From the Archbishop

Pastoral Letter, Lent 1996

To the clergy and people of the Anglican Province of Christ the King:

As we approach a new millennium, the Bishops of the Anglican Province of Christ the King, meeting at Aiken, South Carolina this January 9th, 1996, extend our greetings to all the faithful in Christ. First we wish to express to you our gratitude to God for leading us through these recent dark years of relentless confusion and painful separation. Through grace we have survived the bold attempt of those who have tried to subvert our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and deny His redemptive passion and mighty resurrection. We have emerged victorious from the spiritual battles against principalities and powers, and taken up the task of rebuilding and renewing our church.

Through Divine Mercy comes the successful effort to reestablish the Episcopacy and its apostolic and administrative authority. This was granted to us through the courage and strength of Bishop Albert Chambers, who stood alone at the beginning as an uncompromising witness to our Holy Catholic Faith. It is, thank God, through him that we received the apostolic succession.

Often our people are distressed at the perceived appearance of divisions in the so-called "Continuing Churches". With the collapse of orthodox Anglicanism in the United States of America, initiated in the 1976 General Convention of the Episcopal Church in Minneapolis, various Episcopal denominations have come, and continue to come, into being. Their numbers are uncountable. These new denominations take various forms, including everything from Charismatics to Calvinists. The Province of Christ the King is committed to renewing and rebuilding the Anglican church as we have received it from St. Joseph of Arimathea, St. Augustine of Canterbury, and from our own blessed Albert Chambers.

At this point in our history, the Bishops intend to stabilize what we have achieved, with God's help, and make it grow. It is our intention to establish parishes throughout the United States and to organize them into new dioceses for the Province, so that those who seek Christ in the Anglican tradition can worship Him in community and participate in the sacramental life of His Mystical Body.

Our other primary goal is to continue to develop Saint Joseph of Arimathea Theological College into one of America's great Anglican seminaries. Through Saint Joseph of Arimathea we can train men to serve our churches throughout the country. It is our hope that we will soon see the development of Parish day schools for our children. As Christians we must meet the growing national crisis in education and morals with a positive and creative answer.

Pray for vocations. Pray for our Seminary. Pray for those regions of our land without churches for our people. Pray for our children. Pray for family life. Pray for our clergy. And finally, pray for your Bishops.

The Blessing of God the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost be with you.

The Most Reverend Robert Sherwood Morse