About The New Cranmer Society

Thomas Cranmer
Archbishop Thomas Cranmer

Principles

The New Cranmer Society adheres to the constitutional position of the Anglican Church of Australia with its historic declarations applied in their orthodox sense.

As well as upholding orthodox Christian belief, the New Cranmer Society seeks to adopt and apply in a renewed and current form the strategies used by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer including:

  • Working for continuous reform of the Church and its institutional structures to bring them into greater consonance with the Scriptures while responding to the demands of the time;
  • Proclaiming the gospel in idiom that will be "heard not only with the ears but also heart, spirit and mind".

Objectives

The objective of The New Cranmer Society is to unite in one association members of the Anglican Church in the diocese of Melbourne who wish to promote:

  1. The presentation of considered contributions to Synod, Synod related bodies, the Archbishop and Council of the Diocese and other diocesan councils and committees and governing bodies of Anglican organisations in the diocese of Melbourne generally;
  2. The identification and encouragement of the election and appointment of qualified and committed persons to membership of incumbency committees, and the bodies referred to in (a);
  3. Co-ordinated co-operative action by parishes and extra parochial organisations on matters of common concern;

Who Was Thomas Cranmer?

Thomas Cranmer was summoned to become Archbishop of Canterbury in 1533. Later he said, "there never was man came more unwillingly to a bishopric than I did to that." He was a man of the Bible, a preaching theologian and a superb liturgiologist.

From 1534 he worked with others for the authorisation of an English Bible. With his fellow reformers, Cranmer was eager to promote biblical preaching and especially the doctrine of justification by faith alone through the grace of Christ.

The 1552 Book of Common Prayer was full of scripture and upheld the Bible's authority. It was for common prayer, involving the congregation.

Cranmer is recognised for his commitment to helping ordinary people understand the Good News of Christ and participate fully in their worship to God in a form they could understand.