The Apostolic Episcopal Church and Order of Corporate Reunion are two historic ecumenical Christian communions that are today both headquartered in the State of New York, USA, and co-operate closely in their missions. Archbishop Kersey of the E.A.D.M. has since 2008 been responsible for the representation of the AEC and OCR in Great Britain, and holds episcopal office in both communions.
The Apostolic Episcopal Church
The Apostolic Episcopal Church (The Holy Eastern Catholic and Apostolic Orthodox Church), is an autogenic, episcopally governed denomination within the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church open to all who seek to better understand and experience the mystery of Christ within. A pivotal tenet of the AEC is the spirit of ecumenical cooperation reflected in Christ’s prayer that the Church strive to attain oneness and love for one another, even in the face of doctrinal differences.
Our ministry reflects a novel understanding of the ancient apostolic tradition wherein we are of the conviction that the concept of apostolic succession is clearly reflected in both the spirit of the original twelve Apostles, who initiated physical, or outer lines of succession, and that of the Apostle Paul, whose ministry reflected the validity of an inner succession. In this manner, we hold that the full ministry of apostolic succession includes not only the offices of Bishop, Presbyter, and Deacon (to which men only are admitted), but that of Pastor, Evangelist, Reader, Minister of Music, and the priesthood of the laity as well.
Canonically organized in the state of New York in 1925 and with its headquarters still there today, the AEC has been committed from its inception to ministry from the perspective of a deep, inner spirituality. This contemplative approach to ministry pays homage to the early teachings of Christ, the inner experiences of the Apostle Paul, and the voluminous writings of the great spiritual doctors of the Church – both Eastern and Western, ancient and contemporary.
The Apostolic Episcopal Church is a western-rite extension of The Chaldean Catholic Church, which is an Orthodox church in full communion (Uniate) with the Roman Catholic Church. It is an evangelical-ecumenical-ecclesiastical movement, oriented to New Thought and New Age according to the original understanding of these concepts, and works in the spirit of the declaration of the Assembly of The World Council of Churches in New Delhi 1961.
Our founder, Mar John Emmanuel (Brooks) (1889-1948), expressed the identity of the Church as follows, “We profess to be a Branch of the Eastern Church and, therefore, a valid branch of the Universal Church, whose Symbol of Faith is the apostolic, eastern confession, and whose Orders through Episcopal Succession are derived from the ancient Eastern Episcopate which is traced back to the primitive Church of the East and to the Apostles and Our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The AEC is in communion with a number of churches in the Orthodox, Anglican and Catholic traditions. From 1944, it was canonically united with the Catholicate of the West, an ecumenical Western Orthodox movement uniting the smaller churches that held the Apostolic Succession. More recently, in 1987, the AEC formed intercommunion relations with the Catholic Apostolic Church of Brazil, and in 1998 absorbed The Anglican Church, Inc., a Continuing Anglican body in the United States. Between 1988 and 1992, the then-AEC Primate, Archbishop Bertil Persson, served additionally as Archbishop of Europe of the Philippine Independent Catholic Church, a member church of the Anglican Communion and Union of Utrecht of the Old Catholic Churches.
The present Primate of the AEC is the Most Revd. Francis C. Spataro, OCR, DD, who is based in Queens, New York, USA.
Key listings
The AEC is listed in the Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches, published annually by the National Council of Churches USA.
According to data reported in 2005 (the latest year available) by the Association of Religion Data Archives at Pennsylvania State University, the AEC counted 255 affiliated clergy, 200 churches and 12,000 members.
Further information
>>AEC official website
>>The Apostolic Succession in the Apostolic Episcopal Church by Emeritus Primate Bertil Persson contains a detailed history of the church.
>>AEC Archive
>>AEC photo gallery
The Order of Corporate Reunion
The Order of Corporate Reunion (OCR) promotes Christian Unity through prayer and action. The Order is an association of clergy and laity dedicated to the idea that the Patriarch of the West is the Centre of Christian Unity. Members see a model of Christianity in Jesus’ prayer: That they all may be one. His words motivate us to bring his prayer into a lived reality. The Order was founded by the Reverends Frederick George Lee, Thomas Mossman and Joseph Seccombe in 1874 in London and it was officially promulgated in 1877. Lee was the Anglican pastor of All Saints Church in Lambeth.
Lee, Mossman and Seccombe were consecrated bishops in 1877 and were instrumental in providing valid orders to clergy of the Anglican church at a time when their orders seemed to be under question. The line of succession of the Order of Corporate Reunion is still extant today and is treasured and protected by our clergy members.
The Universal Primate of the OCR is the Most Revd. Peter Paul Brennan, OCR, DD, who is based in Cathedral Gardens, New York, USA.
Further information
>>OCR official website
>>OCR on Facebook
>>The Order of Corporate Reunion by Emeritus Universal Primate Bertil Persson is a detailed history of the Order.
>>OCR photo gallery
