Hi, Jonathan,
Unfortunately, there are no truly "reformed" Anglican churches anymore. I would include the Reformed Episcopal Church in that indictment. By "reformed" I mean those churches which uphold the principles of the English Reformation and at least a moderate Calvinism. One would be hard pressed to find a church like that anywhere. I attend a local church which is still part of ECUSA here in the central Florida diocese. However, the rector or pastor is a 4 point Calvinist from Australia.
While the Presbyterian churches do stay closer to Reformed theology and the confessions, there is no guarantee of doctrinal purity there either. The Presbyterian Church in America and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church both have problems with Federal Vision, theonomy, and the church growth movement.
The best advice I can offer you is to visit several Anglican/Episcopal churches and see which prayer book they are using. The ACNA and ECUSA are using the 1979 BCP which is both Anglo-Catholic and pelagian. The Reformed Episcopal Church uses a prayer book based on the 1789 American prayer book, though some of the Anglo-Catholic RECs use the 1928 BCP.
The real problem is the REC is no longer Evangelical or "Reformed" by any sense of either word. But the advantage of the REC is they still use a prayer book which is fairly close to the 1662 BCP.
I have Puritan tendencies in that I think doctrine and teaching should be scripturally pure. That means I hold to the 39 Articles of Religion as a Protestant confession of faith which rules out both Anglo-Catholicism and Arminianism. The 39 Articles are used to interpret the Prayer Book and not the other way around.
My best advice I could offer is that you continue to do your Morning and Evening prayers from the 1662 BCP and join a good Reformed church of any denomination you can find. Presbyterian or Dutch Reformed. But you might be blessed enough to find an REC church in Houston which truly is Calvinist and Reformed. I think that might be highly unlikely given the evidence I've seen, particularly the participation of "Bishop" Leonard Riches in the consecration of Anglo-Catholic Archbishop Robert Duncan in the Anglican Church in North America.
May the Lord grant you peace and providentially lead you to a Gospel preaching church where the sacraments are duly and rightly administered!
Sincerely in Christ,
Charlie
Unfortunately, there are no truly "reformed" Anglican churches anymore. I would include the Reformed Episcopal Church in that indictment. By "reformed" I mean those churches which uphold the principles of the English Reformation and at least a moderate Calvinism. One would be hard pressed to find a church like that anywhere. I attend a local church which is still part of ECUSA here in the central Florida diocese. However, the rector or pastor is a 4 point Calvinist from Australia.
While the Presbyterian churches do stay closer to Reformed theology and the confessions, there is no guarantee of doctrinal purity there either. The Presbyterian Church in America and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church both have problems with Federal Vision, theonomy, and the church growth movement.
The best advice I can offer you is to visit several Anglican/Episcopal churches and see which prayer book they are using. The ACNA and ECUSA are using the 1979 BCP which is both Anglo-Catholic and pelagian. The Reformed Episcopal Church uses a prayer book based on the 1789 American prayer book, though some of the Anglo-Catholic RECs use the 1928 BCP.
The real problem is the REC is no longer Evangelical or "Reformed" by any sense of either word. But the advantage of the REC is they still use a prayer book which is fairly close to the 1662 BCP.
I have Puritan tendencies in that I think doctrine and teaching should be scripturally pure. That means I hold to the 39 Articles of Religion as a Protestant confession of faith which rules out both Anglo-Catholicism and Arminianism. The 39 Articles are used to interpret the Prayer Book and not the other way around.
My best advice I could offer is that you continue to do your Morning and Evening prayers from the 1662 BCP and join a good Reformed church of any denomination you can find. Presbyterian or Dutch Reformed. But you might be blessed enough to find an REC church in Houston which truly is Calvinist and Reformed. I think that might be highly unlikely given the evidence I've seen, particularly the participation of "Bishop" Leonard Riches in the consecration of Anglo-Catholic Archbishop Robert Duncan in the Anglican Church in North America.
May the Lord grant you peace and providentially lead you to a Gospel preaching church where the sacraments are duly and rightly administered!
Sincerely in Christ,
Charlie
----Original Message -----
From: Jonathan Green
Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 2009 10:03 AM
Subject: Reformed Anglican churches in Houston
Hi,
I read your blog from time to time and glean quite a bit of helpful info. I am attracted to the Anglican church as my mother is English and I have early exposure to it's traditions and especially the BoCP, which I still read in it's 1662 incarnation. Do you know of any Reformed Anglican congregations in the Houston, Texas area?
love your blog
JG
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1 comment:
JG:
Charlie has offered sage counsel, but proceed with profound caution.
The RECs lack candour and honesty, truth be told. Read Robin Jordan on the 1928 BCP at www.anglicansablaze.blogspot.com. It has influences from the Anglo-Romewardizers. Also, www.churchsociety.org.
The 1979 BCP of the Manglicans is outrightly Pelagian the the Catechism...never a word about that from them though.
It's very dangerous out there.
Phil
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