Reform (Anglican)

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Reform is an evangelical organization within Anglicanism, active in the Church of England and the Church of Ireland. Reform (England) describes itself as a "network of churches and individuals within the Church of England, committed to the reform of ourselves, our congregation and our world by the gospel".

Several large Anglican churches in England are members of Reform, such as Jesmond Parish Church (in Newcastle upon Tyne), St Ebbe's, Oxford, and St Helen's Bishopsgate (located in the City of London).

Reform was started in 1993 to oppose the ordination of women to the priesthood (like Forward in Faith in the Anglo-Catholic tradition) but has recently focused on advocating a conservative view of homosexuality. Reform is keen to recognise the unique value of women's ministry within the church^[1]. Some Reform members support ordination of women to the priesthood, but not their appointment as ministers in charge of a parish or similar. Reform members are also divided over the issue of the re-marriage of divorced persons, and the issue is left out of the definition of marriage found in the Reform Covenant.(see Reform Covenant, posted on the Reform website)

Reform stand firmly in the Reformed Protestant tradition of the Church of England, but whilst they disapprove of the interpretation placed upon Anglicanism by Forward in Faith (e.g. views about the Eucharist, the meaning of ordination, prayers for the dead and to the Saints) they pledged at their 2006 Conference their co-operation with that Anglo-Catholic grouping to oppose the acceptance of women bishops within the Church of England.

[edit] References

1. ^ Reform

[edit] External links

• Reform website
• Reform Ireland

[edit] Churches linked to Reform

• St Helen's Bishopsgate, London
• Dundonald Church, Wimbledon
• Jesmond Parish Church, Newcastle
• St Ebbe's Church, Oxford