Someone recently asked me why I hold to the branch theory of the Church. For those who are unfamiliar with that term, the branch theory is ultimately the idea that the Church, though one, is historically made up of various branches. In its original form, this included the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Anglican bodies.

For many, this is a historically implausible model given the fact that historically, the Church identified itself as one by visible communion. While this might be true to an extent, the truth is that ALL Christian bodies claimed this. The Assyrian Church of the East, the Oriental Orthodox, the Roman Church, and the Eastern Orthodox all claim to be the one true Church.

This leads to an obvious question: which Church has the right to that claim? They all have good historical arguments. They all can show at what point the other churches became schismatics. They even have the apostolic succession of bishops to demonstrate their unbroken link to Christ and the Apostles.

This leads me to a few more important questions that I think show the folly of tying the true Church to a particular communion.

1. To say that only one of these communions is the true Church assumes that God has made it extremely difficult to discern the location of the body of Christ. This implies that the truth is not plain, but rather obscured and known only to the greatest historians and scholars.

2. To say that only one of these communions is the true Church is to say that from the very earliest days of the Church, it was fragmented, with massive groups and countries of Christians simply becoming "de-churched" overnight.

3. To say that only one of these communions is the true Church is to imply that somehow communion with a particular Patriarchate is the essence of the Church, ultimately denying the equality of sacramental grace in ordination for all Bishops of the Church.

This leads to my proposal, which is a bit of a modified branch theory.

1. All Churches with the apostolic succession of Bishops, who confess the inerrancy of the Holy Scripture and the Nicene Creed are to be included as branches of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.

The inclusion of these bodies recognizes that despite important differences that must be recognized and worked through for the sake of unity, these churches bear all the marks of Catholicity both in organization and fundamental doctrine.

2. Despite recognizing each branch as a true part of the Holy Church, it is important (and allowable) for each branch to claim to hold the fullness of truth. This claim is consistent with the current claims of the Eastern and Roman Churches, but it will be argued that this claim does not necessitate de-churching the rest of Christendom. One can claim their particular branch contains the fullness of truth and that other branches would do well to come into greater conformity to the particulars of that branch. But this claim is not to mean that one's particular branch is by itself the Body of Christ at the exclusion of all others. It is simply the natural outworking of being convinced of your own particular local expression of the faith.

For example, as an Anglo-Catholic, I believe that I possess the fullness of truth and that the Roman church and Eastern churches would be better off moving closer in both theology and structure to my particular apostolic branch. I am convinced that Anglo-Catholicism has it right—including this branch theory that the other churches (at this point) lack.

It is important to close this by pointing out that the Roman and Eastern Churches, while claiming to be the One True Church, practically live as though the branch theory of the Church is true.

1. The Pope has gifted Anglican Archbishops gifts that one would only gift true clergy in a true Church.

2. The East and West have been publically called the "two lungs" of the Church by Patriarchs.

3. Protestants have been called "separated brethren" by official Vatican documents.

4. The Eastern Orthodox have promulgated the Book of Common Prayer as a valid liturgy in their western rites.

5. Roman and the East acknowledge each other as having valid orders and sacraments.

6. The Patriarch of Constantinople stated: "That the orthodox theologians who have scientifically examined the question have almost unanimously come to the same conclusions and have declared themselves as accepting the validity of Anglican Orders."

Even if these churches refuse (at the moment) to recognize branches of the Church, they practice branch theory on a practical level.