Ethos

Following are statements of affirmation of Fr. Daniel Sparks’ beliefs and values in ministry. These statements are offered as a tool for accountability and ministerial focus.

Doctrine
I truly believe the three great creeds of the Church: Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian. I affirm the whole of the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion.

I affirm the sacramental nature of Holy Matrimony. While I remain celibate, I acknowledge the foundational importance of marriage in society. Just as marriage is a sacred vocation, so is celibacy. I affirm the freedom of clerics to marry. I affirm the sense of Article XIV of the Wittenburg Articles of 1536. I believe that “the retention of virginity is a good work” and I understand that “impure celibacy is not purity”. I believe that “marriage ought not to be forbidden” and that marriage is not a lesser estate than celibacy.

I agree with the spirit of the Affirmation of Saint Louis. While some portions of that document are no longer applicable (communion with the see of Canterbury, for example), the remainder of it is wholesome doctrine and reasonable polity for the proper function of the churches of the Anglican tradition.

Worship
I affirm the sense of Article IX of the Ten Articles of 1536. There are rites and ceremonies of the Church that are goodly and should be retained in Christian worship. These rites and ceremonies aid us in reflection on the values of our faith and can help produce and maintain an attitude of reverence for the works of God. “But none of these ceremonies have power to remit sin, but only to stir and lift up our minds unto God, by whom only our sins be forgiven.”

I affirm the tradition of Anglican worship as earlier set out in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer and as adapted in the United States in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. The classic Authorized Version, or King James Version, of the English Bible is suitable for public worship still today. Traditional language is no more a bar to understanding the Scriptures than the common misgivings of reason of fallen man; it is the duty of the preacher to properly expound the Scriptures so that they may be understood by the hearers.

Ethics
I affirm the sense of Paragraph 6 of the First Henrician Injuctions of 1536. When I must be absent from my cure, I will ensure that another qualified and competent cleric provides care. I will not seek my own profit, promotion, or advantage above the profit of the souls that are in my cure or above the glory of God.

I will not disclose information divulged to me in the rite of Confession or as a matter of conscience. This rule of confidentiality applies equally to parishioners and non-parishioners.

Personal Care and Professional Development
I will take time for my personal concerns, as appropriate, refusing to commit to other obligations when my personal responsibilities or health require attention.

I will develop my professional knowledge and skills through continuing education and training opportunities, both within and without the field of Christian ministry. I will be diligent in regular study of the Holy Scriptures and Christian doctrine, and, as possible, I will read or participate in services of Morning and Evening Prayer, and I will regularly read in the various disciplines.