Our belief
What We Believe
We are an Anglican church, and our belief is that of the biblical foundations of the Church of England:
‘The doctrine of the Church of England is grounded in the Holy Scriptures, and in such teachings of the ancient Fathers and Councils of the Church as are agreeable to the said Scriptures. In particular such doctrine is to be found in the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, The Book of Common Prayer, and the Ordinal.’ (Canon A 5)
We believe that the Holy Scriptures are God’s word, which tell us everything we need for salvation and for the Christian life. The Bible bears witness to Jesus and his life-giving words. That is why listening to the Bible sung, read and explained forms the central part of our gatherings.
The Book of Common Prayer is a faithful expression of the truths of God’s word, in the beautiful language of Thomas Cranmer, which gives us the words of both Morning Prayer and Choral Evensong. Find out more from our friends at the Prayer Book Society.
The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion express the foundational belief of the Church of England: God’s creation of the world; our rejection of Him; Jesus’ death in our place; and the offer of new life in Jesus by his Spirit. Find out more from these posts including one by our previous Priest-in-charge.
Investigating Christianity
At St Michael’s we regularly have people join us who are asking the big questions of life. ‘What is the point?’ ‘If there is a God, why does he not do something about all the suffering in our world?’ Often people join us having grown up going to church, but have not been for a long time! We pride ourselves on giving people the space to consider the Christian faith afresh. As well as formal services, we offer the opportunity for a guided read-through of one of the eyewitness accounts of the life of Jesus.
Church of England
St Michael Cornhill is part of the Church of England. In 2023 the House of Bishops of the Church of England introduced an option in liturgy, “something that at best confuses people and more seriously risks misleading them about issues of sin and salvation, by redefining repentance” (Bishop of Ebbsfleet). Some within the House of Bishops, as well as numerous bishops within the wider College, remain committed to a historic orthodox position, also held by the vast majority of Anglicans worldwide. In February 2024 these bishops issued a series of affirmations.
In order to formally acknowledge these developments, the Parochial Church Council passed a resolution in January 2024 asserting the need for visible differentiation, until a settlement based on structural provision is made available. We grieve the reality of impaired fellowship and sincerely hope there will be a reversal in this move away from orthodoxy. We remain committed to St Michael’s being a church where all people can flourish by finding their identity in Christ, joy in knowing unconditional love, and peace in the forgiveness of Jesus.