During his time as Presiding Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Desmond Inglesby presented the following document describing the distinctives of the denomination. The Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa now Southern Africa.

Introduction

The first Church of England service on record in South Africa was conducted by a Naval Chaplain in 1749. After the British occupation of the Cape in 1806, congregations were formed and churches were built. In 1938 the Church of England in South Africa drew up its own constitution and appointed its first Bishop in 1955. In 2013 an operating name was adopted by Synod. This is the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa now operating in Southern Africa as Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of Southern Africa (REACH SA).

Who are we?

1. We are a Word centred church.

The Bible occupies a central place in our denomination which is expressed in our motto: 'Your word above all things'. REACH SA is a 'Biblical' church. We read and preach from the scriptures every week in our services and Bible study groups.

Article 6: "Holy Scripture sets forth everything that is necessary for our salvation. Consequently, nobody should be required to believe as an article of the Christian faith, or to regard as necessary for salvation, anything that is not found in Scripture."

Scripture and Scripture alone is the standard by which all teachings and doctrines of the church must be measured.

2. We are an Evangelical church

What makes us Evangelical?

• The absolute supremacy we assign to Holy Scripture
• The depth and prominence we assign to the doctrine of human sinfulness and corruption
• The paramount importance we attach to the work and office of our Lord Jesus Christ and the nature of the salvation He has wrought for mankind
• The high place which we assign to the inward work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of man
• The importance we place on the outward and visible work of the Holy Spirit manifested itself in the life, conduct and behaviour of the believer in overcoming the world, the flesh and the devil i.e. the evidence of godliness and holiness

3. We are a Protestant church.

At one level being Protestant is nothing more than not being Roman Catholic. The English word 'Protestant' comes from the Latin and is made up from two words, pro = 'for', and testari = 'witness'. And it has come to mean to write or speak strongly against.

REACH SA upholds the right of every believer to read and understand the Bible for their salvation, as opposed to salvation truth being mediated by the church. We believe in the priesthood of all believers.

4. We are a Reformed church

Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury in the time of King Henry VIII, was able to bring Martin Luther's rediscovery of justification by faith alone into the heart of the Church of England.

REACH SA is Reformed in that it embraces and articulates the great biblical insights of Luther, Calvin and the other reformers.

These five points of doctrine were at the heart of the Reformation:

• By grace alone
• By faith alone
• By Christ alone
• By scripture alone
• To the glory of God alone

5. We are a Missional church

We believe in the great commission. We are therefore evangelistic and missionary in our outlook. It is our vision 'to bring the gospel to every man's door'.

6. We are a Confessional church

The Church of England is a church that uses confessions of faith to express the teaching of the Bible.

Article 8: The three creeds, namely the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed, and what is commonly called the Apostles' Creed, should be received and believed without reservation, because they may be proved from Holy Scripture.

7. We are a Covenantal church

The Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of Southern Africa can be called a covenantal church because it emphasises God's one single covenant with his people promised to Abraham, which is a covenant not simply with individuals but with families — first with the family of Abraham, Israel, and then with gentile families adopted into the family of Abraham, especially since the coming of Christ.

The Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of Southern Africa therefore practises the baptism of infants, not just adults, but requires of those infants personal reaffirmation of the Christian commitment at the years of discretion, in confirmation. At HTC we accept credobaptists in our membership and we only ask them to respect our position.

8. We are an Episcopal church

The Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of Southern Africa is an Episcopal church. It values Bishops, as an ancient and well-tried form of ministry, agreeable to Scripture (though not actually required by Scripture).

Both the Presbyter and Bishop are viewed by the Prayer Book Ordinal in the New Testament way, as primarily pastors and teachers. Bishops are to exercise their role toward both clergy and laity.

9. We are a Liturgical church

REACH SA is a liturgical church in that it values and uses set forms for its public services. In particular we subscribe to the theology, principles and format expressed in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.

In practice that means that each service must be congregational and have a form and structure that includes confession of sin, praise and thanksgiving, prayer, the reading of God's word and the preaching of God's Word.

10. We are an Anglican church

What makes anyone an Anglican?

Historically true Anglicans are those who subscribe to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer and the 39 Articles.

The 39 Articles and the 1662 Book of Common Prayer stand as the one touchstone of genuine Anglicanism.

Conclusion

Denominations are certainly not the answer to the world's ills, nor are they our last and only hope. But a denominational structure can be a valuable tool for the church to use in her mission.

A healthy denomination ultimately gives us strength. It's a home, not a prison. It allows us to share specific theological convictions, practice expressions of ministry relevant to our communities, and serve a common mission in the one thing that brings true unity: the gospel.

We believe that "Anglicanism embodies the richest, truest, wisest heritage in Christendom."