Q: Why is the Christian Episcopal Church not a part of the Episcopal Church USA (TEC)?
A: The Christian Episcopal Church strives to promote unity and fellowship in a positive way. It is our goal to bring believers into fellowship within the Body of Christ, but there are a few absolutes we feel we must affirm. We believe that TEC has left many of these important principles behind, therefore we had to separate from their leadership. This is what we stand for:
(1) We believe that God is the God described in the Holy Scripture.
(2) We believe that Holy Scripture is the inspired Word of God.
(3) We believe that we must, as believers in Jesus Christ, obey God.
(4) We believe in the importance of the Apostolic Succession.
(5) We believe our leadership must be committed to holiness and godliness as defined in Holy Scripture.
(6) We believe in honoring the traditional Anglican traditions. (We believe that they remain relevant today and should not be changed.)
(7) We believe in being open to the continuing work of the Holy Spirit within the Church congruent with Scripture and Tradition.
Over the past thirty years (and perhaps even earlier than that) TEC began making changes that simply did not fit Holy Scripture's guidelines or the traditional values that Anglican Christians had affirmed for centuries. As a result, the Christian Episcopal Church felt it needed to take a stand.
Q: What are some of the ways XnEC differs from TEC?
A: There are some outward differences - like the historical Anglican Church, we do not ordain women, we do not accept divorced and remarried clergy members, and we do not ordain Priests or consecrate Bishops who engage in any lifestyle inconsistent with Holy Scripture. We have also chosen to worship from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer and use the 1940 hymnal because changes were made in both the 1979 Prayer Book and the newest Episcopalian hymnal that do not reflect a total commitment to Holy Scripture.
There are also some inward differences: the XnEC is relevant to modern times and culture because we do not compromise key Biblical truths or historical traditions just so we can say we are "up with the times." God deserves, and even commands, that we worship Him in Spirit ... but also in truth.