Church of Lyngaard

Church of Lyngaard
Lyngaard Kirke
St. Maud Cathedral, seat of the Church of Lyngaard
Type	Free Church
Orientation	Hahnian
Theology	Liberal
Polity	Presbyterian
Supreme Authority	Christian Magnus X
Ecclesiastical Minister	Astrid Rohde
Primate	The Rt Rev. Gustav Isaksen
Dioceses	12
Parishes	2,312
Region	Lyngaard
Language	Gaetnish
Liturgy	Divine Services
Territory	Lyngaard
Members	8,697,709
Church buildings	2,469
Aid organization	Det Hellige Hjælpesamfund

The Evangelical-Hahnian Church in Lyngaard, or High Church of the Crown, more commonly known as the Church of Lyngaard (Lyngaard Kirke; Nøjibweh: Mamawipayiwin, Lit: Congregation) is the established, state-supported church of Lyngaard. The Supreme secular authority of the church is the reigning monarch of Lyngaard, but independent from Parliament. As of 2018 74.2% of the population of Lyngaard belong to the church as voluntary members or converts.

Christianity was introduced to Lyngaard initially by traders in the 1500's, the first perminant church was establlished by King Christian Magnus I and presided over by Elder Emeritus St. Jacobus of the Boat. Since its founding the church has been Evangelical-Hahnic and has maintained a High Church tradition, while its relative isolation from other Hahnist traditions has allowed it to develope a unique theological doctrine in regards to church governance and theology more broadly.

The Church practices a form of congregational electoralism, where Pastors, Deacons, and Elders are either elected by or are subject to recall by the wider congregation of a church. The church does require someone to have graduated from seminary in order to be elected as a bishop by a Diocesan Synod. the larger Great Synod, made up of Bishops also elect a Primus inter pares, who mush be an elected Bishop, and serves for life or if recalled by 2/3rds of the Great Synod. Currently there are 12 Bishops, with The Rt Rev. Gustav Isaksen, Bishop of Gulsten and Stråtæktgård serving as Primate of the Church.

Organization

The Church of Lyngaard is a federalized church which uses a modified form of Presbyterian polity as the basis of its organizational structure. At the lowest level is the parish which organizes the day to day function of the church, each parish has independence on certian doctrianal issues based on the attitudes of the wider Parish. Parishes elect a council of Elders, generally the size of the council is dependent on the number of congrigants in each parish. These Elders on their own form the governing body of the parish, but also make up the parish reprasentation at a Diocesan Synod. The Diocesan Synod acts as the governing body of the Diocese, who elect a Bishop from the members of the Synod. Diocesan Synod's are responsible for wider administrative responsibilities, primariallly the administration of educational facilities owned and operated by the Diocese, maintaining church help property within the dioceese, and on insuring that all parish needs are met. The Elected Bishop who heads the Diocesan Synod is also a voting member of the Great Synod, this body made up of the 12 Bishops of Lyngaard then elect a primate who acts as the head of the faith. If a tie is to occure in the Great Synod, then the reigning monarch is to cast the tie breaking vote.

Every 10 years there is also a National Synod. This is body whichh is meant to pass major doctrinal resolutions. This Synod is made up of both the Diocesan Synod and the Great Synod, with Elders getting 3 votes, and Bishops getting 5. But there are also Lay Reprasentatives, members of a individual church who are elected by its members, every Lay Reprasentative is allocated a single vote. National Synods are established to help resolve major religious debates within the church by organizing and voting on resolutions that aim to resolve these issues, which must pass with a 2/3rd majority. If an issue is unresolved during a National Synod, the issue is then made a Parish level issue until the next National Synod.

Laypeople are allowed to serve the church in multiple roles. Laypeople are allowed to be Pastors, Missionaries, and Deacons. They obtain these possition through the grace of the Parish Elders and the consent of the Parish congregation. Elders may also be laypeople, but this is generally discouraged and exspells them from the Bishopic candidate pool in the Diocesan Synod. All laypeople who wish to become Bishops or serve higher ecclesial possitions must go through seminary.

Beliefs

Hahnism is assosiated with the theology of August Wilhelm Hahn, with its official doctinal writings found in the Book of Good Works, the Church accepts the unaltered Sachsberg Confession as a true witness to the Gospel. In the church there are Three Sacraments, Baptism, Communion, and Holy Absolution. The churches official stance is that Baptism is for both Infants and adults, typically Aspersion iss used for infants, while Immersion Baptism is used for adults and new converts during Confirmation. the believe in the Real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and since 1987 have practiced Open Communion in all parishes. Holy Absolution is held as a core sacrament of the church, but some parishes have elected to discontinue the practice. The church does not believe in biblical inerrancy, opposes Charismatism, is Cessationist, and Amillennial. The church has allowed woman as is possition open for laypeople since 1957 in alignment with its posstion on the Priesthood of all believers, and has opened up its seminaries to woman in 1997, and since 2007 women have been allowed to fill any possition within the church, as. Issues such as Gay Marriage, and Abortion have been parish level issues since 2007 and 1967 respectfullly, and have come up in every National Synod List of Resiolutions, but have never been able to reach a 2/3rds vote either way since the issues were formally brought up.