OUR MISSION

The Anglican Center of Theology and Formation is an endeavor to offer supplemental theological education and ministry training to individuals preparing for Anglican holy orders. ACTF is a joint project between the Arizona Anglican Deanery and the Diocese of Western Anglicans seeking to integrate Anglican studies with master’s degrees such as the Master of Divinity or master’s in biblical, theological, or ministry studies earned at non-Anglican seminaries and universities. A working relationship exists between ACTF and the Missional Training Center of Phoenix, which offers an MA in Missional Theology.

OUR MODEL

A cohort of seven or more students along with several pastoral guides will gather twice a month to participate in common prayer, share a meal, and learn about topics related to Anglican ministry through lecture and seminar discussions. ACTF is organized to be mobile and accommodating to the needs of students. We have met in the director’s living room, and currently meet at Living Faith Anglican Church in Tempe.

Each semester consists of several public lectures with Anglican theologians and ministry leaders, and biweekly seminars with students and the Director.

NEXT PUBLIC LECTURE

OUR CORE VALUES

• Education

• Formation

• Community

• Hospitality

OUR NEED

The Diocese of Western Anglicans and the Arizona Anglican Deanery are relatively young and growing organizations committed to equipping existing Anglican churches and planting new works. This equipping and planting require the ministry of Anglican clergy; however, the opportunities for academic study in the Anglican tradition are almost non-existent in the Western U.S.

OUR VISION

The vision of ACTF is to raise up Anglican clergy to support the growth of our diocese and deanery by providing supplemental education and formation for aspirants to ordained ministry. At the same time, ACTF has a vision for equipping and training lay leaders to serve in our Anglican churches and ministries.

OUR STUDENTS

While ACTF exists primarily to train new Anglican clergy, lay leaders are also invited to participate as well as anyone (Anglican or not) who is interested in learning more about the Anglican way. Thus, our student body consists of: 

• Anglican clergy who require supplemental training and formation 

• Aspirants to Anglican ministry 

• Lay leaders who want to grow in their knowledge and skills for ministry in Anglican churches 

• Non-Anglicans who have a deep-seated interest in Anglican ministry 

New students can join the ACTF cohort at the beginning of any semester of study. 

OUR CURRICULUM

Our Certificate of Anglican Studies (CAS) consists of four courses offered over a period of two years.

• Anglican Church History – A review of the history of the church in England in the early and medieval periods as well as the founding of the Church of England in the Reformation Era and its growth into the global Anglican Communion.

• Anglican Theology – While creedal in its core teachings (Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds), the Anglican Church has its own formularies and a unique theological method. Special attention is given to Anglican ecclesiology (doctrine of the church).

• Anglican Liturgy & Sacraments – An in-depth study of the Book of Common Prayer and its use for ordering private and public worship, including the Eucharist, baptism, confirmation, ordination, and the church calendar.

• Anglican Ministry - A review of the three-fold order of Anglican ministry as well as the practice of pastoral ministry in the Anglican tradition. Special attention is given to holy matrimony, the reconciliation of penitents, rites of healing, and ministry to the dying

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

 In order to cover the cost of meals, travel, and stipends for lectures as well as some administrative expenses, each student is asked to pay $500 per semester. Scholarships are available for those who cannot afford to pay the fees.