions that have been in place for over two millennia. We are a communion of churches that recognize the Bible as the infallible word of God. The Apostles' and Nicene creeds, the 39 Articles of Religion, and the Book of Common Prayer connect us and keep us accountable to God's Word; they help anchor us as we contextualize our faith in non-traditional ways.
Redeemer is part of the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh, which is a part of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). |
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What are Sacraments?
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In short sacraments are “Visible signs of an invisible grace.”
The Anglican 39 Articles of Religion states in article 25 that “Sacraments ordained of Christ be not only badges or tokens of Christian men's profession, but rather they be certain sure witnesses, and effectual signs of grace, and God's good will towards us, by the which he doth work invisibly in us, and doth not only quicken, but also strengthen and confirm our Faith in him. There are two sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord in the Gospel, that is to say, Baptism, and the Supper of the Lord.” |
As Anglicans we believe that sacraments are a means of grace. Christ has commanded them, he is the chief actor in them, and he initiates them. The sacraments, as means of grace, are “highly personal and relational. They are never mechanical and impersonal.” Finally they can be understood as conduits of relationship the same way a telephone is a conduit for conversation. We seek to practice the sacraments of baptism and communion as part of public worship.
Communion is practiced weekly, while baptism occurs semi-regularly. |
Baptism
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We believe that faith in Jesus results in obedience to Jesus. Since Jesus has commanded baptism, this sacrament is an important first step in a long journey of learning trust and obedience to the Good Shepherd. Additionally, the apostle Paul says that this act of obedience is an opportunity for grace to work in our souls by joining us not only to Christ in his death and resurrection, but also to one another by his Spirit (Romans 6:3-4, 1 Corinthians 12:12-13). “The administration of Holy Baptism is to be done only when faith in Christ is present in those being baptized or, in the case of infants, in their sponsors. Further, the sacrament of holy baptism is to be administered normally in a congregation’s corporate worship” (Acts 2:38, Eph 4:4-6, 1 Peter 3:21, Titus 3:5).
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Article 27 of the Anglican 39 Articles states, “Baptism is not only a sign of profession, and mark of difference, whereby Christian men are discerned from others that be not christened, but it is also a sign of Regeneration or new Birth, whereby, as by an instrument, they that receive Baptism rightly are grafted into the Church; the promises of forgiveness of sin, and of our adoption to be the sons of God by the Holy Ghost, are visibly signed and sealed; Faith is confirmed, and Grace increased by virtue of prayer unto God. The Baptism of young Children is in any wise to be retained in the Church, as most agreeable with the institution of Christ.”
If you are interested in learning more about baptism for yourself or for your child, please contact us or speak with Pastor Ethan for more information. |
Confirmation
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Article 25 of the Anglican "39 Articles" clearly states that confirmation is not a sacrament. This is clear to us because Jesus did not command it. However, as a tool of the church, confirmation is helpful in affirming and anchoring the faith of God’s people in a biblical and historical way.
For believers baptized as infants, confirmation is a ritual that allows the believer to affirm his or her faith as his or her own as well as to take ownership of the faith passed down by their believing parents or sponsors. |
For believers joining the Anglican communion, confirmation is a practice that allows them to have public witness to their faith, spiritual covering of the church through the laying on of the Bishop’s hands, and the joining of faithful generations of the church before us. In summary, confirmation is a helpful tool and spiritual practice, but it is not commanded by Jesus.
If you are interested in learning more about confirmation, please fill out our contact form or speak with Pastor Ethan for more information. |
Our church members come from a variety of denominational backgrounds. And so we understand and welcome people from all traditions. Even if you are not familiar with an Anglican style of worship, visit our service to see what it’s all about.