Church of Nigeria (Anglican) Reaffirms Commitment to Bible, Articles of Religion, and Jerusalem Declaration

By Robin G. Jordan

At the end of its September 2015 meeting the Standing Committee of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican) issued a communiqué in which it affirmed the confessional nature of authentic historic Anglicanism. The communiqué included the following statement:

"While the Anglican Communion continues to be impaired by revisionist theologies of some Anglican Provinces, the Standing Committee calls the leadership of the Anglican Communion to repentance and renewed faith in Christ as expressed in the bible, the articles of religion and the Jerusalem Declaration, and further reaffirms our commitment on these as the basis of our relationship with other parts of the communion."

This statement is welcome news especially for North American Anglicans who are faithful to the teaching of the Bible and the doctrine and principles of the Anglican formularies and who are genuine in their affirmation of the Jerusalem Statement and Declaration.

It is hoped that the leadership of the Anglican Church in North America will heed this call to “repentance and renewed faith in Christ as expressed in the bible, the articles of religion and the Jerusalem Declaration.” Based upon the doctrinal statements that the College of Bishops has endorsed to date, this call applies as much to them as it does to the liberal leaders of the Episcopal Church. Like the Episcopal Church’s liberal leaders they have been leading their jurisdiction away from the Biblical and Reformation beliefs and convictions of authentic historic Anglicanism. 

The leaders of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) must be commended for their faithfulness to authentic historic Anglicanism and the crucial role that they are playing in calling the global Anglican Church back to its doctrinal foundation.