What We Believe
St. Stephen’s
is a member of the
Anglican Province of
Christ the King, a body of Anglican churches which was formed in 1977 to
ensure the continuation of historic Anglican Christianity in America.
The need for the new Province arose because of changes in the
fundamental faith and practices of the Episcopal Church in the United
States of America (ECUSA). This radical restructuring of the Episcopal
Church was completed at the 1976 Episcopal Convention in Minneapolis,
Minnesota. At this meeting sweeping changes were adopted to accommodate
new beliefs and practices. These changes culminated in the
approval of the 1979 Prayer Book. The new Prayer Book's theology changed
the historic teachings of the Faith and departed from the ideals of The
1928 Book of Common Prayer adopting new optional rites. In the words of
one eminent commentator, the book of 1979 signaled a rejection of the
Common Prayer tradition itself.
The 1976 General Convention forced an ever-increasing secularization of
the church. The unilateral "ordination" of women to the priesthood
contradicted apostolic authority as established by Christ Himself.
In 1977 concerned Episcopal clergy and laity who objected to these
radical changes gathered in St. Louis, Missouri. They set forth a
statement of faith called the
Affirmation of Saint Louis,
which expressed their commitment as Episcopalians to orthodox
Christianity. The next step was the creation of the Diocese (now
Province) of Christ the King. Six Western parishes joined
together and elected as their Bishop the Rev. Robert S. Morse, Rector of
Saint Peter's Church in Oakland, California. On January 28, 1978, in
Denver, Colorado, Father Morse was consecrated Bishop. The Rt. Rev.
Albert A Chambers, retired Episcopal Bishop of Springfield, Illinois,
was chief consecrator who acted to preserve the American Episcopate.
The Anglican Province of Christ the King has moved from a small diocese
of concerned Episcopalians to a confident, growing Anglican Province of
seventy congregations working to maintain and promote the historic
Christian faith in the Anglican tradition. New churches are being built
across the country, and a national headquarters has been established in
Washington, D.C. at the church of Christ the King. In addition,
St. Joseph of Arimathea Anglican Theological College
in Berkeley, California, is producing a steadily increasing number of
knowledgeable and dedicated clergy for the entire Province.
In 2007, Archbishop Morse stepped down as Primate of the Province to devote his energy to full time oversight of the theological college in Berkeley. On June 29, 2007, The Most Reverend James Eugene Provence was elected the 2nd Archbishop in the Pro-Cathedral of St. Peter in Oakland, California.