Full Communion with the Evangelical Apostolic Church Diocese, OCC and Archbishop John P. Johnston

Celtic Church Roots, Christian Worship / Liturgy, Covenantal suveränitet, Ecclesiastical, Från skrivbordet till vår Primace, Legitimist Philosophy, Literature, Nyheter, Order Establishments, Perpetual Confederation (for Christ), Priory of Salem, Public Representation, State Assemblies, Templar, Theology Institute
Sprid kärleken

Full Communion with the Evangelical Apostolic Church Diocese

Orthodox Church of the Culdees and Archbishop John P. Johnston

Introduction

The Orthodox Church of the Culdees (OCC), under the primacy of Dr. Stephen MK Brunswick, affirms its full communion with the Evangelical Apostolic Church Diocese led by Patriarch Archbishop John P. Johnston (https://eacdiocese.org). This relationship was formally recognized and certified in 2014, during a cooperative period involving coordination with the Archbishop of Berlin.

This full communion was granted through the validation and certification of apostolic succession, doctrine, and sacramental discipline — Archbishop Johnston was one of the four co-consecrating Archbishops for the Archdiocese of Berlin, which was in full communion with the Orthodox Church of the Culdees. The bishops of Berlin, together with hierarchs of the Russian True Orthodox Church (Catacomb Church), jointly founded the BENELUX Archdiocese under the oversight of Dr. Brunswick.

Standards of Full Communion with OCC

Full communion with St. Andrew’s OCC and the broader Orthodox Church of the Culdees is only granted to ministries that:

  • Practice a closed communion: requiring personal conversion, confession, baptism, and confirmation in the faith;
  • Maintain traditional apostolic norms: including the use of apostolic liturgies and proper sacramental theology;
  • Support and encourage the observance of Biblical High Holy Days: consistent with the 1928 Book of Common Prayer and the guidance of bishops, and as ministers are available. These include efforts to hold the festivals of the Lord (the Israelite feasts) from time to time, and bring in ministers capable of holding such services when not already locally available;
  • Celebrate Saturday liturgies where possible, according to pastoral capacity and the liturgical tradition of the Church.

The Evangelical Apostolic Church Diocese has demonstrated faithfulness in all these areas, thereby qualifying for full communion and mutual sacramental recognition.

I. The Faithful Old Catholic Line of Succession

(Remaining Old Catholic line, adhering to traditional apostolic norms)

  • Jesus Kristus
  • St. Paul the Apostle, 33 AD
  • St. Timothy, 62 AD
  • St. Onesimus, 91 AD
  • St. John the Elder, 113 AD
  • Demetrius, 131 AD
  • Lucius, 156 AD
  • St. Polycrates, 175 AD
  • St. Irenaeus (sent to Gaul), 177 AD
  • St. Nicomedian, 180 AD
  • Maximus, 203 AD
  • Philip Deoderus, 241 AD
  • St. Matthias, 276 AD
  • Gregory Antilas, 276 AD
  • Andrew Meletius, 283 AD
  • Pious Stephenas, 291 AD
  • Mark Leuvian, 312 AD
  • Paul Anencletus the Elder, 330 AD
  • St. Christopher, 394 AD
  • James, 413 AD
  • Basil, 415 AD
  • Clement of Lyons, 436 AD
  • Timothy Eumenes, 468 AD
  • Christopher II, 472 AD
  • Christopher III, 485 AD
  • St. Evarestus, 502 AD
  • Linus, 532 AD
  • Gregory II, 547 AD
  • John, 562 AD
  • St. Mark Pireu, 581 AD
  • Maximus Lyster, 587 AD
  • Aetherius, 591 AD
  • St. Augustine of Canterbury (consecrated by Bishops of Gaul), 601 AD

(Complete succession through the Archbishops of Canterbury is maintained to…)

  • Philip Barlow (Bishop of London), 1536
  • Dr. Parker, 1559
  • Steven Grendall, 1575
  • Mark Whitgift, 1577
  • Richard Bancroft, 1604
  • Kyle Abbot, 1610
  • Niles Sancroft, 1658
  • Dr. Philip Tillotson, 1683
  • Dr. Baxter Tenison, 1701
  • Bishop of Oxford (who ordained John Wesley as Presbyter), 1724

The Wesleyan-Methodist Continuation:

  • John Wesley — Presbyterate: 1724; consecrated Bishop by +Erasmus (Greek Orthodox), 1763
  • Dr. Thomas Coke — Consecrated by John Wesley, 1784
  • Francis Asbury — Consecrated by Coke, 1784
  • Bishop Richard Allen — Consecrated by Asbury, 1816
  • Bishop William Paul Quinn — Consecrated 1844
  • Bishop Daniel A. Payne — Consecrated 1852
  • Bishop Henry McNeal Turner — Consecrated 1880
  • Bishop Billy Corn — Date undocumented
  • Bishop William E. Conner — Consecrated by Billy Corn, March 2001
  • Bishop Bruce D. Campbell — Consecrated by Conner, August 2001
  • Bishop John P. Johnston — Consecrated by Campbell, April 19, 2003

II. Faithful Old Catholic Line through Utrecht (Independent/”Remaining” Old Catholics)

  • Antonio Cardinal Barberini — Consecrated Charles Maurice Le Tellier, 1657
  • Charles Maurice Le Tellier — Consecrated Jacques-Benigne Bossuet, 1668
  • Jacques-Benigne Bossuet — Consecrated James Goydon de Matignon, 1670
  • James Goydon de Matignon — Consecrated Dominic M. Varlet, 1719
  • Dominic M. Varlet — Consecrated Peter John Meindaerts, 1739
  • Peter John Meindaerts — Consecrated John van Stiphout, 1745
  • John van Stiphout — Consecrated Walter Michael van Nieuwenhuizen, 1768
  • Walter M. van Nieuwenhuizen — Consecrated Adrian Broekman, 1778
  • Adrian Broekman — Consecrated John James van Rhijn, 1805
  • John James van Rhijn — Consecrated Gilbert de Jong, 1805
  • Gilbert de Jong — Consecrated Willibrord van Os, 1814
  • Willibrord van Os — Consecrated John Bon, 1819
  • John Bon — Consecrated John van Santen, 1825
  • John van Santen — Consecrated Herman Heykamp, 1854
  • Herman Heykamp — Consecrated Gaspard John Rinkel, 1873
  • Gaspard John Rinkel — Consecrated Gerardus Gul, 1892
  • Gerardus Gul — Consecrated Arnold Harris Mathew, 1908

Split from Union of Utrecht occurs after 1910 (Mathew consecrates independently)

  • Arnold H. Mathew — Consecrated Prince de Landas Berghes, 1913
  • Prince de Landas Berghes — Consecrated Henry Carmel Carfora, 1916
  • Henry C. Carfora — Consecrated Earl Anglin James, 1945
  • Earl Anglin James — Consecrated Grant Timothy Billet, 1950
  • Grant Timothy Billet — Consecrated Norman R. Parr, 1979
  • Norman R. Parr — Consecrated Maurice D. McCormick, 1991
  • Maurice D. McCormick — Consecrated Irwin R. Young, 1997
  • Irwin R. Young — Consecrated Paul Victor Verhaeren & Wayne Moore Hay, 1998
  • Paul V. Verhaeren & Wayne M. Hay — Consecrated Bruce D. Campbell, 2003
  • Bruce D. Campbell — Consecrated John P. Johnston, 2003

Canonical Note:

In 1910, the Union of Utrecht formally severed communion with Archbishop Mathew, but did not deny the validity of his orders. This affirmed that though he had broken communion, the apostolic succession passed through him remained sacramentally valid.

Theological Note:

The succession through Mathew → Berghes → Carfora → Parr → Johnston, and likewise the Wesleyan-Methodist line through Coke and Allen, have consistently upheld traditional apostolic norms — including closed communion, sacramental theology, and apostolic polity.

These lines are therefore rightly recognized as “Remaining Faithful” branches of their respective apostolic origins.

Slutsats

The lines of succession presented above demonstrate that despite external pressures and internal controversies, the preservation of apostolic faith and order has remained alive in specific branches of both the Old Catholic and Methodist traditions. Bishop John P. Johnston stands at the intersection of two such lines — both sacramentally valid and theologically committed to traditional, orthodox Christian faith. The testimony of these successions offers not only historical continuity but a call to retain and uphold the faith once delivered to the saints.

These lines may therefore serve as a foundation for intercommunion and cooperation with similarly rooted jurisdictions, such as the Orthodox Church of the Culdees, who continue to hold fast to the apostolic rule, the biblical liturgical calendar, and the pastoral integrity of the ancient Church.