Reformation Day 

On 31 October, while many celebrate Halloween, Anglicans mark Reformation Day, remembering a moment that changed history.

In 1517, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses to a church door in Wittenberg, challenging corruption in the medieval church and sparking the Protestant Reformation—a movement that reshaped Europe and gave birth to Protestant churches worldwide.

At the heart of the Reformation are the Five Solas: Scripture alone as our authority, Christ alone as our Saviour, faith alone as the way we receive salvation, grace alone as God’s gift from start to finish, and to God alone be the glory for all that He does. These principles not only set the Reformers apart from the Church of Rome but continue to guide evangelical faith today.

The Reformation also shaped Classical Anglicanism. England’s break from Rome became more than political under Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, who gave the church the Book of Common Prayer and the Thirty-Nine Articles. Cranmer’s vision was simple: ordinary people encountering the living God through Scripture. The Prayer Book made God’s Word accessible and shaped worship, prayer, and daily life. Anglican worship, at its best, is Scripture-shaped, Christ-centred, and grounded in grace.

This legacy continues in Australia. Our Thirty-Nine Articles, still printed in the back of Australian Prayer Books, uphold the Reformation truths of Scripture alone, grace alone, faith alone, Christ alone, and God’s glory alone. When we celebrate Reformation Day, we honour those who stood for the gospel and remember that their faith lives on in us.

The Reformation isn’t just history—it’s our foundation. It calls us to live faithfully, worshipfully, and boldly for the glory of God alone.