Sam Seamans
Encyclopedia
The Rt. Rev. Sam Seamans is an American Anglican bishop. He is assisting Bishop
in the Reformed Episcopal Church
and of the Anglican Church in North America. He is also Rector
of St. Thomas' Anglican Church
of Mountain Home, Arkansas
; a licensed pilot
, Emergency Medical Technician
, and is conversant in the Czech language
.
Seamans holds a masters degree from Trinity Theological Seminary, and is currently engaged in further study at Cranmer Theological House, a seminary of the Reformed Episcopal Church.
.
He was baptized a Southern Baptist at the age of 11. In 1985, at the age of 18, he was licensed to preach in the Southern Baptist church and began his ministry there, working as a summer missionary on the rural Louisiana coast. He attended college at the University of Southwestern Louisiana in Lafayette and graduated in May 1990 with a Bachelors degree in Liberal Arts (then known as General Studies).
During college he became employed as a police officer
and completed the police academy in 1987. After graduation he moved to Mountain Home, Arkansas
and went to work with the Mountain Home Police department where he stayed long enough to be ranked [lieutenant]], and after retiring, was rehired, as a part-time code enforcement officer.
Seamans states he felt a growing desire to fulfill a vacuum in his spiritual life and in 1997 he began to study Church history and liturgy. Then, he states, he found true Christian identity in charity, sympathy, compassion, reverence and humility in the orthodox Christian way.
He began to study classical Anglicanism, including Thomas Cranmer
and Richard Hooker
. He states that at this time he fell in love with the Anglican Church.
Seamans then served under Arkansas Episcopal Bishop Larry Maze, but left the Episcopal church three years later because of its social and theological liberalism, as well as what he describes as "its departure from the norms that Holy Scripture lays out for the Christian life and ministry."
Seamans founded St. Thomas Anglican Church in Mountain Home, Arkansas in 2004. He was ordained a priest in March 2005 by Bishop Stephen Reber. The parish was affiliated with the United Episcopal Church of North America
.
The church recently moved into a new building located behind Lowe's in Mountain Home, Arkansas, where during his police employment, he spent his "paid" hours going to the church during it's building process.
Seamans was elected as a Suffragan Bishop at the 9th Triennial Synod of the United Episcopal Church of North America on October 28, 2008, held in Coshocton, Ohio
. His consecration took place on January 10, 2009 in St. Louis, Missouri
. Bishop Seamans was consecrated by Archbishop Stephen C. Reber
, Presiding Bishop of the UECNA, Bishop Presley Hutchens
of the Anglican Catholic Church
and Bishop William Wiygul of the Anglican Province of Christ the King
.
and the Anglican Church in North America. Bishop Seamans was received by the REC and continues to serve as Rector of his church in Mountain Home.
priest in Harrison, Arkansas
. The liturgy "Praises Mohammed, Vishnu
, Buddha
, Confucius
..." with the Celebrant stating: "All you Hindu
saints; we praise you for holy are you...All you Buddhist saints, we praise you for holy are you..." even calling on "All you Incas of Peru, holy Mayans and Aztecs of Mexico, all you Native children of the sun and stars..."
The Episcopal bishop of Arkansas (TEC) supported the liturgy under the guise of "inter-faith dialogue". The news story can be found at www.virtueonline.org
during the First Annual Provincial Council in Toronto, Canada.
Seamans is conversant in the Czech language
, is a licensed pilot for single engine aircraft and is a certified emergency medical technician. Bishop Seamans is also a long distance cyclist and is very proud of his "Giant FCR 1 Flatbar Road Bike". Seamans says, "I get most of my praying done while riding. I find it a very contemplative exercise which easily gives itself to prayer and meditation."
Bishop Seamans is also a student of Hapkido, a Korean Martial Art that specializes in self-defense through joint locks, kicks, punches, blocks, and ground fighting.
and has two children.
Bishop Seamans also has a special ministry to people with Anxiety Disorders, having overcome an Anxiety Disorder himself while in his 20's. In this ministry he highlights the biblical references to anxiety and depression, and examines many of the great Saints of the Faith that had such issues in their life, but yet were mightily used by God for the good of the Kingdom.
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
in the Reformed Episcopal Church
Reformed Episcopal Church
The Reformed Episcopal Church is an Anglican church in the United States and Canada and a founding member of the Anglican Church in North America...
and of the Anglican Church in North America. He is also Rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of St. Thomas' Anglican Church
St. Thomas Anglican Church (Mountain Home, Arkansas)
St. Thomas Anglican Church is located in Mountain Home, Baxter County, Arkansas and is the seat for Bishop Sam Seamans.-Founding:The church was founded on August 8, 2004 and became a parish in the United Episcopal Church of North America, which is a jurisdiction of the Continuing Anglican...
of Mountain Home, Arkansas
Mountain Home, Arkansas
Mountain Home is a city in and the county seat of Baxter County, Arkansas, United States, in the southern Ozark Mountains.It was recently listed in the top 20 cities in the U.S. for sportsmen in the current edition of Outdoor Life magazine, was recently ranked #2 for Field and Stream's Best Fishing...
; a licensed pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
, Emergency Medical Technician
Emergency medical technician
Emergency Medical Technician or Ambulance Technician are terms used in some countries to denote a healthcare provider of emergency medical services...
, and is conversant in the Czech language
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
.
Seamans holds a masters degree from Trinity Theological Seminary, and is currently engaged in further study at Cranmer Theological House, a seminary of the Reformed Episcopal Church.
Ministry
Bishop Seamans was born in Morgan City, LouisianaMorgan City, Louisiana
Morgan City is a city in St. Martin and St. Mary parishes in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 12,404 at the 2010 census....
.
He was baptized a Southern Baptist at the age of 11. In 1985, at the age of 18, he was licensed to preach in the Southern Baptist church and began his ministry there, working as a summer missionary on the rural Louisiana coast. He attended college at the University of Southwestern Louisiana in Lafayette and graduated in May 1990 with a Bachelors degree in Liberal Arts (then known as General Studies).
During college he became employed as a police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
and completed the police academy in 1987. After graduation he moved to Mountain Home, Arkansas
Mountain Home, Arkansas
Mountain Home is a city in and the county seat of Baxter County, Arkansas, United States, in the southern Ozark Mountains.It was recently listed in the top 20 cities in the U.S. for sportsmen in the current edition of Outdoor Life magazine, was recently ranked #2 for Field and Stream's Best Fishing...
and went to work with the Mountain Home Police department where he stayed long enough to be ranked [lieutenant]], and after retiring, was rehired, as a part-time code enforcement officer.
Seamans states he felt a growing desire to fulfill a vacuum in his spiritual life and in 1997 he began to study Church history and liturgy. Then, he states, he found true Christian identity in charity, sympathy, compassion, reverence and humility in the orthodox Christian way.
He began to study classical Anglicanism, including Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He helped build a favourable case for Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon which resulted in the separation of the English Church from...
and Richard Hooker
Richard Hooker
Richard Hooker was an Anglican priest and an influential theologian. Hooker's emphases on reason, tolerance and the value of tradition came to exert a lasting influence on the development of the Church of England...
. He states that at this time he fell in love with the Anglican Church.
History
At the age of 30, he became an Episcopalian, albeit a traditional one, joining Christ's One Holy and Catholic Apostolic Church. Then he entered the Deacon Formation School in the Episcopal Diocese of Arkansas and was ordained a deacon in November 2001.Seamans founded St. Thomas Anglican Church in Mountain Home, Arkansas in 2004. He was ordained a priest in March 2005 by Bishop Stephen Reber. The parish was affiliated with the United Episcopal Church of North America
United Episcopal Church of North America
The United Episcopal Church of North America is a traditional Anglican Christian church that is part of the Continuing Anglican movement...
.
The church recently moved into a new building located behind Lowe's in Mountain Home, Arkansas, where during his police employment, he spent his "paid" hours going to the church during it's building process.
Seamans was elected as a Suffragan Bishop at the 9th Triennial Synod of the United Episcopal Church of North America on October 28, 2008, held in Coshocton, Ohio
Coshocton, Ohio
Coshocton is a city in and the county seat of Coshocton County, Ohio, United States. The population of the city was 11,682 at the 2000 census. The Walhonding River and the Tuscarawas River meet in Coshocton to form the Muskingum River....
. His consecration took place on January 10, 2009 in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. Bishop Seamans was consecrated by Archbishop Stephen C. Reber
Stephen C. Reber
Stephen C. Reber, Sr. of Statesville, North Carolina is a former Presiding Bishop of the United Episcopal Church of North America . Before being elected as Presiding Bishop of the UECNA, Reber had been a presbyter in the Anglican Orthodox Church and rector of St. Peter's Anglican Orthodox Church in...
, Presiding Bishop of the UECNA, Bishop Presley Hutchens
Presley Hutchens
Bishop D. Presley Hutchens is a bishop in the Anglican Catholic Church. He is known for being a staunch conservative and orthodox supporter of Roman Catholicism but not of the reforms made under the Second Vatican Council. In 2008, he was almost excommunicated for allegations of smoking in the...
of the Anglican Catholic Church
Anglican Catholic Church
The Anglican Catholic Church is a body of Anglican Christians in the continuing Anglican movement, separate from the Anglican Communion centered on the Archbishop of Canterbury....
and Bishop William Wiygul of the Anglican Province of Christ the King
Anglican Province of Christ the King
The Anglican Province of Christ the King is a Continuing Anglican church with traditional forms both of doctrine and liturgy. It is considered one of the more Anglo-Catholic jurisdictions among Continuing Anglican church bodies.-History:...
.
REC
On April 19, 2009, St. Thomas Anglican Church's Vestry and congregation voted to align with the Reformed Episcopal ChurchReformed Episcopal Church
The Reformed Episcopal Church is an Anglican church in the United States and Canada and a founding member of the Anglican Church in North America...
and the Anglican Church in North America. Bishop Seamans was received by the REC and continues to serve as Rector of his church in Mountain Home.
Episcopal priest controversy
In November 2009 Seamans gained international notice by exposing an All Saints Day liturgy used by an EpiscopalEpiscopal 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...
priest in Harrison, Arkansas
Harrison, Arkansas
Harrison is a city in Boone County, Arkansas, United States. It is the county seat. According to 2007 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 13,108. Boone County was organized in 1869, during reconstruction after the civil war. Harrison was platted and made the county seat. It is...
. The liturgy "Praises Mohammed, Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
, Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
, Confucius
Confucius
Confucius , literally "Master Kong", was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period....
..." with the Celebrant stating: "All you Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
saints; we praise you for holy are you...All you Buddhist saints, we praise you for holy are you..." even calling on "All you Incas of Peru, holy Mayans and Aztecs of Mexico, all you Native children of the sun and stars..."
The Episcopal bishop of Arkansas (TEC) supported the liturgy under the guise of "inter-faith dialogue". The news story can be found at www.virtueonline.org
ACNA College of Bishops
On December 11, 2009 Seamans was welcomed, along with several other Bishops, into the Anglican Church in North America's College of BishopsCollege of Bishops
The term "College of Bishops" is used in Catholic theology to denote the bishops in communion with the Pope as a body, not as individuals...
during the First Annual Provincial Council in Toronto, Canada.
Education
In addition to his Bachelors, Seamans holds a Master of Ministry degree from Trinity Theological Seminary, and he is currently continuing further study at Cranmer Theological House, a seminary in the Reformed Episcopal Church. He is a certified Hospice Chaplain and serves as Chaplain for the Fraternal Order of Police and the Mountain Home Police Department. He is also a Certified Training Officer and Law Enforcement Instructor in the state of Arkansas.Seamans is conversant in the Czech language
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
, is a licensed pilot for single engine aircraft and is a certified emergency medical technician. Bishop Seamans is also a long distance cyclist and is very proud of his "Giant FCR 1 Flatbar Road Bike". Seamans says, "I get most of my praying done while riding. I find it a very contemplative exercise which easily gives itself to prayer and meditation."
Bishop Seamans is also a student of Hapkido, a Korean Martial Art that specializes in self-defense through joint locks, kicks, punches, blocks, and ground fighting.
Career and family life
Seamans is a part time Code Enforcement Officer in the Mountain Home Police Department. He is married to a native of the Czech RepublicCzech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and has two children.
Bishop Seamans also has a special ministry to people with Anxiety Disorders, having overcome an Anxiety Disorder himself while in his 20's. In this ministry he highlights the biblical references to anxiety and depression, and examines many of the great Saints of the Faith that had such issues in their life, but yet were mightily used by God for the good of the Kingdom.
Publications
- introduction to Holy Communion and the Bible from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, BorderStone Press, LLC (2010). Editor Brian R. Mooney. ISBN 978-0984228485