Doctrine
The doctrinal position of the United Episcopal Church is defined by the Declaration of Conformity contained in Article VIII of the UECNA Constitution which grounds the doctrine of the Church in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, the Book of Common Prayer (1928) and the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion (1571/1801.)
This means that, unlike some other Continuing Anglican groups, which talk about perfecting or reforming Anglicanism, the UECNA prefers to stress its continuity with the English Reformation and the old Protestant Episcopal Church, and to place its doctrinal emphasis on 'Classical Anglicanism' as contained in the formularies of the Church; the Thirty-nine Articles and the Book of Common Prayer. These, in turn, refer us back to the Holy Scriptures and the Ancient Fathers and Councils of the Church.
While the UECNA used the Affirmation of St Louis to reform its Constitution in 1981-84, it occupies a far less important place in the Church's life and teaching than it does in that of the Anglican Catholic Church, and the Anglican Province of Christ the King. Archbishop Robinson is on record as stating that the Affirmation of St Louis primarily addresses the controversies of the 1960s and 70s and does not materially alter the doctrine of the Anglican Church. This remains grounded on Holy Scripture, the ancient Fathers and Councils of the Church, and the Articles of Religion.
On moral issues, the UECNA conforms to the Affirmation of St Louis, which in itself reflects the broader Augustinian tradition of Moral theology as understood by the Western Church. The Affirmation in particular affirms
- Individual Responsibility before God for one's acts.
- The Sanctity of Human Life "from conception to natural death"
- Man's Duty to God as set forth "in Natural Law and by the revealed Word of God"
- The indissolubility and sanctity of marriage "between one man and one woman."
- The Sinfulness of Man
- That man is saved by Grace only
- The Christian's Duty to be Moral
The Presiding Bishop (Peter Robinson) recently issued a statement affirming the UECNA's House of Bishops support for those Church bodies opposing the HHS Contraception Mandate. The UECNA is opposed to gay marriage, and condemns abortion on Biblical, moral and ethical grounds.
In ceremonial matters, Bishop Robinson points outs that the UECNA has a greater diversity of churchmanship and ceremonial practice than it did in the 1980s. However, the church is very insistent that ceremonial use conforms to traditional Anglican or Episcopalian customs. Historically, the minimum of vestments required for services in parish churches is surplice and tippet (rochet, chimere and tippet for bishops.) At the other extreme, the 1559 Ornaments Rubric represents the maximum of vesture and ornament contemplated by the compilers of the BCP.
While the UECNA is now a broader Church than it was in the 1980's, and has a few High Church parishes, it still primarily serves those whose churchmanship was Central to Low/Evangelical.
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