Our New Life and our continuing story...

All Saints Anglican Church of Rochester

All Saints is moving forward as a newly incorporated church in New York State. We are technically a 'Free Church' that owns its own property and is free to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and live under His Sovereign Authority and under the Authority of the Holy Scriptures.

• We are a member congregation in the newly constituted and emerging church of biblical and orthodox Anglican Christianity named the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). Glory to God: All Saints is alive and well!

• In our past, the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester would not tolerate us as we sought to function true to the historic Christian Faith 'built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone' (Ephesians 2:20). In order to remain true to our conscience in Jesus Christ we could not conform or acquiesce any longer to a diocese that was clearly moving away from Scripture as it stridently marched forward as its own authority regardless of what the Bible says... As we stood up for the primary place of Holy Scripture as the Word of God and the authoritative guide in faith and practice in the Church, our congregation was excommunicated from the diocese and had the parish's property taken through a lawsuit against their, at one time, brothers and sisters. No, a campaign was waged against our parish and our members were rejected as 'renegades' because we, in good conscience would not cooperate with their false teachings and false representation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We had finally come to the agonizing truth: that we could do nothing else... we must stand up for Christ against all the odds, the sentiments, and the judgments against us. The diocese acted decisively against 'one of their own', evidently hoping that they would put us out of commission by declaring All Saints 'extinct'.

• Well, by the grace of God and through the life-giving Truth of His Holy Gospel: All Saints is still alive and well to the glory of Almighty God! It can be said that in all of this we have experienced a bit of the amazing Reality of the power of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ!
  

• Our new church meets in the downstairs Chapel at 111 N. Chestnut St. (at Reformation Lutheran Church) on Sunday mornings at 10 am. We meet for Worship in the wonderful and historic tradition of the Anglican Church as a body of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. We seek to honor the Lord and worship Him in the 'beauty of holiness' Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We seek to reflect upon His Word: the Bible, during sermons that are based upon the Holy Scriptures from the Revised Common Lectionary. We seek to apply biblical truths to our ways of thinking and our ways of living. We believe that the true Gospel of Jesus Christ transforms our lives rather than leaving us 'as we were'... We want to help each other to grow in faith, genuine and life-changing Christian faith, through the work of the Holy Spirit guiding us into all Truth. We also seek to join with other Christians who long for these same awesome realities of the Christian Faith. We pray to help those who do not as yet know the saving and holy love of Jesus Christ to get to know Him and to love Him...
  

• We have learned the importance in today's culture and in today's church of proclaiming that Jesus is the only way to the Father, the only way to salvation, for He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and as He proclaimed: 'no one comes to the Father, but by Me' (John 14:6). The 'go your own way' churches cannot fathom this Truth spoken by our Lord Jesus, nor can they understand it, nor do they agree with it. Unfortunately, many so-called 'Christians', who proclaim inclusiveness without the need for transformation, will be learning the hard way what the genuine love of Almighty God is truly like. It is the absolute, holy, generous, forgiving, yet principled love of God in Jesus Christ:

who 'was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.' (John 1:10-13)

• Sadly, too many of us in this world are still rejecting Him, still do not really know Him and still, as yet, are not born of God through repentance and life-transforming faith in Him...

• We, the members of All Saints, were hoping that we could help with the renewal of the church from within the Episcopal Church. We were hoping that our ministries of proclaiming the genuine, biblical Gospel of Jesus Christ by word and deed would be welcomed or at least tolerated by a self-proclaimed 'tolerant' church. We found the truth to be that our Lord Jesus was calling us forward to stand up for Him, even if it meant rejection and loss. We were resolutely rejected for standing up for historic, biblical Christianity. We began to understand that we were called to stand up for Jesus not only as Savior yet also as Lord - no matter the cost. In doing so, we realized His Promise that He would be with us even to the end of the ages to bless us, care for us, and grant us His New and Eternal Life. Nothing in all of life can compare with these blessings!

• Now we keep praying to remain faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ and to His Holy Word, and 'run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God'. (Hebrews 12:1-2).

• We offer our heart-felt thanks to all of our sisters and brothers in our Lord Jesus who have been praying for us that we would live on in Him and still be His Church. These are the people who supported us, praying that by the grace and power of Jesus -the forces being waged against the Holy Bible and the true Gospel would not be allowed to stop us- in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord! Those prayers are being answered!
  
• Praise and Glory to Jesus Christ: All Saints is alive and well! Amen.