Convergence background The Charismatic Episcopal Church began when a variety of independent churches throughout the United States, as part of the Convergence Movement, began to blend evangelical teaching and charismatic worship with liturgies from the
Book of Common Prayer inspired by the spiritual pilgrimages of modern
Evangelical Protestant writers like Thomas Howard,
Robert E. Webber,
Peter E. Gillquist and the ancient Christian writers and their communities. These men, along with theologians, scripture scholars, and pastors in a number of traditions,
were calling Christians back to their roots in the primitive church.
Establishment and growth On June 26, 1992,
Randolph Adler was consecrated the first bishop and primate of the ICCEC with Timothy Michael Barker of the International Free Catholic Communion—who was consecrated by Archbishop-Patriarch
Herman Adrian Spruit and his wife functioning as the principal consecrator, both clergy of the
Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch, an
Independent Catholic jurisdiction. A few years after the consecration of Adler, the ICCEC's clergy began to express concern about Barker's embrace of theological liberalism,
Gnosticism,
Theosophy, non-traditional sexual ethics, and the ordination of women to the priesthood, all of which are contrary to ICCEC beliefs. In 1996, Adler was named the communion's first patriarch. In 1997, the ICCEC sought and acquired consecration and ordination of all of its clergy by the
Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church through the
episcopal genealogy of
Carlos Duarte Costa. The ICCEC adopted the following vision statement: "The Charismatic Episcopal Church exists to make visible the Kingdom of God; to bring the rich sacramental and liturgical life of the early church to searching evangelicals and charismatics; to carry the power of Pentecost to our brothers and sisters in the historic churches; and finally, to provide a home for all Christians who seek a liturgical-sacramental, evangelical, charismatic church and a foundation for their lives and gifts of ministry."
Since 2006–2007 schism On October 15, 2007, at a scheduled patriarch's council meeting, the patriarch, Randolph Adler, requested to retire as patriarch of the ICCEC and as
primate of the United States. The council accepted his request, expressing gratitude for all he had done in the formation and launching of the vision which led to the ICCEC. Archbishop Hines of the Philippines, as senior bishop on the patriarch's council, was appointed as acting patriarch (supervising bishop) for the ICCEC until a formal election could be held. On January 9, 2008, Archbishop Hines announced that the patriarch's council, in accordance with the canons, had elected Craig W. Bates as the ICCEC's new patriarch. On July 30, 2008, during the ICCEC's 4th International Convocation, Bates was enthroned as the second patriarch and primate of the ICCEC in North America. The celebration was presided over by Loren Thomas Hines, Archbishop of Manila and the ICCEC's primate in the Philippines and Asia. == Statistics ==