Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches

The Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches (CEEC) is a Christian convergence communion established in 1995 within the United States of America.[1][2] With a large international presence in six autocephalous provinces,[3][4][5][6][7][8] and seven dioceses within the U.S.,[9][10] most of its churches and missions are spread throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Mid-West regions, and South Carolina;[11] Florida and California;[12][13] and India.[14] The Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches is currently led by Bishop Quintin Moore as Presiding Bishop of the CEEC.[15]

Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches
Seal of the CEEC
AbbreviationCEEC
ClassificationWestern Christian
OrientationConvergence
PolityEpiscopal
Presiding BishopQuintin Moore
RegionInternational
HeadquartersHutchinson, Kansas
Origin1995
Merger ofEvangelical Episcopal Churches International (1999); Christian Communion International (2012)
SeparationsContinuing Evangelical Episcopal Communion (2019); Evangelical Episcopal Communion (2021)
Official websiteceec.org

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 Christian Church.[16] 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 Mission movement and had oversight over a number of churches in Kenya.

In October 1995 in Dale City, 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 independent 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.[2] Among the jurisdictions present, notable groups were the International Free Catholic Communion, a continuation of the American Orthodox Catholic Church, and others stemming from the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church.[17] The first two bishops consecrated included Vincent McCall (who later seceded from the EEC) and Russell McClanahan, former archbishop of the CEEC Province of St. Peter,[17] and Patriarch of the Evangelical Episcopal Communion.[18] Initially, five congregations fully affiliated with the new communion.

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 countries were now represented in affiliation.

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. 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. By March 2012, Christian Communion International merged into the CEEC USA's province.[19]

In 2019, over 98% of the original communion voted to continue operating under the canons that had been ratified in 2016.[20] The Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches adopted Instruments of Unity between bishops and affirms that "that each jurisdiction that has a seat in the IHOB is a separate, corporate, and legal entity and maintains their own canons, which cannot be imposed on others."[21] The Continuing Evangelical Episcopal Communion uses the same acronym and naming conventions, with the Continuing Communion's Province of Reconciliation sharing a similar name as the Diocese of the Restoration.[22]

In 2023, a new diocese was established in Florida.[10]

References
  1. Amos Yong, Spirit Poured Out on All Flesh - 2005 "The Charismatic Episcopal Church (1992) and the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches (1995) are examples of organized expressions of the Convergence Movement (from the 1970s), which has sought to blend charismatic, evangelical ..."
  2. "Our History". Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches. Archived from the original on 2022-08-18. Retrieved 2022-08-18. October of 1995, in Fredericksburg, Virginia, approximately 300 people gathered for the consecration of the CEEC's first two bishops and the ordination of 25 pastors and 7 deacons by bishops in apostolic succession from the Anglican, Orthodox and Old Catholic jurisdictions, who were committed to ecumenism. That night twenty-five independent congregations from a wide variety of denominational backgrounds came into the newly organized Communion. Bishop Michael Owen served as the first Presiding Bishop.
  3. "Province USA". Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches. Retrieved 2022-08-18.
  4. "Province of United Kingdom". Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches. Retrieved 2022-08-18.
  5. "Province of St. Thomas". Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches. Retrieved 2022-08-18.
  6. "Society of St. Patrick & St. Aiden". Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches. Retrieved 2022-08-18.
  7. "Province of Canada". Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches. Retrieved 2022-08-18.
  8. "Act 4 Nations". Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches. Retrieved 2022-08-18.
  9. "Dioceses and Orders – CEEC Province USA". Retrieved 2022-08-18.
  10. "New CEEC-USA Diocese Established in Florida". Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches. 2023-05-10. Retrieved 2023-08-11.
  11. "Our Congregations". Diocese of the Restoration. Retrieved 2022-12-16.
  12. "Parishes". Diocese of Saint Anthony. Retrieved 2022-12-16.
  13. "Welcome". Diocese of Saint Patrick. Retrieved 2022-12-16.
  14. "Member Churches". CCI Diocese (Province of St. Thomas). Retrieved 2022-12-16.
  15. "Presiding Bishop Quintin Moore". Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches. Archived from the original on 2022-08-18. Retrieved 2022-08-18. Bishop Quintin was installed as the Presiding Bishop of The CEEC in 2016. He has been the Lead Pastor of The Father's House, a convergent congregation in Hutchinson, Kansas since 1986. Since 2011 Bishop Quintin has served as the Presiding Bishop of the CEEC Province USA. He founded the Diocese of the Restoration in 2004 which serves as a covering for churches regionally. Bishop Quintin holds a Masters of Ministry and is completing a Doctorate from George Fox University. He has assisted in the successful planting of hundreds of churches in the US, Mexico, and other countries around the world, most of which are still thriving in their various communities.
  16. "History of the Continuing Evangelical Episcopal Communion". Continuing Evangelical Episcopal Communion. Archived from the original on 2022-08-18. Retrieved 2022-08-18.
  17. "The Apostolic Succession of The Most Reverend Russell McClanahan". www.theceec.org. Archived from the original on 2007-07-17. Retrieved 2019-04-13.
  18. "Leadership". Evangelical Episcopal Communion. Archived from the original on 2022-08-18. Retrieved 2022-08-18. Our Patriarch and Presiding Bishop, Archbishop Russell McClanahan, was deeply involved in the Charismatic Renewal. Prior to that time, he began his ministry in the Methodist Church in 1964 where he served for 12 years. Impacted by the Charismatic Renewal, he caught a vision for the convergence of the three great traditions of the church universal, accomplished as the strengths of each are drawn upon and all are held in balance with one another. Passionate about his vision, Abp McClanahan left the Methodist Church and from 1976-1995, he pioneered many church plants which developed into a network of churches and ministries. Under his oversight, these groups continued to grow in their understanding and experience of converging the three historical streams of worship. Providentially, in 1994, Abp McClanahan met with a group of leaders of another developing organization which shared his vision for convergence. After seeking the heart and mind of God, they determined that the two groups should link arms. Abp McClanahan was unanimously elected by the founding leadership of the Evangelical Episcopal Church International to be its first Bishop in historic Apostolic succession. He was consecrated on October 3, 1995 by the Right Reverend Michael Owen (Chief Consecrator), The Most Reverend Owen Augustine, and The Most Reverend Daniel C. Gincig at Hylton Memorial Chapel in Fredericksburg, VA. During that same ceremony, one other Bishop was consecrated and 25 priests, as well as 7 deacons, were ordained.
  19. "History of the CEEC USA". CEEC Province USA. Archived from the original on 2022-08-18. Retrieved 2022-08-18.
  20. "About". Continuing Evangelical Episcopal Communion. Archived from the original on 2022-08-18. Retrieved 2022-08-18. After three years of internal debate over the necessity of an overarching Canon Law, the CEEC.CHURCH's largest provinces have unanimously agreed to stand together. They continue to operate under their current version of Canon Law, adopted in 2016. In a decision guaranteeing the continued historicity and validation of the CEEC.CHURCH, 98% of original churches and clergy choose continuing communion and remain globally united, with only slight adaptation to their name.
  21. "Instruments of Unity". Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches. Archived from the original on 2022-08-18. Retrieved 2022-08-18.
  22. "History of the CEEC - CEEC-GLOBAL". Continuing Evangelical Episcopal Communion. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
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