What Is Anglican?

Our name, Anglican, is simply an old word for ‘English’ because our church’s roots are found in England. It is a bit of a misnomer today, since our church is made up of people of every race, colour and nationality.  Many find us to be a 'middle way' between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.  That is, our worship shares common ancestry with our Roman brothers and sisters, though much of our teaching has been influenced by Reformed theologians and liturgists.

To be Anglican today generally means the following:

Theology:  We believe that God is the creator and sustainer of the world. We believe that Jesus is the Son of God, who both came to teach us how to live and to save us when we are unable to live to God's standards. We believe that God’s Spirit guides us, both individually and collectively when we welcome that Spirit into our hearts.  Through the prompting of the Holy Spirit we seek to embody Christ's compassion for the world.  Our theology is founded on Scripture, tradition, reason and experience.

 Worship:  Our worship services are designed to be inspiring so that worshippers experience the loving presence of God. We emphasize Word and Sacrament; in other words, we experience the presence of God both in the reading of Scripture and in the sharing of communion.

Church Structure:  Our church "thinks globally and acts locally". Christ Church is part of the Anglican Diocese of Niagara with our Bishop and Cathedral in Hamilton. We are part of the world-wide Anglican Communion with about 70 million members.