Apostolic Succession of Bishops Antecedent to and Continuing With

Ambassadors of Christ General Convocation

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The folloowing decree is the official decree by our Current Presiding Bishop, as is our custom:

ECCLESIASTICAL DECREE

Regarding the Apostolic Lineage and the Bestowal of the Antiochan Mantle

TO ALL CLERGY AND LAITY within the Ambassadors of Christ General Convocation, and to the wider Body of Christ, Greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus:

WHEREAS,  Ambassadors of Christ General Convocation recognizes Apostolic Succession not merely as a historical record, but as a living transmission of Holy Spirit-granted authority necessary for the governance and sacramental life of the Church; and

WHEREAS, our sacred lineage is traced through the person of Bishop Erasmus of Arcadia (of the ancient lineage of Antioch), who, in the year 1763, served as a providential bridge between the Eastern and Western Church; and

WHEREAS, it is historically noted that John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, maintained a posture of profound humility and legal prudence regarding his ecclesiastical standing within the Church of England;

THEREFORE, BE IT DECREED AND DECLARED BY THIS CONVOCATION:

THE DOCTRINE OF BESTOWAL: We affirm that while John Wesley did not "seek" nor "entreat" the office of Bishop for the sake of title or ambition, the Mantle of Ecclesiastical Consecration was nonetheless bestowed upon him through the laying on of hands by Bishop Erasmus.

PROVIDENTIAL NECESSITY: We recognize this providential bestowal—a divine intervention intended to preserve the sacramental integrity of the Methodist movement and to equip Wesley with the extraordinary authority required to ordain and set apart laborers for the global harvest.

VALIDITY OF THE ANTIOCHIAN LINEAGE: We assert that Wesley’s subsequent actions—specifically the ordination of clergy—serve as the historical "fruit" and evidence of this bestowed authority. We believe that what was received in quietude was exercised in power.

OUR STANDING: By virtue of this succession, Ambassadors of Christ General Convocation stands as a legitimate heir to the Antiochian Lineage, maintaining a valid and unbroken chain of apostolic grace that empowers our leadership to preach, teach, and administer the Holy Sacraments.

GIVEN THIS DAY, July 14, 2012, in the City of Saint Louis, Missouri, as a testament to our history and a foundation for our future.

The Right Reverend Dr. Richard J. Lee, D. Min.

Presiding Bishop

Ambassadors of Christ General Convocation

Bishop Joseph Chapman Edwards was born in 1905 and entered Eternal Life one day after his birthday in 2002 at the age of 97 years old and served in Ordained Ministry for 66 years.

This is a list of bishops who began with Methodism   and continued with us as Ambassadors of Christ. Therefore, this list has names listed that are part of the Erasmian Apostolic Lineage antecedent to (prior to) and continuing with Ambassadors of Christ. We do this to represent an unbroken chain of succession.