The Free Church of England: Introduction to an Anglican Tradition

Most Christians are completely unaware that for over 200 years there has existed in England, and at times in Wales, Scotland, Canada, Bermuda, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, and the USA, an episcopal Church, similar in many respects to the Church of England, worshipping with a Prayer Book virtually identical to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, and served by bishops, presbyters, and deacons whose orders derive directly from Canterbury, and ecumenically enriched by Old Catholic, Swedish, Moravian, and other successions. The Free Church of England as an independent jurisdiction within the Universal Church began in the reign of George III. In 1991, the Church sent a bishop to George Carey’s Enthronement as Archbishop of Canterbury.

In addition to presenting for the first time a detailed history of the Free Church of England, John Fenwick also explores the distinctive doctrinal emphases of the denomination, its Constitution, its liturgical tradition, its experience of the historic episcopate, and its many connections with other churches (including the Reformed Episcopal Church in the USA). He discusses why the Church has, so far, failed to fulfill the vision of its founders, and what the possible future of the Church might be—including a very significant expansion as many Anglicans and other Christians considering new options discover this historic, episcopal, disestablished Church with its international connections and ecumenical character.

With Logos Bible Software, this volume is completely searchable, with passages of Scripture appearing on mouseover, as well as being linked to your favorite Bible translation in your library. This makes this text more powerful and easier to access than ever before for scholarly work or personal Bible study. With the advanced search features of Logos Bible Software, you can perform powerful searches by topic or Scripture reference—finding, for example, every mention of “Anglicanism ,” or “ministry.”