Forward in Faith International

Forward in Faith International
Name	Forward in Faith International
Formation	1990s
Type	Religious non-profit
Headquarters	London
Region served	International
Leader title	Chair
Leader name	John Doe

Forward in Faith International is an Anglican-oriented advocacy network that promotes traditionalist positions within the Anglican Communion and related churches. It traces roots to conservative movements reacting to liturgical revision, ordination controversies, and doctrinal disputes across provinces such as the Church of England, the Anglican Church of Canada, and the Episcopal Church (United States). The organization engages with bodies across continents including clergy, laity, and episcopal patrons from provinces such as the Anglican Church of Australia, the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), and the Anglican Church in North America.

History

Forward in Faith International emerged from earlier movements in the late 20th century responding to decisions within the General Synod of the Church of England, the Lambeth Conference, and provincial synods like the General Convention (Episcopal Church). Influences include earlier Anglo-Catholic associations such as the Society of the Holy Cross (SSC), the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament, and the Parish and People. The organization grew during debates over woman priestly ordination in provinces like the Church of England and the Anglican Church of Canada, and during the wider controversies involving the Episcopal Church (United States) and the Anglican Communion at large. Key moments involved interactions with instruments of communion such as the Anglican Consultative Council and responses to resolutions from the Lambeth Conference 1998.

Beliefs and Theology

Forward in Faith International articulates a theology rooted in orthodox Anglicanism influenced by Anglo-Catholicism, traditionalist readings of the Book of Common Prayer, and patristic sources like Augustine of Hippo and John Henry Newman. The network emphasizes historic doctrines as summarized by creedal formulations such as the Nicene Creed and the Apostles' Creed, sacramental theology referencing the Eucharist and Baptism, and an episcopal polity grounded in apostolic succession linked to figures like William Laud and Edward Pusey. Its position opposes innovations endorsed by bodies such as the General Synod of the Church of England or the General Convention (Episcopal Church) when those are seen to conflict with traditional interpretations advanced by theologians like Graham Leonard and Eric Mascall.

Organization and Structure

The organization is structured as a federation of national and diocesan branches with leadership comprising clergy and lay trustees, often including patrons such as retired bishops from provinces like the Church of England and the Church of Ireland. Governance typically reflects corporate charity models observed in entities such as the Church Commissioners and diocesan synods including those in Canterbury and York. Decision-making pathways engage assemblies comparable to the General Synod of the Church of England and make strategic alliances with continental bodies like the Federation of Catholic Priests' Associations and conservative networks linked to the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON).

Activities and Programs

Forward in Faith International undertakes pastoral support, publishing, and educational programs. It produces position papers and liturgical resources akin to historic devotional productions of the Alcuin Club and the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK), and organizes conferences modeled on events such as the Lambeth Conference and GAFCON gatherings. The network offers chaplaincy coordination similar to work by the Society of Mary and operates training for ordinands parallel to theological institutions like Westcott House, Cambridge, Ripon College Cuddesdon, and Westminster Theological Seminary. It coordinates lay and clerical pastoral care in dioceses affected by controversies involving the Ordination of women and the recognition of orders disputed in agreements like the Porvoo Communion.

Relationships with Other Anglican Bodies

The network maintains complex relationships with provinces across the Anglican Communion. It has formal and informal ties to conservative provinces such as the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), the Anglican Church in North America, and dioceses aligned with GAFCON. Concurrently it engages with institutions in the Church of England, the Scottish Episcopal Church, and the Church in Wales when dialogue is possible. The organization has at times aligned with alternative oversight arrangements comparable to the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham negotiations and has negotiated pastoral schemes analogous to flying bishops arrangements and declarations like the Coventry Declaration.

Controversies and Criticism

Forward in Faith International has been criticized by proponents of ecclesial reforms advocated by bodies such as the General Convention (Episcopal Church), the Church of England leadership, and liberal theologians associated with Westcott House, Cambridge and Ridley Hall, Cambridge. Critics from groups like the Inclusive Church and the Modern Churchpeople's Union argue that its stances on issues such as the Ordination of women, human sexuality debates following cases in the Episcopal Church (United States), and responses to decisions by the Lambeth Conference impede pastoral inclusion. Tensions have surfaced in clerical discipline matters overlapping with tribunals like the Ecclesiastical Courts and in ecumenical dialogues with the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church, where critics cite impediments to unity akin to disputes seen in the history of Anglo-Catholicism.

Category:Anglican organizations