On the Ancient Church of the West

 

We are a missional, pre-denominational, local church, using the ancient expression of faith in Jesus Christ to solve the problems we face in the modern world.

By Bp. Joseph Boyd (Ancient Church of the West) 

Question: Greetings! Are you in communion with any major Church in the world? 

Answer: We are a local church. Our goal is to avoid the idolatry and ethno-centric sinfulness of churches that think their validity comes from the recognition of dysfunctional synods in other countries, entangled with secular power, and administering their churches for the good of their clergy, rather than simple ministry to their people. 

Our communion is first with Christ, and then through Him, by the power of the Holy Spirit, with all other right believing Christians around the world. Like the Early Church, we do have formal recognition with multiple other local, Orthodox churches, established within our Synod with the Holy Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in the Philippines, the Missionary Diocese of East and Southeast Asia (SG), etc., but this is not a feature of our mission and is not a part of our central ecclesiology. The Church exists first in the synaxis of the faithful, in the complete order of overseer, presbyters, deacons and the faithful united in Communion around the Lord’s Table. This is the Church. 

Bp. Joseph's Illustration of the Formation of Communion by Faith, Founded on the Waters of Baptism, Ordered by the Laying on of Apostolic Hands, Recognized in the Work of the Holy Spirit through the Shared Bread and Cup of the Lord

The Church exists in dynamic tension between faithfulness to the Apostolic Gospel and the Laying on of Hands for the gifts of ordination. All bishops are equal, so the pretension of various synods to control the grace of God is just that - pretensions for the sake of power, which leads to corruption and being bad stewards in God’s household. We do not need the approval of such synods to exist. They should repent and work on themselves in their place, just as we are called to do in ours. 

We preach Christ and Him crucified, continue in the Apostles Doctrine, the breaking of bread and the prayers, just as the Ancient Church did. We are not “on a journey” to join the “True Church.” We are already the Body of Christ, fully valid, fully equal, and fully able to rebuke the evil and corruption that so often masquerades as “the One, True Church” - outwardly beautiful and respectable, but inwardly full of dead men’s bones. May the Lord preserve us in our repentance to avoid such a horrible outcome! 

A Celtic Cross Showing the Shared Life of the Church in the Holy Trinity

Question: So what is the "Ancient Church of the West"? 

Answer: We are a missional, pre-denominational, local church, using the ancient expression of Faith in Jesus Christ to solve the problems we face in the modern world. We believe in God as Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe Christ is fully God and fully Man. We believe Jesus to be the only way to eternal salvation, that He lived a sinless life, offered Himself upon the Cross for our redemption, conquered death and hell, and literally and bodily rose from the dead and ascended to the right hand of God the Father Almighty. We believe the Faith that was given once and for all to the Saints, existing in every age under great persecution, preserved in the Succession of Faithful Witnesses, and that we await Christ's literal return to rule and reign forever. We believe in a literal, 7-day creation of the world by God. We believe in the Bible as God's Holy Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit and preserved within His Church. We see Baptism in the Name of the Holy Trinity, the Laying on of Hands, the Lord's Supper, Confession of Sins, Ordination (Deacon, Presbyter or Overseer), Marriage between One Man and One Woman, and Anointing with Oil for Healing as sacred institutions that God uses for our holiness and sanctification. We believe that the Holy Spirit gives all Christians spiritual gifts to use for ministry within the Church. And, we look forward to the Resurrection of the Dead and life eternal with Jesus Christ Our Lord in His New Kingdom!

Thanks for asking. May the Lord have mercy on us all!