Attending this years Patriarch’s Council are the following members of the Council: Archbishop Craig Bates, Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines, Archbishop Douglas Woodall, Archbishop Charles Jones, Bishop Douglas Kessler, Bishop Yuhanna Prakash, Bishop Bernard Njoroge, Archbishop Paulo Garcia, Bishop Michael Davidson, Fr. James House.
Others present: Bishop Gene Lilly,Bishop Gregory Ortiz, Bishop Andre Novaes, Father Ebenezer Paz, Father Ariel Santos, Dcn John Garrett, Fr. Scott Howard, Fr. Terry Gensemer,.
The day began with a celebration of the Holy Eucharist, Bishop Davidson delivered the sermon, “God Acts on Behalf of Those Who Wait on Him” which available below.
The rest of the morning was spent discussing the work of the Canons Commission, which is working from the question, “what do the canons say about who we are?” The following presentation was made to show the progress and guiding principals of the commissions:
• The greater serve the lesser
• The priest is the steward of all he receives, all he receives is owned by God, and hence he is accountable for all he receives.
• Every person and institution from the Patriarch on down in the ICCEC submits to the Canon law of the church
• Each level, each relationship within the ICCEC mirrors that of the Patriarch, his councils and his procedures.
“Christ chooses a man, that man chooses men to be around him to implement the vision, these men help him hear the word of the Lord.”
“Consensus is helping the father to hear the word of God”
• The Church is governed at all levels by leaders who choose men to serve on councils. The Councils shall operate according to the rules of Consensus Government. Councils shall review and advise in matters such as finances, activities, ministries, strategies, growth and development of the church, and other matters of importance that may come before them. Consensus requires, honestly, accountability and transparency.
• Consensus only works with accountability and transparency.
• The leader is accountable to his Council for the decision made and resources used.
• The Patriarch’s Council is the authoritative council for the international church.
• The Primate’s Council is the authoritative council for the National church.
• The Archbishop’s and Bishop’s Council is the authoritative council for the Province or diocese.
• The Rector’s Council is the authoritative council for the parish or mission.
• The orders of the church are Bishop, Priest, and Deacon.
Bishops: are the successors of the apostles, and are the icon of the government of God in the church. The Bishop is the chief pastor and teacher of the church. The Bishop contains the authority of the church and the full sacramental grace of the church.
Priests: are ordained in apostolic succession and are the icon of the sacrificial and obedient life of Christ. A priest serves under the authority of the Bishop to celebrate the Eucharist, to baptize, to serve as pastor and teacher, and with authority given to him by the bishop to administer the affairs of the church as the bishop’s representative.
Deacons: are ordained in apostolic succession and serve as the icon of the servant’s heart in ordained ministry. Deacons serve directly under the authority of their bishop, and, by the bishop’s authority, may be supervised by the priest of the parish in which they serve.
“Orders belong to the church. They are ontological, not functional”
The ordained ministry is called chiefly to equip and lead the church which is the royal and priestly company, to administer the sacraments of the church, to proclaim the good news of salvation to all peoples, and to offer to God the sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving through the stewardship of time, energy, finances, and spiritual gifts.
As the canons are worked out, each national church will have additional canons to address local moral issues. National Canons must not contradict the International Canons.
After lunch there was a brief executive session followed by a briefing on the American Church. The briefing showed that there are 92 churches and missions in the North America. Of that number, 19 are fully communion parishes, and the rest are missions. The report highlighted the challenges facing the American Church, and the need to build an infrastructure to support church growth.
Archbishop Garica briefed the council on the Brazilian church. Archbishop Garica introduced his new Auxiliary Bishop, Andre Novaes. Bishop Novaes spoke to the Council briefly about his journey in Christ and into the CEC. In Brazil the CEC has 4 Diocese containing 4 Cathedrals, 42 Parishes, 9 Missions and 14 Mission Stations. Together they serve 16,338 confirmed members.
Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines briefed the council about the Asian Church. His report highlighted the role the Church played in the Philippines during and after the recent flooding. With the help of donations from a number of sources, they were able to provide relief and assistance to many areas in the Philippines. The help provided included food and assistance in rebuilding homes, as well as medical help.
This year was also the 30th anniversary of the Cathedral of the King in Manilla. For the past 9 years, the Cathedral has sponsored the Restoration of the Church Seminar. This year, for the first time the Roman Catholic Church participated in the seminar. The Church in the Philippines continues to grow and expand in new areas of ministry.
Archbishop Charles Jones and Bishop Bernard Njoroge reported on the International Development Agency and the Church in Africa. This year the church n Africa expects to consecrate an additional six Bishops. The CEC has continue to experience rapid growth in East Africa, and the additional Bishops are necessary to met the pastor needs of the faithful Christians there. There are several missions in West Africa that are in the process of developing. Bishop Njoroge reported that the recent rains have greatly helped the church in Kenya, and that the CEC has also become a significant member of the National Council of churches, and has ‘a big voice’ on the council.
This years Christmas offering for the IDA brought in approximately $24k, which is 35% increase over last year. A finical report of the IDA was presented.
The Council then adjourned for the day.
