Early Christianity:
•Apostles were sent out to spread the good news of Christ.
•Legend holds that the apostle Andrew traveled to Scotland and converted the Celts.
•However he wasn’t made the patron saint of Scotland until 10th century when the relics of Andrew were brought to Scotland.
•Synod of Whitby 1320: declared Andrew, not Columba the patron saint.
•Records indicate that it was Augustine in the 6th century who was sent by the Pope to bring a more direct apostolic succession to the Christian Celts.
•The early church in England was part of the Roman Church.
Church vs. Government
•The conflict of authority in England between church and state dates back to the arrival of Augustine and simmered for many centuries.
•The Magna Carta (1215) declares the English church independent of its government.
•Discontent with the Roman Church started several centuries before Henry VIII.
•Luther started the official Protestant Reformation – 1517
•Henry VIII formally challenged the authority of the Roman Church in 1536 when he dissolved the monasteries.
It did not start over a divorce…
It did not start over a divorce…
•There is public perception that Henry created the Church in order to acquire a divorce, but he in fact supported the Pope during Luther’s Reformation – the Pope named him “Defender of the Faith”. This didn’t last long and Henry spent most of his reign challenging the authority of the Pope. Issues were financial and political.
•The divorce was final catalyst. 1533
•Henry is credited with the English Reformation – declared himself the Head of the Church in England. Act of Supremacy 1534
•Thomas Cranmer – Archbishop of Canterbury – wrote the 1st Book of Common Prayer in 1549- Latin Liturgy was radically simplified and translated into English.
What followed was a mess…
What followed was a mess…
•Edward VI ruled 9 years – mantained the Protestant church. Willed that Lady Jane Grey would become his queen. He worried that Mary (staunch Roman Catholic) and her husband the King of Spain, would reverse all Henry’s reforms. She ruled nine days.
•Mary ruled until her death and reverted to the Roman Church – much bloodshed (Bloody Mary)
•Elizabeth ruled for 45 years and created a compromise The Elizabethan Settlement. 1559
James I followed which started the reign of the StuartsThose Pesky Americans:
•Anglican settlement primarily in Virginia – English Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.
•The American Revolution left the parishes shattered and weakened by the flight of many clergy. Financial support was cut-off by SPG.
•Urgent issues for the church:
•Obtain 1. apostolic succession, 2. draft a binding constitution, 3. Revise the BCP
Now What - The American Episcopal Church:
1783 – Samuel Seabury was elected Bishop of Connecticut. Traveled to England to have the laying of hands. English Church required an Oath of Allegiance.
Seabury sought consecration from the Scottish Episcopal Church. Ordained 1784.
By 1786, clergy helped change the law in England so that they could offer consecration to churches outside of England. 1787 – ordained William White (Pennsylvania) and Samuel Provoost (New York), James Madison (Virginia.)
Now the espicopate in the American Church was formed.
1789 Canons were formed and a new BCP which combined both the English and Scottish prayer books
Sound Familiar?:
•1779 First General Convention:
•Bishops organized themselves into two Houses – House of Bishops and House of Deputies.
Both houses could propose new canonsWestward Ho!
•1835 The General Convention ordained missionary bishops who, rather than running established dioceses, were sent to the frontier to establish new dioceses.
•Jackson Kemper organized 8 dioceses and established two colleges. First translated the Bible into the language of the Native Americans.
•1867 first Native American (Ottawa) priest ordained. Followed in 1869 Dakota priest and 1881 Cheyenne priest.
Social Justice
•Absalom Jones – first African American priest. By the time the Civil War broke out, the Episcopal Church had 15 African American priests.
•The Civil War split the Episcopal Church – the southern parishes renaming themselves The Protestant Episcopal Church in the Confederate States of American. The northern parishes did not recognize the split and when the Civil War was over, the southern parishes were allowed to rejoin the Church.
•Late 19th century – concerns working poor during the Industrial Revolution.
•Williams Augustis Muhlenberg Created boys’ and girls’ clubs, fixed up apartments for working poor, eliminated the pew tax, started parish schools and set up a “fresh-air” fund which took city children to the country for the summer.
•John Burgess was elected First African American Diocesan Bishop
•During the 60’s and 70’s women gained roles:
•1845 first female religious order established
•1889 first woman deacon
•1974 – 11 women deacons were ordained as priests in Philadelphia by 3 retired bishops.
•1989 – first woman Bishop – Barbara Harris
•2003 – first openly gay bishop – Gene Robinson
•2006 – First woman Presiding Bishop –
•Katharine Jeffords Schori
•7,000 congegrations and missions
•2.2 million members
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