What We Believe
We uphold the traditional Anglican conviction that the Bible reveals all things necessary for salvation (Article 6 of 39 Articles of Religion, Church of England). We also believe that our lives are shaped in a response of faith-filled good works (Article 7 of the 39 Articles of Faith) which is, in turn, informed by our understanding of Article 6. Therefore, we form our lives based on the entire revelation of scripture. We are committed to maintain the historic and orthodox understanding that the Bible is given to us by the inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and for instruction in righteousness (2 Tim3:16). God speaks to us about all things through the Bible and informs us on matters pertaining to the holy life: of the sanctity of all life (both beginning and end of life), the environment and ecology, social welfare, the right ordering of relationships and sexuality, racial and gender equality, matters of injustice and oppression. We understand that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and are powerless to affect that change ourselves. Thus we need saving from our condition and we need to be made new completely. This saving comes from the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our response requires a dying to our old self (Lk 9:23, Gal 2:20) and our corrupt nature (Gal 5:17-19) and putting on Christ (Rom 13:14, Gal 3:27) thus we are no longer our own, but we belong to Christ (Gal 5:24-26, Eph 2:13-25).
Spiritual Formation: The life lived in Christ is a response of thankfulness and an act of worship. The way of the disciple is shown to us through Holy Scripture and long standing tradition of the word, the sacraments and prayer. We believe that Scripture is a mirror that shows us what we are called to be (James 1:23-25). We encounter the transforming power of the Holy Spirit who breathes through scripture and becomes the catalyst that transforms us into the likeness of Christ (Col 3:16, 2 Cor3:17, Rom 12:1-2). The Bible and our own senses testifies that we are in a deeply broken world and therefore are deeply broken ourselves with deeply broken desires and responses (Rom 8:19-22) Therefore need the guidance of an unchanging scripture to inform us how to live to form us spiritually.
To us in the Community of St Mark we believe the Word of God, as revealed in scripture, is unchanging and it is by its teaching and interpretation that we see people released into freedom from their fears, anxieties, shame, greed, moral decay. For it is for freedom that Christ has set us free (Gal 5:1). We gain our understanding of what Jesus has done, and can do for us, through what is revealed in scripture and made real to us by His Holy Spirit. We encounter grace, mercy, and love found in Jesus Christ as we see him revealed in the Scriptures. As a community, we seek to call all people to encounter Jesus Christ in the transforming Word of God, and to be a voice to recall churches to this.
The ACM Covenant
The purpose of the ACM is to promote the saving grace of Jesus Christ through effective disciple-making and Kingdom-enlarging communities; and to protect the theological conviction of its affiliates and members.
We uphold the creedal beliefs of the Anglican Church, and affirm:
- The Lordship of Jesus Christ over the Church and the world;
- The supreme authority of the Bible as God’s living word to all;
- The Holy Spirit’s gifting of all Christian women and men to their varied ministries;
- The centrality of evangelism, personal conversion, and discipleship for the mission of the Church;
- The Lambeth Conference 1998 Resolution I:10 (click for full text).
Founding Members having signed 25 October 2018 are:
- Mr Bill Capamagian, Tauranga
- Rev Matt Watts, Christchurch
- Rev Joanne Lathan, Christchurch
- Rev Sister Lorraine Lloyd, Auckland
- Capt Peter Lloyd, Auckland
- Rev Dr Dale Williamson, Tauranga
- Rev Paul Williamson, Tauranga