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This is not new, but a reader of this blog pointed out to me that as early as last week, there was still a link to Bishop Philip Weeks’s website from the international CEC site. Oops. He’s only been gone for a while now, but they finally have been in cleaning mode on the international site.
At any rate, at +Weeks’s website, you can read his reasons for leaving the CEC. Click here or read on below for his official statement.
Bishop Weeks is now a part of the Communion of Christ the Redeemer. Many blessings to you Bishop Weeks!
BISHOP WEEKS RESIGNS FROM THE CHARISMATIC EPISCOPAL CHURCH
My resignation is NOT a renunciation of my Ordination and Consecration as a Bishop in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. It is a resignation as a bishop in the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church.
I consider my association with ICCEC a privilege, and to serve as Supervising Bishop, sometime in Rwanda, sometime in Tanzania, and retiring as Supervising Bishop of Burundi, a blessing. At the time of my retirement in 2005, I had in my short time as Bishop administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to 3,808 people, officially Received 639, Ordained 302 men and Baptized 95 children and adults. Through Barnabas Ministries, Incorporated, our work was done without any compensation from the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church, for which we thank God and the faithful supporters of Barnabas Ministries.
I became acquainted with the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church through the kind invitation of the Primate of Southeast Territory to teach his men Convergence and prepare his churches for acceptance into ICCEC. I praise God for the relationship I was blessed to have with Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines. I was delighted to find a Communion that adhered to New Testament principles of church government, believed in and practiced the Three Streams of Christianity, and was unashamed of the exercise of the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit. Being a Canon and later consecrated a Bishop, receiving Apostolic Succession from the National Catholic and Apostolic Church of Brazil, which is a direct line from Peter, first Bishop of Rome, I count it all joy to have served the sunset years of our ministry in this Communion.
I do not leave without much regret and sorrow. I have remained quiet over the past several years regarding the cause of and fact of schism, embarrassed at times to be identified as a Bishop of this Church, and appalled at the reluctance of the properly constituted Council to discharge faithfully and honestly its duties to affect discipline, healing and reconciliation. To me it has become evident that the contributions my wife and I made to the growth of this church in Africa were not appreciated nor recognized. Much of the story of our labors are unknown to the Bishops of this Church; the money we personally spent; the wrist surgery required by my wife because of many corporals and altar vestments she prepared for the churches; the death of our Sheltie during one of our Tanzanian trips; to mention only a few… The Africans have been told not to communicate with me. It seems best that I become a vague memory.
The Consensus Government that I proudly believed in and taught to hundreds of African clergy has become a farce, when a program such as CEC MISSIONS, constituted by the House of Bishops in 2004 but announced to the Africans in 2006 and decided upon without the Consensus of the House of Bishops, that it no longer exists, although appeals continue to be made on the CEC MISSIONS’ web site, and contributors have not been notified to cease their contributions. (Since my resignation they have now sent a letter informing the people.) This has become a Church, not ruled by a Consensus of Bishops, but governed by several bishops making decisions apart from the rest of the body. To this day I have had no explanation as to why I was directed to transfer the CEC MISSIONS program to Archdeacon Dan Sharp during the September 7-9, 2005 Primate’s Council in Baltimore when the charges noted in the June 8, 2005 letter regarding the IDA finances and the Patriarchate accountability were discussed. When I transferred the money September 26, 2005 to Archdeacon Sharp I had advanced through December 2005 subsistence for all the clergy in the CEC MISSIONS program and transferred a balance in excess of $1,800 toward the next year. Not all bishops received their subsistence during 2006.
According to the Canons of this Church, no bishop is to go into another bishop’s jurisdiction without his permission, nevertheless according to sources, Bishop Francis Gogo of Uganda is sent by the Patriarch to Burundi to work with the deposed Archdeacon Severin Ndayizeye in opposition to what I was doing as appointed Supervising Bishop. I was not consulted prior to, during or after this visit by Bishop Gogo, and when confronted, no apology was tendered. If my leadership was under question, I should have been consulted rather than create further division by lending support to the deposed priest who was causing the division and disunity. I learned from a former Episcopal Bishop that what a Bishop may do privately should not disallow public support of his appointed authority lest he should undermine his own authority by demeaning the one he has appointed. A case in point is the humiliation of former Archbishop Randy Sly by the Patriarch in June 2006 in Maryland when his leadership was destroyed. It seems that some in our ecclesiastical hierarchy enjoy hearing unfavorable reports without asking any defense from the accused more than cherishing good news. I feel victimized by this behavior.
In Rwanda I traveled that country to every part and ordained every priest. With God’s blessing and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, Emmanuel Ngirumpatse was raised up to take my place and I had the joy of being co-consecrator. In Tanzania I worked with the two men who later would succeed me: – Bishop Daudi Chidawali and Bishop Charles Sekelwa in whose Consecrations I participated. Under threat of death I traveled throughout Burundi, confirming and ordaining, and watching to see whom God would raise up as Bishop. With the consent of the Bishop’s Council during my final visit to Burundi in August, 2005, I recommended Canon Nestor Misigaro as Bishop, only to have my recommendation questioned as if I knew nothing of the desire of the priests, and poisoned by the continual contact and consultation with the deposed archdeacon who was guilty of fraud, lying, misuse of money and disobedience to his ordination vows. Rumor has it that Canon Misigaro and two other men will be consecrated in March but such information has not been passed to me by the attending Archbishop nor any inquiry into the election of the additional men, nor invitation to be co-consecrator of my successors. A major reason for problems among the African leadership today is due to the fact that bishops were elected and consecrated without due investigation by the Archbishop. This is not only bad practice, but improper conduct in protocol, and a blatant act of discourtesy.
“Relationship is what CEC is all about” declares the Patriarch, however, since the announcement of my wife’s Alzheimer Disease four years ago, the Patriarch has not called, emailed, written or asked about her condition or how I am handling this change in our life. No comment!
I do not leave ICCEC angry, but I do feel I have been victimized and treated unfairly. My service is no longer needed nor wanted although I probably know Africa better than any bishop setting or resigned. I pray that the Charismatic Episcopal Church may re-discover its original Vision (Revelation 2:4) and I covet your prayers for whatever use God may have for my life in my remaining years.
I have been received as Assistant Bishop to Bishop Rich Lipka in the Diocese of DELMARVA. The formation of a new communion by the seven bishops who resigned is pending.
For many years GLAD TIDINGS was the official organ of Barnabas Ministries, Inc and mailed to a large list of constituents. At my election as Bishop in 2002 we discontinued the publication. Now in 2006 we resumed the publication of an e-newsletter sent online to email addresses we have, and included in the receipt letter of contributors to Barnabas Ministries, Inc. If you wish to receive the monthly e-newsletter, send us your e-mail address at bishopweeks@verizon.net.
Seen on a posting on the ICCEC website:
Saturday, July 14, 2007 06:29 PM
Announcing the new location for St. Andrew’s CEC mission in St. Augustine. Beginning Sunday, July 22, 2007, we will gather for worship at the Riverview Club, 790 Christina Dr. in the St. Augustine Shores neighborhood.
For more information, please send me an Email with your contact information.
God bless!
+Doug Woodall
Interim Pastor
Well that’s interesting that the Archbishop for the Armed Forces will also be handling a parish in his new home of Florida. The Priest-in-charge recently moved to the Communion of Christ the Redeemer. I was under the impression that he and his whole mission made the trip but apparently not.
I’ve just discovered the blog stats panel for this place. And, this site is surprisingly getting a ton of traffic! Most of it is coming through search engine traffic. It seems like folks are trying to find answers about what’s going on in the CEC, what went wrong and where some of the former players are now.
Quite a few searches for “Communion of Christ the Redeemer” have led to this site. I am not at all connected to CCR (or what some have amusingly referred to as CEC version 2.0). I did notice that there is a place holder for a site that is in the works here.
So, be on the lookout. Personally, I think it’s surprising that their site isn’t up yet – at least not even a temporary site with some pictures, e-mail links and a phone number. Judging from the fallout happening in the CEC, it could only benefit their movement to get their stuff out there.
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