What is Christianity?


What is the Anglican Way of Following Jesus?

In common with all orthodox faithful Christians down through the ages, we believe in God the Holy Trinity as revealed in the Holy Scriptures (two testaments, Old and New). Scripture teaches that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father and that God is reconciling the world to himself in Jesus Christ by the power and work of the Holy Spirit within and through the Church. There is no salvation apart from receiving the grace and mercy of God through Jesus Christ.

As Anglicans we are both Catholic and Reformed. We further hold to the three historic Creeds of the Christian Church (the Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian creeds) the first four ecumenical councils (Nicea 325 A. D., Constantinople 381, Ephesus 431, and Chalcedon 451) and the first five centuries of Catholic tradition in doctrine and worship. The Reformation was a reassertion of these things and the key Anglican documents (the 39 Articles, the two Books of Homilies, the Ordinal (the liturgy for ordaining ministers), and the Book of Common Prayer), are foundational for what it means to be ‘Anglican’.

Rooted in this ‘memory’ of the early and ancient church our lives must be continuously surrendered and sustained by the Holy Spirit in the grace and mercy offered to us through Jesus. This takes a certain form in the lives of all Christians. It is through worship (especially in receiving communion with other Christians), sound Biblical and theological teaching, genuine fellowship, and the private disciplines of prayer and reading Scripture that we grow as children of God and followers of Christ.

Christ the King is a theologically conservative and orthodox Anglican church in Edmonton. We are open to the Holy Spirit in prayer and worship and thus it is fair to describe us as a charismatic Anglican church. However, in obedience to Scripture and together with the earliest Christians, we believe that the Holy Spirit works in an orderly way as we come together corporately to pray and worship in a thoughtful and liturgical manner. We ask and expect the Lord to work in us and through us not just on Sundays but throughout the week, wherever we may be. St. John Chrysostom refers to the Book of Acts as a ‘demonstration of the resurrection’ and we want our individual and community life to be a demonstration of the resurrection as well, as we come to the Lord in humility and continually seek his mercy and grace. As a general rule, we celebrate the Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion) every week, and so we are a sacramental Anglican church. We aim to be a place of sound Biblical and theological preaching which focuses upon the risen Christ, and thus it is fair to describe us as an evangelical Anglican Church. Our music is a mixture of contemporary and traditional. We allow time for silent prayer and reflection and mutual encouragement.

There are plenty of opportunities to explore in more depth what all of this means. Please join us!