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Anglican / Episcopal vs. Anabaptist / Mennonite

A side-by-side comparison of Anglican / Episcopal and Anabaptist / Mennonite teaching on 16 questions, from Scripture and salvation to baptism, communion and church government.

Anglican / Episcopal

The Anglican Communion descends from the Church of England, which broke with Rome in the 1530s while keeping bishops and much of the older liturgy. The Episcopal Church is its American branch. It describes itself as both catholic and Reformed.

More about Anglican / Episcopal Christianity

Anabaptist / Mennonite

The Anabaptists began in Zurich in 1525 and spread to Germany and the Netherlands as the “radical” wing of the Reformation. Mennonites, the Amish and the Hutterites descend from them. They stress adult baptism, following the Sermon on the Mount, and separation of church and state.

At a glance

Where they differ: Authority: Scripture and tradition; Baptism; Sacraments or ordinances; Church government; Style of worship.

Varies within one or both: Predestination and free will; Communion (the Lord’s Supper); Clergy and women in ministry; Mary and the saints; The Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts.

Where they agree: Books of the Bible; The Trinity; How a person is saved; Can a saved person fall away?; Death, purgatory and hell; Day of worship.

Side by side

Question	Anglican / Episcopal	Anabaptist / Mennonite
Authority: Scripture and traditionDiffer	Scripture holds first place, and it is read with the help of tradition and reason. This threefold approach is often traced to the theologian Richard Hooker.	Scripture is the authority, read together by the congregation with special weight on the teaching of Jesus in the Gospels, especially the Sermon on the Mount.
Books of the BibleAgree	66 books as Scripture. The Thirty-Nine Articles say the Apocrypha may be read “for example of life and instruction of manners,” but not to establish doctrine.	66 books.
The TrinityAgree	One God in three persons. The creeds are recited in worship and are part of the Book of Common Prayer.	One God in three persons. Early Anabaptists were not uniform, but the Mennonite confessions are Trinitarian.
How a person is savedAgree	Article XI teaches that we are justified by faith only. Anglicans differ on how this fits with the sacraments, with Evangelicals stressing faith and Anglo-Catholics stressing baptism and the Eucharist.	Saved by grace through faith. Faith is expected to show itself in obedience and discipleship, and baptism marks a conscious commitment to follow Christ.
Can a saved person fall away?Agree	Yes. Article XVI says a believer may depart from grace given and fall into sin, and by God’s grace rise again and amend his life.	Generally yes. Mennonite teaching holds that faith must be lived out and that a person can turn away, though God is patient with those who return.
Predestination and free willVaries	Article XVII affirms predestination in gentle terms. Anglicans range from Calvinists to Arminians, and the church has never enforced one view.	Emphasizes free will and a personal decision to follow Christ. Anabaptists rejected Calvinist predestination from the start.
BaptismDiffer	A sacrament of new birth into the church. Infants and adults are baptized, by pouring or immersion. Anglicans differ on how closely baptism is tied to regeneration.	Baptism is given only to those who make a mature confession of faith. The mode varies (pouring or immersion), and infant baptism is rejected. The name “Anabaptist” means “rebaptizer.”
Communion (the Lord’s Supper)Varies	The Eucharist. Anglicans affirm Christ’s presence but leave the manner open, from real presence among Anglo-Catholics to a spiritual or memorial view among Evangelicals.	A memorial meal and a sign of the unity of the congregation. Some groups pair it with foot washing.
Sacraments or ordinancesDiffer	Two sacraments “ordained by Christ,” baptism and the Eucharist. Five other rites, including confirmation and marriage, are called sacramental rites, and Anglo-Catholics often count all seven.	Two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Many groups also practice foot washing.
Church governmentDiffer	Governed by bishops, with a presiding archbishop in each province. The Archbishop of Canterbury is a symbolic leader of the communion, without authority over other provinces.	Local congregations decide matters together and select their own ministers. Some groups have regional conferences and bishops with a limited role.
Clergy and women in ministryVaries	Varies. Many provinces ordain women as priests and bishops, while some do not. Clergy may marry.	Varies. Conservative groups reserve ministry for men, and more progressive Mennonite conferences ordain women.
Mary and the saintsVaries	Varies. Anglo-Catholics ask for Mary’s and the saints’ prayers, while Evangelical Anglicans do not. Official teaching honors the saints, but Article XXII calls the invocation of saints “a fond thing vainly invented,” so Anglo-Catholic practice goes beyond the formal doctrine.	Mary is respected as Jesus’ mother, and the church emphasizes following Christ. There is no prayer to saints.
Death, purgatory and hellAgree	Article XXII rejects the “Romish doctrine concerning Purgatory.” Some Anglo-Catholics pray for the dead and hold a gentler view of the intermediate state.	Purgatory is rejected. Believers rest in Christ awaiting the resurrection, and the final judgment decides eternal destiny.
Style of worshipDiffer	Liturgical, following the Book of Common Prayer or a modern equivalent. Styles range from ornate “high church” to simple “low church” services.	Simple worship centered on singing, Scripture and preaching. Many groups sing without instruments.
The Holy Spirit and spiritual giftsVaries	Varies. Anglicanism includes a large charismatic wing, and other Anglicans give little emphasis to gifts.	The Spirit is understood to guide the congregation in discernment and daily life. Miraculous gifts are not emphasized.
Day of worshipAgree	Sunday.	Sunday.
Best known for	The Book of Common Prayer, bishops, and a middle path between Catholic and Protestant traditions.	Peace witness and refusal of violence, adult baptism, simple living, mutual aid and service through relief organizations.

“Agree” means the two traditions take the same broad position, although the wording above may still note finer differences. “Varies” means at least one of the two is itself divided on the question, so no single position can be given. These summaries describe typical teaching, and individual churches may vary. For an authoritative statement, consult each denomination’s own confessions.

Anglican / Episcopal vs. Anabaptist / Mennonite