Authority is one of the most misunderstood words in the Christian vocabulary. Many hear it and think immediately of control or abuse. But in the Church, authority exists not to dominate, but to serve.

Christ Himself exercised authority—and He did so by laying down His life. Christian authority follows this pattern. Bishops guard the faith. Priests shepherd souls. The faithful submit not because leaders are flawless, but because Christ has ordered His Church for our good.

Obedience, rightly understood, is not the loss of freedom. It is freedom properly directed. Just as a musician submits to discipline to gain mastery, so the Christian submits to the Church to grow in holiness.

Anglican Catholicism embraces authority without absolutism and obedience without servility. It teaches us that freedom is not found in self-rule, but in faithful discipleship under Christ.