Holy Cross Anglican Church stands in the tradition of a world-wide family of Churches who trace their roots to the earliest Christian centuries in the British Isles. While the Church existed there down through the centuries, by the time of the Late Middle Ages reformation was in the air due to a changing world. Taking a distinct and conservative approach to reform, the Church in England developed
an English Liturgy (among other notable reforms) and in time translated the great King James Bible. It has been said that at the time of the Reformation the Church in England became the Church of England. The term “Anglican” essentially means “English” and refers specifically to the Church of England and her daughter churches around the world. At present, the world-wide Anglican Communion of churches has some 85 million members in 165 countries making it the third largest Christian denomination in the world.
Because the Anglican tradition has its roots in the ancient Church but also experienced the Reformation, we in the Anglican Church have the whole of the Christian heritage available to us. There is an inherent integrity in a heritage which acknowledges wisdom from all ages of the Church for growth in Christ. This approach, together with our liturgies, prayers and devotions, allow us to integrate the rhythms of the life of the Church with the rhythms and occasions of our lives. Our tradition then is not an end in itself; but rather sets the course for a responsible way to live in the present. As one Theologian has said, we do not 'use history to escape from history,' rather we exist for the 'day to day' present world by giving our community a consistent liturgical life and offering a holistic approach to living a complete life in Christ.
