Amateur Anglican

Catechesis, Discipleship, and Encouragement

Part 3 of 4: “Abandon Ship” – Non-Anglican Alternatives

Orthodox Anglican Options in the United States: A Comprehensive Survey

Part 3 of 4: “Abandon Ship” – Non-Anglican Alternatives

Compiled with assistance from Claude AI (Anthropic) – October 2025

Part 1: Anglo-Catholic Jurisdictions →
ACC, ACA, APA, APCK – the high church options

Part 2: Reformed Protestant & Central Church →
REC, UECNA, ACNA, CONNAM – low church and mixed

Part 4: Analysis & Decision Framework →
Comparison tables, decision matrices, future scenarios

CATEGORY 4: ABANDON SHIP OPTIONS

Non-Anglican Alternatives for Orthodox Believers

Category Purpose: These options represent complete departure from Anglican ecclesiology and identity. Listed for comprehensive analysis as these are real choices orthodox Anglicans make when concluding that Anglican institutional structures are irreparably compromised or theologically unsustainable.

Interpretive Framework: “Abandon Ship” terminology reflects that choosing these options means surrendering Anglican identity – either for hierarchical submission (Rome, Orthodoxy) or for Protestant ecclesiology (Presbyterian, Lutheran, Baptist). These are not “Anglican options” but alternatives when one concludes no viable Anglican option exists.

The Episcopal Church (TEC)

Official Website: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/

Why Listed in “Abandon Ship”: Despite being largest Anglican body in United States and member of official Anglican Communion in communion with Archbishop of Canterbury, The Episcopal Church represents abandonment of orthodox Anglican faith for anyone maintaining traditional positions. Remaining in TEC as orthodox believer requires accepting:

Theological Positions Now Normative in TEC:

  • Women’s ordination to all orders (bishops, priests, deacons) – non-negotiable, universal
  • Same-sex marriage authorized and celebrated as equal to traditional marriage
  • LGBTQ+ ordination including partnered gay and lesbian clergy, bishops
  • 1979 Book of Common Prayer (or more progressive trial liturgies) as standard
  • Systematic theological liberalism on Scripture, atonement, resurrection, hell, uniqueness of Christ
  • Ongoing trajectory toward positions incompatible with historic Christian orthodoxy

Current Statistical Reality (2023 Data):

Membership and Attendance:

  • 1,547,779 baptized members (down from 3+ million in 1960s peak)
  • 410,000 average Sunday attendance
  • 6,754 congregations (down from 7,067 in 2010)
  • Median age 69 years (oldest religious denomination in America by median age)
  • 23% membership decline over past decade (2013-2023)
  • 32% attendance decline over past decade

Decline Indicators:

  • 2-3% annual membership loss sustained for decades
  • 20% of congregations now served by retired clergy (up from 12% in 2022)
  • Leading indicators negative: baptisms, confirmations, weddings all in sustained decline
  • Projections suggest statistical insignificance by 2040-2050

Why TEC Survives Despite Decline:

  • Massive endowments and property holdings from wealthier era
  • Historic church buildings in valuable locations
  • Old money and institutional inertia
  • Property trust clauses making departure expensive
  • Pension fund obligations keeping some clergy

For Orthodox Believers: Remaining in TEC means:

  • Perpetual minority status within denomination moving opposite direction
  • Funding through diocesan assessments a structure you fundamentally oppose
  • Complicity in trajectory you believe unfaithful to Gospel
  • Property held in trust – leaving means abandoning buildings
  • Pension considerations may trap clergy economically

Some conservative parishes remain for property/pension reasons, viewing themselves as “missionary outposts” within TEC. This position represents abandoning hope of influencing TEC trajectory or reclaiming denomination for orthodoxy – denomination’s direction is irreversible.

Comparative Note: TEC’s 1.5 million members dwarfs all orthodox Anglican bodies combined (ACNA ~130,000, all Continuing bodies combined ~50,000), but heading opposite theological direction. For orthodox Anglican, TEC membership means choosing institutional stability and property over theological faithfulness.

For Further Research:

Personal Ordinariates (Roman Catholic Church)

“Swimming the Tiber”

Official Website: Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter

What It Offers:

  • Full communion with Rome while maintaining some Anglican liturgical heritage
  • Use of “Divine Worship: The Missal” – Anglican-use liturgy approved by Vatican
  • Married former Anglican clergy can be ordained Catholic priests (rare exception to Latin Rite celibacy)
  • Anglican parishes can enter corporately maintaining some community identity
  • Maintain some aesthetic Anglican identity within Catholic hierarchical structure

What It Requires – Non-Negotiable:

  • Accept papal authority and supremacy (Vatican I definitions)
  • Accept all Catholic dogma including Marian doctrines (Immaculate Conception, Assumption, Perpetual Virginity, Co-Redemptrix)
  • Accept transubstantiation (vs. Anglican real presence formulations)
  • Accept purgatory, indulgences, treasury of merit
  • Accept Catholic moral teaching on contraception (Humanae Vitae)
  • Surrender Anglican ecclesiology and claims to independent episcopal authority
  • Become functionally Roman Catholic with Anglican liturgical “flavor”

Reality Check: This option represents becoming Roman Catholic, not remaining Anglican. “Anglican-use” terminology misleading – you are Catholic under papal authority using approved liturgy with Anglican aesthetic elements.

Historical Context: Anglicanorum Coetibus (2009 apostolic constitution) created Personal Ordinariates as Vatican response to Anglicans seeking Rome following ECUSA liberalization. Some former ACA bishops and parishes entered Personal Ordinariate 2010-2012 following failed Anglican Catholic Church attempt at corporate reunion with Rome.

Who This Appeals To:

  • Anglo-Catholics who prioritize Catholic sacramental theology and papal authority over Protestant Reformation principles
  • Those convinced Anglican claims to catholicity lack institutional validation
  • Those seeking larger institutional stability and resources of Catholic Church
  • Former Anglicans who conclude Anglican project failed

Who This Doesn’t Fit:

  • Anyone valuing Reformation principles (sola scriptura, justification by faith alone, priesthood of all believers)
  • Those rejecting papal supremacy and infallibility
  • Those who can’t accept Marian dogmas
  • Reformed Protestants or evangelical Anglicans
  • Anyone wanting to remain Anglican rather than become Catholic

For Further Research:

Eastern Orthodoxy

“Swimming the Bosphorus”

Primary U.S. Jurisdictions:

What It Offers:

  • Ancient liturgy (Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, St. Basil) with deep sacramental theology
  • Absolute rejection of women’s ordination
  • Traditional sexual ethics consistently maintained
  • Apostolic succession through Eastern lines
  • No compromise with modernity on core doctrines
  • Growing (slowly) in U.S. among educated converts, particularly young men
  • Connection to ancient undivided church

What It Requires – Non-Negotiable:

  • Accept Orthodox ecclesiology: Eastern Orthodox Church is the One True Church; Western Christianity fundamentally in error since Great Schism (1054)
  • Learn entirely different liturgical tradition – no Book of Common Prayer equivalent
  • Navigate ethnic parish cultures (Greek, Russian, Antiochian, etc.) as convert
  • Accept jurisdictional complexity – multiple overlapping Orthodox bodies in U.S. lack unified structure
  • Very different theological method and emphases than Western Christianity (less juridical, more mystical/apophatic)
  • Anglican holy orders not recognized – former Anglican clergy must be ordained from beginning (deacon, then priest)
  • Longer services (Divine Liturgy typically 1.5-2+ hours)
  • Standing during worship (limited seating in traditional practice)
  • Different fasting disciplines and liturgical calendar

Recent Trend: Notable pattern of educated evangelical/Anglican men converting to Orthodoxy, documented extensively in conservative Christian media. Often driven by:

  • Search for ancient, unchanging church
  • Rejection of Protestant fragmentation
  • Desire for “mere Christianity” predating East-West split
  • Aesthetic appeal of Orthodox liturgy and iconography
  • Intellectual engagement with Church Fathers
  • Perception that Orthodoxy has not compromised with modernity

Reality Check: This represents abandoning Western Christian tradition and Anglican heritage entirely. Moving from Anglican to Orthodox is not “same church, different jurisdiction” – it’s conversion to radically different theological tradition, worship style, and ecclesiology.

Who This Appeals To:

  • Those prioritizing antiquity and continuity with undivided church over Reformation concerns
  • Sacramental theology and liturgical worship seekers
  • Those convinced Western Christianity (Catholic and Protestant) took wrong turn after Great Schism
  • Converts attracted to mystical/apophatic theology vs. Western rationalism

Who This Doesn’t Fit:

  • Anyone wanting to maintain Anglican identity and Prayer Book worship
  • Those uncomfortable with ethnic parish dynamics
  • People seeking simple, accessible worship
  • Those who value Reformation insights and Western theological method
  • Anyone not prepared for significant cultural and linguistic learning curve

For Further Research:

Conservative Presbyterian Churches

Presbyterian Church in America (PCA)

Official Website: https://pca.org/

Size: Approximately 370,000 members in 1,900+ churches

What It Offers:

  • Westminster Standards (Confession of Faith, Larger and Shorter Catechisms) as doctrinal basis
  • No women’s ordination to teaching elder (pastor) position
  • Traditional sexual ethics consistently maintained
  • Growing denomination (unusual among mainline/evangelical churches)
  • Strong theological education via Reformed seminaries (Covenant, RTS, Westminster)
  • Substantial resources and institutional capacity
  • Presbyterian polity with courts system providing accountability

What It Requires – Trade-Offs:

  • Presbyterian theology not Anglican – no sacramental theology in Anglican sense
  • No liturgical worship tradition (some churches use liturgy, most don’t)
  • No bishops – Presbyterian polity with sessions, presbyteries, General Assembly
  • Reformed emphasis on sovereignty and election may differ from Anglican emphases
  • Presbyterian polity entirely different from episcopal structure

Who This Appeals To:

  • Anglicans whose primary commitment is Reformed theology over episcopal polity
  • Those from REC background might find transition easier
  • People seeking clear doctrinal standards and theological education emphasis
  • Those prioritizing preaching/teaching over liturgy

For Further Research:

Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC)

Official Website: https://www.opc.org/

Size: Approximately 30,000 members

What It Offers:

  • Strict Reformed orthodoxy via Westminster Standards
  • Traditional across all doctrinal and ethical issues
  • Very strong theological education and confessional commitment
  • Appeals to those seeking rigorous Reformed theology

Trade-Offs:

  • Very small – limited geographic accessibility
  • Even less liturgical than PCA
  • Quite conservative even by Reformed standards
  • May be “too Reformed” for Anglicans comfortable with catholic elements

For Further Research:

Conservative Lutheran Churches

Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS)

Official Website: https://www.lcms.org/

Size: Approximately 1.8 million members

What It Offers:

  • Confessional Lutheran theology via Book of Concord
  • No women’s ordination
  • Traditional sexual ethics
  • Strong liturgical tradition – Lutheran worship historically similar to Anglican in many aspects
  • Sacramental theology with real presence (though not transubstantiation or Anglican formulations)
  • Historic liturgy options including Divine Service settings similar to classical Anglican worship

What It Requires – Trade-Offs:

  • Lutheran not Anglican theology – significant differences on justification, sacraments, ecclesiology
  • Congregational polity with “bishops” (district presidents) functioning differently than Anglican bishops
  • No claim to apostolic succession in Anglican/Catholic sense
  • Different confessional standards (Book of Concord vs. Thirty-Nine Articles)

Who This Appeals To:

  • Liturgically-minded Anglicans who prioritize worship style and sacramental theology over episcopal structure
  • Those comfortable with Reformation theology but wanting more liturgy than typical evangelical church
  • People seeking larger, stable denomination with traditional doctrine
  • Former Anglicans who find Lutheran liturgy familiar enough to ease transition

For Further Research:

Other Protestant Options

Non-Denominational Evangelical Churches

What They Offer:

  • Growing sector (only large category showing consistent growth in U.S.)
  • Biblical authority emphasis (in conservative churches)
  • Traditional sexual ethics (in conservative congregations)
  • Contemporary, accessible worship
  • Often strong small groups and community
  • Less institutional overhead and bureaucracy

Trade-Offs:

  • No liturgy or Book of Common Prayer
  • No sacramental theology (ordinances not sacraments)
  • No historical continuity or connection to ancient church
  • No episcopal structure or apostolic succession claims
  • Theology often shallow or pragmatic rather than systematic
  • Congregational autonomy means wide variance in theology
  • “Seeker-sensitive” approach may compromise doctrinal clarity

Who This Appeals To:

  • Evangelicals who prioritized Bible teaching over liturgy in Anglican setting
  • Those exhausted by denominational politics and seeking simpler church structure
  • People comfortable with contemporary worship
  • Those who never connected with Anglican liturgical tradition

Who This Doesn’t Fit:

  • Anyone valuing liturgical worship
  • Sacramental theology adherents
  • Those seeking historical Christian tradition
  • People who appreciate formal, structured worship

Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)

Official Website: https://www.sbc.net/

Size: Approximately 13 million members (declining)

What It Offers:

  • Largest Protestant denomination in U.S. provides resources and institutional presence
  • Biblical authority emphasis with inerrancy position
  • Recent reinforcement of no women pastors (2024 convention actions)
  • Traditional sexual ethics
  • Strong missions emphasis (IMB, NAMB)
  • Seminary system for theological education

Trade-Offs:

  • Baptist theology fundamentally incompatible with Anglican sacramental understanding
  • Credobaptism (believer’s baptism only) vs. Anglican infant baptism
  • No liturgical worship tradition
  • Congregational polity – no bishops, no denominational authority over local churches
  • Lord’s Supper as memorial/symbol vs. Anglican real presence
  • Currently experiencing controversy over women pastors with some churches departing

Who This Appeals To:

  • Evangelical Anglicans who prioritized Bible teaching and preaching over liturgy
  • Those comfortable with Baptist ecclesiology
  • People seeking large, established denomination with resources

Who This Doesn’t Fit:

  • Sacramental theology adherents
  • Those who value infant baptism
  • Liturgical worship seekers
  • Anyone uncomfortable with congregational polity

For Further Research:

Part 1: Anglo-Catholic Jurisdictions →
ACC, ACA, APA, APCK – the high church options

Part 2: Reformed Protestant & Central Church →
REC, UECNA, ACNA, CONNAM – low church and mixed

Part 3: “Abandon Ship” Options →
TEC, Rome, Orthodoxy, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Baptist

Part 4: Analysis & Decision Framework →
Comparison tables, decision matrices, future scenarios