The Church of England has a long and rich history — but has taken a turn for the worse in more recent years.
The tradition that produced St. Anselm, John Wycliffe, Thomas Cranmer, and George Whitefield is increasingly embracing progressive theology — most recently by selecting a woman as Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Anglican Communion around the world has fractured because of these trends, with more conservative churches banding together to start their own associations.
But one video posted last year by the Church of England — and reshared on X this month — is a breath of fresh air for those who have benefited from the unmatched heritage of Anglo-Protestant Christianity.
The short video was posted by The Presbytery Inn — an account that features Protestant church architecture and related content.
The woman in the video recited the oldest version of the Nicene Creed translated into English, written in 992 by a monk named Aelfric.
“Aelfric felt that understanding the Word of God would give people hope and guide them in their lives,” the woman explained.
Church of England posted this a year ago. It has more views than anything else they posted.
The people want tradition, not a liturgical NGO. pic.twitter.com/elJM2jyZoR
— The Presbytery Inn (@PresbyInn) March 7, 2026
That led him to translate parts of the Bible and the Nicene Creed — the defining Christian creed for Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, and Eastern Orthodoxy alike — into the vernacular tongue of his day, which we now know as Old English.
The woman challenged viewers to listen closely and determine if they recognize any words or phrases that made their way into our modern speech.
The Presbytery Inn said that the video received “more views than anything else” posted by the Church of England last year.
“The people want tradition, not a liturgical NGO,” the account concluded.
Many commenters resonated with that remark, noting that the Church of England — and many other Christian denominations — have become watered-down progressive copies of their former selves, focusing on woke social activism rather than Word and sacrament.
“Correct. No one wants to hear on Sunday morning what they’re already hearing Monday-Saturday,” one user suggested.
“Yes, people want to learn about Christ and Christianity. They don’t want to go to church to learn about gay race communism,” another added.
“Get back to this. Spread the gospel. Stand up against moslem heresy,” a third commenter advised the Church of England, referring to Islam and the incursion of the religion into the United Kingdom.
Any Christian living in the United States, England, Canada, South Africa, Australia, or other parts of the Anglosphere has doubtlessly been positively impacted by English Christianity — even if they are not Anglican or Episcopalian.
While the modern leaders of the Church of England seem embarrassed by their own rich history, countless millions of Christians around the world should be thankful for the ways this heritage continues to shape our minds, hearts, and culture to this very day.
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