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Holy Cross
Anglican Church is a community of faithful believers that profess
the gospel of Jesus Christ in the living tradition of the traditional Anglican
Church. Our spirituality is rooted in scripture, prayer, evangelism, celebration
of the Holy Eucharist and sharing in the sacramental life of the Church.
Our theology and liturgical language is anchored in the Holy Bible and
the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.
The Anglican Fellowship in Knoxville was
founded in July 2004, by a group of former Episcopalians in response to
the adoption of humanist revisionist ideas by the Episcopal Church of the
United States (ECUSA). The ECUSA's disregard for the authority of scripture
became evident through the illegal consecration of V. Gene Robinson and
the sanctioning of "same sex rites" in August of 2003, and continues with
the illegal consecration of Mary Douglas Glasspool in May of 2010. These
actions are contrary to Holy Scripture, and are unacceptable to God-fearing
people. Because of these actions, we were compelled to find for ourselves,
and even more for our children, an alternative worship service which remained
true to the admonitions of the Bible and was liturgically in line with
out Apostolic teachings. Finding none acceptable among the main-line denominations,
we adopted the name of Anglican Fellowship of Knoxville, and began worship
services in rented accommodations in Knoxville, in August of A.D. 2004.
In September
of 2004 the AFK agreed to "plant an Anglican church in Knoxville". In October
2004 the AFK found a home at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, and
entered in to a long term arrangement to use the church nave and other
facilities for worship.
On November 14, 2004, the Anglican Fellowship
in Knoxville, sought affiliation with the Anglican Province of America
(APA). Two weeks later the AFK became Holy Cross Anglican
Church, and was received into the Anglican Province of America
by Bishop Walter Grundorf.
During the next eight months, Holy
Cross Anglican Church continued its slow but sure progress forward.
On July 31, 2005, the first Vicar of the church, the Reverend Ralph Waterhouse,
celebrated Holy Communion. As summer turned into fall, Holy Cross continued
to stay on course and grow. On November 20, 2005, we held our first ever
annual Parish meeting. The meeting included the election of a new Mission
Committee and annual reports.
In August 2008, Holy Cross
purchased the former Farragut First Baptist Church on Herron Road in Farragut,
Tennessee, and immediately began the work of upgrading and renovation.
Today we have a modern facility that fits the traditional Anglican church
architectural model.
On January 10, 2010, Holy Cross
called it's first full time Vicar, the Rev. Ernest S. Pinto. Having full
time clergy will help us to expand and grow into the future.
As Holy Cross Anglican Church launches into
it's sixth year as an organized church, we are excited by our faith and
knowledge, that the good news of Jesus Christ has now found a firm and
growing home in the greater Knoxville area. |
