“In essentials, unity; in
non essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” St.
Augustine of Hippo
Preamble:
These principles of faith and practice in no way replace
our reliance upon the Scriptures, as expressed in the
historic ecumenical creeds and the traditional Anglican
foundational documents.
Our prayer is that these principles, in so far as they
reflect the mind of God, might increasingly shape our
church, our leadership and our common life together.
1. The
Triune God
There is one, and only one, God, self-revealed as three
persons, "of one substance, power and eternity," the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Gospel
invites us through the Holy Spirit to share eternally in
this divine fellowship, as adopted children of the God
in whose family Jesus Christ is both our Saviour and our
brother. (Deuteronomy 6:4;
Isaiah 45:5;
Matthew 28:19; 2
Corinthians 13:14;
Galatians 4:4-6; 2
Thessalonians 2:13-14;
1 Peter 1:2;
Jude 20-21.
Cf. Article I of the 39 Articles, Book of Common Prayer
[BCP], p. 699.)
2.
Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier
The
almighty triune God created a universe that was in every
way good until rebellion of his creatures disrupted it.
Sin having intruded, God in love purposed to restore all
creation, through the calling of a covenant people
through Abraham, the coming of Jesus Christ, the one and
only redeemer of all nations, the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit to sanctify, the building up of the church for
worship and witness, and the coming again of Christ in
glory to make all things new. Works of miraculous power
mark the unfolding of God's plan throughout history.
(Genesis 1-3;
Isaiah 40:28; 65:17;
Matthew 6:10;
John 17:6;
Acts 17:24-26, 28; 1
Corinthians 15:28;
2 Corinthians 5:19;
Ephesians 1:11; 2 Timothy 3:16;
Hebrews 11:3;
Revelation 21:5.
Cf. Article I.)
3. The
Word made Flesh
Jesus
Christ, the incarnate and eternal Word of God, born of
the virgin Mary, sinless in life, raised bodily from the
dead, and now reigning in glory though still present
with his people through the Holy Spirit, is the
incarnate Word of God. He is God with us, the sole
mediator between God and humanity, the source of saving
knowledge of God, and the giver of eternal life to the
church universal. (Matthew 1:24-25;
Mark 15:20-37;
Luke 1:35;
John 1:14; 17:20-21;
Acts 1:9-11; 4:12;
Romans 5:17;
Philippians 2:5-6;
Colossians. 2:9;1 Timothy 2:5-6;
Hebrews 1:2; 9:15. Cf. Articles II-IV; the Nicene
Creed, BCP.)
4. The
Only Saviour
Human sin is prideful rebellion against God's authority,
expressing itself in our refusing to love both the
Creator and his creatures. Sin results in alienation
from and guilt before God, and in society produces
injustice, oppression, personal and social
disintegration. Sin destroys hope and leads to a future
devoid of any enjoyment of either God or good. From the
guilt, shame, power, and path of sin, Jesus Christ is
the only Saviour; penitent faith in him is the only way
of salvation.
By his atoning sacrifice on the cross for our sins,
Jesus overcame the powers of darkness and secured our
redemption and justification. By his bodily rising he
guaranteed the future resurrection and eternal
inheritance of all believers. By his regenerating gift
of the Spirit, he restores our fallen nature and renews
us in his own image. Thus in every generation he is the
way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6;
Acts 1:9-11; 2:32-33; 4:12;
Romans 3:22-25; 1 Corinthians15:20-24;
2 Corinthians 5:18-19;
Philippians 2:9-11;
Colossians 2:13-15; 1
Timothy 2:5-6;
1 Peter 1:3-5; 1
John 4:14; 5:11-12. Cf. Articles II-IV, XI, XV,
XVIII, XXXI.)
5. The
Spirit of Life
The
Holy Spirit, "the Lord, the Giver of life," sent by
Jesus Christ from the Father to the church at Pentecost,
discloses the glory of Jesus Christ, convicts of sin,
renews the sinner's inner being, induces faith, equips
for righteousness, creates communion, and empowers for
service. Life in the Spirit is a supernaturalizing of
our natural existence and a true foretaste of heaven.
The loving unity of Spirit-filled Christians and
churches is a powerful sign of the truth of
Christianity. (Genesis 1:2;
Exodus 31:2-5;
Psalm 51:11;
John 3:5-6; 14:26;
15:26;16:7-11, 13-15; 1 Corinthians
2:4; 6:19; 12:4-7;
2 Corinthians 3:18;
Galatians 4:4-6; 5:22-26;
Ephesians 1:13-14;5:18; 1
Thessalonians 5:19;
2 Timothy 3:16. Cf. Article V; The Nicene Creed.)
6. The
Authority of the Bible
The
canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are
"God's Word written," inspired and authoritative, true
and trustworthy, coherent, sufficient for salvation,
living and powerful as God's guidance for belief and
behaviour. The church may not judge or alter the
Scriptures, selecting and discarding from among their
teachings.
The trinitarian, Christ-centred, redemption-oriented
faith of the Bible is embodied in the historic
ecumenical creeds and the Anglican foundational
documents. To this basic understanding of Scripture, the
Holy Spirit leads God's people and the church's counsels
in every age through tradition and reason prayerfully
and reverently employed.
(Deuteronomy 29:29;
Isaiah 40:8; 55:11;
Matthew 5:17-18;
John 10:35; 14:26;
Romans 1:16;
Ephesians 1:17-19; 2
Timothy 2:15; 3:14-17;
2 Peter 1:20-21. Cf. Articles VI-VIII, XX.)
7. The
Church of God
We
believe the church to be the family of God, the body of
Christ, and the temple of the Holy Spirit. It is the
community of believers, justified through faith in
Christ, incorporated into the risen life of Christ, and
set under the authority of Holy Scripture as the word of
God. The church on earth is united through Christ to the
church in heaven in the communion of the saints. Through
the church's ministry of the word and sacraments of the
Gospel, God channels life in Christ to the faithful,
thereby empowering them for worship, witness, and
service.
In the life of the church only that which may be proved
from Scripture should be held to be essential to the
faith and that which is non-essential should not be
required of anyone to be believed or be enforced as a
matter of doctrine, discipline, or worship. (Ephesians
3:10-21; 5:23, 27;
1 Timothy 3:15;
Hebrews 12:1-2; 2 Timothy 3: 14-17. Cf. Articles
XIX, XX and XXI.)
The Anglican / Episcopal denomination in our region is
committed to ecumenism, seeking to build positive
relationships with all denominations and so learning to
appreciate their traditions while cherishing all that is
good in our own. (John 17:21,
Ephesians 4:4-6)
8. The
New Life in Christ
God
made human beings in the divine image so that they might
glorify and enjoy their creator forever, but since the
Fall, sin has alienated us all from God and disorders
human motivation and action at every point. As atonement
and justification restore us to fellowship with God by
pardoning sin, so regeneration and sanctification renew
us in the likeness of Christ by overcoming sin. The Holy
Spirit, who helps us practice the disciplines of the
Christian life, increasingly transforms us through them.
Sinlessness, however, is not given in this world, and we
who believe remain flawed "in thought, word and deed"
until we are perfected in heaven. (Genesis 1:26-28; John 3:5-6; 16:13;
Romans 3:23-24; 5:12; 1
Corinthians 12:4-7;
2 Corinthians 3:17-18;Galatians 5:22-24;
Ephesians 2:1-5;
Philippians 2:13; 2
Peter 3:10-13. Cf. Articles IX-XVI; Book of Alternative
Services, p. 191.)
9. The Church's Ministry
The
Holy Spirit bestows distinctive gifts upon all
Christians for the purpose of glorifying God and
building up his church in truth and love. All Christians
are called to be ministers, regardless of gender, race,
age, or socioeconomic status. All God's people must seek
to find and fulfill the particular form of service for
which God has called and equipped them.
Within the priesthood of all believers we honour the
ministry of word and sacrament to which bishops, priests
and deacons are set apart by Ordination. (Romans 12:6-8;
1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:11;
12:4-7, 27; 2Corinthians 5:20;
Galatians 2:16;
Ephesians 4:11-13; 1
Timothy 3:1, 12-13; 5:17;
Hebrews 2:11; 1
Peter 2:4-5, 9-10. Cf Articles XIX, XXIII.)
10. The
Church's Worship
The calling of the church, as of every Christian, is to
offer worship, in the Spirit and according to truth, to
the God of creation, providence, and grace. The essence
of Christian worship includes: praise and thanksgiving
for all good things, confession and repentance,
proclamation and celebration of the glory of God and of
Jesus Christ, prayer for human needs and for the
advancement of Christ's kingdom, and self-offering for
service. All liturgical forms --verbal, musical, and
ceremonial -- stand under the authority of Scripture.
The Book of Common Prayer provides a biblically-grounded
doctrinal standard, and should be retained as the true
model for all alternative liturgies. It is not
necessary that all orders of service should be exactly
alike; they may change according to countries, times and
cultures, provided that they remain true to Scripture.
No form of worship can truly exalt Christ or draw forth
true devotion to him without the presence and power of
the Holy Spirit. Prayer, public and private, is central
to the health and renewal of the church. Healing,
spiritual and physical, is a welcome aspect of Anglican
worship. (John 4:24; 16:8-15; Acts 1:8; 2:42-47;
Romans12:1; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; 12:7; 2 Corinthians
5:18-19; Ephesians 5:18-20; Colossians 3:16; 1
Thessalonians1:4-5; 5:19. Cf. The Solemn Declaration of
1893, p. viii, BCP; Articles XXV, XXXIV.)
11. The
Priority of Evangelism
Evangelism
means proclaiming Jesus Christ as divine Saviour, Lord,
and Friend, in a way that invites people to come to God
through him, to worship and serve him, and to seek the
empowering of the Holy Spirit for their life of
discipleship in the community of the church. All
Christians are called to witness to Christ, as a sign of
love both to him and to their neighbours. The task,
which is thus a matter of priority, calls for personal
training and a constant search for modes of persuasive
outreach. We sow the seed, and look to God for the
fruit. (Matthew 5:13-16; 28:19-20;
John 3:16-18; 20:21;
Acts 2:37-39; 5:31-32; 1
Corinthians 1:23; 15:2-4; 2Corinthians 4:5; 5:20;
1 Peter 3:15.)
12. Dialogue with other Faith Communities
Scripture requires God’s people to endeavour to live at
peace with all. Love of neighbour is not conditional
upon the religious allegiance of the neighbour
concerned. Our Christian obedience requires us to be in
respectful dialogue with other faith communities. Our
intention in dialogue is to remove misunderstanding,
build friendships, explore common beliefs and examine
differences, and engage in joint social endeavours, but
always to be loyal to the Christian essentials to which
we are committed, and which ultimately and only give
hope to all peoples. (Hebrews 12:14)
13. The
Challenge of World Mission
Evangelism,
social concern, pastoral care, and dialogue remain
necessary responses to the Great Commission of Jesus
Christ. His command to preach the gospel world-wide,
making disciples and planting churches, still applies.
Christ and his salvation must be proclaimed sensitively
and energetically everywhere, at home and abroad, and
cross-cultural mission must be supported by praying,
giving, and sending. Global mission involves partnership
and interchange. (Matthew 28:19-20;
Mark 16:15;
Luke 10:2;
Romans 15:23-24; 1
Corinthians 2:4-5; 9:22-23;
2 Corinthians 4:5;8: 1-4, 7;
Ephesians 6:19-20;
Philippians 2:5-7; 1
Thessalonians 1:6-8.)
14. The
Challenge of Social Action as part of Mission
The gospel constrains the church to be "salt" and
"light" in the world, working out the implications of
biblical teaching for the right ordering of social,
economic, and political life, and for humanity's
stewardship of creation. Christians must exert
themselves in the cause of justice and in acts of
compassion, therefore, social action is an integral part
of our obedience to the Gospel. (Genesis 1:26-28;
Isaiah 30:18; 58:6-10;
Amos 5:24;
Matthew 5:13-16; 22:37-40; 25:31-46; Luke4:17-21;
John 20:21; 2
Corinthians 1:3-4;
James 2:14-26; 1
John 4:16;
Revelation 1:5-6; 5:9-10. Cf. Article XXXVIII.)
15. The
Standards of Moral Conduct and Sexual Behaviour
All aspects of moral conduct are important to the
Christian and special vigilance needs to be exercised in
relation to misuses of money and power.
There is much confusion over sexual ethics. It should
be recognized that
God designed human sexuality not only for procreation
but also for the joyful expression of love, honour, and
fidelity between wife and husband. These though are the
only sexual relations that biblical theology deems good
and holy.
Adultery, fornication, and homosexual unions are
intimacies contrary to God's design. The church must
seek to minister healing and wholeness to those who are
sexually scarred, or who struggle with sexual
temptations, as most people do. The church may not lower
God's standards of sexual morality for any of its
members, but must honour God by upholding these
standards. For this reason the Resolution I.10 of the
1998 Lambeth Conference should be fully respected.
(Genesis 1:26-28; 2:21-24; Matthew 5:27-32; 19:3-12;
Luke 7:36-50; John 8:1-11; Romans 1:21-28; 3:22-24; 1
Corinthians 6:9-11, 13-16; 7:7; Ephesians 5:3; 1 Timothy
1:8-11; 3:2-4, 12.)
16. The
Family
The
family is a divinely ordained focus of love, intimacy,
personal growth and stability for women, men and
children. Child abuse, domestic violence, rape,
pornography, parental absenteeism, sexist domination,
and abortion all represent a serious threat to family
life. Divorce and polygamy reflect a weakening of the
family ideal. Christians must strengthen family life
through teaching, training, and active support, and work
for socio-political conditions that support the family.
Single-parent families and victims of family breakdown
have special needs to which congregations must respond
with sensitivity and support.
Singleness, involving abstinence from sexual relations,
also is a gift from God and a holy vocation. To
Christians with this calling God gives grace to live
chaste lives. Congregations should seek to meet the
particular needs for friendship and community that
single persons have. (Psalm 119:9-11;
Proverbs 22:6;
Matthew 5:31-32;
Mark 10:6-9; 1 Corinthians
6:9-11;
Ephesians 5:21-6:4;
Colossians 3:18-21; 1
John 3:14-15.)
This document was discussed, received and approved by
the Diocesan Synod of the Episcopal/Anglican Diocese of
Egypt, North Africa and the Horn of Africa.
10th May 2006
Our Training
Philosophy
Our training philosophy can be
summarized as follows:
v
The Word of
God must touch our thinking, our emotions as well as our
lifestyles. While we value scholarly work, it is our
conviction that the Spirit of God longs to mould our
entire being in the image of Jesus Christ.
v
To that end
each student is assigned a personal tutor/mentor who
meets with him/her regularly for prayer, counselling,
etc.
v
Students are
also asked to be involved in practical Christian
ministry on a weekly basis. Over their entire period of
study they will serve both within the church as well as
outside the church in outreach and social work. We
consider this work as integral to their theological
training.
Our
inspiration actually reaches back to the early centuries of
Christianity. In the late second century AD, the first
Christian school in history was established in Alexandria,
Egypt. It was known as the Catechetical School and taught the
Christian faith to inquirers, children and new converts. Its
teachers wrote works in biblical studies and theology. Among
the leaders of the School were Clement and Origen who, with
others, were greatly used by God to spread the Gospel both in
Egypt and far beyond.
occurred in the lectures, in which there was plenty of space
for asking questions and discussion, as well as in the
required readings and research for each subject. We also
benefited from individual meetings with our faculty mentor.
In general, the seminary showed personal concern for our
practical ministries and took an interest in our spiritual
growth as students."