One of the most frequently asked questions to which we are called to respond is, "What is an Anglican?" We have our roots in the earliest days of the Church. About six hundred years ago Christians began to protest against a number of serious errors which had crept into the Church over the generations. Their response became known as the Protestant Reformation. The desire to correct these errors was keenly felt in England . English reformers wanted to make these corrections while still holding on to the historic faith. The result became known as the Church of England (Anglicans).

As British influence spread around the world in subsequent centuries, Anglican congregations were established all over the globe. Today the Worldwide Anglican Communion consists of 38 different Provinces spanning every continent.

What are the distinguishing marks of an Anglican? In 1870 the Rev. Dr. William Reed Huntington wrote in "The Church Idea of Four Essentials of Anglicanism", the true Anglican position, like the City of God in the Apocalypse, may be said to lie foursquare. To accept that position is to accept:

• First: The Holy Scriptures as the Word of God
• Second: The Primitive Creeds as the Rule of Faith (Nicene, Apostle's, and Athanasian Creeds)
• Third: The two sacraments ordained by Christ himself (Baptism and Holy Communion)
• Fourth: The Episcopate as the key-stone of Governmental Unity (Episcopos is the Greek word used in the New Testament to describe an Overseer or Bishop)

These four points ....make the "Quadrilateral of Pure Anglicanism"

• North (The Nicene Creed)
• South (Sacraments)
• East (Episcopos - Godly Leaders)
• West (The Word of God - Holy Scripture)

Later Rev. Huntington's thoughts were captured in resolutions; first in the United States in 1886 and then in revised form by the worldwide Anglican Communion in 1888. In order to better understand the four statements think of a compass.