Church of England in South Africa
Encyclopedia
The Church of England in South Africa (CESA) was constituted in 1938 as a federation
of churches. It is an Anglican church but it is not a member of the Anglican Communion
. However, it relates closely to the Sydney Diocese of the Anglican Church of Australia
, to which it is similar in that it sees itself as a bastion of the Reformation
and particularly of reformed
doctrine. The Church canons allow for lay presidency
at Holy Communion and also the use of grape juice instead of fermented wine. All references to baptismal regeneration
and absolution have been eliminated from the denomination's alternative Prayer book, as has the word "Catholic" in the creeds. Although the CESA has been excluded from the Lambeth Conference, its ministerial orders are recognised by the Anglican Communion, and these orders derive from Bishop Fred Morris, a former Anglican missionary bishop in North Africa, who moved in 1955 to South Africa, much to the irritation of the then Archbishop of Canterbury. Several CESA clerics have served in the Church of England.
Its origins are among those congregations that did not join the Church of the Province of Southern Africa (now the Anglican Church of Southern Africa) when it was established in 1870. Holy Trinity Church, Cape Town formed a basis for subsequent expansion, giving rise to the CESA.
The CESA in 2009 was composed of just under 200 congregations, with a total of about 120,000 members. All churches contribute 10% of their income to a central fund. Christ Church, Midrand; Christ Church, Pinetown; and St James Church, Kenilworth all have memberships of several thousand, with attendances on Sunday morning services at about 1000. The average church size is about 150.
George Whitefield College
(GWC), the official CESA theological training facility in Cape Town
is modelled on Moore Theological College
in Sydney, Australia. The founding principal of GWC was Dr Broughton Knox; the current principal is Dr David Seccombe. Two other CESA colleges are the Johannesburg Bible College and the Kwazulu-Natal Missionary Bible College (formerly known as Trinity Academy) in Pietermaritzburg
, KwaZulu
Federation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
of churches. It is an Anglican church but it is not a member of the Anglican Communion
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
. However, it relates closely to the Sydney Diocese of the Anglican Church of Australia
Anglican Church of Australia
The Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...
, to which it is similar in that it sees itself as a bastion of the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
and particularly of reformed
Reformed churches
The Reformed churches are a group of Protestant denominations characterized by Calvinist doctrines. They are descended from the Swiss Reformation inaugurated by Huldrych Zwingli but developed more coherently by Martin Bucer, Heinrich Bullinger and especially John Calvin...
doctrine. The Church canons allow for lay presidency
Lay presidency
Lay presidency is a form of celebrating the Lord's Supper whereby the person presiding over the sacrament is not an ordained minister of religion...
at Holy Communion and also the use of grape juice instead of fermented wine. All references to baptismal regeneration
Baptismal regeneration
Baptismal regeneration, the literal meaning of which is "being born again" "through baptism" , is the doctrine within some Christian denominations that holds that salvation is dependent upon the act of baptism; in other words, baptismal regenerationists believe that it is essential for one to be...
and absolution have been eliminated from the denomination's alternative Prayer book, as has the word "Catholic" in the creeds. Although the CESA has been excluded from the Lambeth Conference, its ministerial orders are recognised by the Anglican Communion, and these orders derive from Bishop Fred Morris, a former Anglican missionary bishop in North Africa, who moved in 1955 to South Africa, much to the irritation of the then Archbishop of Canterbury. Several CESA clerics have served in the Church of England.
Its origins are among those congregations that did not join the Church of the Province of Southern Africa (now the Anglican Church of Southern Africa) when it was established in 1870. Holy Trinity Church, Cape Town formed a basis for subsequent expansion, giving rise to the CESA.
The CESA in 2009 was composed of just under 200 congregations, with a total of about 120,000 members. All churches contribute 10% of their income to a central fund. Christ Church, Midrand; Christ Church, Pinetown; and St James Church, Kenilworth all have memberships of several thousand, with attendances on Sunday morning services at about 1000. The average church size is about 150.
George Whitefield College
George Whitefield College
George Whitefield College is a Christian theological college which is reformed and evangelical situated in Muizenberg, Cape Town, South Africa, and is named after the 18th-century English evangelist George Whitefield...
(GWC), the official CESA theological training facility in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
is modelled on Moore Theological College
Moore Theological College
Moore Theological College, otherwise known simply as Moore College, is the theological training seminary of the Diocese of Sydney in the Anglican Church of Australia...
in Sydney, Australia. The founding principal of GWC was Dr Broughton Knox; the current principal is Dr David Seccombe. Two other CESA colleges are the Johannesburg Bible College and the Kwazulu-Natal Missionary Bible College (formerly known as Trinity Academy) in Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
, KwaZulu
KwaZulu
KwaZulu was a bantustan in South Africa, intended by the apartheid government as a semi-independent homeland for the Zulu people. The capital, formerly at Nongoma, was moved in 1980 to Ulundi....
Presiding Bishops since 1955:
G. Frederick B. Morris 1955 to 1965
Stephen Carlton Bradley 1965 to 1984
Dudley Foord 1986 to 1989
Joe J. Bell 1989 to 2000
Frank J. Retief 2000 to 2010
Desmond Inglesby 2010 to present