The Lindisfarne Gospels are an illuminated Gospel book first created around 700 AD on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. Now held by the British Library, it is one of the great surviving treasures of the early English Church, broadly appreciated for its precise calligraphy, elegant Celtic designs, jeweled colors, and symbolic art. The manuscript also…
Church Planting in National Parks
National parks provide a unique and strategic context for church planting. Though their gateway cities tend to have a small permanent population, they host millions of seasonal visitors every year. And many of these seasonal visitors are uniquely open to spiritual experience. For those who come to experience the beautiful creation, there is a missional…
YouTube Apologetics with Anglican Aesthetics
Technology changes the way we communicate, and new forms of communication cultivate new audiences with novel expectations for how best to consume and engage with information, including the information that “Christ died for thee” and why he came to do so. Following our explorations of compelling new voices advocating for orthodox Anglican Christianity online, such…
Homeward Bound: The Ministry of Visitation
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 1:27 The shepherd’s work is to visit the flock. A good shepherd tends to the sheep not only within eyesight but also goes and finds the…
Rise of the Anglican Megachurch: Observations from the ACNA’s Largest Churches
The vast majority of Anglican churches have fewer than 100 attendees on a Sunday. But there have always been a few parishes that welcome many more. These are typically legacy churches with centuries of history, such as Falls Church in Virginia (est. 1732) and St. Philip’s in Charleston, South Carolina (est. 1680). Even newcomers to these ranks, such…
Hymn Guide: America the Beautiful
“America the Beautiful” is one of our popular patriotic hymns, sung often at civic celebrations and even before sporting events. But in the church, this hymn is a victim of its own success. Because we associate it with secular gatherings and only remember its first verse, we are often reluctant to sing it in church….
“From the Beginning”: God’s Design for Marriage (10th Anniversary Edition)
The Story Behind the Statement The legal legitimation of same-sex marriage in June 2015 was an important crossroads in American history and the Anglican Church’s witness in North America. I saw this event coming twenty years ago. I felt led to write a tract for the 1997 Episcopal General Convention titled Two Sexes, One Flesh:…
A Wesley Anglican: Navigating Faithfulness and Schism Online
Father Dan Hixon isn’t new to online ministry and evangelism. He began by publicly exploring the big ideas surrounding questions of “catholicity” and Christian living. His profile rose significantly after he created a YouTube video aimed at helping his Methodist congregation navigate the considerable divide within the United Methodist Church at that time. Now, alongside…
Hope for the Nations: New Wineskins Missions Network
For more than 50 years, New Wineskins Missions Network has been at the forefront of a global Anglican missions movement, passionately committed to advancing the Kingdom of God by equipping Anglicans for authentic, cross-cultural partnership. The network finds its roots in the Great Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father…
Catechesis in the Digital Age: The ACNA Catechism App
In 2020, after a decade of planning and testing, the ACNA produced To Be a Christian: An Anglican Catechism, a companion to the 2019 Book of Common Prayer, which was published the year before. To be a Christian was itself an extraordinary achievement: a comprehensive introduction to what it means to think, to pray, and…
The Church Offers What the Culture Can’t
As a youth minister, summer camp is a regular part of my life. Every year, we load up the church van and head into the middle of nowhere for a week of sleepless nights, camp food, sunburn, and ruthless competition. While I love all the craziness that comes with camp, there is one experience I…
Ministry Spotlight: Online Apologist Jeremiah Short
Following his own path of convergence with this cohort of dedicated online apologists, Jeremiah Short, known widely as “The Black Doctor,” has risen as a significant figure. His young but impactful ministry has had a particular focus on reaching those unfamiliar with the Gospel, including individuals coming from Islam and other faith traditions.
