'Reform' is an evangelical organisation within
Anglicanism, active in the
Church of England and the
Church of Ireland. Reform (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. Opinions on women's ministry vary within Reform. Some Reform members support ordination of women to the priesthood, but not their appointment as ministers in charge of a parish or similar. Reform members are also divided over the issue of the re-marriage of divorced persons, and the issue is left out of the definition of marriage found in the Reform Covenant.(see Reform Covenant, posted on the Reform website)
Reform stand firmly in the
Reformed Protestant tradition of the Church of England, but whilst they disapprove 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 have pledged at their most recent Conference (October 2006) their co-operation with that Anglo-Catholic grouping to oppose the acceptance of women bishops within the Church of England.
External links
★
Reform website
★
Reform Ireland
Churches linked to Reform
★
St Helen's Church, Bishopsgate (London)
★
Dundonald Church, Wimbledon
★
Jesmond Parish Church, Newcastle
★
St Ebbe's Church, Oxford