What we believe…

The Old Old story.

Our beliefs are rooted in the inerrant, authoritative, and sufficient words of Scripture.

Our allegiance is fundamentally to the Lordship of Jesus Christ over all things. We trust in God’s sovereign plan for the redemption of the world by the atoning death, burial, and glorious resurrection of Jesus. We exist as a church to proclaim the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection and to make disciples of Him. The primary way we carry out this mission is by gathering families around the Word of God and the Sacraments of Communion and Baptism.

We find our beliefs best expressed in the historic creeds (Apostles, Athanasian, and Nicene) and in the words of the 39 Articles of Religion as written by the English Reformers in the 16th and 17th century. Our practice is rooted in and shaped by the Book of Common Prayer (1662 & 2019)

We affirm the 2008 Jerusalem Declaration ratified by Anglican churches of GAFCON.

A few particulars

What We Believe About Scripture 

What We Believe About Salvation

What We Believe About Jesus’ Return

What We Believe About Men, Women, and Marriage

What It Means to Be Reformed 

What It Means to Be Sacramental

Why Anglican?

There are three main reasons why Big Island Mission is a part of the Anglican Church.

1) Anglicanism is grounded in God's Word:

We believe that the practices of the church ought to be grounded in the teachings of God’s Holy Word. We do not believe that we have the definitive worship form, or that other churches do not worship God fully. However, we do believe that there are specific practices found throughout Scripture that should be included within worship for the holistic formation of a disciple.

Some of these elements include:

  • A call to worship where we bless God’s name (Ps. 100:4)

  • Prayer for God to open our lips to praise him (Ps. 51:15)

  • Worshiping God in Song (Col. 3:16)

  • The reading and proclaiming of God’s Word (Acts 2:42)

  • Public Prayer and Confession ( Acts 2:42)

  • The celebration of the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:26)

  • The sending forth of the people (Mtt. 28:19)

2) Anglicanism is grounded in the wisdom of the church:

We do not believe that the church is without error; however, we also believe that the saints who have come before us have many things to teach us. Therefore, we look to our past to more fully engage our present. There are four primary historical sources that ground our worship:

  • The Apostle’s Creed

  • The Nicene Creed

  • The Book of Common Prayer

  • The 39 Articles.

3) Anglicanism is grounded in the global church:

Anglicanism is truly a Global Church. With 80 million Anglicans worshipping around the world, when you proclaim the liturgy on the Big Island, you are joining 80 Million of your brothers and sisters around the world. Not only this, but Anglicanism is truly a cross-cultural movement. The majority of Anglicans around the world are centered in communities in the Southern Hemisphere. Your prayers are being joined with Anglicans from every tribe and tongue and nation.

Resources

Diocesan Beliefs Page

— Diocese of the Rocky Mountians