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A Place to Stand

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A Place to Stand ACALL TO MISSION APLACE THE AMERICAN ANGLICAN COUNCIL The American Anglican Council is a network of individuals (laity, deacons, priests and bishops), parishes TO STAND and specialized ministries who affirm Biblical authority and Christian orthodoxy within the Anglican Communion. In response to the Lord's calling and by His grace, we commit ourselves to proclaim the Good News to every person and to reform and renew the Church of Jesus Christ. We are uniting in order to fulfill our apostolic mission and ministry, working to build a faithful Anglican witness in the Americas. WE COVENANT: for commitment To encourage individuals to make a personal commitment to Jesus Christ and live a holy life in the power of the Holy Spirit; THE AMERICAN ANGLICAN COUNCIL for local congregations To educate and provide resources for congregations which are the center of the Church’s life and mission; for biblical faith To strengthen, inform, connect and mobilize people of Biblical faith who will stand for Jesus amidst the challenges of contemporary culture and false teaching within the Church; for leadership To recruit, form and deploy a new generation of Church leaders committed to upholding Biblical orthodoxy; for witness To uphold the Great Commission mandate to make disciples as the primary purpose of the Church; for one another To build up the Body of Christ through faithful prayer, shared resources, and unyielding commitment to one another in pursuit of the Lord’s work. THE AMERICAN ANGLICAN COUNCIL 2296 Henderson Mill Road, NE Suite 406 Atlanta, GA 30345 PROCLAIM THE BIBLICAL AND ORTHODOX FAITH FULFILL THE GREAT COMMISSION TRANSFORM THE CHURCH voice 770-414-1515 fax 770-414-1518 800-914-2000 To learn more about the American Anglican Council visit: [email protected] www.AmericanAnglican.org www.AmericanAnglican.org STATEMENT OF FAITH The mission of the Church, according to Jesus’ Great Commission, is to: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father True Inclusivity: In grateful response to Christ Jesus, in whom there is PLEASE JOIN US neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, we will extend the By signing and returning the form below, you are affirming your and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything welcome of the Church to every person, regardless of race, sex, social or agreement with this Statement of Faith. Please mail or fax it to the economic status, sexual orientation, or past behavior. We will oppose prejudice address listed below. Please consider enclosing a contribution to that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20) in ourselves and others and renounce any false notion of inclusivity that help fund our on-going mission and ministry. Thank you! ~ denies that all are sinners who need to repent. * Note: You may also join the AAC and contribute financially Marriage, Family, and the Single Life: In a fresh commitment to that mission, we join together in common confession of the Gospel God has instituted marriage to be a online via the AAC website below. life-long union of husband and wife, intended for their mutual joy, help, and and in a radical commitment to support one another in accordance with classical Anglican orthodoxy. visit us online at www.americananglican.org comfort, and, when it is God’s will, for the procreation and nurture of children. Divorce is always contrary to God’s original intention, though in a fallen world A COMMON CONFESSION OF THE GOSPEL cultural, international mission, with particular concern for it is sometimes a tragic necessity. The roles of father and mother, exercised in The Gospel and the Triune God: We rejoice in the the poor and the unreached peoples of the world. a variety of ways, are God-given and profoundly important since they are the grace of the Triune God, who has forgiven our chief providers of moral instruction and godly living. The single life, either by Historic Faith, Ecumenical Vision: We affirm the Faith sins and given us redemption in Jesus Christ. We call or by circumstance, is honored by God. It is therefore important for of the Church as it is set forth in the Nicene and Apostles’ proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, fully human unmarried persons to embrace and be embraced by the Christian family. Creeds and in the classical Prayer Book tradition, including and fully divine, who became incarnate from the those documents contained in the “Historical Documents” Human Sexuality: Sexuality is inherent in God’s creation of every human Virgin Mary, lived a life of perfect obedience to his section of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer (bcp p.863). We person in his image as male and female. All Christians are called to chastity: heavenly Father, died on the cross to atone for the further affirm the principles of the Chicago-Lambeth Husbands and wives by exclusive sexual fidelity to one another and single sins of the world, and rose bodily in accordance with Quadrilateral (bcp p.876) as an expression of the normative persons by abstinence from sexual intercourse. God intends and enables all the Scriptures. God the Holy Spirit draws us to faith authority of Holy Scripture and as a basis for our present people to live within these boundaries, with the help and in the fellowship of in Jesus Christ, through whom alone we are justified unity with brothers and sisters in the Anglican Communion the Church. and found acceptable by God the Father. and for the future reunion of all the divided branches of INISTRY IN THE NGLICAN OMMUNION Christian Obedience: We confess Jesus as the Lord Christ’s one holy, catholic and apostolic Church. M A C to whom all authority in heaven and earth has been We desire to be supportive of congregations, dioceses, provinces, and given by the Father. We commit ourselves to follow CONTEMPORARY IMPLICATIONS OF THE GOSPEL structures of the Anglican Communion as an expression of the one holy, him and love him above all else and to conform our Christian mission is rooted in unchanging biblical catholic and apostolic Church. However, when there arise within the Church lives to his example and teaching by the grace of the Holy Spirit. revelation. At particular times, however, specific challenges to authentic at any level tendencies, pronouncements, and practices contrary to biblical, faith and holiness arise which require thoughtful and vigorous response. classical Anglican doctrine and moral standards, we must not and will not Holy Scripture: We believe all Scriptures were “written for our learning” We therefore speak to the following issues of our time and culture. support them. Councils can err and have erred, and the Church has no Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:16 ( ), that they are “God’s Word written,” and that we authority to embrace any doctrine or practice contrary to the clear teaching of The Uniqueness of Jesus Christ: While religions and philosophies of the are to “hear, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them.” We commit Holy Scripture and the historic faith. When teachings and practices contrary world are not without elements of truth, Jesus Christ alone is the full revelation ourselves to regular Bible study and to preach and teach only that which to Scripture and to this orthodox Anglican perspective are permitted within of God. In and through the Gospel, Jesus judges and corrects all views and is in accordance with Holy Scripture. the Church - or even authorized by conventions or synods- we, in obedience doctrines. All persons everywhere need to learn of him, come to know and Congregational Life: to God, will disassociate ourselves from those specific teachings and practices We hold corporate worship, discipleship, and believe in him, and receive forgiveness and new life in him, as there is no other and will resist them in every way possible. mission to be interconnected and indispensable aspects of our response to name given under heaven by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). God as he revealed himself to us in Jesus Christ. We are committed to signature)(your signature) (spouse’s Church and State: INVITATION TO ASSOCIATION being sacrificially involved in all three aspects of congregational life. Biblical social commandments and Christian ethical principles are foundational to the well-being of every society. Recognizing the We invite all Anglicans in the Americas who concur in this classical Anglican – (770) 414-1518 email [email protected] – (770) 414-1515 fax voice Mission and Missions: The Risen Lord commissioned his disciples to call of Christians to be faithful witnesses and a challenging presence in society, perspective to stand with us for mutual enlightenment, encouragement, preach the gospel and to follow his commandments. The mission of the we are committed to seek ways to express these commandments and principles mission, and ministry, and, where necessary, for protection of the right to live Church includes both evangelistic proclamation and deeds of love and in all spheres of life, including the public life of the nation. and minister in obedience to Scripture, Anglican tradition, and conscience. We service. We commit ourselves and our resources to this mission, both further invite all persons who share this faith to stand with us. Sanctity of Life: locally and to the uttermost parts of the earth. We affirm our particular All human life is a sacred gift from God and is to be protected and defended from conception to natural death. We will uphold responsibility to know, love, and serve the Lord in our local settings and THE AMERICAN ANGLICAN COUNCIL the sanctity of life and bring the grace and compassion of Christ to affiliate an aac become may our parish/ministry on how information provide please meeting visit our group to representative like an aac would we and information news, alerts, of aac email updates receive to online community your add me to please contexts.
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