Every year the churches throughout the CEC take up an offering on All Saints’ Day to support International Missions. This year, Church of the Messiah will collect the All Saints’ Mission Offering on Sunday, November 3rd. Please read the following message from our Patriarch Archbishop Craig Bates.
Since the early days of the Charismatic Episcopal Church, we have taken an annual offering to support international missions. Over the years, this money has supported numerous projects and missions, including equipping the church in developing nations in becoming the three streams. After several years, we have been led to assist the church in Africa in becoming self-sufficient. This led us to develop micro-businesses in various regions and financially support a multitude of projects.
The generous offerings from people throughout the North American Church have built and supported cathedrals, churches, a seminary, schools, orphanages, and ministry to poor children. This is in addition to the phenomenal work already done by our Diocese in Africa. Not only does the work continue to be self-supported, but there will be additional projects that I will be able to see in my 2020 visit.
Perhaps the most exciting thing in the life of our communion is that I will install the first Kenyan CEC Archbishop in Kenya. The Most Rev. Joshua Koyo will be installed during my visit in August 2020. Bishop Koyo was one of the first CEC Bishops in Africa. He is a holy man of God who has a heart not only for convergence but for bringing the Gospel to the least, lost and the lonely. He is a man highly respected by his brother bishops, by area clergy, and by secular leaders.
Africa continues to have many difficulties. There are civil wars, corruption, disease, lack of medical services, hunger, HIV/AIDS, child soldiers, and the ever-present danger of terrorism or war. Our bishops and clergy are in the center of this. They are where the conflicts and struggles are the most evident. Many are struggling to spread their message without transportation, materials, adequate housing, and in some cases, food for their families. Yet, they never complain. They look to the Lord for Him to provide and rejoice in their relationship with the CEC.
These men are our brothers!
I pray that we can even be more generous than we have been in the past, If we can purchase some more fields for growing crops, more rice culling machines, pigs, cattle, and buildings to store the crops. If we can expand our present micro-business, we will see a people who trust in God being able to feed their children physically and spiritually.
Join Cathy and me in giving the most generous amount you can imagine. Every penny will go to ministry. No money goes to administration or travel. It goes directly to the ministry.
Be assured of my prayers.
Under His mercy,
+Craig W. Bates,Patriarch, ICCEC
For more information on the All Saints Mission and Development Offering, including how funds are spent and how much money has been received, visit the ICCEC Missions website by clicking HERE. To watch a video on the All Saints Mission and Development Offering, click below.
Please take a few moments and read this letter to the Bishops and clergy of the CEC in North America on the Fourth of July.
I know some of you who will receive this letter are not citizens of the United States of America However, to save someone the task of taking names off a mailing list for this one letter, you are included. I hope you enjoy it and that some of my thoughts will minister to you as well.
During the development of Cable News and the beginning of the internet, especially social media, we are all assaulted with news and information. Some are true, and some are false. Social media and the internet have given rise to the validation of the “tabloid” press and, for better or worse, has given everyone a place to express their opinions or ideas without the necessity of facts or concern for truth.
I love reading history. I love reading historical novels (if you know of a good one let me know). I would have focused more on studying history, except that it meant remembering dates. Dates meant “numbers” and for some reason, anything that involves “numbers” escapes me. If I can get things in the right century, I am okay with myself.
I love, however, reading about the characters who made history and being able to hear the stories of those involved. I like to have things clarified as to the reasons things happened, how thing evolved, how things got settled, and the implications of those events on modern history. It is one of the reasons I can watch the PBS documentary on the Civil War repeatedly.
When it comes to the Revolutionary War, I grew up understanding the war with the limited information I was told in school. I thought that there was the “big bad British” who took the freedoms away from the “good and wonderful people of colonies.” When there was a tax imposed on the people, a group of colonists “threw tea” in the Boston Harbor, provoking a “shoot out” in Lexington & Concord with the “shot heard around the world.” The colonist signed a Declaration of Independence (which I had to memorize in high school). Then the British sent more “Red Coats.” Until finally, ALL the colonists came to arms, endured great suffering (especially in Valley Forge), and finally in Virginia defeated the English (after the French showed up).
Of course, there was much more. But what I knew and what my environment reinforced, made me proud to be an American. I still am. Plus, growing up in metro-Philadelphia, where the Declaration was signed, the Fourth of July, was a major feast day and a source of pride.
The point of this rambling is that much of what I knew about the Revolution was through filters. One of those filters is that every colonist supported the Revolution. The fact is that they didn’t. As many as 20% of Americans remained loyalists to the crown. Further, somewhere between 20% to 30% were considered “patriots” and wanted to break with England. Surprisingly, 50% plus just wanted to live in peace and didn’t take sides. American was divided. It was divided even after the war. There was a lot more work to unite and form a Union.
Perhaps the election and re-election of George Washington were the only uncontested elections in US History. From the time George Washington retired, every election reflected a division in the nation. Often a very serious division. Campaigns involved name-calling, false accusations, and even threats of death.
The compromises of the first Constitution, particularly regarding slavery, barely held the nation together. Hence, the nation fell into the great Civil War. Certainly, slavery was a major issue but underneath or behind that issue were concerns, attitudes, and beliefs about the nature of government and man’s relationship to that government. So much so that many in the Confederate states called the civil war, ‘the second revolution.”
Reconstruction divided the nation. Segregation divided the nation. The nation was divided about entering World War I. In the years before World War II; the nation was divided about entering into the war in Europe. Pearl Harbor united us for a moment as we came against the evil in Europe and the Pacific. But after we returned, we remained a divided nation. I remember the election of 1960 when the nation was divided. My father, normally not a political type, worked for Richard Nixon because he believed that if John Kennedy were elected, the United States would be ruled by the Pope. The election was one of the closest. There were accusations of voter fraud with some claiming that even the “dead” came out to vote.
The 1960s saw even more division. We watched on television not only the horror of racism and segregation but the horror of war. The nation again was divided, and we every night the media showed us the division. We saw that “hatred” and “rage” that one side expressed towards the other side. There was violence in the streets as some believed the only solution was the overthrow of the government and the establishment of a new social state. College campus were centers of revolution and groups like Students for a Democratic Society, or Young Socialist Alliance captured the minds of the youth.
Out of this division and turmoil, the country moved forward, and we talk about a new order. The evil of legal segregation ended. There was a new South. The Civil Rights Act and the Voter Rights Act changed forever the way Americans thought about each other. The War in Vietnam (not unlike Korea) has made us more cautious about entering battles overseas. Perhaps a lesson we are still trying to learn. They also brought about a renewed respect for our military.
I could go on and on, but history shows us that the American Experiment of a free people forming a Republic that governs “by and for the people” has always existed in tension and at times on the verge of collapse. The good, old days were not always that good, but as a country, America has normally come back to the values that have fueled the Experiment since the signing of that Declaration two hundred and forty-three years ago (a short time in light of world history).
We are still, as a people, trying to apply the core values of our nation to a host of problems. Do we have a strong federal government or is the best government that which governs least? Are we going to address, finally, the systemic racism that keeps one group from obtaining the same advantages as the majority? Or, have we already addressed these issues and are now living in a post-racist society? What about immigration? Is it open borders with Lady Liberty inviting all, or do we close our borders to protect ourselves from crime and drugs? What is the balance of power? What about the right to bear arms versus the protection of our children in the schools?
Not only is there division, but merely suggesting a position on your Facebook page can result in a long “sophomoric” chain of rantings, name-calling, labeling, and judgment. It is amazing to me that we even attempt to resolve extremely complex issues and do a theological inquiry on a medium that is designed to share what you had for dinner, your recent vacation, your plans for the summer, or an occasional joke.
There remains one issue that is exposing more than any other the division that exists in America. ST. Teresa of Calcutta said, “the nation that will abort its young has lost its soul.” Is America losing her soul, or has it lost her soul? In either case, the redemption of a nation, a nation, and homeland I love, is not a political solution or a judicial solution. Men without a soul will not bring about an end to a holocaust. We see troubling things in our past and future like genocide, slavery, segregation, sex trade industry, the abuse of women, systemic racism, and the other great causes. Seeing this, one sees a call for social justice with a Church in leadership as a voice for the oppressed, the disenfranchised, and the poor. But, abortion is by far the greatest evil ever to happen in America and worldwide. It is not millions of babies that have been burned alive or butchered in the womb since 1973; it is billions worldwide. One hundred and fifty thousand babies are murdered in the womb every day.
I rejoice at the great victory in Alabama and other states that have made abortion all but illegal with criminal penalties for so-called doctors, nurses, or other persons who abort babies for profit. I am sickened to live in a State where a baby who survives an abortion can be left to die or be euthanized. Whether or not it is rare or never used at all, the fact that it is legal and possible is abhorrent. The Governor, who claims to be a Roman Catholic yet lives with his mistress, along with legislators applauded and cheered with joy at the signing of this bill into law. Are we losing our soul, or have we lost our soul?
I am an American because I was born in America. I was born into a family that loved America, and to parents who survived the Great Depression, served in World War II, and taught me to love America. My parents were Republicans because Eisenhower was a Republican. My grandfather was a Republican because he believed Franklin Roosevelt was a communist. We were Episcopalians and were proud that the government of the United States and the Episcopal Church complimented each other. We were proud that the majority of Presidents were Episcopalians. While at the same time, I think my mother would have been a loyalist during the Revolution because she loved Queen Elizabeth and everything British. She was proud that we had a relative that fought in the Revolutionary War. My father was proud that we had a great uncle that died at Gettysburg fighting for the Union. He also supported States Rights and segregation. At the same time, he was proud of my civil rights activism and my anti-war activities. I was taught to vote because we were free, and we were Americans. I have voted in every election (even local) since I became voting age.
I was raised and surrounded by men (and women) who saw evil and believed that the Church had an obligation, in fact, a mandate, to speak against injustice. This was to be done in the tradition of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, William Wilberforce, John Wesley, William Temple, Jonathan Daniels, Martin Luther King, Ralph Abernathy, Paul Moore, and several clergies who would not be silent in the light of evil. I learned that the Church had a role in the streets and the market place when it came to injustice. It had to be a voice, resisting violent solutions to social problems and was to make visible Christ’s love even if it meant martyrdom. When the world had engulfed itself in hatred and violence, the Church was to be light.
I was taught that we engaged in social ministry (Matthew 25) because we did it unto Jesus. The image of Jesus was being formed in us through the Eucharist, Scripture, Prayer, Service, Fellowship, and especially in surrender to the Holy Spirit.
I believe things in America might become more divided. America refuses to recognize that if we continue to kill our innocent children in the womb, we will keep open the doors for the destruction of the family, the dehumanizing of human sexuality, gun violence on the streets, prolonged wars. It will also add to the using of people in groups for political ends, the abuse of women, and even the increase of opiate addiction to numb the emptiness that our culture offers in the name of freedom. It is no wonder that we want to legalize marijuana.
As a Bishop, a Priest, and a Deacon, my place is to minister at the Table of the Lord. I am first and foremost called to preside at the Eucharist, where Christ is made present among us. Christ is the only one who can redeem and restore our soul. It is in Christ that we have our freedom, that no one can take away. It is in Christ that we find our eternity and the eternal destiny of all creation. It is at the Eucharist that we enter not only into the redemption of the world and every soul but also the great eschatological banquet, which is the source of hope for all humanity.
My diaconate reminds me that not only am I to wash the feet of those who have become weary from the world, but to wash them, equip them and send them forth into the world with the Good News. It is the Good News, not political platforms or Supreme Court rulings that are going to give us back our souls. My diaconate reminds me that the Church needs schools, emergency housing programs, ministry to the dying, outreach to the homeless, street counselors outside of abortion clinics, Christians in the halls of Congress, programs that offer help to single mothers and fatherless children. We must be engaged in social justice because Christ Jesus has a heart for the broken, the least, the lost, and the lonely.
In the Eucharist and the poor, we will find our soul. Whether times get worse or better, let us call out for a revival that is found in Jesus, and sustained in the Eucharist, and the poor; 2 Chronicles 7.14. Jesus is the One who brings healing and deliverance not only individually but to entire nations as we immerse them in the Holy Spirit and teach them to obey.
God bless America. America bless God. I am thankful for the freedom that those men and women proclaimed and shed their blood for over two hundred years ago and throughout two hundred and forty-three years. I will continue to pray for our country and our leaders and teach others to do so. No matter what the outcome of an election. I will continue to work for the advancement of the Kingdom, thankful that it is much easier here in the United States than other places. And, I hope that this Fourth of July, we can stop for a day and celebrate us without damning, hating, and railing against those who disagree with us.
The Foundation Stone of the Cathedral Church of the Intercessor. They met in the basement for thirteen years until they could build the first floor. A Cathedral was born from those faithful people worshiping in a basement for over a decade.
Please take a few moments and read the Patriarch’s letter on the 27th anniversary of our communion and our annual observance Foundation Day.
I have been hearing about a number of churches in the United States who are celebrating their twenty-fifth or more years since the founding of their Church. The time has gone by so fast. I have been in the CEC for twenty-five of our Communion’s twenty-seven-year history. That is correct; it has been twenty-seven years since Austin Randolph Adler was consecrated the first bishop in the Charismatic Episcopal Church. Though twenty-seven years is a long time, it is really just a short period of time, and we are still a young fellowship within the larger Body of Christ.
The American House of Bishops decided many years ago to celebrate the “founder” of our communion on the anniversary of his consecration. Archbishop Adler stated very emphatically that he did not want an offering taken and given to him. Rather he wanted the Communion to take up a thank offering that would be used to assist churches in purchasing property or restoring property so that a CEC community could occupy it. Every year, an offering has been taken, and we have seen the vision unfold before our eyes. You can read about our successes on the CEC-NA website.
We have so much to be thankful for over the years. I am thankful for a Communion that has remained faithful to the vision of convergence worship, consensus government, and to living out the historic and ancient faith passed down to us through the centuries. I am thankful for a Communion that has remained steadfast in proclaiming the Gospel. I am thankful for a Communion that is Sacramental and is centered in the Eucharist. I am thankful for the ministries of our churches to the least, the lost, and the lonely. I am thankful for the schools that are educating our children. I am thankful for the friendships that I have established over the past 25 years of my membership in the CEC. And, I am especially thankful that my children and grandchildren have a church family they can call home.
So, we will take a thank offering. The offerings will be sent to the Primates of each territory to be used for the construction, purchasing, or repairing of buildings. One-third of the money will be distributed as grants, one third will be distributed as low-interest loans, and one third will be placed in an investment account where the interest can be used in future generations.
The Communion continues to grow under the guidance and anointing of the Holy Spirit. I expect God to grow the Church as we water and plant. As we abide in Christ and walk by faith, we will see good fruit, the kind that will endure.
Under His mercy,
The Most Rev. Craig W. Bates, Patriarch
For more information on Foundation Day, click HERE.
The North American House of Bishop met in Bel Air, Maryland just prior to the consecration of Bishop Rob Northwood. A great deal of the meeting centered around our morning time of prayer. Following this time of prayer, the Bishops decided to call for a year of evangelism.
Every year should be a year of evangelism. The call for a year of evangelism is not suggesting that at the end of the year we stop evangelizing. Rather, that together we are taking a year with every parish, mission, and ministry in the North American Church to pray, listen, reflect, and evaluate the churches evangelist works. Bishops have committed themselves to; teach evangelism at our clergy gatherings, to engage in conversation with every Rector/Vicar and his councils, to develop a diocesan plan of evangelism, and to engage is spirit directed evangelistic efforts. It also is calling for every pastor to engage his congregation in the work of evangelism.
They recognized that every region of North America is different and will call for different types of activity. They recognized that every parish is different with a different demographic. They recognized that every person is unique and yet, they believe that every one of us, every parish, and every region is called to evangelism. 1 Timothy 2.4 informs us that the will of God is that every person is saved and comes to know the truth.
There are many definitions of evangelism, but I think Archbishop William Temple gave the best definition. He said, “Evangelism is to so present Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit, that men shall come to put their trust in God through Him, to accept Him as their savior and serve Him as their King in the fellowship of the Church.”
Evangelism is fulfilling what our Lord Jesus commanded in Matthew 28.16-20. This is the Church’s mission statement.
I am excited about what God, in the power of the Holy Spirit, is going to do within our communion and among us as a people. I am excited because when people set their heart towards the presence of Jesus and His Kingdom, the Holy Spirit moves in miraculous and supernatural ways to fulfill the purposes of God.
Let us pray every day, a simple prayer from the Book of Common Prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hardwood of the cross that everyone might come within reach of your saving embrace. So, cloth us (me) in your Spirit, that we (I), reaching forth our (my) arms in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of you name.”
Holy Week is the most incredible time of the year for churches throughout the world and Church of the Messiah is no exception. We are so excited to share with you all that we have planned as we relive the events of Christ’s betrayal, death, and, ultimately, His Resurrection! We want you to join us for all of these remarkable services.
Palm Sunday: Holy Week begins with the fanfare and celebration of Our Lord’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. We celebrate this momentous event in Jesus’ life by gathering in the church’s courtyard, blessing the palms, and processing into the church together. During this service there is also a special dramatic reading of the Passion Gospel. The service begins in the church courtyard at 10 o’clock
Maundy Thursday: Join with us as we commemorate Jesus celebrating the Last Supper with His Disciples on the night He was betrayed. This deeply moving service includes the once-a-year foot washing service as well as the solemn stripping of the altar in remembrance of Christ’s betrayal. Prior to the service we will have our regular mid-week soup supper from 6-6:45. The Maundy Thursday service itself begins at 7 o’clock.
Good Friday: Without a doubt, one of the highlights of the church year is Church of the Messiah’s annual Good Friday service. From noon til three o’clock we reflect on the Passion of our Lord taking inspiration from seven different meditations each coupled with solemn prayers and contemplative songs and dance offerings. The service also includes the reading of the Passion Gospel and the Veneration of the Holy Cross. While the service is three-hours long, it is structured in such a way as to accommodate those who are only able to attend a portion of the service. Come for the whole service, come for thirty minutes. For whatever amount you can attend, you will be blessed.
Holy Saturday: While Our Lord may have rested from His labors, the abortion industry does not rest from its and Saturday is one of its busiest days. We will take a prayerful stand for those who are condemned to die that day and pray the Liturgy for the Pre-Born outside A Woman’s Choice clinic. We encourage everyone to join us on this very solemn occasion.
Easter Sunday: Celebrate with us the most glorious and triumphant of Feasts, the Feast which makes all other feasts possible, the Feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord! Death has been defeated and the grave has been overthrown! This year we are especially blessed to welcome Archbishop Craig W. Bates, the Patriarch of the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church back to Church of the Messiah to preach and celebrate Easter Sunday. Also that morning, be sure to bring spring flower for the annual “flowering of the cross.” Help beautify our Easter cross by bring your own flowers to help decorate. The service itself begins at 10 o’clock and, as always, we pull out all the stops for the most glorious day of the year. Immediately following the service we will have an Easter egg hunt in the courtyard outside the church.
Everyone is welcome to attend all of our services and childcare is provided at all events. To help facilitate inviting others to join us, we have created Facebook events for each of these services. To find these events, simply go to Church of the Messiah’s Facebook page and click on the “events” tab or click on the each event’s bold name.
This Sunday, March 31st, at our 10 o’clock service, Church of the Messiah is blessed to welcome Archbishop Craig W. Bates, the Patriarch of the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church. Abp. Bates will be preaching during the service as well as celebrating the Holy Eucharist on Sunday morning.
Archbishop Bates began his ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church where, in 1985, he was called to serve as the associate pastor of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, in Malverne, New York. Five years later, after the retirement of the senior pastor then-Fr. Bates was called to be the senior pastors–a position he has maintained ever since! In 1994, Fr. Bates left the Episcopal Church and joined the fledgling Charismatic Episcopal Church. The following year, St. Thomas Episcopal Church became a part of the CEC and changed their name to Church of the Intercessor. On November 14, 1997, Craig Bates was consecrated the first Bishop of the Diocese of the Northeast. Nine years later, on January 9, 2008, Bishop Bates was elected the second Patriarch of the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church. In addition to pastoring the same church for over 30 years and all of his episcopal ministry, Archbishop Bates holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Franconia College, a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from Anna Maria College and a Master of Divinity from the General Theological Seminary. Archbishop Bates is extremely active in the New York metropolitan area as a voice for church unity, an original signer of the Manhattan Declaration, and a staunch defender of the pre-born in the Pro-Life movement. He has been married to his wife for over 40+ years and together they have three grown children and a growing number of grand-children!
Archbishop Bates is a mighty man of God and a powerful prophetic voice in the Church. Please join us in welcoming our Patriarch this Sunday, March 31st, at 10 o’clock. We encourage everyone to attend and invite their friends to witness how God is moving throughout the world.
As I am writing this letter, the news is consumed by and obsessed with a “caravan” of persons from Latin America seeking to enter the United States. Whether they are fleeing from poverty or from violence or both, they envision a new and better life for themselves and their families by crossing the border between Mexico and the United States. It doesn’t matter whether we call them refugees, aliens, legal, illegal, or asylum seeking. It doesn’t matter whether they are male or female, older or younger — they are, in many ways, the face of the poor.
I refuse to enter into the discussion of how to resolve the issue on the United States border. I pray for the government officials of Mexico and the United States hoping they will see in these people as desperate humanity and respond with compassion and mercy, rather than using them as political pawns in the next election cycle. I pray for an end to fear.
The plight of the refugee or the migration of ethnic groups is not something unique to the United States border with Mexico. I have walked through refugee camps in Africa. Some of the camps have existed for 30 years. Even today there are refugees fleeing civil war and unspeakable violence in parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. I have listened to women who have held starving and dying children in their arms because the governments are holding back basic necessities as a means of war.
The majority of the world is hungry and without basic needs. Most children will not receive healthcare or an education. Poverty gives birth to crime, addiction, and prostitution. Poverty causes parents to sell their pre-adolescent sons and daughters to sex traders so the other children in the family can have a shelter over their heads or enough cash to buy seeds to plant.
I could go on and on about the plight of the poor and the large gap between the world’s rich and the world’s poor. And, I could also talk about the thousands upon thousands of people who are deeply distressed by any number of these concerns and have given generously, and continue to give generously, to alleviate poverty. There are people who have been motivated to spend their lives ministering to the poor, and I pray for them.
I am also concerned about the violence in our cities (and even outside the city). The fear that has been created by mass shootings is of particular concern. I can’t imagine the pain of parents who have lost a child in either a drive-by shooting or at the hands of an armed mentally ill person walking into a school and shooting innocent children.
The inner cities of the United States, but also around the world, are in the midst of a pandemic of opiate addiction. The death rate from addiction has increased dramatically. Prisons are overflowing with young men and women incarcerated for drug-related crimes. I know the plight of parents who cry themselves to sleep because the baby they once held in their arms now lives on the streets, stealing money or selling their bodies to obtain drugs. Every day the people dealing with recovery are aware that addiction is a life and death issue.
I could go on and on writing about the suffering of persons around the world, particularly the poor. And, I am thankful that many from all political and religious backgrounds are working to resolve some of these issues. But there is one group of persons who are victims of the most horrific procedure ever imagined in the history of mankind. ABORTION. Worldwide, over 150,000 children are aborted every day. That is just short of 56,000,000 children a year — nearly the population of California and Texas combined. In the United States, more than 1,280,000 children are killed by abortion every year. That is larger than the population of most cities in the United States. These children, made in the image of God, are sacred.
These murders are not only happening in distant countries, or in civil-war-torn areas dominated by corrupt governments; they are happening within driving distance of most American or European homes. These children are the silent victims of a culture of death consumed by materialism, hedonism, and greed. A culture that is ready to blame children — innocent preborn children — for poverty and the results of poverty around the world. These children are a victim of a culture that has convinced women in the West that their freedom and civil rights hang on their freedom to murder their own offspring.
How are we to resolve the problem of immigration, the plight of the poor, the gun violence in schools and on the street, the senselessness of civil wars, the sexual exploitation of children, the lack of adequate healthcare around the world, or the destruction of the family if we cannot end the horror of a child burned and mutilated in her mother’s womb? We will never see the face of Christ in the poor unless we see Him in the womb of Mary and hold Him in the manger of our hands at the Eucharist.
CEC for Life alone is not going to end abortion. However, CEC for Life is our voice in the wilderness. Fr. Terry Gensemer and Sarah Howell have traveled around the world speaking to Bishops, clergy, churches and particularly young adults about the sacredness of life, particularly the preborn, and how to impact their own churches, communities and nations for life. Many of these young adults are now committed to giving their entire lives to ending the holocaust of abortion.
I don’t like writing this letter. I don’t like praying in front of abortion mills. I don’t like talking about abortion. I don’t like hearing the pain and shame of women who have had abortions, or men who have participated in abortion. I pray daily for an end to abortion so that this horror will end in my nation and around the world.
Every January, on the third Sunday in January, we celebrate the Feast Day of Our Lord the Giver of Life. On that day, every church in the ICCEC is asked to take up an offering and send it to CEC for Life. It is also the time when every church and every clergyman renew their membership in CEC for Life, and every layperson is asked to partner with CEC for Life through a one-time donation or monthly pledge. This allows our pro-life ministry to continue, and we remain part of the increasing number of persons calling for an end to abortion. We cannot remain silent while the screams of the unborn go unheard.
The 2019 Feast Day takes place on Sunday, January 20th. Please take the time to pray and to give. Your giving has done and will continue to do so much.
Under His mercy,
The Most Rev. Craig W. Bates
Patriarch, ICCEC
Foundation Day is the Sunday closest to the anniversary of the consecration of Randolph Adler as the first bishop in the Charismatic Episcopal Church. In honor of this event, we collect a special offering each year to help build the future of our Communion. Due to an oversight, we neglected to collect the offering this past Sunday and will do so this coming Sunday, July 1st. Below is a letter regarding the special occasion by Archbishop Craig Bates, the Patriarch of the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church. Thank you for supporting the future of our Communion.
Brothers and Sisters
It is once again time for every Church in the ICCEC to take up an offering called the “FoundationDay Offering.” The original name of the fund was the Founder’s Day Fund and was to be an offering give to Archbishop Adler in honor of his consecration as the first bishop in the ICCEC. Archbishop was, however, a man of great generosity – he was a giver and not a taker. He decided that rather than receive the money for his personal use, he wanted the offering to establish a fund that would purchase property and buildings for the future generations of people who would call the ICCEC home.
What happens to the offering? It is collected in each country and is given to the Patriarch, who delegates the spending of the funds to the Primates. This money is then divided into thirds. One third is given as a one time gift to a congregation to purchase or build a church. One third is loaned to a congregation at a very low-interest rate for the purchase of building of a church. One third is put into an investment account where the interest can be used for the purchase or construction of a church. If you want a history of the account you can find out all the information on CEC-NA. (https://www.cec-na.org/foundation–day/)
The author, Ken Follett, wrote a novel, later became a mini-series, called “Pillars of the Earth.” It is the fictional story about the building of a Cathedral in 12th century England. It becomes clear that the beginning of a Cathedral is small (planting oak trees) and will take decades, if not centuries to complete. The largest Cathedral in America, St. John the Divine, is still under construction. The idea of a Cathedral for New York was first conceived in 1828, and it wasn’t until 59 years later, 1887, that the cornerstone was laid. The first service was held in the crypt in 1892.
The same can be said for St. Patrick’s Cathedral (the people’s Cathedral) on Fifth Ave., in NYC. Now a landmark in New York and a center for the spiritual life of the City of New York, Archbishop John Hughes had a vision of a Cathedral for the glory of God. With offering taken from the poor immigrants and 103 larger donors (1,000 dollars each – 103,000 dollars), he began the work. He obtained property in what was then the wilderness of New York. People called it “Hughes Folly” But the lack of manpower, the civil war, and lack funds did not stop the dream.
These stories can be told about every Cathedral and most local congregations. The Church I served for 32 years, began in the dream of the Bishop of Long Island to have a local congregation for every town and village. In 1936, work began. The congregation has gone through many changes, including becoming part of the ICCEC. And, like the great Cathedrals, it is still a living organism ministering not only to present members but a next generation. Some in the congregation are the fourth generation.
The Charismatic Episcopal Church was placed into the heart of Archbishop Adler. He always reminded the early Bishops and clergy that the vision was a 500-year plan. He once said, “all I can do is be faithful on my watch.” That is true for each of us. Are we faithful in what God has given us? Are we planting seeds for a 500-year plan? Are we opening our eyes to see beyond what our eyes can see?
This is what FoundationDay is all about. It is our participation in God’s incredible plan of a three streams community proclaiming the Gospel. Please take part.
SJL 
Since the early days of the Charismatic Episcopal Church, we have taken an annual offering to support international missions. Over the years, this money has supported numerous projects and missions, including equipping the church in developing nations in becoming the three streams. After several years, we have been led to assist the church in Africa in becoming self-sufficient. This led us to develop micro-businesses in various regions and financially support a multitude of projects.
of medical services, hunger, HIV/AIDS, child soldiers, and the ever-present danger of terrorism or war. Our bishops and clergy are in the center of this. They are where the conflicts and struggles are the most evident. Many are struggling to spread their message without transportation, materials, adequate housing, and in some cases, food for their families. Yet, they never complain. They look to the Lord for Him to provide and rejoice in their relationship with the CEC.
