As the director of the Global Anglican Theological Institute, let me introduce myself. I am the Rev. Dr. Robert J. Sanders, and I have been a Christian since December 1969. The greatest blessing of my life has been to know the Lord Jesus as revealed, above all, in Scripture. I have found him to be one who loves to the end, one who has complete authority, one who saves, one who forms a fellowship of love, and one who reveals the true character of God. I have been a pastor of churches, a missionary among very poor peoples in mountain villages, an educator, a student of the Christian faith, and a writer. I believe that God has called me to write articles for your benefit and to oversee this web site.

I am an Anglican, and these essays are written from an Anglican perspective. At the time of the Reformation, Anglicanism took its classic form in England, and at the present time, there are Anglican Churches all over the world. In addition to Anglican Churches, there are other great churches under the banner of Christ, and I have learned from these churches as well. I will also be sharing some of their ways of being a follower of Christ with you. By God’s grace, we can come to as full a measure of Christian Truth as possible.

These lessons are written for leaders of Christian communities, Christian believers, and those interested in discovering the truth of the Christian faith. They are written at three levels. The first level is written for everyone, even if you know very little about Jesus Christ. These lessons will teach you the basics of the Christian faith and are found in the section entitled “Christian Basics.” The next level will be articles and essays written for those who wish to be disciples of Jesus Christ, with a special concern for pastors or leaders, or for anyone who wishes to go deeper into the Lord. This section of the web page is entitled “Christian Discipleship.” Finally, there will be articles which consider the intellectual foundations of the faith, entitled “Theological Writings.” There is a section entitled “Christian Resources” which will contain information that can be helpful to you. There is also a section containing links to other web pages that can help you in the Christian walk. Whoever you may be, we are writing for you, that your joy may be complete.

Let me invite you to help in this vital project. Perhaps you would like to write some articles for other brothers and sisters in Christ. If you do wish to write, please read the Submission Guidelines.

Many readers have been blessed by God in wonderful and inspiring ways, and it is good to share these blessings as they encourage all of us. Furthermore, we need practical ideas on how to put the Christian faith into action. For example, God may have shown you and others how to achieve reconciliation in your country, or he may have enabled some of you to come together to form a small business or cooperative so that you and your community would have work. Or, he may have shown you some good ideas on evangelism. If God has done these things, why not share them. Do not worry too much about your writing. I review what is written, and if you are not accustomed to writing in English, I can edit your work to help your readers clearly understand your testimony. These testimonies will be posted on the testimonies section of this web site. If you can do any of these things, write or share your testimony, please contact me. My email address is given below.

As you can see by reading this web page, many of the sections are not yet complete. This is an ongoing project that will entail years of work. I do believe, however, that God has called me to this work, and I am most happy to be sharing the faith with you. Thank you for your patience, and if God places it on your heart, I would be most thankful if you would pray for this project.

These lessons and essays are to be used to teach the Christian faith. There is no charge for using these lessons. The words of Jesus apply here, “You received without paying; give without pay” (Matthew 10:8). The only requirement is that you not sell them for profit, and if you do use them, please reference this website. Thank you so much.

Finally, for those who read and apply these lessons, I would love to hear from you. Please send me any comments, questions, or suggestions to improve these lessons, to my email as given below.

For now, however, why not click on one of the links given above in the left hand corner and begin your walk with Jesus Christ? If you do so, you will find yourself walking day by day with God. But first, let us end this introduction with a prayer.

Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for revealing yourself to us. Pour out upon us your Holy Spirit that these lessons might lead us step by step into the wonder of your Kingdom, the glory of your Father, and the joy of the eternal fellowship of those who know you. Thank you for dying for us that we might live. Amen.

The Rev. Robert J. Sanders, Ph.D.
dr.sanders@globalanglican.org

We are writing at three levels, beginning, intermediate, and advanced.

First, there are many people who love God, who are eager to hear His Word and see His face. Many have little or no education, but they can understand the fundamental realities of the Christian faith when it is presented to them. We need study materials for these persons, written for local churches or individuals. These materials need to combine great simplicity of style with devotion to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, yet written in a way that does justice to the fullness of the Christian revelation. Materials should include practical action plans and questions for discussion. Pastors and others could use these materials to educate church members. For samples of writing at this level, see the track one section of the web site.

Second, there are many pastors and believers who are called to theological study, yet they lack advanced education. Many of them do not have access to substantive theological materials written in a non-academic fashion. Even if they do have access, they may not be able to afford such materials. Our goal is to fill that lack and need by writing basic materials in non-technical language for pastors, leaders, and interested persons. Our assumption is that these readers may have few written resources beyond a Bible or a Prayer Book available to them. Materials written at this level will not reference or assume knowledge of other sources.

Third, there are many highly educated persons who have access to the Internet, yet lack immediate access to good theological writings. We will publish scholarly essays for these readers. It would be especially helpful to set forth the Anglican position on matters of concern to the world-wide church. We are not concerned with day-to-day polemics; nevertheless, fundamental matters of orthodoxy and heresy must and will be addressed. Other guidelines include:

1.The highest standards of Anglican orthodoxy. A statement of these standards can be found at: at http://www.united-anglicans.org/about/theology.html

2. The fullness of the faith will be presented. It will be evangelical in its emphasis on the proclamation of the gospel, catholic in its affirmation of the ancient traditions and creeds of the church, and charismatic in its recognition of the gifts and fruits of the Spirit as they are given to the church today.

3. If you are interested in writing materials for this project, please get in touch with me.  My email address is given below.  We especially need materials at levels one and two, written in basic, straightforward English. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

4. Our primary audience is Anglican, but our writings will, we believe, be useful for all Christians. The fullness of the Anglican way can be a blessing to many and, if humbly presented, a great help to many more. When Anglican terminology or practices are mentioned, it would be helpful to define or explain what they mean.

5. Excellent materials are available on the Internet. It would be good to hyperlink to these materials, especially Anglican writings. If you know of any such hyperlinks, please let us know.

6. Finally, if you have language skills and would be willing to translate any of these materials into another language, we would be most grateful.  Please contact me.

May God bless you,

The Rev. Dr. Robert J. Sanders
dr.sanders@globalanglican.org