United Episcopal Church of North America
Encyclopedia
The United Episcopal Church of North America (UECNA) is a traditional Anglican
Christian
church that is part of the Continuing Anglican movement
. It is not part of the Anglican Communion
.
The UECNA describes itself as orthodox, catholic and evangelical
in scope, "embracing the broad base of ceremonial practice inherent in the Historic Anglican Communion - The Anglican Catholic Episcopal Tradition." The UECNA uses the 1928 Book of Common Prayer
. The church does not consider itself to be a Protestant denomination or part of the American fundamentalist movement, but rather a continuation of the ancient Christian church.
The changes in the mainline denominations that it and other continuing churches object to include the acceptance of abortion
rights, broadened definitions of marital relationships, the ordination of women, and changes to the theology of the Book of Common Prayer
. They now also object to the ordination of openly homosexual clergy.
is considered the founder of the UECNA. The church was established in 1981 after he and three parishes left the Anglican Catholic Church
(ACC) to create the UECNA as a home for Anglicans of the Low Church
tradition. Since the mid-1990s the range of Churchmanship within the United Episcopal Church has widened, but the Church still requires of candidates for the ministry a commitment to uphold the doctrines of Church as contained in the Thirty-nine Articles
and the Book of Common Prayer.
The UECNA now has cordial relations with both the ACC and APCK and, as of 2007, has an intercommunion agreement with the ACC. Currently, the three churches are exploring the possibility of achieving organic unity. Bishop Presley Hutchens
of the ACC addressed delegates to the UECNA convention of 2008 and discussed the possibility of uniting the ACC and UECNA. Subsequently, the present Presiding Bishop of the UECNA has pointed out that the two bodies will have to reach agreement on the status of the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion in order for further progress to be made.
At that convention the clergy and delegates elected three suffragan bishops with the intention that they would serve the UECNA and also assist the ACC and APCK when requested. Two of them subsequently departed the UECNA for the Reformed Episcopal Church
, leaving Bishop Peter D. Robinson as the sole suffragan bishop in UECNA until his appointment as Bishop of the Missionary District of the West in November 2009. Bishop Robinson succeeded the Most Rev. Stephen C. Reber as Archbishop of the UECNA on September 6th, 2010.
There are 18 UECNA churches in 10 states including: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia. The UECNA also has clergy and/or congregations in Canada and the United Kingdom. There are also a total of 6 missions in formation.
And from the Scottish Episcopal Church the line is traced from:
The UECNA has effected intercommunion
agreements with a number of other Continuing Anglican churches. Those presently in effect are with:
The UECNA once had an intercommunion arrangement with the Anglican Province of America
, but subsequently ended it citing the APA's signing of a similar agreement with the Reformed Episcopal Church
.
, the UECNA's archbishop from 1996 to 2010:
"As Anglicans, we (then) accept the components of the faith revealed; the Scriptures, Creeds, Councils, Sacraments, Worship, Ministry, and Tradition. We believe that all of the components are like strands of a rope; a unity which holds the church together. In this belief we share a Catholic ideal way of faith.
"The Reformation
of the 16th century was the most comprehensive and far reaching effect to return the Christian faith to its legitimate roots of faith and practice. We accept the English Reformation
as that which diligently sought the true sources of faith and discredited the many corruptions and distortions of the Middle Ages. Actually, the Articles of Religion found in the Prayer Book were written not as a statement of faith, but to deal with the above mentioned distortions and corruptions of the medieval church."
Explaining the UECNA's view of itself and its mission, the statement continues:
"We do believe God has given us a special position as a “bridge church” — a bridge between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism
....We are a church truly catholic
and evangelical
in scope and embrace a broad base of ceremonial practice inherent in the Historic Anglican Tradition."
However, his successor, the Most Rev. Peter D. Robinson, is wary of the 'Bridge Church' concept of Anglicanism, and lay a renewed emphasis on 'Classical Anglicanism' and what he refers to as 'Reformed Catholicism' as contained in the formularies of the Church - the Thirty-nine Articles and the Book of Common Prayer. He describes himself as a "old-fashioned High Churchman" and especially values the writings of the Caroline Divines
, High Church Protestants such as Daniel Waterland
and Christopher Wordsworth
, and the Tractarians whilst not neglecting the Evangelical tradition as represented by J C Ryle and J I Packer. Bishop Robinson is also quick to point out that whilst the UECNA is now a broader Church that has a number of High Church parishes, it still primarily serves those whose churchmanship was Middle to Low/Evangelical.
The UECNA's leadership is divided among lay leaders and ordained ministers as follows:
Those in ordained positions (including students admitted to postulancy) include the following::
The church recognizes one monastic order, which is named the Order of St. Benedict. The order uses a modified version of the Rule of St. Benedict.
Membership is open to married or single men and women over the age of 21 who are convicted that they are called to the religious life.
The order has no established communities and does not establish communities. Instead, "[m]embers provide for their own living quarters and obtain their livelihood through secular or religious employment"
The stages of development are:
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
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
church that is part of the Continuing Anglican movement
Continuing Anglican Movement
The term Continuing Anglican movement refers to a number of churches in various countries that have been formed outside of the Anglican Communion. These churches generally believe that "traditional" forms of Anglican faith and worship have been unacceptably revised or abandoned within some...
. It is not part of the Anglican Communion
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
.
The UECNA describes itself as orthodox, catholic and evangelical
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
in scope, "embracing the broad base of ceremonial practice inherent in the Historic Anglican Communion - The Anglican Catholic Episcopal Tradition." The UECNA uses the 1928 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...
. The church does not consider itself to be a Protestant denomination or part of the American fundamentalist movement, but rather a continuation of the ancient Christian church.
The changes in the mainline denominations that it and other continuing churches object to include the acceptance of abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
rights, broadened definitions of marital relationships, the ordination of women, and changes to the theology of the 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...
. They now also object to the ordination of openly homosexual clergy.
History
Founding of the UECNA
Bishop Charles D. D. DorenCharles D. D. Doren
Charles David Dale Doren was the first bishop consecrated to serve the Continuing Anglican movement, which began in 1977 in reaction to decisions taken in 1976 at the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America...
is considered the founder of the UECNA. The church was established in 1981 after he and three parishes left 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....
(ACC) to create the UECNA as a home for Anglicans of the Low Church
Low church
Low church is a term of distinction in the Church of England or other Anglican churches initially designed to be pejorative. During the series of doctrinal and ecclesiastic challenges to the established church in the 16th and 17th centuries, commentators and others began to refer to those groups...
tradition. Since the mid-1990s the range of Churchmanship within the United Episcopal Church has widened, but the Church still requires of candidates for the ministry a commitment to uphold the doctrines of Church as contained in the Thirty-nine Articles
Thirty-Nine Articles
The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion are the historically defining statements of doctrines of the Anglican church with respect to the controversies of the English Reformation. First established in 1563, the articles served to define the doctrine of the nascent Church of England as it related to...
and the Book of Common Prayer.
The UECNA now has cordial relations with both the ACC and APCK and, as of 2007, has an intercommunion agreement with the ACC. Currently, the three churches are exploring the possibility of achieving organic unity. 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 ACC addressed delegates to the UECNA convention of 2008 and discussed the possibility of uniting the ACC and UECNA. Subsequently, the present Presiding Bishop of the UECNA has pointed out that the two bodies will have to reach agreement on the status of the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion in order for further progress to be made.
At that convention the clergy and delegates elected three suffragan bishops with the intention that they would serve the UECNA and also assist the ACC and APCK when requested. Two of them subsequently departed the UECNA for 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...
, leaving Bishop Peter D. Robinson as the sole suffragan bishop in UECNA until his appointment as Bishop of the Missionary District of the West in November 2009. Bishop Robinson succeeded the Most Rev. Stephen C. Reber as Archbishop of the UECNA on September 6th, 2010.
There are 18 UECNA churches in 10 states including: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia. The UECNA also has clergy and/or congregations in Canada and the United Kingdom. There are also a total of 6 missions in formation.
Apostolic succession
The UECNA traces its apostolic succession from the Church of England as follows:- John MooreJohn Moore- Clergy :*John Moore , British Scholar*John Moore , English Baptist minister from Northampton*John Moore , Archbishop of Canterbury, Privy Counsellor...
, archbishop of Canterbury 1783-1805, who in 1787 consecrated
- William WhiteWilliam White-Politics:*William White , MP for Clitheroe in 1660*William White , North Carolina Secretary of State, 1798–1811*William White , elected member of the 1st Council of the Northwest Territories, 1883–1885...
, Bishop of Pennsylvania (PECUSA), Lambeth Palace, Who in 1832 consecrated
- John Henry HopkinsJohn Henry HopkinsJohn Henry Hopkins was the first bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont and was the eighth Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.-Early life and career:...
, Bishop of Vermont, Who in 1867 consecrated
- Daniel Sylvester TuttleDaniel Sylvester TuttleDaniel Sylvester Tuttle was ordained a bishop of the Episcopal Church in 1866. His first assignment was as Bishop of Montana, a missionary field that included Montana, Utah, and Idaho.-Biography:...
, Bishop of Utah and Montana, who in 1911 consecrated
- James DeWolf PerryJames DeWolf PerryJames De Wolf Perry was an American Episcopal clergyman and prelate. He was the 7th Bishop of Rhode Island and the 18th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church .-Life:The third of five children, Perry was born in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to the Rev...
, Bishop of Rhode Island and XVIII Presiding Bishop of PECUSA, who in 1930 consecrated
- Henry Knox SherrillHenry Knox SherrillHenry Knox Sherrill was an Episcopal clergyman. He was the 20th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church from 1947 to 1958, having previously served as Bishop of Massachusetts .-Biography:...
, Bishop of Massachusetts, and subsequently XX Presiding Bishop of PECUSA, who in 1950 consecrated
- Arthur C. LichtenbergerArthur C. LichtenbergerArthur Carl Lichtenberger was a bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States. He served as Bishop of Missouri from 1952 to 1959, and as Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church from 1958 to 1964....
, Bishop of Missouri, and subsequently XXI Presiding Bishop of PECUSA, who in 1962 consecrated
- Albert Arthur Chambers, Bishop of Springfield, who in 1978 consecrated
- Charles D. D. DorenCharles D. D. DorenCharles David Dale Doren was the first bishop consecrated to serve the Continuing Anglican movement, which began in 1977 in reaction to decisions taken in 1976 at the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America...
, Bishop of the Midwest, Anglican Church in North America (later renamed the Anglican Catholic ChurchAnglican Catholic ChurchThe 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 subsequently first archbishop of UECNA, who in 1978 consecrated
- James Orin Mote, Bishop of the Diocese of the Holy Trinity, ACC, who in 1980 consecrated
- Robert C. Harvey, who in 1996 consecrated
- Stephen C. ReberStephen C. ReberStephen 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...
, Sr, Bishop-coadjutor of the Missionary District of the East in the UECNA, and subsequently IV Archbishop of UECNA, who on 10 January 2009 consecrated,
- Peter D. RobinsonPeter D. RobinsonPeter D. Robinson is the Presiding Bishop of the United Episcopal Church of North America and is rector of St. Paul's Anglican Church of Prescott, Arizona, which is part of the Continuing Anglican movement. He was born in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England.-Family:Robinson is the son of David...
, as a Suffragan Bishop in the UECNA, who subsequently became Bishop of the Missionary District of the West, and V Archbishop of the UECNA,.
And from the Scottish Episcopal Church the line is traced from:
- Samuel SeaburySamuel SeaburySamuel Seabury was the first American Episcopal bishop, the second Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, USA, and the first Bishop of Connecticut. He had been a leading Loyalist in New York City during the American Revolution.-History:Samuel Seabury was born in Groton, Connecticut in 1729...
, William WhiteWilliam White (Bishop of Pennsylvania)The Most Reverend William White was the first and fourth Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, USA , the first Bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania , and the second United States Senate Chaplain...
the First Bishop Of Pennsylvania (PECUSA), and Samuel ProvoostSamuel ProvoostSamuel Provoost was the third Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, USA, as well as the first Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. He was consecrated as bishop of New York in 1787 with Bishop William White. He was born in New York City, of Huguenot descent, in 1742, and educated at...
to - Philander ChasePhilander ChasePhilander Chase was an Episcopal Church bishop, educator, and pioneer of the United States western frontier in Ohio and Illinois.-Life:...
(PECUSA) to - Henry Whitehouse (PECUSA) to
- George Seymour (PECUSA) to
- Edward Osborne (PECUSA) to
- Granville Sherwood (PECUSA) to
- John White (PECUSA) to
- Richard Loring (PECUSA) to
- Charles Clough (PECUSA) to
- Albert Chambers (PECUSA) to
- C. David Dale DorenCharles D. D. DorenCharles David Dale Doren was the first bishop consecrated to serve the Continuing Anglican movement, which began in 1977 in reaction to decisions taken in 1976 at the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America...
(Anglican Catholic Church) to - James O. Mote (ACC) to
- Robert C.Harvey (ACC) to
- Stephen C. ReberStephen C. ReberStephen 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...
, Sr. (UECNA) - Peter D. RobinsonPeter D. RobinsonPeter D. Robinson is the Presiding Bishop of the United Episcopal Church of North America and is rector of St. Paul's Anglican Church of Prescott, Arizona, which is part of the Continuing Anglican movement. He was born in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England.-Family:Robinson is the son of David...
(UECNA)
Intercommunion agreements
See: AnglicanismAnglicanism
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...
The UECNA has effected intercommunion
Full communion
In Christian ecclesiology, full communion is a relationship between church organizations or groups that mutually recognize their sharing the essential doctrines....
agreements with a number of other Continuing Anglican churches. Those presently in effect are with:
- Anglican Catholic ChurchAnglican Catholic ChurchThe 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....
, - Anglican Province of Christ the KingAnglican Province of Christ the KingThe 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:...
- Diocese of the Great LakesDiocese of the Great LakesThe Diocese of the Great Lakes is a Continuing Anglican church body in the United States and Canada. Although all of its worship centers and clergy are currently located in the American Great Lakes states and the Canadian Province of Ontario, the diocese is non-geographical in structure and open...
.
The UECNA once had an intercommunion arrangement with the Anglican Province of America
Anglican Province of America
The Anglican Province of America is one of a number of "Continuing" Anglican churches in the United States. This church considers the Episcopal Church in the USA to be heretical, thus it maintains a church separate from that body in order to follow what it considers to be a truly Christian and...
, but subsequently ended it citing the APA's signing of a similar agreement with 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...
.
House of Bishops
- The Most Rev. Peter D. RobinsonPeter D. RobinsonPeter D. Robinson is the Presiding Bishop of the United Episcopal Church of North America and is rector of St. Paul's Anglican Church of Prescott, Arizona, which is part of the Continuing Anglican movement. He was born in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England.-Family:Robinson is the son of David...
, Archbishop (Presiding Bishop) of the UECNA, Bishop of the Missionary Diocese of the West, and Rector of St. Paul's Anglican Church, Prescott, AZ - The Right Rev. Glen Hartley, Bishop of the Missionary Diocese of the South and Ozarks, and Rector of St Francis Anglican Church, Ava, MO.
- The Right Rev. Joseph H. Dobson, Bishop of the Missionary Diocese of the East, and Rector of St John's United Episcopal Church, St Mary's County, MD.
- The Right Rev. Steven Murrell, Bishop-at-large and former Presiding Bishop of the Primitive Episcopal Church.
- The Most Rev. Stephen C. ReberStephen C. ReberStephen 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...
- Archbishop Emeritus, Rector of All Saints' Church, Hillsborough, North CarolinaHillsborough, North CarolinaHillsborough is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,653 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Orange County....
National Council
The National Council is composed of the Archbishop, two other bishops, three priests and six laypersons. The Bishops are elected by the House of Bishops and the clergy and lay members are elected members by the House of Deputies. The Council also contains two representatives from the women's auxiliary, the United Episcopal Church Women (UECW). The National Council meets regularly each year, usually in April or May. However, the Archbishop has the authority to convene special meetings should circumstances require.Doctrine
According to the Most Reverend Stephen C. ReberStephen 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...
, the UECNA's archbishop from 1996 to 2010:
"As Anglicans, we (then) accept the components of the faith revealed; the Scriptures, Creeds, Councils, Sacraments, Worship, Ministry, and Tradition. We believe that all of the components are like strands of a rope; a unity which holds the church together. In this belief we share a Catholic ideal way of faith.
"The Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
of the 16th century was the most comprehensive and far reaching effect to return the Christian faith to its legitimate roots of faith and practice. We accept the English Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
as that which diligently sought the true sources of faith and discredited the many corruptions and distortions of the Middle Ages. Actually, the Articles of Religion found in the Prayer Book were written not as a statement of faith, but to deal with the above mentioned distortions and corruptions of the medieval church."
Explaining the UECNA's view of itself and its mission, the statement continues:
"We do believe God has given us a special position as a “bridge church” — a bridge between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
....We are a church truly catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
and 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:...
in scope and embrace a broad base of ceremonial practice inherent in the Historic Anglican Tradition."
However, his successor, the Most Rev. Peter D. Robinson, is wary of the 'Bridge Church' concept of Anglicanism, and lay a renewed emphasis on 'Classical Anglicanism' and what he refers to as 'Reformed Catholicism' as contained in the formularies of the Church - the Thirty-nine Articles and the Book of Common Prayer. He describes himself as a "old-fashioned High Churchman" and especially values the writings of the Caroline Divines
Caroline Divines
The Caroline Divines were influential theologians and writers in the Anglican Church who lived during the reigns of King Charles I and, after the Restoration, King Charles II . This is commonly considered a golden age of Anglican scholarship...
, High Church Protestants such as Daniel Waterland
Daniel Waterland
Daniel Cosgrove Waterland was an English theologian.Daniel Waterland was born at Walesby Rectory, Lincolnshire, England, and educated in Lincoln and at Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he graduated BA in 1703 and MA in 1706...
and Christopher Wordsworth
Christopher Wordsworth
Christopher Wordsworth was an English bishop and man of letters.-Life:Wordsworth was born in London, the youngest son of the Rev. Dr. Christopher Wordsworth, Master of Trinity and a nephew of the poet William Wordsworth...
, and the Tractarians whilst not neglecting the Evangelical tradition as represented by J C Ryle and J I Packer. Bishop Robinson is also quick to point out that whilst the UECNA is now a broader Church that has a number of High Church parishes, it still primarily serves those whose churchmanship was Middle to Low/Evangelical.
Ordination and lay leadership
See: Episcopal polityEpiscopal polity
Episcopal polity is a form of church governance that is hierarchical in structure with the chief authority over a local Christian church resting in a bishop...
The UECNA's leadership is divided among lay leaders and ordained ministers as follows:
Ordained levels
- PostulantPostulantA postulant was originally one who makes a request or demand; hence, a candidate. The use of the term is now generally restricted to those asking for admission into a monastery or a convent, both before actual admission and for the length of time preceding their admission into the novitiate...
- Is a student for Holy ordersHoly OrdersThe term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
, and is not yet ordained. A postulant must complete not less than one year of study consisting of Church History, Pastoral Work, Liturgics, Doctrine and Holy Scripture. He assists the local parish as a layreader in the offices of the church as called upon and allowed by the canons of the church. - DeaconDeaconDeacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
- There are two types of deacons: perpetual and transitional. A transitional deacon is training for priesthood. Both serve at the pleasure of the Presiding Bishop. A transitional deacon can be called to assist other priests in the parish. Before priesthood the deacon must serve for not less than one year and complete a course of study. - PriestPriestA priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
- "The priest will take part in community activities and will actively evangelize the un-churched or the lost to become an active part of the Body of Christ." - BishopBishopA 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...
- Bishops are "assigned a Diocese consisting of a given number of parishes, and will provide regular oversight, counsel and guidance to those parishes. An Episcopal visit to each parish will be made not less than once a year and attendance at national counsels and meetings as called."
Lay leadership positions
- Lay Reader - A competent layman licensed by a bishop of the Church to read some parts of a service of worship.
- Warden - An Officer of the Vestry (parish council)
United Episcopal Church Women
The UECW is an official organization of women who serve the church.Order of St. Benedict
Membership is open to married or single men and women over the age of 21 who are convicted that they are called to the religious life.
The order has no established communities and does not establish communities. Instead, "[m]embers provide for their own living quarters and obtain their livelihood through secular or religious employment"
The stages of development are:
- Postulant - one who has made application to the abbot, been accepted to the order, and awaits investiture as a novice.
- Novice - one who vows to a testing period of one year. These vows are taken in the presence of the abbot, or a priest appointed by the abbot.
- Professed Member - one who takes final vows of the order. These vows are taken in the presence of the Abbot.
See also
- AnglicanismAnglicanismAnglicanism 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...
- Church of EnglandChurch of EnglandThe Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
- History of the Church of EnglandHistory of the Church of EnglandThe history of the Church of England has its origins in the last five years of the 6th century in the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Kent, and the Gregorian mission of Saint Augustine. The Church of England emphasises continuity through apostolic succession and traditionally looks to these early events for...
- Continuing Anglican