Being Faithful - The Shape of Historic Anglicanism Today

In June 2008, 1200 Anglican leaders, bishops, clergy and lay people, from 27 provinces of the Anglican Communion met in Jerusalem for the Global Anglican Future Conference. Their Statement, containing the Jerusalem Declaration, was received with enthusiasm by many in the Anglican Communion.

While raising questions about some of the practical proposals, the Archbishop of Canterbury responded as follows: The 'tenets of orthodoxy' spelled out in the document will be acceptable to and shared by the vast majority of Anglicans in every province, even if there may be differences of emphasis and perspective on some issues.

The GAFCON Primates' Council commissioned the Theological Resource Group to prepare a commentary on the Jerusalem Declaration. This commentary has been prepared by 40 theologians, from 14 countries throughout the Anglican Communion, with the purpose of drawing out the implications of the Jerusalem Declaration for the life and witness of the Anglican Communion today.

The Jerusalem Declaration is being used increasingly to define Anglican identity for contemporary Anglicans in a way which is faithful to Scripture and to the Anglican formularies.

The commentary is offered as a resource and also a study-guide for churches seeking to affirm their Anglican identity, practice and mission.