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Consecration & Apostolic succession

The Ark Community benefits from both Consecration and Ordination.

Apostolic Succession is the “historic unbroken connection with Christ and His Apostles,” by the “laying-on of hands”- transferring Christ’s Apostolic authority and ministry from Jesus Himself, through His succeeding Bishops of every proceeding generation, up until our current day. It was through this “Apostolic Succession” that the early Church maintained their “genuine and authentic” membership in the ONE holy catholic (universal not Roman but pre-Roman), Church.

 Having an “approved” Bishop, within (not over), the Community, guaranteed they were a “genuine” Christian Community being historically (not only spiritually), connected to the universal body of Christ – Independence was not something to be cherished in the early Church of Christ, but rather Inter-dependence, sharing one another’s burdens! …it is to this humble holy dependence, we as a Community desire to return to.

 We recognize the “gift” of apostolic succession to the Church, and therefore desire to be celebrants of this ancient tradition (not doctrine), followed by our brothers and sisters of the past. We feel safe being in submission to those who have walked ahead of us!

We are members of the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches (CEEC). Our Community was Consecrated and received into the CEEC on the 22nd of May 2005 on the Isle of Capri, Italy.

This effectively places us within the Anglican Celtic Family, and subjects us directly to our “Overseers”, being our ordained Community Ministers (Reverends): Tony & Emiliana Palmer, Gerard O'Flaherty, Rineke Hottinga and our presiding Archbishop Robert Wise.

Being consecrated members of the CEEC grafts us firmly into the 2000 years of history and life of the Universal Church, with full Apostolic Succession. This also ensures a healthy environment to both nurture and guide the Community. Having “Fathers” guide us through our pilgrimage gives us both the faith and courage to “Go”.


(Tony's ordination as Community Minister)

This “submission & authority” to something larger than our Community leaders, also ensures the “continuation” of The Ark Community for generations to follow… our children and our children’s children!

 It is important to us, “as a Community” that we do not exist solely due to our leaders, but based on our combined Community. As a Community, we must seek to go beyond. The search for a deeper walk with Christ and His service - is both our “individual” and “combined” responsibility… with or without our current leaders… Our search is all our responsibility, beyond the lives of those leading us… our leaders are guides, brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers…not MEDIATORS!

“Your heart is free, have the courage to follow it!” (Mel Gibson)

If we are honest with ourselves, we will have to admit that most mandates, that God gives us, take on a life of their own and live beyond the limits of our own lives. We believe that The Ark Community will be a Community that will outlive the lives of our Founders, this is our common hope! And therefore, having submitted ourselves to the CEEC Communion, we guarantee the succession of both the Community and our mandates into faithful hands.

The following was taken from the CEEC website (www.theceec.org), by permission.
 
 
 

 
 

THE COMMUNION


Communion reflects the unanimity and singularity of the Apostolic and Patristic Church, while encompassing both protestant and catholic traditions as well as embracing a multiplicity of expressions of worship and practice. In contrast to a denomination, a communion expresses the organic unity Jesus Christ originally established in His Body, the Church. Rather than emerging from divisions created by historic differences over doctrine and practice, a communion represents return to unity based on the recovery of the essential oneness of the ancient, medieval, and contemporary church.
 

Standing within the Celtic and Anglican traditions, the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches was created by a convergence of the great historical expressions of faith and practice: the Evangelical, Charismatic, liturgical, and sacramental traditions. The fundamental principles defining inclusion in the Communion are detailed in the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral of 1886.

The four basic statements are:

    1. The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as "containing all the things necessary for salvation" and as being the rule and ultimate standard of faith.
    2. The Apostle's Creed, as the Baptismal Symbol; and the Nicene Creed, as the sufficient statement of faith.
    3. The two Sacraments ordained by the Christ Himself - Baptism and the Supper of the Lord - ministered with unfailing use of Christ's words of institution, and the elements ordained by Him.
    4. The Historic Episcopate, locally adapted in the methods of its administration to the varying needs of the nations and peoples called of God in the Unity of His Church.

The Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches is Apostolic.

The Church was established by the apostles on the foundation of the Person, teaching and saving deeds of Jesus Christ, who remains its head and cornerstone. The apostolicity of the church rests on it's conformity to the teachings of the apostles which we know as the apostolic tradition and which is to be guarded, maintained and perpetuated by bishops in the historic apostolic succession. For this reason an official list of the names of the bishops of each bishopric was made in order to trace the bishops in succession back to the apostles. The Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches possesses such a list.
 
As an apostolic branch of the Church, we believe we have been sent out to proclaim Christ to the world (an apostle is one who is sent out to preach and extend the Kingdom of God). The Church, as an apostolic institution, signifies that it has a great mission to undertake, both in its nature and responsibility to spread the Word of God and to disciple the people of all nations. We are a communion that is also apostolic in our government. The apostles were the original overseers of the Church.
 
Today, catholic believing Christians believe that the successors of the apostles are the bishops of the Church. We are an Episcopal (Anglican) branch of the Church. The word Episcopal literally means governed by bishops. The bishops of the Church are to safeguard her unity, doctrine, worship and discipline. It is their responsibility, or their delegates, to shepherd and administer the Church until the Lord returns. In the local church, the pastor is charged by the bishop with the role of shepherding and administering the flock of Christ entrusted to them.
 
The Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches is also apostolic in the authority of its duly and properly ordained ministry. The apostolic Christian wholeheartedly agrees with the scriptural admonition, "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over our souls and will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with sighing - for that would be harmful to you." Hebrews 13:17 The Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches is apostolic in its adherence to the apostolic tradition, it's maintenance and continuation of the historic apostolic succession and it's apostolic government, nature and mission.
 
     
 
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