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Church Of England

Introduction To the Church Of England

This page is here to offer pointers that may help you to understand the structure of The Church Of England and to offer pointers to find out more information. It's a very dry subject so there may be punctuations along the way to ease the dry bones in the valley. Additionally it's not possible to understand why we are where we are without understanding where we went so a bit of that's in here too. The best start is:         www.cofe.anglican.org

 

THE HIERACHY
Those At The Top
It is not well understood that since the Middle Ages (AD735 in fact) The Church Of England was split into two Principalities with two heads, a southern one and a northern one. Modern incumbents are:

As the website explains the Archbishop Of Canterbury actually oversees the whole of Anglicanism so he is "first among equals". Each are individuals, called by God, and each have very different characters and backgrounds but each is inspired. They preside over Bishops.

Those In The Middle
The modern army of staff is much more delayered than it was in the Middle Aages. The two Principalities (which since 15th Century became known as Convocations) were each broken down into constituent parts overseen by Bishops and they had their constituencies etc. The modern day situation unfolds much more simply than it once did (in descending order of size):

Diocese
      This is presided over by a Bishop:       Rev Peter Broadbent     Bishop Of Willesden.
      www.london.anglican.org/BishopOfWillesden

 

Deanery
      This is presided over by a Dean:          Rev Andrew Corsie        Dean Of Ealing East & Ealing West
       www.london.anglican.org/PersonShow_1670

 

Parish
       This is presided over by a Vicar:         Rev Caz Dunk                 Associate Vicar St James Church
        www.stjamesealing.org.uk/content.php?folder_id=58

There are still a great variety of paid helpers but most are not Ordained and those that are needn't be but have moved sideways in the church because they have responded to God's calling. There are some whom we may see regularly who may have the intention to join the hierachy. For example those that help the Vicar eg Curate.

Laity
But don't forget You and I ! None of these ordained Clergy can do all the day to day work of looking after the community. It takes men and women of substance and trustworthiness. Your general muggins. Those willing accountable unpaid volunteers. The lumberjacks in the forest. The essential few ..so Well Done ..and Thank You Very Much.

And fewer still are those who try to come up with the ideas on how to prioritise all those voluntary things that aren't all going to get done with money we haven't yet got. Yes the humble DCC Members, PCC Members, Synod Reps and lastly those magnificent unsung heroes the Elders. You are all the the Lay. I don't know why. You never get time to lay. But that's who you are. And in the next section you'll see that not long ago you got finally recognised..

Selah !

 

PARLIAMENT
Originally the two Principalities each had an upper and lower assembly , like our secular government with its Houses Of Lords and Commons, consisting of some 400 seats:

  • The House Of Bishops   -the Upper House
  • The House Of Clergy       -the Lower House

Thats four ecclesiastical governing bodies. Parallel with the secular governing bodies changing the Law of the Land must have taken forever. And all paid for out of taxes and tithes. Henry VIII changed all this. But, as we know, to his own gain including the split from Rome (1534). His power was somewhat redressed after the Civil War (1642-51) whence Law making returned to Parliament with approval merely needing to be sought by royal "ascent". Then, in 1919, Parliament passed the Church Assembly (Powers) Act which made secular government preside over Statute Law and Acts and ecclesiastical matters to be passed as Cannon Law and Measure.

Lastly, as recently as 1970, the giant merger of the northern and southern Principalities (Convocations) and the Laity occurred. Thus the General Synod (Greek meeting), consisting of 467 members, was formed. This page breaks down what bits do what:

www.cofe.anglican.org/about/gensynod/convocations

 

BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER
Book Of Common Prayer
Originally written in 1544 it underwent a few revisions but has remained unchanged since 1662. It is staggeringly beautiful and some say "complete". It cannot be altered or removed without an Act of Parliament.

www.cofe.anglican.org/worship/liturgy/bcp/

 

The 39 Articles
These were originally printed at the back of the Book Of Common Prayer. At the time of constructing this web page all thirty nine are available at:

www.theologian.org.uk/church/39articles.html

[to follow shortly]

 

 

 

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