The Independent Anglican Church (Canada Synod) (IACCS) is an
Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
jurisdiction with a presence in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
and the
United States of America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
. The Most Rev. Peter Wayne Goodrich of Niagara Falls, Ontario is its Primate. There are several suffragan bishops. The church is not affiliated with the
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Founded in 1867 in London, the communion has more than 85 million members within the Church of England and other ...
headed by the
Archbishop of Canterbury
The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Justi ...
.
History
The IACCS was legally constituted as the "Independent Catholic Church of Canada" by
Letters Patent
Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, titl ...
in 1978, by Peter Goodrich, then Archbishop of the Liberal Catholic Church. In 1978, the ''Ottawa Journal'' reported Goodrich's consecration as Primate of the Liberal Catholic Church: "Most Rev. Peter Goodrich, Archbishop of Ontario, was elected primate of the Canadian Liberal Catholic Church International at the Canadian synod". Subsequently, Goodrich established the "Independent Catholic Church of Canada" which was legally renamed "Independent Anglican Church (Canada Synod)" in Supplementary Letters Patent in 1988.
This church has merged with a series of other Anglican bodies in the United States over the past half-century. None of these arrangements lasted more than a few years, after each of which the IACCS returned to its earlier status.
In 2006, the Anglican Independent Communion in the Americas, led by the Rt. Rev. John W. Gains of Georgetown, Delaware, merged with the IACCS to become the "Anglican Church, Province of North America, Inc." The union was dissolved in 2008. Bishop Gains and his parish later joined the IACCS as did Bishop Michael Fedechko, formerly Bishop Primus of the
Reformed Episcopal Church
The Reformed Episcopal Church (REC) is an Anglican church of evangelical Episcopalian heritage. It was founded in 1873 in New York City by George David Cummins, a former bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church.
The REC is a founding member of ...
of Canada, along with his parish in New Liskeard, Ontario.
Doctrinal orientation
The IACCS describes itself as conservative, having retained the use of the historic ''
Book of Common Prayer
The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 in the reign ...
'', the ''Book of Common Praise 1938'', and ''Anglican Chant for the Psalms and Canticles''. The IACCS utilizes its own revision of the
1549 prayer book, the ''Book of Common Prayer Canada, 1991''.
It requires that all clergy subscribe to the
Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion
The Thirty-nine Articles of Religion (commonly abbreviated as the Thirty-nine Articles or the XXXIX Articles) are the historically defining statements of doctrines and practices of the Church of England with respect to the controversies of the ...
. The church permits the ordination of both men and women as deacons, believing this to be consistent with the writings of St. Paul (Romans 16:1). The IACCS allows members to hold various views on the question of ordaining women to the priesthood; however, in practice ordination to priesthood and episcopate are reserved to men.
Two service books have been published for use by IACCS congregations: the ''Book of Common Prayer, 1991 Canada'', and ''The Psalter, Psalms and Canticles Pointed and Set to Anglican Chants'', were both published in 1991. A companion ''Holy Week and Other Services'' book was published by the church in fall 2000. An ''Anglican Book of Occasional Services'' was scheduled for publication early in 2012.
The discipline and public worship of the church is described as ranging from
Anglo-Catholic
Anglo-Catholicism comprises beliefs and practices that emphasise the Catholic heritage and identity of the various Anglican churches.
The term was coined in the early 19th century, although movements emphasising the Catholic nature of Anglican ...
to (Low) Evangelical. Most congregations are said to be in between the two.
Institutions
The Diocesan Library houses approximately 4,000 volumes. This collection features books and information about virtually every religion, having been collected over the past forty years by Archbishop Goodrich. The library is available for students of St. Matthew’s Cathedral College and other students of religion.
Relations with other churches
The IACCS is not in communion with any other independent Anglicans. It considers itself to be unilaterally in communion with any Anglican jurisdiction that has "a valid Apostolic Succession and maintains the Anglican Tradition of Common Prayer worship".
The stated policy of the IACCS is not to encourage members, either clergy or lay, of the Anglican Church of Canada to leave the Anglican Communion. The intention of the IACCS is to be available for those who, for whatever reasons, have already left the Anglican Church of Canada or any other church within the Anglican Communion.
The church is in
intercommunion
Full communion is a communion or relationship of full agreement among different Christian denominations that share certain essential principles of Christian theology. Views vary among denominations on exactly what constitutes full communion, but ...
with the Christian Catholic Church of Canada.
Parishes
Canada
*
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has a population of 785,184. The city is approximately southwest of T ...
: St. Mary the Virgin
*
New Liskeard, Ontario
Temiskaming Shores is a city in the Timiskaming District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It was created by the amalgamation of the town of New Liskeard, the town of Haileybury, and the township of Dymond in 2004. The city had a total population ...
: Trinity
*
Ottawa, Ontario
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
: St. Francis of the Street (Outreach)
*
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
: St. Luke
United States
*
Niagara Falls, New York
Niagara Falls is a City (New York), city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the city had a total population of 48,671. It is adjacent to the Niagara River, across from the city of Niagara ...
: Cathedral of St. George the Martyr
*
Watertown, New York
Watertown is a city in, and the county seat of, Jefferson County, New York, United States. It is approximately south of the Thousand Islands, along the Black River about east of where it flows into Lake Ontario. The city is bordered by the ...
: Anglican Church of Christ the King
*
Georgetown, Delaware
Georgetown is a town and the county seat of Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the town is 6,422, an increase of 38.3% over the previous decade.
Georgetown is part of the Salisbury, Maryland ...
: St. James
*
Kulpmont, Pennsylvania
Kulpmont is a borough in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,924 at the 2010 census.
History
The Borough of Kulpmont was incorporated August 24, 1915. Its development was aided by Monroe H. Kulp.
Geography
Ku ...
: St. Philip and St. James
Mozambique
*
Lichinga
Lichinga is the capital city of Niassa Province of Mozambique. It lies on the Lichinga Plateau at an altitude of , east of Lake Niassa (Lake Malawi). The town was founded as Vila Cabral as a farming and military settlement. It is served by Lich ...
: All Saints, plus four additional missions
Several small religious orders and chaplains are affiliated with the Independent Anglican Church (Canada Synod).
References
{{reflist
External links
Official website
Anglicanism in Canada
Anglicanism in the United States
Anglican denominations in North America