Apostolic Pastoral Congress

The Apostolic Pastoral Congress or "Apostolic Pastoral Congress of Great Britain" (Conventum Apostolicae Pastoralis Magnae Britanniae) is a collegiate collective of Christian bishops, pastors and other clergy in Great Britain. It is part of the Pentecostal Holiness movement. Its bishops claim apostolic succession.

The Apostolic Pastoral Congress is one of the forty "member-denominations" that together make up the membership of England's national ecumenical instrument Churches Together in England.[1] The Congress is also a member of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.

The presiding prelate and executive director of the Congress is Archbishop Doyé Agama. Archbishop Agama is a trustee of Churches Together in England, the moderator of the Forum of Churches Together in England for the three year period 2012 to 2015, and a co—president of Greater Manchester Churches Together.

The Revd Eric Scotland is minister to the court of the Congress, and head of finance and administration.

The Congress is listed in the UK Directory of Black & Multicultural Churches.[2] However, the movement also includes several Asian churches and small numbers of white British churches as well.

The Congress is a member of the Evangelical Alliance of Great Britain.

History

The Congress was formed (initially under the name "Apostolic Pastoral Association") during the first decade of the 21st century. It started in the north of England and now has country-wide membership. The Congress remains particularly active in Greater Manchester and the surrounding areas, and has its administrative office at Manchester.[3]

In 2013, the presiding prelate of the Congress was elevated to the status of archbishop, at a ceremony held in Southwark Cathedral[4] at London Bridge in central London, England.[5]

Character

The Congress is Pentecostal in character, firmly evangelical in its soteriology, sacramental in theology and practice.[3][5] members of the Congress use adapted forms of ancient church liturgy whenever sacraments are expressed, but at other times allow more open styles of Pentecostal worship.

The Congress also promotes knowledge of and respect for the ancient Christian church of the first millennium in the Atlantic Isles (the British Isles), and indeed knowledge of and respect for the ancient Christian church worldwide, and encourages disciplined prayer life based on insights derived from the early monastics.[3][5][6]

Congress policy is to preach and practice Holy Baptism by full immersion in water, following confession of faith in Jesus Christ and a personal infilling of the Holy Spirit, evidenced by the biblical gifts (see spiritual gift) and fruit of the Holy Spirit. Congress is dedicated to promoting holy living which is the right result of salvation in Christ.[5]

There is particular emphasis upon the spiritual heritage deriving from early monastic communities such as those at Whithorn (Candida Casa) (see St Ninian of Whithorn) in Galloway, Scotland, Iona and Lindisfarne and from the seventh century north African (Berber) scholar-monk Hadrian of Canterbury (Adrian of Canterbury) (Hadrian the African) (c.635 - 710) and Antony of Egypt.

There is particular focus upon the African and Asian diaspora community in the Atlantic Isles and upon BAME (Black, Asian and other minority ethnic) community interests and affairs generally.

Bishops[7]

Bishops are listed alphabetically by surname. The list is not necessarily exhaustive. Where known, the date of admission into the APC House of Bishops is indicated in parentheses. Bishops who are formally associated with APC and whose sphere of ministry is believed to be wholly or mainly outside the United Kingdom are also listed.

House of Bishops

 Dr Doye Agama (presiding archbishop)
 Edward Akea-Mensah (2009)
 Steven Lyn Evans (2014)
 James Hansen-Sackey (2014)
 Dr Mustaq Masih (2009)
 George K.A. Obeng
 Moses Owusu-Sekyere (2012)

Overseas Bishops

 Mark Kambalaza  (southern and eastern Africa)
 Dr Christian Kliver (2014)  (Germany, and to German-speaking peoples)
 Harry Sebastian (archbishop) (2014) (India)
 Doyle Volantine (archbishop) (2015) (USA)

Annual Pentecostal Summit

For several years now, the Congress has organized and hosted an annual conference or "Pentecostal Summit" in an English cathedral, usually Manchester Cathedral, though in 2013 Southwark Cathedral was used. This event is combined with the Congress's annual ordination ceremony, and also with awards by the Apostolic Order of St Hadrian of Canterbury (see below).

Other activities

The Congress provides training, mentoring, networking, ordination and licensing.

Related organizations

St Hadrian's College

Training provision is mainly through St Hadrian's College.

The Christian Way of Life Churches

This is a group of Christian churches mainly in or around the Manchester area of England. The Congress's current Presiding Prelate is also Senior Pastor of the Christian Way of Life Churches. While the "Christian Way of Life Churches" and the Congress are distinct organizations, there is close synergy between them.[8]

The Order of St Hadrian of Canterbury

The Noble Communion and Holy Apostolic Order of St Hadrian of Canterbury is another organization very closely linked with the Congress. The Order declares itself to be a Pentecostal Christian and educational Order. The Order has as its grand patron Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie Haile Selassie. Prince Ermias is a grandson of the Emperor Haile Selassie (1892-1975), and president of Ethiopia's Crown Council (a council in exile).[3] The Order aims to promote aspects of monastic prayer life within black Pentecostal Christian churches. The Order grants awards to individuals in recognition of outstanding service, and particularly recognizes outstanding community service by Christians from black and other minority ethnic backgrounds in the United Kingdom and beyond.[9]

Among those who have been granted awards by the Order are Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, and Bishop Nigel McCulloch.

International Apostolic Pastoral Congress

(Congres Pastoral Apostolique Internationale)

This is the international arm of the organization and it is particularly active in Africa.

Church of England (relations with)

See also "Anglican Communion (relations with), below

It has been said[10] that there are close relations between the Church of England and the Apostolic Pastoral Congress. This is exemplified by the fact that the Congress's presiding prelate leads a church that operates in Church of England church buildings, that Church of England bishops attend and participate in the Congress's Annual Pentecostal Summit, that a greeting from the archbishop of Canterbury was read at the 2013 Summit, and that the Summit and the Congress's ordinations take place within Church of England cathedrals.

Churches Together in England (relations with)

The Congress is a member of Churches Together in England. The Congress's current (2014) presiding prelate is a member of the board of directors/trustees of Churches Together in England and he is moderator for the three year period 2012 to 2015 of the Forum of Churches Together in England.[1][11]

Joint College of African-American Pentecostal Bishops (relations with)

The Congress's presiding prelate is a former member of this Joint College. He is also a member of the House of Bishops of the Pentecostal Churches of Christ (based in USA).

In 2013, the Consecration Mandate for elevating the Congress's presiding prelate, (Bishop (now Archbishop) Doyé Agama), to the status of archbishop was provided by J. Delano Ellis who is presiding prelate of the Joint College and also of the Pentecostal Churches of Christ. Archbishop Ellis also sent an episcopal delegation (comprising Bishop Darryl Woodson and Bishop Benjamin Douglass) from USA to London to take the lead role in the ceremony of elevation. Bishops Woodson and Douglass are bishops among the Pentecostal Churches of Christ.[5]

Anglican Communion (relations with)

See also "Church of England (relations with)", above

Bishop Duke Akamisoko (Church of Nigeria) was one of the bishops who laid hands upon the Congress's presiding prelate Doye Agama, at the ceremony in London on 19 October 2013 elevating Bishop Agama to the status of archbishop.

Church of Nigeria is a church within the worldwide Anglican Communion.

External websites

Website of Apostolic Pastoral Congress http://www.apostolicpastors.info

Website of the principal congregation of the Christian Way of Life Churches http://www.christianwayoflife.org.uk

Website of Joint College of African-American Pentecostal Bishops http://www.collegeofbishops.org

Website of UK Directory of Black & Multicultural Churches http://www.blackmajoritychurches.co.uk

See also

Churches Together in England - website http://www.cte.org.uk

Apostolic Congress of Great Britain - website . Disambiguation: Apostolic Congress of Great Britain (an organization founded by Bishop Henry Paul Kontor and based at Ilford, Essex, England) is not the same organization as Apostolic Pastoral Congress (or Apostolic Pastoral Congress of Great Britain).

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 The website of Churches Together in England
  2. ↑ Website of the UK Directory of Black & Multicultural Churches
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 The website of the Apostolic Pastoral Congress
  4. ↑ Formally, Southwark Cathedral is "the cathedral and collegiate church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie, Southwark" - a Church of England cathedral, whose origins lie in a convent established on the south bank of the River Thames in the year 606 AD.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 The APC Southwark Cathedral Ordinal booklet 19 October 2013 A Joint Service of Celebration, Ordination & Licensing of Recognised Ministers hosted by the Apostolic Pastoral Congress and Awards by the Order of St Hadrian of Canterbury (51 pages).
  6. ↑ Agama, DT Ancient Prayers for Today 2011 Chakam Limited ISBN 978-0-9568126-0-5.
  7. ↑ The information is provisional and is derived from London Gazette and APC publications
  8. ↑ The website of the principal congregation of the Christian Way of Life Churches www.wayoflifechurch.co.uk
  9. ↑ see the statement on page 12 of the APC Southwark Cathedral Ordinal booklet 19 October 2013 A Joint Service of Celebration, Ordination & Licensing of Recognised Ministers hosted by the Apostolic Pastoral Congress and Awards by the Order of St Hadrian of Canterbury (51 pages).
  10. ↑ For example, by the bishop of Woolwich (Church of England) who, on 19 October 2013, when (speaking on behalf of the diocesan bishop of Southwark) he was formally and publicly welcoming the Congress to Southwark Cathedral for the Pentecostal Summmit, stated that the Church of England enjoys long and close relations with the Apostolic Pastoral Congress.
  11. ↑ Charity Commission website, charity search facility: entry for Churches Together in England; names of trustees