Frequently Asked Questions  How Long Has Your Church Been In Existence? The Anglican Church was formed in 1552 when the Church of England broke away from the Roman Catholic Church. The Anglican Church of Saint Paul in Owasso was formed on October 1, 2006. On that Sunday, we had 50 people in our first worship service. Do I Have To Join Your Church To Receive Communion? Our communion is open to all Baptized Christians. Does ACSP have any Outreach efforts? Yes! We financially and prayerfully support two priests in Tanzania and two orphans in Uganda. We have also supported a local nursing home and have visited them with gifts on several occasions. We support a coffee shop in Baghdad, Iraq which serves free coffee to U.S. soldiers. We have collected children's books as Christmas presents for needy children. Each Sunday, we collect food and store it until we encounter a family in financial crisis. We have made arrangements to provide new school clothes for five Owasso elementary school children and are also actively seeking out other areas of service to include in our outreach efforts. What is required to join ACSP? A time will be arranged for you to meet with our priest, Fr. Chris Waters. He will fill out a form which contains questions about each member of your family. He will also ask questions about your spiritual, physical and emotional needs and how we can help fill them at ACSP. Finally, on a Sunday of your choosing, Fr. Chris will invite you to come before the congregation. He will ask you if you desire to join the church, if you are willing to support the church with your time, talent, financial resources and prayer. He will also ask if you are willing to attend the church each Sunday, unless for good reason prevented. Then he will introduce you as new members of ACSP. Why Did You Choose The Name Saint Paul? Saint Paul's letters to the early Christians crystalized the theology of the Christian faith. He also travelled thousands of miles to promote the Early Church and bring new individuals to Jesus. Our vision is to be a church that preaches the Gospel of Jesus by serving in the community. Who better speaks to that than Saint Paul? What is the Anglican Communion? The Anglican Communion is a worldwide network of 38 autonomous geographic areas called "provinces." English colonists and missionaries spread Anglican Christianity to every corner of the world between the sixteenth and twentieth centuries. The Communion is the third largest body of Christians, having more than seventy-million members. Only the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox churches are larger. Are Anglicans Like Roman Catholics? Anglican Churches in each country are independent. We do not have a pope, but we do look to the Archbishop of Canterbury in England as our spiritual parent. Instead of one individual that makes the rules by which we abide, the Communion makes their own rules, but we make every effort to govern our churches so that we do not cross theological or Biblical boundaries that identify us as Anglican Christians. How is the Anglican Communion organized? The Anglican Communion is organized around conciliatory bodies; that is, it is based on councils at every level: communion, provinces, dioceses, and parishes. Who leads an Anglican Province? The leader of each province is called an Archbishop or Primate. For example, the Most Rev. Gregory Venables is Primate of the Province of the Southern Cone, being comprised of parishes and diocese in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. Anglican Church of Saint Paul, Owasso (ACSP), is considered in the Diocese of Argentina and in the province of the Southern Cone. Are the Anglican Primates bishops of dioceses as well? Almost all the Provincial Archbishops serve also as diocesan bishops. For example, Gregory Venables serves also as Bishop of the Diocese of Argentina. Is your church under the authority of a bishop? Our diocesan bishop is also the archbishop of the Southern Cone, Archbishop Gregory Venables. However, because of the great distances involved between South America and Oklahoma, Archbishop Venables has appointed retired Bishop William Cox to serve as his suffrigan bishop. Bp. Cox oversees the needs of all the Southern Cone churches in Oklahoma. Who is the Archbishop of Canterbury? The present Archbishop of Canterbury is the Most Rev. Rowan Williams. He is one of the two Primates of England and is selected by the English monarch after extensive review by church leaders and the British Government. Is the Archbishop of Canterbury like the Pope in the Roman Catholic Church? No. The Archbishop of Canterbury is more like a "first among equals" or senior Primate. However, because of his position as the head of the Church of England or Mother Church he is extremely influential and help provide unity within the communion. What are the other churches in Oklahoma that are affiliated with the Archbishop of the Southern Cone. Saint James Anglican Church in Oklahoma City (www.stjamesokc.org), and Church of the Holy Spirit, Tulsa (www.chstulsa.com) are our sister churches. Who are the Anglican Communion Network members? The Organizing Convocation included representatives from twelve Episcopal dioceses. Individuals and parishes around the United States organized into five Episcopal Church geographic convocations and one non-geographic convocation (Forward in Faith North America). The gathering unanimously adopted a Structural Charter and affirmed a Theological Charter. The new Network immediately invited parishes belonging to overseas Anglican dioceses to join as "Anglican Communion Partners." Our parish became a partner soon after joining the Diocese of Argentina. The Network has attracted more members than TEC has lost, so the Network is true to its evangelical mission. In addition, a number of Anglican churches and societies outside the Anglican Communion have joined the Network as "Common Cause Partners." The Reformed Episcopal Church is one. The Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan was elected Moderator of the new Network and serves a three-year term. To date the Network includes approximately 800 affiliated parishes, more than 2,000 clergy, and at least 200,000 Episcopalians. Persons and parishes in Partner status may well double the overall number. What is the Anglican Communion Network of Dioceses and Parishes (ANC)? The ACN is a network of American parishes and dioceses, both within TEC and in other Anglican dioceses. The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Rowan Williams, suggested the formation of the Network. A gathering of mainstream Anglican leaders (including four Primates) in London in November, 2003 laid out initial plans for the Convocation. Ultimately thirteen TEC bishops signed this meeting's Memorandum of Agreement. The Memorandum stated the intention of these bishops to begin organizing a network of "confessing" dioceses and congregations within TEC. Since that initial signing, a total of 10 Episcopal dioceses Albany, Central Florida, Fort Worth, Pittsburgh, Quincy, Rio Grande, San Joaquin, South Carolina, Springfield and Dallas have ratified their affiliation. The Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes was of­ficially launched January 20, 2004, at the Network's Organizing Convocation held at Christ Church, Plano, Texas. How is the Anglican Church of Saint Paul involved with the ACN? ACSP is a Network partner in good standing in the ACN Mid-Continental Convocation, a 20-state area in the heartland. The Rev. D.O. Smart is Dean, communicating with clergy and parishes who choose to stand for the same biblical principles, Anglican teachings, and Christian doctrine. Sally Cline assists Father Smart in day-to-day ACN operations. What will happen to the ACN long term? It appears likely that, in time, the ACN will evolve or morph into the orthodox Anglican jurisdiction in the United States, replacing the Episcopal Church as the recognized province of the Anglican Communion. Just exactly how the organization of dioceses, clergy, and parishes may look would be strictly a matter of conjecture at this time. How can ACN help the Anglican Church of Saint Paul? Being an ACN partner affords ACSP the opportunity to be in dialogue and companionship with mainstream Anglicans, both here and abroad, and to be on the cutting edge of developments in the worldwide Anglican Communion. Consistent with our core values, we serve as a beacon of hope to others who seek to stand in the faith once delivered to the saints. Where can I learn more about these subjects? Go to this website and choose from the links on the left side of the home page. www.acn-midcon.org