Reform (Anglican)
Reform is a constrictive evangelical organisation within Anglicanism, active in the Church of England and the Church of Ireland. Reform in England describes itself as a "network of churches and individuals within the Church of England, committed to the reform of ourselves, our congregation and our world by the gospel".
Several large Anglican churches in England are members of Reform, such as Jesmond Parish Church (in Newcastle upon Tyne), St Ebbe's, Oxford and St Helen's Bishopsgate (located in the City of London).
Reform was started in 1993 to oppose the ordination of women to the priesthood (like Forward in Faith in the Anglo-Catholic tradition) but has recently focused on advocating a conservative view of homosexuality. Reform has also been involved in encouraging people to be involved in the structures of the Church of England and to celebrate what is good about what the Church of England officially believes. Reform is keen to recognise the unique value of women's ministry within the church.[1] Some Reform members support ordination of women to the priesthood, but not their appointment in charge of a parish or similar. Reform members are also divided over the issue of the remarriage of divorced persons and the issue is left out of the definition of marriage found in the Reform Covenant.
Reform stand firmly in the more Reformed tradition of the Church of England, but while they disagree of the interpretation placed upon Anglicanism by Forward in Faith (e.g. views about the Eucharist, the meaning of ordination, prayers for the dead and to the saints) they pledged at their 2006 conference their co-operation with that Anglo-Catholic grouping to oppose the acceptance of women as bishops within the Church of England.
Since 2007, Rod Thomas has been chairman of Reform. In 2015, it was announced that he was to the first dedicated conservative evangelical bishop, as the new Bishop of Maidstone: he took up the appointment upon his consecration as a bishop in September 2015.
List of associated churches
- Christ Church Westbourne
- Holy Trinity Eastbourne
- St Peter's Tunbridge Wells
- St Mary's Eastrop, Basingstoke
- Sherbornes with Pamber Parish Church
- Christ Church Surbiton
- Emmanuel Wimbledon
- St Nicholas, Tooting
- Christ Church Peckham
- Christ Church Mayfair
- All Souls, Langham Place
- Christ Church Leyton
- Holy Trinity Lyonsdown
- St George's, Dagenham
- Dagenham Parish Church
- St Helen's Bishopsgate, London
- Dundonald Church, Wimbledon
- St Peter's, Harold Wood
- All Saints, Wandsworth
- St John's, Great Clacton
- All Saints, Little Shelford
- St Andrew the Great, Cambridge
- All Saints, Riseley
- Christ Church Matchborough
- Christ Church Wyre Forest
- Jesmond Parish Church, Newcastle
- St Ebbe's Church, Oxford