Our Anglican Relationships

1. The Church of England.

 

Our website makes clear that we are a part of the Church of England, called in ancient times Ecclesia Anglicana. In England the Church of England is still referred to often as "The Anglican Church", and so it is right to refer to us either as "St. Alban’s Church of England" or as "St. Alban’s Anglican Church" - or St. Mary’s, for the congregation on Cayman Brac.

 

Regrettably, there are some who have criticised us for not being truthful on this matter, citing the unfortunate fact that the Church of England has not provided St. Alban’s with the episcopal oversight (such as is customarily provided for Confirmations) that every Anglican church needs. We answer that the cause of this cannot be laid at our door, since we have always laid before the episcopal authorities of England their responsibility to do their part in the matter. It is evident  that out of the demands of pastoral care we have had to take extraordinary measures to make up for the time being this deficiency. The fact that St. Alban’s Anglican Church is a part of the Church of England rests upon secure constitutional and legal foundations, some of which may be found elsewhere in the website. A book entitled The Dependency Question - A Study of Church and State in the Cayman Islands by Nicholas JG Sykes, ISBN 976 8157 01 1 may also be found helpful in understanding the historical causes of the matter. St. Alban’s, as well as St. Mary’s, strongly upholds the Anglican Way of worship, order and manner of life, the standard of which is the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, together with the Ordinal and the Articles of Religion. Unhappily, several Anglican Churches within the Anglican Communion have departed from that standard.

 

2.  The Christian Episcopal Church

 

The Christian Episcopal Church in the USA and the Christian Episcopal Church of Canada, like many Anglican Churches have been widely regarded as outside the Anglican Communion. However, we and those who support us in England affirm that the Christian Episcopal Churches are still members of the Anglican Communion, being also in full communion with ourselves; and they are assisting their Cayman Islands brethren in assuring continued pastoral oversight. Several godly bishops of unimpaired apostolic succession heard our cry and came to our aid, confirmed our candidates, upheld our worship and provided exemplary standards in doctrine and morals. We will remain eternally grateful to them. On the 26th January the Reverend Nicholas JG Sykes was consecrated Bishop in the Church of God and appointed Bishop in George Town, Cayman Islands, with the Bishop of London possessing full and seemingly approving knowledge of this, though without active oversight from him.

The Christian Episcopal Church in the USA website is http://www.xnec.us

The Christian Episcopal Church of Canada website can be seen at  http://www.xnec.ca

3. The Church in Jamaica in the Province of the West Indies

 

We have excellent relationships on a personal level with members of the Church in Jamaica in the Province of the West Indies. However, that Church has departed from the standards of the Anglican Way with regard to worship, holy orders and manner of life, and no longer uses a Prayer Book that conforms to the standards of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, together with the Ordinal and the Articles of Religion. Moreover, for the last several years that Church has claimed an episcopal authority over the British territory of the Cayman Islands which the constitution and Public Law of the Cayman Islands do not permit to it, such episcopal authority being also forbidden by Article 37 of the Articles of Religion. Such claims, as well as the power to rename the Diocese of Jamaica the "Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands" are understood by us to be entirely void.