Anglican Essentials Canada is a Christian group of Anglicans who share a common commitment to "faithful biblical orthodoxy," often broadly meaning an opposition to progressive norms embraced in the late 20th and early 21st century (especially the issue of

marriage equality Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same legal sex. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 38 countries, with a total population of 1.5 billion people (20% ...

and acceptance of LGBT people), but also reflecting a general trend toward conservatism and orthodoxy in thought and practice.

History

Conservative Anglicans formed the group in 1994 to represent their interests within the Anglican Church of Canada. Montreal Declaration It was previously named "the Essentials movement"' and then, in 2005, launched as the Essentials Federation and the Anglican Network in Canada before 750 delegates, most of them Canadian Anglicans, during a gathering dubbed the "Open Door Conference". There were also visitors from the United States and other countries.

Stated goals

Anglican Essentials Canada states they "offer support to Canadian Anglicans who wish to remain true to biblically-faithful, historically-authentic Anglicanism." ''Anglican Essentials Canada'' stands for the supremacy of the complete Canon of Holy Scripture, the

Book of Common Prayer The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the title given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christianity, Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The Book of Common Prayer (1549), fi ...

as the standard of doctrine and worship, the Ordinal, and the Articles of Religion affirmed by the

Lambeth Conference The Lambeth Conference convenes as the Archbishop of Canterbury summons an assembly of Anglican bishops every ten years. The first took place at Lambeth in 1867. As regional and national churches freely associate with the Anglican Communion, ...

of 1968. Although one of the constituent groups is the Prayer Book Society, Anglican Essentials Canada states that the ''

Book of Alternative Services The ''Book of Alternative Services'' (''BAS'') is the contemporary, inclusive-language liturgical book used in place of the 1962 ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) in most parishes of the Anglican Church of Canada The Anglican Church of Canad ...

'' meets a widely felt need for contemporary liturgy, and brings life and joy to many Anglican worshippers". They are neutral on the matter of the

ordination of women The ordination of women to Minister of religion, ministerial or priestly office is an increasingly common practice among some contemporary major religious groups. It remains a controversial issue in certain religious groups in which ordination ...

and include women priests among their ranks. They are opposed to the

blessing of same-sex unions The blessing or wedding of same-sex marriages and same-sex unions is an issue about which leaders of Christian churches are in ongoing disagreement. Traditionally, Christianity teaches that sexual practices between men and sexual practices bet ...

Subgroups

Within ''Anglican Essentials Canada'' there are two sub-groups: ''The Essentials Federation'' and the'' Anglican Network in Canada''. *''The Essentials Federation'' is dedicated to working for the Essentials cause within the Anglican Church of Canada. *The ''

Anglican Network in Canada The Anglican Diocese of Canada (formerly known as the Anglican Network in Canada, or ANiC) is the Canadian diocese of the Anglican Church in North America. Established in 2005, prior to becoming a founding diocese of the ACNA, it originated as ...

'', or ''Essentials Network'', is a Canadian church established in 2005 under the jurisdiction of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone, a province of the Anglican Communion. It joined the Anglican Church in North America in June 2009.

Ecumenical relations

In October 2009, Anglican Essentials' leadership reacted to the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

's proposed creation of

personal ordinariate A personal ordinariate for former Anglicans, shortened as personal ordinariate or Anglican ordinariate,"Bishop Stephen Lopes of the Anglican Ordinariate of the Chair of St Peter..." is a canonical structure within the Catholic Church establis ...

s for disaffected traditionalist Anglicans by saying that this provision would probably not have a great impact on the majority of its affiliated laity and clergy, who are already pastorally satisfied with the current

Anglican realignment The Anglican realignment is a movement among some Anglicans to align themselves under new or alternative oversight within or outside the Anglican Communion. This movement is primarily active in parts of the Episcopal Church (United States), Episco ...

movement.Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) responds to Vatican announcement

References

External links