Book of Alternative Services

Last updated February 01, 2026

The Book of Alternative Services (BAS) is the contemporary, inclusive-language liturgical book used in place of the 1962 Book of Common Prayer (BCP) in most parishes of the Anglican Church of Canada.

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Book of Alternative Services (PDF)
Book of Alternative Services (HTML)
Portions of the Book of Alternative Services in English and French

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v t e Anglican liturgical books
Book of Common Prayer	Church of England 1549 1552 1559 1604 1662 Liturgy of Comprehension 1928 Church in Wales 1984 Scottish Episcopal Church 1637 1912 1929 Episcopal Church (United States) 1790 1892 1928 1979 Anglican Church of Canada 1918 1962 Special printings 1843 illustrated version 1845 illuminated version
Other liturgical books	Church of England Exhortation and Litany Edwardine Ordinals Primer Directory for Public Worship English Missal Alternative Service Book Common Worship Elsewhere Anglican Missal The Anglican Service Book Book of Alternative Services Book of Common Prayer (Unitarian) The Holy Eucharist: Rite Two Sunday Services
People	Thomas Cranmer Martin Bucer John Merbecke William Laud Matthew Wren Jenny Geddes John Cosin Samuel Clarke William Smith William White Samuel Seabury Walter Frere
History	Acts of Uniformity 1548 1552 1558 1662 Clarendon Code 1663 Explanation Act 1872 1874 Regulation Act Worship and Doctrine Measure 1974 Revising groups Hampton Court Conference Caroline Divines Westminster Assembly Savoy Conference General Synod of the Church of England Events Prayer Book Rebellion Vestarian controversy Millenary Petition Bishops' Wars Nonjuring schism Oxford Movement

v t e Anglican liturgy
Services	Daily Office Morning Prayer (Mattins) Prayer During the Day Evening Prayer (Vespers or Evensong) Night Prayer (Compline) Eucharist (also called Mass, Holy Communion, or the Lord's Supper) Occasional Advent wreath Anointing of the sick Baptism Minor exorcism Christian burial Requiem Commination Confirmation Catechism Consecration Coronation of the British monarch Churching of women Dedication of a church Exhortation and Litany Exorcism Holy Week liturgies Tenebrae Chrism Mass Mass of the Lord's Supper Foot washing Mass of the Presanctified Good Friday Prayer for the Jews Solemn Collects Reproaches Seven Last Words from the Cross Three Hours' Agony Easter Vigil Exsultet Marriage Banns of marriage Vows Nine Lessons and Carols Ordination
Structure	Common Alleluia Apostles' Creed Antiphon O Antiphons Collect Confession Episcopal blessing General Intercessions Glory Be Introit Kyrie Lamb of God Laying on of hands Lesson Epistle Gospel Let us pray The Lord be with you Lord's Prayer Embolism Psalms Priestly Blessing Processional hymn Recessional hymn Responsory Sermon Sign of the cross Trinitarian formula Versicle Divine Office Athanasian Creed Benedictus (Song of Zechariah) Canticle Invitatory Magnificat Nunc dimittis O God, make speed to save us Phos hilarion Te Deum To Thee before the close of day Eucharist Anaphora Anamnesis Epiclesis Fraction Memorial Acclamation Words of Institution Bidding-prayer Collect for Purity Glory to God in the highest Holy Communion Nicene Creed Offertory Sentence Oblation Prayer of Humble Access Preface Lift up your hearts Holy, Holy, Holy Sign of peace Tarping Ten Commandments
Music	Anglican chant Carol Fraction anthem Great Four Anglican Hymns List of Anglican church composers List of Anglican hymnals Mass (music) Metrical psalter Service (music) Voluntary (music)
Participants	Acolyte altar server Bishop Choir Crucifer Deacon Laity Lector Priest Reader Usher Verger
Liturgical objects	Altar or communion table Antependium candle cloths lamp rail Rood Ashes Aspergillum Baptismal font Chalice or Communion cup Chrism Crosier Crucifix Cruet Evangeliary Flagon Holy water Incense Lights Palm Paten Processional cross Sacramental bread and wine Salt Sanctuary lamp Tabernacle Pyx Veil Wedding ring
Liturgical books	Book of Common Prayer Book of Alternative Services Sunday Services The Books of Homilies Common Worship Directory for Public Worship Edwardine Ordinals Lectionary Revised Common Lectionary Psalter
Vestments (Pontifical)	Alb Bands Baptismal clothing Canterbury cap Cassock Cassock-alb Chasuble Chimere Choir dress Cincture Cope Dalmatic Gaiters Geneva gown Girdle Mitre Pectoral cross Rochet Stole Surplice Tippet Vimpa Zucchetto
Liturgical year and calendar	Advent Advent Sunday Gaudete Sunday Christmastide Christmas Midnight Mass Epiphanytide Epiphany Baptism of the Lord Candlemas Pre-Lent Feast of the Annunciation Lent Ash Wednesday Laetare Sunday Passion Sunday Passiontide Holy Week Palm Sunday Paschal Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Eastertide Ascension Pentecost Trinitytide (some churches use Pentecost Season instead of Trinitytide) All Saints' Day Kingdomtide Stir-up Sunday or Feast of Christ the King Principal Feast Principal Holy Day Festival Lesser Festival Commemoration
Anglo-Catholicism and Western Rite Orthodoxy	Altar bell Altar of repose Angelus Anglican Breviary Anglican Use Book of Divine Worship Divine Worship: The Missal Divine Worship: Daily Office Anglican Missal Antiochian Western Rite Vicariate Amice Biretta Blessed Sacrament Adoration Benediction Ciborium Ecclesiastical Latin English Missal Humeral veil Hymns to Mary Last Gospel Liturgy of Saint Tikhon Maniple Monstrance Personal ordinariate Roman Canon Thurible Tunicle Stations of the Cross
Eucharistic discipline	Ad orientem and Versus populum Church etiquette Communion and the developmentally disabled Communion under both kinds Fasting Headcover Genuflection Host desecration Intinction Open communion Reserved sacrament Spiritual Communion Thanksgiving after Communion
Theology	Black Rubric Body and Blood of Christ Ex opere operato Grace and means of grace Koinonia Liturgical colours Origin of the Eucharist (Last Supper) Paschal mystery Passion of Jesus and its salvific nature Real presence Receptionism Thirty-nine Articles
Related	Agape feast Anglican Communion Anglican devotions Anglican sacraments Bible translations into English Canonical hours Choral Evensong (BBC) Christian liturgy Churchmanship Convergence Movement English Reformation Elizabethan Religious Settlement Prayer Book Rebellion John Merbecke Latitudinarian Liturgical Movement Millenary Petition Ornaments Rubric Oxford Movement The Parson's Handbook Paschal greeting Prayer for the dead Reformed worship Ritualism in the Church of England Rood screen Sarum Rite Thomas Cranmer Thou Vestments controversy
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Book of Alternative Services

Further reading

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