The CEC Press Release 14

The Continuing Episcopal Church

The Book of Common Prayer, 1928 Edition

We will drop the word "Continuing" when ECUSA changes it's name to COCU.

Why most holy orders in the Episcopalian Continuum are invalid

The two requirements for a minister of the minor sacrament of Holy Orders to impart valid apostolic succession are the ability to transmit the episcopate and the authority to do so. The analogy is owning an automobile: anyone may own one, but not anyone may drive it on public roads without valid licensing. Without the ability to transmit the episcopate then one necessarily does not have the authority to do so. For example, deacons and priests do not have the ability to confer orders because they are not bishops who do have the ability to do so. Thus deacons and priests necessarily do not have the ability or the authority to confer orders. However with the ability to transmit the episcopate then one may or may not have the authority to do so. For example, a bishop in valid apostolic succession has the ability to confer orders, but only if that bishop has the legitimate authority to do so will the orders be legal. It is this last situation which causes problems in the Episcopalian Communion (and elsewhere) where the authority is contrived or absent.

Much is written for and against Saint Augustine's view of episcopal succession. The eastern and western parts of the Historic Church which have valid episcopates agree that "once a bishop, always a bishop", meaning an indelible mark is made on a bishop. However the eastern and western parts disagree on the attendant authority to confer the episcopate. The western part considers the requirement of authority to be implied by and included with the ability to confer the valid episcopate (pro Augustinian). The eastern part considers authority to be a separate and independent requirement to confer the valid episcopate (non Augustinian) and agreeing with Saint Cyprian who wrote "there can be no grace outside the Church" [else Satan could confer grace].

In those cases where it is clear the subsequent consecration is to be legal and the previous consecration was not, the consecratee repudiates (puts away), not renounces (sets aside), the previous orders in preparation for a consecration de nouveau or of-anew. This is rarely done because most consecratees are as uncertain of their anticipated subsequent illegal consecration(s) as of their previous illegal one(s).

The practice of the Orthodox and Roman Churches was to have one consecrator only. The Orthodox canons require minimally two bishops present for a consecration, with the second bishop(s) to prove collegial assent, usually having the same line anyway. Until 1948, the Roman Church had one bishop present as the prime and only consecrator. The required presence of three bishops who act separately as multiple consecrators is historically an Anglican invention.

Orthodox and Anglican Divines (such as John Wordsworth) concur on one fact: multiple consecrations are specious and a "profanation" because once given, indelible Holy Orders can not be repeated with validity or impunity.

The purpose of the table below is to show which Episcopalian orders are valid due to authority that is legitimate and not contrived (or absent):

Name of group

Episcopate(s) claimed

Authority and reason
* = multiple consecrations
# = illegal, outside of or no jurisdiction
% = not a valid minister to impart Orders, or not a valid subject to receive Orders

American Anglican Church, Inc. 1. %Perschall, Manning 1. %Perschall was not a valid deacon or priest from *%Clavier or *%Caudill, %Miller, #Pagtakhan, and hence defective subject of presentment for consecration

Anglican Catholic Byzantine Church of America 1. %Verhaeren, ..., %Fernandez, *%Lima, ..., #Costa 1. #Costa was excommunicated and illegal (no jurisdiction); not Episcopalian

Anglican Catholic Church (ACC) 1. %Cahoon, %Mote, #%Chambers (with #Pagtakhan) 1. #%Chambers was illegal (no jurisdiction); #Pagtakhan was illegal (outside the Phillipine Church)

The Anglican Church of North America 1. %Shepherd, %Goodrich, %Daw, %Matthews, %Wardall, %Leadbeater, %Wedgwood, #Willoughby 1. #Willoughby was expelled and illegal (no jurisdiction)

The Anglican Church Incorporated. 1. *%Benning, *%Adams, *%Littlewood, *%Da Costa, *%Eckardt, *%Boltwood, %Hall, %Monzani-Heard, %McLagen,*%Chechemian, %Chorchorunian, #Antoine
2. *%Benning, #Pagtakhan 1. *%Adams was consecrated five times, including by simonist *%Spruit and both of 2.; #Antoine was illegal (outside the Armenian Catholic Church)
2. #Pagtakhan was illegal (outside the Phillipine Church)

Anglican Episcopal Church in the United Kingdom 1. Unknown 1. Apparently defunct

Anglican Fathers of the Corpus Christi 1. %"Pontificate" under #%Davies, ..., %Seabury, #Kilgour 1. #%Davies is defective and illegal (no jurisdiction); %Seabury was defective from #Kilgour who was illegal (no jurisdiction)

The Anglican Province of America 1. %Grundorf, *%Clavier, %George, *%Pillai (Ryan), %Harris, *%Martin, %Richardson, %Nicholson, %Cheney, %#Cummins, %Hopkins, %Griswold, %Jarvis, %Bass, %Claggett, %Seabury, #Kilgour 1. %#Cummins was defective and illegal (no jurisdiction); %Seabury was defective from #Kilgour who was illegal (no jurisdiction)

Anglican Province of Christ the King 1. %Morse, %#Chambers (with #Pagtakhan), ..., %Seabury, #Kilgour 1. %#Chambers was defective and illegal (no jurisdiction); #Pagtakhan was illegal (outside the Phillipine Church)

Anglican Rite Old Catholic Church 1. %Champion, %Bernhardt, %Sehorn, %Garrison 1. %Garrison was not a valid priest, defective subject of presentment for consecration, and not a valid minister to others

Anglican Rite Synod in the Americas 1. %Groce, %Clark, %Kennaugh, #Pagtakhan 1. #Pagtakhan was illegal (outside the Phillipine Church)

Apostolic Episcopal Church, Order of Corporate Reunion 1. *Persson, *Cedarholm, *Abinga, *Brooks, *Nichols 1. A line of succession only, not Episcopalian

The Apostolic Episcopal Church of North America (Apostolic Episcopal Church Province of the East) 1. *Spataro, *Persson, *Cedarholm, *Abinga, *Brooks, *Nichols 1. A line of succession only, not Episcopalian

Apostolic Episcopal Church, Province of the West (Holy Angels Benedictine Community, Oakland, CA) 1. Weeks (aka Pierce), Miller( aka Skelton), *Stanley 1. Not Episcopalian; consecrate homosexuals

The Charismatic Episcopal Church 1. %Adler et al, %Castillo-Mendez, #Costa 1. #Costa was excommunicated and illegal (no jurisdiction)

The Christian Episcopal Church of Canada 1. #%Davies, ..., %Seabury, #Kilgour 1. #%Davies is defective and illegal (no jurisdiction); %Seabury was defective from #Kilgour who was illegal (no jurisdiction)

The Church of England (C of E) 1. Through Bishops of Rome 1. Officially abandoned the historic episcopate by condoning with silence the consecration of women (1989) and the licensing of Lutheran laity without orders

The Church of England in South Africa 1. Unknown 1. Unknown

The Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches 1. Boosahda, Owen, Milner, Barker, *Spruit 1. Not Episcopalian; ordain females

The Continuing Episcopal Church (CEC) James, Markle, Adair, More-Moreno, Beshara, Ofiesh Valid: no multiple consecrations and no consecratons by bishops without jurisdiction

Diocese of the Holy Spirit 1. *%Murrell, Church of the East
2. *%Murrell, #%Reber, %Gramley, %Doren, #%Chambers (with #Pagtakhan), ..., %Seabury, #Kilgour 1. *%Murrell was deprived and released
2. #%Reber was defective and illegal (no jurisdiction); #%Chambers was defective and illegal (no jurisdiction); #Pagtakhan was illegal (outside the Phillipine Church); %Seabury was defective from #Kilgour who was illegal (no jurisdiction)

The Ecumenical Anglican Catholic Church 1. %Stark, %Lawrence, ... , %Propheta, %Souris, *%Klimovicz, *#Kedrovsky 1. *#Kedrovsky was illegal (no jurisdiction)

The Episcopal Church in USA (ECUSA) 1. ... %Seabury, %Hopkins, %Griswold, %Jarvis, %Bass, %Claggett, #Kilgour 1. %Seabury was defective because #Kilgour was illegal (no jurisdiction), hence tainting all subsequent PECUSA consecratons; ECUSA subsequently abandoned the historic episcopate with consecration of women (1989) and licensing of Lutheran laity without orders

The Episcopal Missionary Church 1. #%Davies, ..., %Seabury, #Kilgour 1. #%Davies is defective and illegal (no jurisdiction); %Seabury was defective from #Kilgour who was illegal (no jurisdiction)

The Episcopal Orthodox Church 1. *%Godfrey, %Jessup, %Njera, %Dees, %Sawyna, %De Batcvhinsky, %Urbanovitch, *%Aneed, #Sawoya 1. #Sawoya was illegal (no jursidiction outside Beirut)

Evangelical Anglican Church IN America 1. %Bettendorf, %Trivoli-Johnson, *%Corradi-Scarella, %Castillo-Mendez, #Costa 1. #Costa was excommunicated and illegal (no jurisdiction); not Episcopalian; consecrate and marry homosexuals

Evangelical Anglican Church OF America 1. Unknown 1. Apparently defunct

Evangelical Episcopal Church International 1. Unknown 1. Apparently defunct

The Free Church of England (aka The Traditional Anglican Church ) 1. *%Faulk, #%Chambers( with #Pagtakhan), ..., %Seabury, #Kilgour 1. *%Faulk was defective; #%Chambers was defective and illegal (no jurisdiction); #Pagtakhan was illegal (outside the Phillipine Church); %Seabury was defective from #Kilgour who was illegal (no jurisdiction)

Free Protestant Episcopal Church in Canada 1. %Tuz, %Rivette, %Guge, *%Boltwood, %Hall, %Monzani-Heard, %McLagen,*%Chechemian, %Chorchorunian, #Antoine 1. #Antoine was illegal (outside the Armenian Catholic Church)

Independent Anglican Church (Canada Synod) 1. %Goodrich, %Daw, %Matthews, %Wardall, %Leadbeater, %Wedgwood, #Willoughby 1. #Willoughby was expelled and illegal (no jurisdiction)

Protestant Episcopal Reformed Church 1. No episcopate claimed 1. Not Episcopalian

Reformed Episcopal Church 1. ... %#Cummins, %Hopkins, %Griswold, %Jarvis, %Bass, %Claggett, %Seabury, #Kilgour 1. %#Cummins was defective and illegal (no jurisdiction); %Seabury was defective from #Kilgour who was illegal (no jurisdiction)

Southern Episcopal Church 1. Manning, Massey, Webster, *Woodward, *Burns, Schneider, Swain, Kanski, Vilatte 1. *Woodward was consecrated twice (*Burns and *Brothers); *Burns was consecrated four times (Schneider, Massey, *Rogers, Propheta)

The Traditional Anglican Communion aka Anglican Church in America (ACA) 1. *%Faulk, #%Chambers( with #Pagtakhan), ..., %Seabury, #Kilgour 1. *%Faulk was defective; #%Chambers was defective and illegal (no jurisdiction); #Pagtakhan was illegal (outside the Phillipine Church); %Seabury was defective from #Kilgour who was illegal (no jurisdiction)

The Traditional Church of England 1. %Whiting, %Perschall, Manning 1. %Whiting is defective; %Perschall was not a valid priest from *%Clavier, defective subject of presentment for consecration, and not a valid minister to others

The Traditional Episcopal Church 1. %Melli, Russell 1. %Melli was a deposed priest and defective subject of presentment for consecration

The Traditional Protestant Episcopal Church 1. *Morley, Acker, *Burns, Schneider, Swain, Kanski, Vilatte
2. *%Morley, #Pagtakhan 1. *Morley was consecrated twice; *Burns was consecrated four times (Schneider, Massey, *Rogers, Propheta)
2. #Pagtakhan was illegal (outside the Phillipine Church)

The United Episcopal Church of North America 1. #%Reber, %Gramley, %Doren, #%Chambers (with #Pagtakhan), ..., %Seabury, #Kilgour 1. #%Reber was defective and illegal (no jurisdiction); #%Chambers was defective and illegal (no jurisdiction); #Pagtakhan was illegal (outside the Phillipine Church); %Seabury was defective from #Kilgour who was illegal (no jurisdiction)

From the table above, the only valid orders with no multiple consecrations and with legal jurisdictional authority are those of The Continuing Episcopal Church.

Groups with lines having the irregularity of multiple consecrations are: The Southern Episcopal Church and The Traditional Protestant Episcopal Church.

All other groups in the table have invalid lines and hence no historic episcopate or valid sacrament of Holy Communion.

For More Information Contact:

The Continuing Episcopal Church
24 Bettis Rd, Hamden CT 06514-2908
Internet: robbinsh@ sbcglobal.net

Name of group	Episcopate(s) claimed	Authority and reason * = multiple consecrations # = illegal, outside of or no jurisdiction % = not a valid minister to impart Orders, or not a valid subject to receive Orders
American Anglican Church, Inc.	1. %Perschall, Manning	1. %Perschall was not a valid deacon or priest from %Clavier or %Caudill, %Miller, #Pagtakhan, and hence defective subject of presentment for consecration
Anglican Catholic Byzantine Church of America	1. %Verhaeren, ..., %Fernandez, *%Lima, ..., #Costa	1. #Costa was excommunicated and illegal (no jurisdiction); not Episcopalian
Anglican Catholic Church (ACC)	1. %Cahoon, %Mote, #%Chambers (with #Pagtakhan)	1. #%Chambers was illegal (no jurisdiction); #Pagtakhan was illegal (outside the Phillipine Church)
The Anglican Church of North America	1. %Shepherd, %Goodrich, %Daw, %Matthews, %Wardall, %Leadbeater, %Wedgwood, #Willoughby	1. #Willoughby was expelled and illegal (no jurisdiction)
The Anglican Church Incorporated.	1. %Benning, %Adams, %Littlewood, %Da Costa, %Eckardt, %Boltwood, %Hall, %Monzani-Heard, %McLagen,%Chechemian, %Chorchorunian, #Antoine 2. %Benning, #Pagtakhan	1. %Adams was consecrated five times, including by simonist %Spruit and both of 2.; #Antoine was illegal (outside the Armenian Catholic Church) 2. #Pagtakhan was illegal (outside the Phillipine Church)
Anglican Episcopal Church in the United Kingdom	1. Unknown	1. Apparently defunct
Anglican Fathers of the Corpus Christi	1. %"Pontificate" under #%Davies, ..., %Seabury, #Kilgour	1. #%Davies is defective and illegal (no jurisdiction); %Seabury was defective from #Kilgour who was illegal (no jurisdiction)
The Anglican Province of America	1. %Grundorf, %Clavier, %George, %Pillai (Ryan), %Harris, *%Martin, %Richardson, %Nicholson, %Cheney, %#Cummins, %Hopkins, %Griswold, %Jarvis, %Bass, %Claggett, %Seabury, #Kilgour	1. %#Cummins was defective and illegal (no jurisdiction); %Seabury was defective from #Kilgour who was illegal (no jurisdiction)
Anglican Province of Christ the King	1. %Morse, %#Chambers (with #Pagtakhan), ..., %Seabury, #Kilgour	1. %#Chambers was defective and illegal (no jurisdiction); #Pagtakhan was illegal (outside the Phillipine Church)
Anglican Rite Old Catholic Church	1. %Champion, %Bernhardt, %Sehorn, %Garrison	1. %Garrison was not a valid priest, defective subject of presentment for consecration, and not a valid minister to others
Anglican Rite Synod in the Americas	1. %Groce, %Clark, %Kennaugh, #Pagtakhan	1. #Pagtakhan was illegal (outside the Phillipine Church)
Apostolic Episcopal Church, Order of Corporate Reunion	1. Persson, Cedarholm, Abinga, Brooks, *Nichols	1. A line of succession only, not Episcopalian
The Apostolic Episcopal Church of North America (Apostolic Episcopal Church Province of the East)	1. Spataro, Persson, Cedarholm, Abinga, Brooks, Nichols	1. A line of succession only, not Episcopalian
Apostolic Episcopal Church, Province of the West (Holy Angels Benedictine Community, Oakland, CA)	1. Weeks (aka Pierce), Miller( aka Skelton), *Stanley	1. Not Episcopalian; consecrate homosexuals
The Charismatic Episcopal Church	1. %Adler et al, %Castillo-Mendez, #Costa	1. #Costa was excommunicated and illegal (no jurisdiction)
The Christian Episcopal Church of Canada	1. #%Davies, ..., %Seabury, #Kilgour	1. #%Davies is defective and illegal (no jurisdiction); %Seabury was defective from #Kilgour who was illegal (no jurisdiction)
The Church of England (C of E)	1. Through Bishops of Rome	1. Officially abandoned the historic episcopate by condoning with silence the consecration of women (1989) and the licensing of Lutheran laity without orders
The Church of England in South Africa	1. Unknown	1. Unknown
The Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches	1. Boosahda, Owen, Milner, Barker, *Spruit	1. Not Episcopalian; ordain females
The Continuing Episcopal Church (CEC)	James, Markle, Adair, More-Moreno, Beshara, Ofiesh	Valid: no multiple consecrations and no consecratons by bishops without jurisdiction
Diocese of the Holy Spirit	1. %Murrell, Church of the East 2. %Murrell, #%Reber, %Gramley, %Doren, #%Chambers (with #Pagtakhan), ..., %Seabury, #Kilgour	1. *%Murrell was deprived and released 2. #%Reber was defective and illegal (no jurisdiction); #%Chambers was defective and illegal (no jurisdiction); #Pagtakhan was illegal (outside the Phillipine Church); %Seabury was defective from #Kilgour who was illegal (no jurisdiction)
The Ecumenical Anglican Catholic Church	1. %Stark, %Lawrence, ... , %Propheta, %Souris, %Klimovicz, #Kedrovsky	1. *#Kedrovsky was illegal (no jurisdiction)
The Episcopal Church in USA (ECUSA)	1. ... %Seabury, %Hopkins, %Griswold, %Jarvis, %Bass, %Claggett, #Kilgour	1. %Seabury was defective because #Kilgour was illegal (no jurisdiction), hence tainting all subsequent PECUSA consecratons; ECUSA subsequently abandoned the historic episcopate with consecration of women (1989) and licensing of Lutheran laity without orders
The Episcopal Missionary Church	1. #%Davies, ..., %Seabury, #Kilgour	1. #%Davies is defective and illegal (no jurisdiction); %Seabury was defective from #Kilgour who was illegal (no jurisdiction)
The Episcopal Orthodox Church	1. %Godfrey, %Jessup, %Njera, %Dees, %Sawyna, %De Batcvhinsky, %Urbanovitch, %Aneed, #Sawoya	1. #Sawoya was illegal (no jursidiction outside Beirut)
Evangelical Anglican Church IN America	1. %Bettendorf, %Trivoli-Johnson, *%Corradi-Scarella, %Castillo-Mendez, #Costa	1. #Costa was excommunicated and illegal (no jurisdiction); not Episcopalian; consecrate and marry homosexuals
Evangelical Anglican Church OF America	1. Unknown	1. Apparently defunct
Evangelical Episcopal Church International	1. Unknown	1. Apparently defunct
The Free Church of England (aka The Traditional Anglican Church )	1. *%Faulk, #%Chambers( with #Pagtakhan), ..., %Seabury, #Kilgour	1. *%Faulk was defective; #%Chambers was defective and illegal (no jurisdiction); #Pagtakhan was illegal (outside the Phillipine Church); %Seabury was defective from #Kilgour who was illegal (no jurisdiction)
Free Protestant Episcopal Church in Canada	1. %Tuz, %Rivette, %Guge, %Boltwood, %Hall, %Monzani-Heard, %McLagen,%Chechemian, %Chorchorunian, #Antoine	1. #Antoine was illegal (outside the Armenian Catholic Church)
Independent Anglican Church (Canada Synod)	1. %Goodrich, %Daw, %Matthews, %Wardall, %Leadbeater, %Wedgwood, #Willoughby	1. #Willoughby was expelled and illegal (no jurisdiction)
Protestant Episcopal Reformed Church	1. No episcopate claimed	1. Not Episcopalian
Reformed Episcopal Church	1. ... %#Cummins, %Hopkins, %Griswold, %Jarvis, %Bass, %Claggett, %Seabury, #Kilgour	1. %#Cummins was defective and illegal (no jurisdiction); %Seabury was defective from #Kilgour who was illegal (no jurisdiction)
Southern Episcopal Church	1. Manning, Massey, Webster, Woodward, Burns, Schneider, Swain, Kanski, Vilatte	1. Woodward was consecrated twice (Burns and Brothers); Burns was consecrated four times (Schneider, Massey, *Rogers, Propheta)
The Traditional Anglican Communion aka Anglican Church in America (ACA)	1. *%Faulk, #%Chambers( with #Pagtakhan), ..., %Seabury, #Kilgour	1. *%Faulk was defective; #%Chambers was defective and illegal (no jurisdiction); #Pagtakhan was illegal (outside the Phillipine Church); %Seabury was defective from #Kilgour who was illegal (no jurisdiction)
The Traditional Church of England	1. %Whiting, %Perschall, Manning	1. %Whiting is defective; %Perschall was not a valid priest from *%Clavier, defective subject of presentment for consecration, and not a valid minister to others
The Traditional Episcopal Church	1. %Melli, Russell	1. %Melli was a deposed priest and defective subject of presentment for consecration
The Traditional Protestant Episcopal Church	1. Morley, Acker, Burns, Schneider, Swain, Kanski, Vilatte 2. *%Morley, #Pagtakhan	1. Morley was consecrated twice; Burns was consecrated four times (Schneider, Massey, *Rogers, Propheta) 2. #Pagtakhan was illegal (outside the Phillipine Church)
The United Episcopal Church of North America	1. #%Reber, %Gramley, %Doren, #%Chambers (with #Pagtakhan), ..., %Seabury, #Kilgour	1. #%Reber was defective and illegal (no jurisdiction); #%Chambers was defective and illegal (no jurisdiction); #Pagtakhan was illegal (outside the Phillipine Church); %Seabury was defective from #Kilgour who was illegal (no jurisdiction)

Why most holy orders in the Episcopalian Continuum are invalid

Name of group

Episcopate(s) claimed

Authority and reason

Copyright © 2008 The Continuing Episcopal Church