Speed is an essential quality of effective church discipline. Speed is not merely helpful; rather, speed is essential. We find this principle grounded in Biblical teaching, English common law, the American Constitution, and contemporary practice. The saying is true (and worthy of full acceptance): when justice is delayed, justice is denied. Moreover, the church’s recent…
How Anglicanism Saved Me from “Following My Heart”
Hello, my name is Ethan, and I am a recovering expressive individualist. You are familiar with “expressive individualism,” even if the term isn’t familiar. I’ll define and describe it below, but phrases like “be authentic” or “follow your heart” capture the idea to a tee. I became an Anglican to “be authentic” and “follow my…
Anglicans, Infant Baptism, and Believer’s Baptism: A Baptist Weighs-In (Opinion)
Editor’s note: As with all of our “Opinion” pieces, the following guest post does not represent an official position of Anglican Compass. With the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, Anglican Compass believes that “the Baptism of young Children is in any wise to be retained. in the Church, as most agreeable with the institution of Christ”…
What Your Rector Wants For Christmas (UPDATED 2020)
I have a unique position in the church today. I used to be a Rector of a large church in North Dallas. (Christ Church in Plano, TX). But I am no longer a Rector. Instead, I have the good fortune to hang out, teach, coach, and encourage a lot of Rectors. During this challenging year,…
Why and How to Pray for Our Leaders
When the dust settles following an election, it is not unusual to hear Christian leaders exhort the faithful to pray for our leaders, regardless of how we voted, our party preference, or any of a number of factors that might otherwise lead us to neglect such prayer. Anglicans find form and manner to pray for…
It’s Time to Go to Church
The most significant decision a Christian makes every week is whether they will go to church. The corporate worship of God is the principal activity of the people of God, and as the Westminster Catechism reminds us, the reason for which we were created. No other decision will so impact a disciple’s beliefs and practices…
A Rule of Life for Online Discourse
During a tumultuous year where much of our interpersonal interaction has been relegated to online spaces, many of us have found ourselves at odds with others on Facebook groups, Twitter threads, or any myriad of blog comment sections. Lively discussion about important matters should not be discouraged whenever there is a possibility of mutual growth…
Catechesis as a Weapon against Racism
These are trying times in our country. As if a global pandemic was not bad enough, the great pandemic of racism has reared its ugly head once again through the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. It is not as if this issue disappeared for a season and came back in a…
Military Chaplains and the Local Church
When thinking about Anglican priests serving in the military as chaplains, it’s helpful to take perspective on what a select and small group comprises this cohort. About 0.4% of the U.S. population presently serves in the entire active-duty military. Unless a congregation is near a military base, few of those worshipping in an Anglican parish…
Individual and Collective Sin: Principles for Action
How should we balance personal (individual) moral responsibility with collective (group) moral responsibility? Holy Scripture is replete with examples of individuals transgressing God’s law and destroying themselves and others. The law of Moses has many provisions for individuals to bring sacrifices to atone for individual sins. There are also countless examples of people, tribes, nations—collective…
Wai to Prevent Coronavirus: Learning from Global Anglicans
One of the beautiful aspects of following Jesus on the Anglican way is that we walk this path alongside millions of Christians throughout the entire world. The Anglican Communion consists of over 80 million Christians worldwide, which makes it the third-largest body of Christians. We have such a tremendously rich resource in the global Anglican…
What Does the Bible Say about Justice? 5 Things to Remember
This is an incredibly important time for the community of Jesus as our nation grapples with the injustice of racial inequality. An unavoidable light is now shining on the systemic oppression and racism that has plagued the history of our country from its inception. The complicity of large swathes of the American church on issues…
