Membership Form - New Cranmer Society

Objectives and principles

Objectives
The objective of New Cranmer is to unite in one association members of the Anglican Church in the
diocese of Melbourne who wish to promote in accordance with the principles set out in Clause 3 -
(a) 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;
(b) 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 Clause 2(a);
(c) Co-ordinated co-operative action by parishes and extra parochial organisations on matters of
common concern; and
(d) The foundation and support of educational funds and institutions including provision of
individual scholarships and fellowships.
(e) The encouragement of the study of church history, evangelism, growth, doctrine and liturgy

Principles
New Cranmer adheres to the three Fundamental Declarations of the Constitution of the Anglican
Church of Australia, and the doctrines of the Book of Common Prayer and Thirty-nine Articles
applied in their orthodox sense. It upholds as of first importance the principles that -
(a) God is revealed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit;
(b) the canonical Scriptures provide the rule of faith and practice, the test of truth and judge of
controversy; and God continues to work in ways consistent with the Scriptures;
(c) humanity and all creation outside of Christ Jesus is radically defective and needs redemption;
(d) the person of Jesus Christ as saviour and sovereign revealed in incarnation, resurrection and
ascension and his work centred upon his atoning death is paramount
(e) each Christian receives and experiences the Holy Spirit and grows in the Spirit through
understanding the word of God and ministry of the sacraments; and
(f) the fruit of the Holy Spirit are to be seen in a Christ-like lifestyle, especially as gifts of the Spirit
are exercised.

New Cranmer seeks to adopt and apply in a renewed and current form strategies used by
Archbishop Thomas Cranmer -
(a) to strive to convince "all Christian people diligently to learn God's word, that they may know how
to believe and live"1(b) to work for continuous reform of the church and its institutional structures to bring into and keep
those structures in greater consonance with the Scriptures while responding to the demands of the
time;
(c) to proclaim the gospel in idiom that will be "heard not only with ears but also heart, spirit and
mind"2
(d) to secure the removal of forms of worship and practice which do "more to confound and darken
than declare and set for Christ's benefits unto us"2
(e) to uphold useful traditions while being open to whatever new things are edifying because
"Christ's Gospel is a Religion to serve God, not in bondage of the figure or shadow, but in freedom
of the Spirit"2
1 Cranmer, Letter to Queen Mary September 1555
2 Cranmer, Book of Common Prayer 1549

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