What is an Anglican?

an Anglican is a member of a Church of England, or any of several related churches.

An Anglican is a member of The Anglican Communion which is a branch of Christianity that encompasses the Church of England and many other world-wide Churches which trace their spiritual succession back to the Archbishop of Canterbury. These member Churches are known as being a part of the "Anglican Communion" The Archbishop of Canterbury is the spiritual figurehead of the "Anglican Communion" and is based in 'The Church of England'. The Anglican Church was formally organized in 1539 when The Church in England became Independent from Rome under the reign of Henry VIII. The Anglican Church considers itself a "bridge Church" between Catholic and Protestant, being both and neither at the same time. The Anglican Church encompasses the traditions, rites, sacraments, and creeds of the ancient Holy Catholic Church which it is a part of, holding strong to the authority of the priesthood and necessity for bishops in apostolic succession. Yet, it also considers itself Protestant in that their is a significant "evangelical" or "protestant" faction within the Anglican Communion. The Anglican Communion has many different schools of thought, some are very Catholic (high Church) some are more Protestant (low church) and some are in between(broad church). The Book of Common Prayer is what holds all Anglicans together, it is the universal doctrine, discipline and liturgy for all Anglicans world-wide and it is what holds all Anglicans together, it is the foundation of the history of Anglicanism and it is the basis of Anglican worship. The central core of Anglican worship is the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist (the Mass, Lords Supper, Holy Communion) as it is believed to be truly the presence of Jesus Christ.