Saturday February 28th, 2009
Diocesan Office: The Diocesan Office, on behalf of Bishop Thomas, issued the following statement;
"Today the Diocese of St. Matthias the Apostle has been received in full communion into the Province of St. Peter -Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches. We, as a community in Christ can now further faithfully live out our shared affirmation as to the essentiality of the catholicity of the Christian Faith and the Body of Christ, His Church. Our reception into the C.E.E.C. will afford our Parish and Mission communities greater level of connectivity of mission and fellowship throughout the broader Body of Christ and also lends a great many practical application to the furtherance of that ministry. This development in the life of the Diocese provides us the ability to further share our collective identity in Christ Jesus in terms more readily understood by Christendom and the world in which we are blessed to witness. While we maintain our very "Patristic" heart we can now, with all certainty profess we stand solidly within the Anglican tradition of the faith. It is my prayer that this Diocese will be further invigorated in our collective ministry of sharing the Love Mercy and Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ in true relational Christian love and joy by this next step in our ongoing witness for Christ."
Bishop Thomas office issued the following statement today;
After several months of ongoing dialogue between this diocese and the Province of Saint Peter, C.E.E.C. it has been prayerfully discerned and determined that, barring any unforeseen issues or concerns, this dioceses of Our Lords Church, in the further living out of its collective affirmation of and for Christian unity, should take its place within the broader Body of Christ within the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches.
To the furtherance of the actualization of this determination the clergy and select lay representatives of the dioceses, of which Living Faith Anglican Church is a Parish community,will meet with Archbishop Russell McClanahan and representatives of the Province of Saint Peter-C.E.E.C. in Tallahassee FL over the week end of Feb. 27th -March 1st. 2009 for final dialogue and formalreception of this diocese within the Province of Saint Peter-C.E.E.C.
The Diocesan delegation will be headed by Bishop Thomas and include Fr. Roger Matthews and Elder Jack Matthaei of Christ's Church Mission Brownwood and Santa Ana TX and Canon Fr. Adam Trent of S.O.S. Mission Asheville NC.
Living Faith formally birthed a new Home Fellowship community with the intent of eventually developing into a separate Parish community. The New Home Fellowship/Parish community has chosen the name Concord Christian Fellowship and is currently being pastured by Elders Alan Bradford and Robert Walters with assistance from Bishop Thomas.
Concord Christian Fellowship is the result of continued relational evangelism efforts of the members of Living Faith Anglican Church that have been blessed by God in the continuing ministry of this community in Christ. Our Prayers are with all of those involved in this effort and we share in the joy of this ongoing effort.
As of November 4th 2008 the Diocese of St. Matthias the Apostle, of which Living Faith Anglican Church is a parish community, has initiated dialogue with the Most Reverend Russell McClanahan, Archbishop of the Province of St. Peter, Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches (CEEC) for the purpose of establishing a greater relational communion between our collective ministries and to lay the foundations for future more formal cooperative workings between the same and possible reception of the Diocese into the Province of Saint Peter CEEC.
Bishop Thomas made a brief statement on the effort stating "We as a community in Christ have long held to the belief that His Church is One both spiritually and physically. It has been and will remain a policy of faith of this Diocese to reach out where ever possible to other communions of Christs Holy Church in the spirit of Christian unity and the Trust of the Holy Spirit that doing so will only further enhance the truth of the witness of His Church. Our understanding of this vital truth of His will for His Church and its collective ministry has long moved us to seek out a viable home within the broader Body of Christ in which we can both lend our efforts in His service and garner the blessings of a greater level of edification in our collective ministry as a Diocese and as fellow bond servants of Our Lord Jesus Christ."
The process of formal reception of the Diocese into the CEEC is expected to take some time and Bishop Thomas asks " Let us all keep a prayerful vigil regarding the direction and future of the Diocese, that Christ will continue to lead us in all we do and in all we are or may become for His greater glory . Amen"
For further Information on either the Province of Saint Peter or the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches click the links below.
Province of Saint Peter Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches