Anglican Church Research Articles

Assessing the influence of the home in sustaining church attendance in Anglican children attending Anglican primary schools in the Republic of Ireland

ABSTRACT This study presents empirical research that investigates the influence of the home in sustaining church attendance in Anglican children attending Church of Ireland (Anglican) primary schools in the Republic of Ireland. A sample of 1,601 primary school students completed surveys in 2019. The data demonstrated that most students who self-identified as Anglican attended church at least sometimes. Further data analysis showed that parental church attendance has the greatest impact on church attendance in young people, in particular the attendance of the mother. The effect of the mother’s church attendance is strengthened when fathers also attend church and when mothers take the opportunity to talk with their children about God, Jesus, prayer and church. The conclusions from these findings serve as a reminder that the Anglican Church might consider how it prioritises faith development and encouragement of parents in an ever-increasingly secular society.

The Sociological Impact of Youth Restiveness on Christianity in Mushin, Lagos State

Youth restiveness is a significant issue in 21st-century Nigeria, impacting national growth and development. It manifests in immoral behaviours like cultism, prostitution, sexual assaults, street violence, gambling, looting, drug addiction, and child trafficking. This menace has impacted the Mushin environment of Lagos State, posing threats to the physical and spiritual development of Christianity in the local government and affecting life, properties, religious organisations, and corporate existence in the area. This research utilised participant observation and archival search methods to study youth restiveness, especially its effects on Christianity in the Mushin Local Government of Lagos State. A study involving 1,000 parishioners of Holy Trinity Anglican Church and United African Methodist Church in Mushin, Lagos State, with the distribution of 500 questionnaires, found that youth restiveness is influenced by factors such as lack of parental upbringing, unemployment, poverty, corruption, gangs, and ecclesiastical negligence. This leads to depletion in church membership, cultism, sexual discrepancies, extortion, family breakdown, drug abuse, human trafficking, and a bleak leadership future. The research advocates for comprehensive programs, including physical and spiritual ones, to address youth restiveness and its sociological concerns. It suggests parents as role models and the church as a catalyst for policy shaping and evangelization. The Nigerian government should prioritise education, research, and empowerment, including moral education and civic engagement. School administrators should adopt appropriate managerial styles to curb restiveness and immoral acts. The church should also enhance youth and women's status.

Charismatic Anglicanism in Nigeria: Understanding the Hybrid Identity through the Lens of ‘Insider Movement’ and ‘Multiple Religious Belonging’

This paper analyses the hybrid identity of charismatic Anglicans in Nigeria. Two theoretical frameworks are borrowed from the fields of missiology and inter-religious dialogues, namely ‘insider movements’ and ‘multiple religious belonging’. They serve as analytical tools to examine the hybrid identity. Nigerian Anglicans who persisted in the 1970s and 1980s with their charismatic practices within the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) led an ‘insider movement’. These Anglican charismatic ‘insiders’ gradually transformed their Anglican ‘communities of origin’ in the 1990s, when denominational leaders recognised that Anglican churches needed to compete for survival against Neo-Pentecostal churches. A hybrid identity emerged – a Nigerian charismatic Anglicanism. The 1996 Nigerian Book of Common Prayer, and its adapted use among charismatic Anglican congregations, shows the early shape of such hybridity; video footages and written materials as recent as 2022 demonstrate the continued relevance of this phenomenon. The framework of ‘insider movements’, however, cannot fully capture this hybrid identity given its inside—outside binarisation. Drawing insights from the notion of ‘multiple religious belonging’, this paper argues that Nigerian Anglicans are at home with multiple strands of religious traditions weaving their identities – Neo-Pentecostalism and the legacy ethos of Anglican missions included. Furthermore, this hybrid identity of charismatic Anglicans in Nigeria carries an asymmetrical preference of charismatic spirituality over traditional Anglicanism. Such a preference can be explained by its close association with the indigenous Nigerian worldview. This paper ends by noting the use of the framework ‘multiple religious belonging’ demonstrates the permeability between interreligious and intrareligious discourses.

Evolving Liturgy and Enduring Hybridity

Abstract The shift to online and hybrid forms of Christian worship brought about by the covid-19 pandemic has persisted in many worshiping communities. This ethnographic panel study traces how Holy Week and Easter Sunday worship practices evolved between 2020 and 2023 in ten Roman Catholic, Anglican, mainstream Protestant, and Free Church congregations located in Toronto, Canada. Participant observation of forty-four online liturgies anchors a framework for analyzing hybrid worship practices as a tension between prioritizing online and in-person participants and using technology in ways that integrate online and in-person worshipers or serve these communities separately. Interviews with congregational leaders reveal four factors that shape decisions about online worship across Christian traditions: theological principles, pastoral concerns, practicalities, and polity. This framework and these factors invite Christians across traditions into conversation with one another in the face of a hybrid liturgical future.

Impact of Neopatrimonialism on the Church and Politics in Kenya between 2017 and 2022 Elections

This paper discusses concept of neopatrimonialism, based on Max Weber’s concept of legal-rational bureaucracy. Neopatrimonialism is regarded as a dominant feature of the developing countries of Africa, being seen as a core feature of local politics in Sub-Saharan Africa. The discussion of neopatrimonialism in Kenya was derived from the experiences of post-colonial oppression and autocracy from the dominant political regime. The author sought to study the impact of neopatrimonialism on the church and politics in Kenya between 2017 and 2022 elections. The researcher sought to answer four questions: How has neopatrimonialism influenced political parties (by) elections in Kenya? How has neopatrimonialism influenced the church and its leaders? In what ways does election of clan leaders influence on neopatrimonialism? Lastly, the researcher sought to find out how accessing funds for development is influenced by neopatrimonialism. Related influences included defective political economic systems, popularly referred to as ‘vampire states of Africa, signing pacts with huge donors in the name of foundations, award of favours for positions of political influence. On church influence, the researcher looked at three mainstream churches: The Anglican Church, Presbyterian Church and the Catholic Church. The researcher discussed the politics of land acquisition and ownership. Findings revealed that donor relations and donor priorities influenced how development organizations accessed funds for development. It was found that the judicial system’s lack of autonomy exposed it to manipulation by the state hence making flawed rulings that affect equitable allocation of funds for development. This study adopted Cooperative game theory, premordialism theory, constructivist theory and instrumentalism theory. The researcher employed exploratory research design to help her probe further the study area. As a mitigation towards overcoming neopatrimonial regimes, the researcher suggested serious advocacy campaigns by prioritizing education, legislation and empowerment of state organs that deal with corruption. Keywords: Neopatrimonialism, Ethnicity, Elections patrimonial and legal-rational bureaucratic domination, regimes, rent seeking, integration

Beyond the Law: Fox, Antichrist, and the Bastard Norman Yoke

The early Quaker objection to certain laws is widely acknowledged. However, the reasoning behind this opposition has been less widely considered, with historians tending to follow Quaker mythology in attributing this positioning to fundamental ‘Testimonies’ established by the earliest Friends, not least a refusal to pay tithes or any of the fees associated with the ‘Hireling Minister’ and his ‘Steeple-House’. Wider consideration of both context and documentary evidence from early Advices and the Society’s records of the seventeenth century suggests that those who became Quakers were representative of a much wider group whose rejection of the authority of both ecclesiastical and state law was founded (however curiously) upon what they considered to be firmly rational grounds. As such, the varied and complex measures adopted by early Friends to place themselves beyond the law (including appeals, arbitration, the Anglican Church or perhaps any regulations associated with any religious formality) were a necessary consequence of two widely-held beliefs (both theological and secular) which had taken root in the interregnum populace but which have since become obscure: Antichrist and the Norman Yoke.

“A Prince among Men”

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was constituted to help South Africa deal with the crime of apartheid. Faith communities were called to account for their actions or inactions because they, too, were actors during the apartheid era. The Church of England in South Africa (CESA) argued that it had been politically neutral. It defended its participation at Prime Minister Hedrick Verwoerd’s funeral as an act of Christian charity and not an indication of its support of the state. This article interrogates this assertion in light of primary written archival sources. It will be argued that the church was not politically neutral during the apartheid years but actively sided with the state and opposed the Church of the Province of South Africa’s (CPSA’s) prophetic stance towards the state. It assisted Verwoerd in political disputes with the Anglican Church and, after his death, mourned him as a friend, not just a statesman. It will be argued that contrary to its submissions and its classification in the TRC Report, the Church of England in South Africa was a supporter of apartheid.

Missions and Digitally Empowered Ministers in the Anglican Church of Uganda

This article examines the role of new online ministers in the Anglican Church of Uganda, focusing on how they negotiate authority between digital and institutional settings and how this shapes their relationships with other institutional actors. It demonstrates how competition hinder digital missions while accelerated through collaboration. Additionally, a historical analysis of key intersections between missions and technology in the history of the Anglican Church of Uganda serves as foundational in stressing the present role of digital technology and revealing the conflicting impact of technological advancements on the missional efforts of the Church of Uganda.

Adoption of Online Church Services and Participation by Kenya Anglican Youth Organization in Cathedral Deanery, Thika Diocese, Kiambu County, Kenya

The Church has continued to embrace the use of online media platforms with a view of reaching out to a wider audience. The Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) through her leadership has been on the forefront since 2017 in championing the use of online media platforms due to decreasing youth enrolment in church, which stood at 10% in 2017. This is happening at a time when the number of youth who have subscribed to online media platforms is also increasing. The study examined the adoption of online church platforms and participation of youth in an ACK deanery, the involvement of the youth in planning for online church service and the challenges encountered by the youth in online church service. The study employed Connectivism Learning Theory by George Siemens (2005) to understand how technology and innovations are adopted at ACK, St. Andrew’s and St. Monica’s Mugumo-ini parishes. The study reviewed empirical data on online church services, youth involvement and challenges of online platforms in enhancing participation among the youth. The study adopted a mixed approach method and utilized a descriptive research design. The target population was (1055) and a sample of 15% (159) which was proportionately and purposively selected. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to members of Kenya Anglican Youth Organisation (KAYO) and parents/guardians, while FGD was carried out among church leadership, whereas the bishop was interviewed. A pilot study was conducted in Memorial Parish and was considered in the final study. This was done by calculating Pearson’s correlation and Cronbach Alpha, which met the 0.7 threshold. Face validity was carried out to ensure the accuracy of the questionnaire and interview schedule. Data collected was then analysed descriptively and thematically. The findings of the study showed that the church adopted Facebook at (84.6%), Twitter (0%), YouTube (38.5%), and WhatsApp (61.5%). On the involvement of the youth, the study found that the church involved the youth in technical support 61.5%. Challenges faced by the youth in online church participation included distraction by other social media (61.6%), internet connectivity at 23% and cost of data at 15.4%. The study found that overall online church attendance among the youth stood at 38.5%. The study's overall recommendations were that; the church ought to utilize YouTube and Facebook for live streaming, run online church services for the youth for a maximum of 30 minutes, and use WhatsApp for online bible study services. Further, the study recommends that the church should offer meaningful involvement of the youth and its leadership rather than limiting them to technical support. These may include offering strategic training on innovative online technologies to church leadership and monitor online youth participation by assessing statistics after each online service/activity.

The Framework of Environmental Promotion and Protection for the Anglican Church of Uganda

A framework that can be used for the Anglican Church of Uganda for environmental promotion and protection using different approaches has been presented. The framework has an integration of all stakeholders of the Anglican Church of Uganda for example, Christian youths, Christian men, and Christian women, working together with the non-Christians, Community leaders and Non-Government Organizations that respond to the environmental promotion and protection. It calls for responsible Church carrying out activities such as sensitization, policy adherence, planting of trees, fighting plastic materials. All these can be realized through youth involvement, men involvement, women inclusiveness, community leaders’ engagement, and collaboration with NGOs.

The Moratorium Debate in the Anglican Church of Uganda

In 1971, John Gatu called for a moratorium on missionary funds and personnel from Europe and North America. This call stirred a debate among Christian churches and organizations in Africa and beyond. The moratorium received positive and negative responses. Two leaders of the Church of Uganda responded to the moratorium. After 50 years of the discussion of Gatu's call for a moratorium, the Church of Uganda has developed and yet she has other issues of selfhood of the church.

General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada

General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada

The Evolution of Environmental Ethics in the Anglican Church

This paper aims to establish the evolution of environmental ethics in the Anglican Church. The paper employs a critical analysis existing literature using the interpretivist paradigm. Interpretivism focuses on describing meaningful social action and gaining an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon under study. In this study, phenomenological description was applied to understand the evolution of environmental ethics in the Anglican Church through a detailed exploration of individuals’ experiences. Although many philosophers have contributed different philosophical perspectives on the environmental ethics, there is a need to also consider the evolution of environmental ethics from a theological perspective. Theologians and ethicists have been inspired to look for another perspective from the scriptures and theology which can enable the ecological sustainability and environmental ethics in the natural world which experiences rapid destruction and dilapidation. This study therefore is a critical exploration on how the Anglican Church has positioned itself in relation to the environmental ethics debate.

Repurposed churches: an analysis through secularisation theory and the core-periphery model

This study examines the repurposing of Anglican churches in the United Kingdom by integrating the core-periphery model developed by Friedmann and Krugman (UK) into secularisation theory, exploring how religious, cultural, and secular uses reflect broader social changes. With declining church attendance, many buildings are repurposed as homes, cultural monuments, or worship spaces for other faiths, such as free churches or mosques. The theory is tested by comparing several possible reuses for closed Anglican churches in the UK: conversion into homes, monuments, or mosques. The method utilised is a literature review, using data from local newspapers and reports by the Church of England and bodies responsible for monument protection. The result is a multi-dimensional approach similar to Wohlrab-Saar & Burchardt’s concept of multiple secularities, capable of assessing both the conversion of a sacred space into a profane space (a privatised or commercial actor, a public or a cultural space) and the transformation of a Christian/Anglican sacred space into a Muslim or free church sacred space. The findings indicate that many churches have been repurposed into homes and mosques, showing that market forces and individualisation have replaced religion and also revealing the emergence of diverse religious forms. This multidimensional approach suggests a pluralistic view of secularization, where secular and religious expressions co-exist and evolve in contemporary society.

The Methods and Practices of the Anglican Church of Uganda for Environmental Promotion and Protection

The study focuses on the methods and practices of the Anglican Church of Uganda for environmental promotion and protection. This research uses a qualitative approach with a literature study method. Primary sources enabled the study to generate firsthand information known as primary data. During the collection of data, the researcher used interviews, focus group discussions, and observation methods. Secondary data was collected through a major document review and analysis. From documents, the study generated secondary information that gave a broader perspective of the research questions and concepts for this study which was also cost-friendly. The results from the respondents confirmed that Christians are enabled to take their obligation seriously to promote and protect the environment. It was shown from the data obtained from the respondents that some of the Christians are regularly educated about environmental promotion and protection. The findings from the respondents suggested that the Anglican Theological Institutions of learning include environmental issues in their curricula. It was revealed by the respondents that a full week of reflection on stewardship of the environment annually was designated by the Anglican Christians of Uganda.

The Theological Teachings of the Anglican Church of Uganda on Environmental Promotion and Protection

This paper aims to examine the Anglican theological teachings on environmental promotion and protection. It employs a qualitative approach and an interpretivist philosophical paradigm to analyse the problematic under study. Primary sources enabled the study to generate firsthand information known as primary data. During the collection of data, the researcher used interviews, focus group discussions and observation methods. Secondary data was also collected through majorly document review and analysis. Documents used to collect data included: Church Environment policy, Church minutes on environment, Church conference reports on environment, Newspapers articles, research reports, theses, online information, journals on environment, and text books. From documents, the study generated secondary information that gave a broader perspective of the research questions and concepts for this study (Saunders, Lewis &Thornhill, 2012). It was established by the findings that the Anglican Church of Uganda has different theological teachings like; the theology of justice and integrity of every creature in the environment and the theology of Christian stewardship to the creations God entrusted them with.

Towards a Safe Church: More Than a Lambeth Call

AbstractThis paper gives definitions of terms which have become critical in ensuring that Anglican churches minimize the risk of harm to all who are involved as practitioners or recipients of its ministries. This imperative is rooted in Scripture, not just the recent history or pronouncements of the Lambeth Conference 2022. The terms ‘Safeguarding’, ‘Safe Ministry’ and ‘Safe Church’ (SC) are set out with reference to the ‘Lambeth Calls’. This paper explores why such terms have come to the forefront of current theological praxis, notes historical iterations of such matters and asks why some Anglican churches or provinces may resist adopting this Lambeth Call. It offers both an apologetic for the universal adoption of SC practices and a scriptural and dominical mandate for them. The paper identifies theological and scriptural principles on which SC theory and practice might be grounded. Anglican churches and provinces are encouraged to develop a theory and practice of SC pertinent to their environment rather than adhere to abstract universal prescriptions which risk irrelevance amidst cultural and contextual particularity.

Personal Reflections on the Anglo-Catholic Identity

This paper explores the origins and significance of Anglo- Catholicism within the Anglican tradition. It traces the history of this movement from its roots in the pre-Reformation English church through the Oxford Movement of the 19th century to its impact on Anglicanism today. The paper examines the key beliefs and practices of Anglo-Catholics, their emphasis on the Catholic heritage of the Anglican Church, and their contributions to the development of Anglican liturgy, theology, and social justice. It also discusses the challenges faced by Anglo-Catholics in the twenty-first century and their ongoing efforts to preserve and promote their distinctive tradition within the broader Anglican Communion.

Listening in Stereo and Communicating in Semaphore: Child Sexual Abuse Survivor-Led Strategies for Culture Change in the Catholic Church

This expository piece, focusing on a grassroots movement called LOUDfence to address child sexual abuse in religious settings, explores the ways in which the symbolic activity of tying ribbons to church fences offers an active and adaptable listening strategy for giving visibility and voice to survivors and survivor-allies. Working through signs, symbols, embodied actions, and ecclesial metaphors, it offers a methodology and mode for creative, trauma-informed, and lay-led cultural change in Catholic and Anglican church contexts.

The Election of an ‘Outsider’ Archbishop

Abstract The 1984 election of David Penman as Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne was surprising, coming at the end of a controversial process in which two better-known candidates had consistently been the front runners. His election disrupted the longstanding power base of Melbourne Diocese represented by the two men passed over. But his election disrupted more than that – it disrupted the stalemate preventing the ordination of women in the Anglican Church of Australia. His election was crucial to the struggle to have women ordained in the Australian church. As Melbourne Diocesan Synod prepares to elect its next archbishop in 2025, it is timely to re-visit the 1984 election.