Suvarna Garge (Editor)

Charismatic Episcopal Church timeline

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit

The International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church (also known as the ICCEC) is an international Christian communion established as an Autocephalous Patriarchate in 1992 with over 1,000 churches worldwide.

Contents

Beginnings of Convergence: 1976-1991

1976-1977: "The Chicago Call", is issued by the National Conference of Evangelicals for Historic Christianity, meeting in Warrenville, Illinois. Led by Dr. Robert E. Webber (Assoc. Professor of Theology at Wheaton University), along with Peter E. Gillquist, Thomas Howard, Richard Holt, Donald Bloesch, Jan Dennis, Lane Dennis, and Victor Oliver, the Conference discusses the need for evangelical Christians to rediscover and re-attach to the Church's historic roots. Sections of The Chicago Call include: A Call to Historic Roots and Continuity; A Call to Biblical Fidelity; A Call to Creedal Identity; A Call to Holistic Salvation; A Call to Sacramental Integrity; A Call to Spirituality; A Call to Church Authority; and A Call to Church Unity.

1980: Independent charismatic pastor Austin Randolph "Randy" Adler moves from Orlando, Florida, to Orange County, California and builds the non-denominational charismatic Faith Community Church.

1980s: Pastor Adler is mentored as a "prophet" by Dr. Bill Hamon of the Christian International School of Theology in Phoenix, Arizona (relocated in 1984 to Santa Rosa Beach, Florida). Bill Hamon was instrumental in founding the modern "prophetic movement" in the charismatic churches, holding seminars and writing books on such topics as "personal prophecy" and seeking to restore the offices of Prophet and Apostle in the church.

1984: Pastor Adler and Apostle Dr. Robert Mueller merge congregations in Laguna Hills, California, to form Stone Mountain Church.

Charisma magazine, one of the most influential magazines of the charismatic movement, publishes an article by Dr. Richard Lovelace entitled "The Three Streams, One River?" (Sept. 1984). Lovelace approvingly notes the trend of Catholics, evangelicals, and charismatics/Pentecostals moving closer together.

1985: Pastor Adler embraces Christian Reconstructionism as taught by David Chilton and others. (Reconstructionism teaches that Christians should "recapture" all social institutions for the kingdom of God.)

Stone Mountain Church starts having weekly communion.

1987: Dr. Mueller, former co-pastor of Stone Mountain Church, participates in "Pentecostal-Roman Catholic Dialogue," a Vatican-sponsored series of conferences led by Vinson Synan, David Duplessis, Earl Paulk, and Killian McDonnell.

1988: Pastor Loren Hines, in Manila, started their study of the early church history.

1989: Pastor Adler and Stone Mountain Church get involved in Operation Rescue. Protesting against abortion alongside Roman Catholic activists, and spending time in jail with them, he becomes convinced of the value of liturgy, sign, symbols and Sacraments.

Christian Life Fellowship, a group of charismatic churches in the Philippines, started seminars for its congregations about "liturgical" form of worship.

Dr. Hamon is designated Bishop over all the CI churches, including Stone Mountain Church.

Pastor Adler begins wearing clerical collar and baptizing infants.

1990: Stone Mountain Church is renamed St. Michael's, and incorporates liturgy into its charismatic worship services. Pastor Adler begins to seek ordination with apostolic succession.

1991: On Christmas Eve, Christian Life Fellowship Int'l conducted a Liturgical celebration with vestments and celebrated the Lord's Feast.

ICCEC establishment: 1992-1994

1992: On June 26, Randolph Adler is consecrated a bishop by Bishop Timothy Barker of the International Free Catholic Communion.

The Charismatic Episcopal Church of North America (CEC) is formed with four congregations, including St. Michael's Pro-Cathedral. Bishop Adler is designated Primate.

1993: Dale Howard, an Episcopal priest, is consecrated bishop for Jacksonville, Florida. The consecration is performed by Bishop William Millsaps of the Episcopal Missionary Church. Bishop Millsaps, who has Anglican apostolic succession, also re-consecrates Bishops Adler and Sly, in order to strengthen the validity of the CEC's apostolic succession.

1994: The CEC holds its first national convocation in Kansas City in April, attended by 300 people.

Loren Thomas Hines is ordained to the priesthood and soon consecrated bishop in Manila, the Philippines. Hines was founder and leader Christian Life Fellowship International. The CLFI churches become parishes of the CEC, and Hines' CLF congregation in Manila is renamed Cathedral of the King. Hines becomes head of the Diocese of Southeast Asia.

Malcolm Smith is ordained to the priesthood, and consecrated bishop soon afterwards in San Antonio, Texas. Smith is a renowned teacher with a large following in charismatic churches, with his message of God's grace and "covenant love." Many Smith followers around the country start making inquiry into the CEC after hearing of his consecration.

The International Development Agency is established to support foreign missions and aid churches in developing countries. It is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, with Thomas Abbott as its first director.

St. Michael's School for Ministry is established to provide academic preparation for candidates for holy orders. Classes begin to be held in San Clemente and twelve satellite locations.

Rapid growth: 1995-2001

1995: Clergy are ordained or received in Uganda and Estonia.

Fr. Craig Bates and his entire congregation in Malvern (Long Island), New York, leave the Episcopal Church and reorganize as Church of the Intercessor. With over 900 members, Intercessor becomes the largest CEC congregation in the U.S.

The CEC's first sister (nun) is professed at the Life in Jesus Community in Libertytown, Maryland, headed by former Episcopal priest Philip Zampino, now a CEC bishop and abbot.

1996: The ICCEC holds its first international convocation in Jacksonville, Florida, with 1,000 people in attendance.

ICCEC bishops begin seeking a line of apostolic succession that will be recognized as valid by the Roman Catholic Church. In the summer, two bishops make contact with the Igreja Catolica Apostolica Brasileira (ICAB), the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church. ICAB's line of apostolic succession comes through its founder, former Roman Catholic bishop Carlos Duarte Costa of Brazil, who left the Roman Catholic Church in 1945. Current ICAB patriarch Luiz Fernando Castillo Mendez begins talks with the ICCEC about passing on its apostolic succession.

1997: The CEC cathedral in Manila, the Philippines, is confiscated by a powerful business group. The cathedral sits on prime real estate and is wanted for a new business development. The government accedes to the business group's demands, but parishioners occupy the cathedral building and barricade themselves inside for several days. Eventually parishioners are evicted from the building, and a new property is later obtained.

The International College of Archbishops (later called the Patriarch's Council) holds its first meeting in Normandy, France.

On Nov. 5 at Libertytown, Maryland, Bishops Adler, Sly, Lipka, Zampino, and Fick are re-consecreated by Bishop Luiz Fernando Castillo Mendez and two other bishops of the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church (ICAB). ICAB leadership instructs the ICCEC to use the Roman Catholic forms for all future ordinations and consecrations. The ICCEC and ICAB enter into intercommunion.

On Nov. 19, several more bishops are re-consecrated with the Duarte Costa line of apostolic succession, in New York City. Bishops are instructed to conduct new ordination services for all existing priests and deacons, passing on the Duarte Costa line.

Congregations are established in Austria, Switzerland, Germany, and Great Britain.

The first African bishops are consecrated in Kenya. Benson Odinga Otieno and Bernard Njoroge Kariuki, former Anglican priests, become bishops for the 70 Kenyan congregations that are entering the ICCEC. The CEC in Kenya is called the Episcopal Church of Africa.

1998: The House of Bishops reaffirms the name "Charismatic Episcopal Church" for the communion. They assert their belief that this name was given by divine inspiration and should be retained.

The Society of St. Dismas, an international prison ministry, is founded by Fr. Frank Constantino of Florida.

1999: The CEC receives parishes in Pakistan, and a bishop is consecrated for that country.

2000: At the International Convocation in San Clemente, all 29 bishops of the ICCEC are assembled for the first time.

CEC For Life is created as a pro-life ministry headed by Fr. Terry Gensemer.

2001: The Gathering of Champions (later named Laudate) youth movement begins in Selma, Alabama. Organized by Fr. Marc Vincent, the first Gathering of Champions brings together 100 youth from all over the U.S. for several days of worship and fellowship. The next year over 500 youth attend, again in Selma.

Consolidation: 2002-present

2002: Bishop Adler's stepdaughter and two grandchildren are killed in an automobile accident. This tragic incident initiates a period of grief throughout the entire ICCEC.

Fr. Paulo Garcia of Recife, Brazil, brings his entire parish and five other churches into the CEC. Fr. Garcia is dean of Holy Trinity Church, which had been the largest Anglican parish in Latin America.

Bishop Njoroge of Kenya is appointed to the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission, and becomes an outspoken advocate of democracy and greater freedom in Kenya. He still serves on the Commission as of 2006.

The ICCEC publishes 2002 data on the number of clergy and congregations around the world.

  • Kenya: 140 clergy, 320 congregations
  • Uganda: 200 clergy, 264 congregations
  • U.S.A.: 400 clergy, 136 parishes
  • Philippines: 4 bishops, many other clergy, 40 congregations
  • 24 Filipino congregations in Europe
  • Pakistan: 21 parishes
  • Brazil: 6 parishes
  • Canada: 8 clergy, 4 congregations
  • Burundi, Congo, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania - several congregations each.
  • Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Portugal, Switzerland – at least one congregation each
  • 2004: ICCEC holds its third international convocation in Manila, The Philippines.

    2005: Management responsibility for the International Development Agency is transferred to the Office of the Patriarch in San Clemente.

    2006: Several congregations and bishops in the United States leave the ICCEC over concerns about leadership and direction. The Patriarch's Council addressed these concerns in September 2006.

    2007: October 15, 2007, Patriarch Adler retired from the Office of the Patriarch; Archbishop Hines, Primate of Asia, assumed the office being the senior member of the Patriarch's Council.

    2008: On January 9, The College of Archbishops and the Patriarch's Council has elected Bishop Craig W. Bates as the new Patriarch of the ICCEC.

    On July 30, during the ICCEC's 4th International Convocation, Archbishop Bates was enthroned as the second patriarch and primate of the ICCEC in North America. The celebration was presided over by the Most Reverend Loren Thomas Hines, Archbishop of Manila and the ICCEC's primate in the Philippines and Asia.

    2012: On July 10–12, the 5th International Convocation of the Charismatic Episcopal Church was held in Madrid, Spain. This was hosted by the Diocese of the Asian International Missions.

    References

    Charismatic Episcopal Church timeline Wikipedia