Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches
Encyclopedia
The Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches is an Anglican
Christian
Communion, formed in 1995 largely as a result of the Convergence Movement
. The CEEC converges the evangelical
, charismatic, liturgical, and sacramental
traditions of the Christian faith.
of 1886.
The four basic statements are:
s now numbers 4 (as of 2007), together with 34 bishops representing provincial families around the world. Rather than jurisdictional lines built upon geographic areas, the CEEC establishes diocese
s and province
s relationally.
The CEEC ordains women to the diaconate and priesthood.
Most parishes in the U.S. use the 1979 Book of Common Prayer
of The Episcopal Church
. The CEEC's practice here is in contrast to most of the Continuing Anglican churches use the 1928 edition or earlier versions of the BCP.
movement and had oversight over a number of churches in Kenya.)
In October 1995 in Fredericksburg, Virginia, approximately 300 people gathered, representing a wide variety of denominational backgrounds and 25 independent congregations who had come into relationship with the new group. Bishop Michael Owen, Archdeacon Beth Owen, Rt. Rev. Peter Riola, and other bishops in apostolic succession
from Eastern Orthodox and Old Catholic jurisdictions were present to help in the consecrating of their first two bishops and the ordination of 25 pastors and 7 deacons. The first two bishops consecrated included Vincent McCall (who later seceded from the EEC) Russell McClanahan, currently archbishop of the CEEC Province of St. Peter. http://www.theceec.org/Russuccession.htm Initially, five congregations fully affiliated with the new communion.
In November 1995 Bishop Owen was asked unanimously by the new bishops of the Evangelical Episcopal Church to serve as their first Presiding Bishop. Two small ads had been placed in Christianity Today magazine, one in 1994 and one in mid 1995, which brought in an overwhelming response of interest across the U.S. from leaders of differing backgrounds showing interest in the vision of the convergence of the streams in this new communion. The total number of responses neared 1600 and inundated the new communion. As growth began to take place through pastors and congregations affiliating, international interest began to emerge, and by the fall of 1996 interest from 5 other nations besides the USA was being seriously expressed. New missionary bishops were consecrated and new missionary dioceses were established.
In January 1997 the 6 bishops meeting in synod
voted to reconstitute and reincorporate the Evangelical Episcopal Church as "The Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches" to reflect the international growth and the needs for eventual provincial structuring. Six nations were now represented in affiliation, and strong interest in affiliation was expressed by a group in the Philippines comprising close to 3,000 congregations under their independent Pentecostal/charismatic overseers and founders.
In 1997 the Rev. Duraisingh James, a priest and church planter with the Church of South India
for 17 years at that time and long-time head of Christian Education for the Church Union of South India, traveled to meet with the USA founding House of Bishops and indicated his desire to affiliate with the CEEC, together with the 30 churches under his oversight. Shortly thereafter, Fr. Duraisingh was consecrated as Missionary Bishop for India, and later as Archbishop for the CEEC Province of India. His ministry and the number of churches in India have continued to flourish. Since 1999 two new bishops have been consecrated/received into the Province of India with three dioceses numbering over 75 congregations, along with a seminary founded by Archbishop James.
In 2005 the CEEC USA province joined with the International Communion of Christian Churches to form the Communion of Convergence Churches, USA. In 2006 this relationship was strengthened as the international CEEC organization entered into "co-communion" with the CCCUSA, now known as Christian Communion International
.
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
Communion, formed in 1995 largely as a result of the Convergence Movement
Convergence Movement
The Convergence Movement refers to a move among evangelical and charismatic churches in the United States to blend charismatic worship with liturgies from the Book of Common Prayer and other liturgical sources. The Movement was inspired by the spiritual pilgrimages of modern Evangelical writers...
. The CEEC converges the evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
, charismatic, liturgical, and sacramental
Sacramental
Sacramental may refer to:* Sacramental, as an adjective means of or pertaining to sacraments* Sacramentals, in Roman Catholicism and Anglicanism, objects whose supernatural effects, unlike those of a sacrament, depend on the belief of the recipient...
traditions of the Christian faith.
Beliefs
The fundamental principles defining inclusion in the Communion are detailed in the Chicago-Lambeth QuadrilateralChicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral
The Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral, frequently referred to as the Lambeth Quadrilateral or the Lambeth-Chicago Quadrilateral, is a four-point articulation of Anglican identity, often cited as encapsulating the fundamentals of the Communion's doctrine and as a reference-point for ecumenical...
of 1886.
The four basic statements are:
- The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as "containing all the things necessary for salvation" and as being the rule and ultimate standard of faith.
- The Apostle's Creed, as the Baptismal Symbol; and the Nicene Creed, as the sufficient statement of faith.
- The two Sacraments ordained by the Christ Himself - Baptism and the Supper of the Lord - ministered with unfailing use of Christ's words of institution, and the elements ordained by Him.
- The Historic Episcopate, locally adapted in the methods of its administration to the varying needs of the nations and peoples called of God in the Unity of His Church.
Organization
The CEEC International College of ArchbishopArchbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
s now numbers 4 (as of 2007), together with 34 bishops representing provincial families around the world. Rather than jurisdictional lines built upon geographic areas, the CEEC establishes diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
s and province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
s relationally.
The CEEC ordains women to the diaconate and priesthood.
Most parishes in the U.S. use the 1979 Book of Common Prayer
Book of Common Prayer
The Book of Common Prayer is the short title of a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion, as well as by the Continuing Anglican, "Anglican realignment" and other Anglican churches. The original book, published in 1549 , in the reign of Edward VI, was a product of the English...
of The Episcopal Church
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
. The CEEC's practice here is in contrast to most of the Continuing Anglican churches use the 1928 edition or earlier versions of the BCP.
History
In early 1994 members of a charismatic renewal parish in the Episcopal Church USA, together with their rector, began to conceptualize a vision of a new communion of churches that would be tied to the historic Anglican spiritual tradition, while experiencing "convergence" of the streams of the Church. Archbishop John Kivuva was connected with and agreed to serve as transitional Presiding Bishop for the new body, tentatively called the Evangelical Episcopal Church. (Bishop Kivuva at that time was a bishop with the Africa Inland MissionAfrica Inland Mission
Established in 1895, Africa Inland Mission is a nondenominational Christian mission organisation focusing on Africa and islands in the Indian Ocean...
movement and had oversight over a number of churches in Kenya.)
In October 1995 in Fredericksburg, Virginia, approximately 300 people gathered, representing a wide variety of denominational backgrounds and 25 independent congregations who had come into relationship with the new group. Bishop Michael Owen, Archdeacon Beth Owen, Rt. Rev. Peter Riola, and other bishops in apostolic succession
Apostolic Succession
Apostolic succession is a doctrine, held by some Christian denominations, which asserts that the chosen successors of the Twelve Apostles, from the first century to the present day, have inherited the spiritual, ecclesiastical and sacramental authority, power, and responsibility that were...
from Eastern Orthodox and Old Catholic jurisdictions were present to help in the consecrating of their first two bishops and the ordination of 25 pastors and 7 deacons. The first two bishops consecrated included Vincent McCall (who later seceded from the EEC) Russell McClanahan, currently archbishop of the CEEC Province of St. Peter. http://www.theceec.org/Russuccession.htm Initially, five congregations fully affiliated with the new communion.
In November 1995 Bishop Owen was asked unanimously by the new bishops of the Evangelical Episcopal Church to serve as their first Presiding Bishop. Two small ads had been placed in Christianity Today magazine, one in 1994 and one in mid 1995, which brought in an overwhelming response of interest across the U.S. from leaders of differing backgrounds showing interest in the vision of the convergence of the streams in this new communion. The total number of responses neared 1600 and inundated the new communion. As growth began to take place through pastors and congregations affiliating, international interest began to emerge, and by the fall of 1996 interest from 5 other nations besides the USA was being seriously expressed. New missionary bishops were consecrated and new missionary dioceses were established.
In January 1997 the 6 bishops meeting in synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
voted to reconstitute and reincorporate the Evangelical Episcopal Church as "The Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches" to reflect the international growth and the needs for eventual provincial structuring. Six nations were now represented in affiliation, and strong interest in affiliation was expressed by a group in the Philippines comprising close to 3,000 congregations under their independent Pentecostal/charismatic overseers and founders.
In 1997 the Rev. Duraisingh James, a priest and church planter with the Church of South India
Church of South India
The Church of South India is the successor of the Church of England in India. It came into being in 1947 as a union of Anglican and Protestant churches in South India. With a membership of over 3.8 million, it is India's second largest Christian church after the Roman Catholic Church in India...
for 17 years at that time and long-time head of Christian Education for the Church Union of South India, traveled to meet with the USA founding House of Bishops and indicated his desire to affiliate with the CEEC, together with the 30 churches under his oversight. Shortly thereafter, Fr. Duraisingh was consecrated as Missionary Bishop for India, and later as Archbishop for the CEEC Province of India. His ministry and the number of churches in India have continued to flourish. Since 1999 two new bishops have been consecrated/received into the Province of India with three dioceses numbering over 75 congregations, along with a seminary founded by Archbishop James.
In 2005 the CEEC USA province joined with the International Communion of Christian Churches to form the Communion of Convergence Churches, USA. In 2006 this relationship was strengthened as the international CEEC organization entered into "co-communion" with the CCCUSA, now known as Christian Communion International
Christian Communion International
The Christian Communion International is a family of Christian churches and worship communities around the world - formed largely as a result of the Convergence Movement - with church networks in Africa, South America, Asia, North America and Europe. There are approximately 200,000 members. More...
.