ollowing the discovery of the "New World",
Anglicanism spread to the Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania (the central and
south Pacific). Some 37 national and regional Anglican Churches were established
in various parts of the world, which together became known as the Anglican
Communion.
The Anglican Communion has no constitution, governing body, central authority or common liturgy. It is merely a loose association of autonomous Churches with similar origins. Since 1970 it has been disintegrating, as some member churches have brazenly tampered with essential elements of the Faith and con no longer claim to have the same Scriptures, Creeds, Sacraments and Ministry as the rest of the CATHOLIC CHURCH. Since 1987 those Churches have included the CHURCH OF ENGLAND herself.
THE CONGRESS OF
ST. LOUIS In 1977 an international congress of nearly 2,000
Anglican bishops, clergy and lay people met in St. Louis, Missouri, to take the
actions necessary to establish an orthodox jurisdiction in which traditional
Anglicanism would be maintained, by returning to the fullness of the Faith of
the undivided CATHOLIC CHURCH. Acting according to the principles determined by
the seven great Ecumenical Councils of the ancient Church and adopting initially
the name "Anglican Church of North America", they placed themselves under the
jurisdiction of the retired bishop of Springfield, Illinois, the Right Reverend
Albert Chambers.
In January 1978 Bishop Chambers expanded that
jurisdiction and devolved it upon others, by taking order for the consecration
of four more bishops. In October of that year the Church met in Synod to adopt a
formal constitution, which included the change of name to the ANGLICAN CATHOLIC
CHURCH.
Bishop Chambers died in 1993. His steadfast faith and
courage earned him a notable place in the history of world Anglicanism.
The ANGLICAN CATHOLIC CHURCH is a
world-wide body. Since 1978 it has expanded to include 15 dioceses in the
Americas, the United Kingdom, Australia, a bishopric in New Zealand, a deanery
in Spain and in South America. In 1984 the historic Church of India (Anglican)
was received and constituted as the Second Province; today it has 5 dioceses.