Anglican Church of the Holy Cross

What does it mean to say that we are “soldiers

in the army of Christ”? Why would we say that and

what would we mean by it? The first place to look for

clues is in the original group of people Jesus led: the

disciples who followed Him during His public

ministry in Palestine.

If we look at the conduct of Jesus’ earthly

ministry (as well as we can see it in the gospels,

which is not as well as we would like) we observe

that the group of His followers was not just a mob

filled with religious fervor. They were organized and

had a formal structure. Three aspects of this

organization are the best known.

Him.

the Church.)

These were not the only kinds of differentiation

among Jesus’ followers, however. We see,

sometimes, in the gospel stories that there were rings

of closeness to Jesus, even among the 12 Disciples

themselves. For example, Peter and Andrew, James

and John were clearly a smaller group that Jesus, at

times, took apart for fellowship and instruction. Here

is a sequence of events from the twelfth chapter of

And there were certain Greeks among them

that came up to worship at the feast:

The same came therefore to Philip, which

was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired

him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.

Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again

Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.

Philip seems to be outside the innermost ring

around Jesus, because, if he wants to introduce these

Jews from out of town to the Master, he must enlist

the aid of someone from that inner group. With

Andrew’s help, the thing is easily done. This story

tells us something about the Disciples. They were

close to Jesus and, so, knew Him best, but they did

not think of Him as their own special property. When

people came who seemed to want to meet Jesus for

good reasons, they were passed along to Him by the

Disciples and their wish was granted. This is an

important point to note.

Many people of all ages have thought that the

Church is a wicked thing because it is a human

organization made up of sinful people. Despite the

fact that the gospels all stress that this was true even

during Jesus’ own lifetime (Peter, the triple-denier,

and Judas, the betrayer, were hardly portrayed as

sinless people, after all) nothing is thought to be so

respectable, and so daring and ground-breaking, in

know the feeling well, myself, I even share it at

times, but is it justified? Is it based on what we see in

the Bible?

Jesus’ public ministry was the period in which

He gathered His first followers around Him and

taught them the Gospel. Even at this early stage, we

that had some shape and structure. It was a fluid

arrangement for a fluid time in the group’s existence,

but it was not disorganized and it was not wandered

into without thought. The army of Christ, at that

point, was shaped for the task at hand and had the

necessary leadership and cohesion to be able to shape

itself for new situations as they came in the future.

subject of its proclamation. (I think we should

imagine, for example, that the 12 and then the 70,

when they were sent out to preach and perform

miracles, spent much of their time proclaiming the

ministry and message of Jesus.) The group had Him

at its center but was also dedicated to trying to offer a

connection to Him to the people around it. This is

where the incident from St. John’s gospel comes in.

The Jews from out of town want to see Jesus

but know that they need an introduction. Philip,

himself, does not feel able or ready to take them

directly to Jesus, so he passes them along to Andrew,

one of the inner four disciples, and Andrew presents

them to Jesus. Notice that both of these disciples do

not make an attempt to keep Jesus to themselves as if

enough to be with Him but the visitors from out of

town were not. The desire of the Greek-speaking

Jews to meet Jesus seems to have been sufficient

proof of their suitability and they are ushered in to

see the Master. This brief encounter is a model for

the Church to follow in every age.

How are we to put this model into practice?

as His disciples did during His ministry. For

us, this means gathering around the

Eucharistic table and around, and within, the

Body He created to take His place on earth.

This is where the army of Christ musters its

troops and where they receive their rations

and their marching orders.

are an army of proclamation and charity. Just

as the 12 and 70 went about preaching the

Gospel and helping those in need, so are we

assigned that duty, here, among our fellow

humans who need the Gospel and God’s

healing grace more than they know. (They

often need it so much that they cannot

recognize their need, as people in advanced

stages of starvation no longer feel hunger.)

no one else has a real right to Him. We are the

army of Christ because we are enlisted by

Him to do His will on earth. (Remember,

“ecclesia”, the Greek word we translate as

“Church”, means “chosen group”. We are

chosen by God, not Him by us. We are a

group called into being by God’s Son to do

God’s will. A large part of that will is for us

to bring people to the Son and help them

understand Him and how much they need

Him.) Like Philip and Andrew, two disciples

who are not remembered as much as they

deserve to be, we must have an instinctual

desire to draw people to Jesus and we must

take advantage of any opportunity to do so.

(Not all people who want to meet Him will

come right out and ask. We need to keep our

ears pricked for any hint of real interest and

honest inquiry.)

In the end, we will be Christ’s good army

if we are doing His will, with His teaching in

mind. If we love Him, we will keep His

commandments and His Father in heaven will see

our good works and reward us openly. One of His

rewards will surely be to give us His help in

doing His will on earth. Without His grace we are

nothing worth, but, with it, the gates of Hell shall

not prevail against us!

The events of 9/11 affected most Americans

in different ways, but one APCK priest made a truly

life-changing decision as a result. Father Bowen

Woodruff became a Navy Lieutenant and the APCK's

only active-duty military chaplain earlier this year.

"I was moved by a strong sense of duty to

country," said Father Bowen, a 46-year-old Alabama

native and former environmental lawyer. "After 9/11,

I became aware of the acute shortage of military

chaplains -- especially Anglican ones -- and I figured

that if these young men and women were signing up

to defend their country, and they needed a priest, it

was my duty to give them one."

Family history also had an impact. "My

maternal grandfather was a doctor who, midlife like

myself, made a career as a Navy surgeon. He also

had an architectural background and designed

hospital ships," Father Bowen said. "He was a

delightful character, and always struck me as the

most complete man I ever knew. So I guess it's in my

genes."

To be considered by the military for

chaplaincy, priests must be endorsed by their

denomination. Since no APCK clergy were

recognized by the military, Father Bowen was

endorsed by Bishop Presley Hutchens of the

Anglican Catholic Church. “It’s a great example of

cooperation and unity between the two Anglican

bodies,” he said.

Ordained in 2000, Father Bowen is Battalion

Chaplain of the oldest and most decorated division in

the U.S. Marine Corps: the 1st Battalion, 1st

Regiment of the 1st Marine Division, also known as

the “1/1”. "I requested a Marine unit that was going

to be deployed, and this billet happened to be open,"

Father Bowen explained.

While military chaplains are familiar from

television and the movies, chaplaincy is an unusual

vocation. Fewer than 3,000 individuals serve in this

ministry, which Father Bowen describes as a difficult

one: "The main challenge has been how to counsel a

young Marine who comes to me with thorny,

sometimes foreign, problems. 'Chaplain, I returned

from deployment and my wife says she doesn't want

to be married anymore.' What do you say to that?"

Another hurdle is ministering to people from

different denominations and faiths. "Each Marine fills

out a religious preference card," he explained. "In the

1st Battalion, with about 1,100 Marines, the largest

category marked is "Christian -- No Denominational

Preference". The second largest is Roman Catholic.

So there is a very wide spectrum. Interestingly, not

many of them indicate "None." Marines are very

spiritual people, but that spirituality is sometimes

vague. Still, the chaplain must give them a sense of

God that they can relate to. It makes for an exciting

ministry, but a somewhat difficult one."

Father Bowen’s battalion is scheduled to be

deployed in January. His prayer request follows:

"Please pray for the safety and protection of the

Marines of the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, and for

their families back home. Pray that the 1/1 will be a

vehicle of God's will, whatever that may be. And

please pray for my ministry to them.”

Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., is a member of the

Church of Our Savior in Santa Barbara, CA. He

celebrates his ninetieth birthday in November and we

wish him the best of blessings and many happy

returns.

Efrem is probably best known for his starring

television roles as private investigator Stu Bailey on

father was a violin virtuoso and his mother an opera

star. But they were only indirectly responsible for

Efrem’s religious education. In his interview with us,

Efrem said, “I wasn’t raised in a Christian household

because my parents had no religion. But I was

baptized as an infant in the Episcopal church in New

York and I went to an Episcopal boarding school, St.

Paul’s in [Concord,] New Hampshire.”

And, although today he has a very strong

faith, his journey has not been a smooth one. “I was a

church-goer all my life except that I didn’t go to

church all my life. I drifted away ... I had a few little

stumbles along the way, lots of big stumbles!”

Some of the stumbles were due to the changes

in the Episcopal Church. “I grew up in the traditional

Episcopal church and I think that the revolution in the

church began probably with Bishop Pike. I happened

to know him in New York. I knew him before he was

a Bishop, as a matter of fact; he was the Dean of St.

John the Divine Cathedral in New York when I first

met him. … But that craziness of the denomination

began when he came into it, as far as I can trace it

back. I mean time-wise it certainly would coincide

with that. And I had a terrible ten years or twelve

years when I would just have to force myself to go.

And a couple of times I walked out.”

When he moved north of Los Angeles

fourteen years ago, he says, “I was still a wavering

Episcopalian. I always say that I didn’t leave the

Episcopal Church; it left me. It really did. I never

formally left it. It just became absurd after a while

and I couldn’t go anymore. I stopped fighting and

wrangling about it.” At first, he thought of going to a

beautiful local Catholic mission, just to sit and listen

to the music on Sundays. Then he happened to see a

little newspaper ad about the Church of Our Savior.

“And I thought, ‘Well for Heaven’s sake, I’ll try

that.’ So I came on a Sunday and I’ve been coming

ever since then. I just love it. … I had the benefit of

the beloved [Fr.] Don Ashman who has come up here

from Los Angeles where he has a church. In fact he

really kept this church alive for so many years by

coming. Dear man; lovely man.”

Some of us are uncomfortable when

discussion turns to God’s miracles in our own lives,

but Efrem was perfectly open and calm when asked

about this. “I had one great miracle when my first

wife died. She visited me the next day ... It’s

something that stayed with me all my life and always

will. We were very much, very much in love. And

she died at a tragically young age. I never really had

a chance to say good bye to her … I believe

completely in life after death. And we both shared the

Lord together. … I had no doubt about where she had

gone. So I was calm and perfectly at peace. And

suddenly this extraordinary grasp of my body started.

This huge caress … then I knew what it was and I

was able to say “Good bye darling. Go on. Don’t

think about me. Go on.” It was an amazing

experience. Of all the minutes that I’ve lived, that

was ten of them, the most meaningful in my life.”

Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., is one of the most

devout and faithful Christians and certainly the most

gracious gentleman that I have ever met.

Efrem’s

autobiography

is filled with

remembrances

of his

interesting,

varied life. The

title,

from Proverbs

15:17:

"Better is a

dinner of herbs

where love is,

than a stalled ox

and hatred

therewith."

Why do we have a special celebration of the

Feast of Christ the King when we celebrate the

Kingship of Christ at every mass? And why do we

celebrate it when we do?

As with the titular festivals of

our individual churches, the

Feast of Christ the King is the

Titular Feast of our entire

it special for those of us in the

Anglican Province of Christ the

King.

But we did not originate

this festival. In 1925, Pope

Pius XI instituted the Feast to

draw attention to the evils of

the growing secularism of

society. Pius wrote in his

“While nations insult the

beloved name of our Redeemer

by suppressing all mention of it

in their conferences and parliaments, we must all the

more loudly proclaim his kingly dignity and power,

all the more universally affirm his rights.” Pius’

statement, unfortunately, applies to today’s society as

well.

In the observance of the Feast of Christ the

King we are reminded that the Kingship of Christ is

not some future event to be awaited in the Second

Coming. Christ is not just the King of our church, but

the King who has dominion over all nations and over

all creation. The Kingship of Christ is eternal and

universal. In the words of Revelation 19:16, Christ is

remind ourselves, as well as our political leaders, that

the commonweal of the nation depends on

recognizing the supremacy of God’s laws in man’s

affairs.

By special observance of Christ’s Kingship in

this Feast, we are also reminded of the complete

sovereignty of Christ in our individual lives. We

acknowledge the Kingship of Christ with all our

heart, all our soul, and all our mind.

The Feast of Christ the King is celebrated by

most major Anglican and Protestant churches as well

as the Roman Catholic Church. It is traditionally

celebrated on the date given by Pope Pius XI as the

“last Sunday of the month of October – the Sunday,

that is, which immediately precedes the Feast of All

Saints.” That was October 26 this year. It may be

transferred for good cause to the last Sunday in the

liturgical year before the First Sunday in Advent.

This year that will be

churches celebrate the feast on

its original October date and

some on its “transferred”

November date.

Whenever you

celebrate the Feast of Christ

the King, remember that Jesus

Christ is our King and Master

and we celebrate the Majesty

and Glory of Christ as King of

our lives.

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Our Province and the United Episcopal

Church – North America, one of the St. Louis

Affirmation churches, have an intercommunion

agreement that allows an exchange of priests. Such

an exchange occurred recently when Fr. M. Seraphim

Thomas, of the APCK’s Grace Anglican Church,

Louisville, KY, celebrated Mass for UECNA’s

Trinity Anglican Church, Evansville, IN, while

Trinity’s priests were attending their annual Deanery.

And Fr. Ron White, a UECNA priest, has

been assisting at the APCK parish of St. Mary the

Virgin, San Diego, CA. In the UECNA newsletter

has been “a blessing from God” and that “Archbishop

Provence, Rector Fr. Bob Green, and Deacon Gary

Pinhero have extended to me a warm welcome. The

interaction of the two jurisdictions has been

wonderful and our focus is not on territory but the

Great Commission, increasing the borders of His

Kingdom the Church.”

The Consecration of All Saints Church saw

luncheon hosted by Mr. Will Gillett, Chairman of the

Board of the First DuPage Bank, Westmont, (where

the church had its mortgage) officially opened the

Pontifical Mass and Consecration of All Saints

Anglican Church. This special day happens only once

in the life of a parish and was the cause for joyous

celebration.

The dedication of sacred places for worship

has been a common custom for thousands of years.

In contemporary observance, the rite begins with the

Consecration Service which is followed by the

Solemn Pontifical Mass.

The Consecration Service began outside with

the presentation of a petition to the Archbishop

asking that the church be consecrated. The mortgage

was then burned to symbolize the elimination of all

debt on the building. The Archbishop then blessed

the exterior and interior of the church with Holy

Water (made from Jordan River water brought from

Israel by Fabi and Dan Brush), and with prayers and

anointing. The service concluded with the Sentence

of Consecration and a final prayer.

During the Mass that followed, Fr. John

Hines, former rector, delivered the sermon. After

Mass, a reception in honor of the Archbishop, clergy

and guests was held in the undercroft of the church.

The Rev. Blair W. Schultz was formally

instituted as the rector of All Saints Church by

Archbishop Provence in a special service on

Consecration of the church. The institution was

followed by Solemn Evensong.

Congratulations to Fr. Schultz!

Shirley Hou has been

the webmaster for the APCK

web site for several years.

Shirley, husband Jason, and 2

year old daughter Abigail

have joyfully welcomed their

new baby, Joshua Ike, 6

pounds and 1 ounce and 19

inches, born September 27,

2008.

“The two weeks before his birth were

memorable,” says Shirley, “Hurricane Ike left us

without electricity for 15 days [and] debris littered

the city of Houston.” Joshua arrived the same day

their power was restored after the hurricane.

Congratulations to the Hou family.

students at Chico State University and to Chico's

downtown shopping area. St. Augustine's is located at

the very entrance to the University and one block off

Chico's downtown hub.

St. Augustine's bought the church complex in

1994, then a defunct Chinese restaurant created in the

shell of the historic neo-gothic Episcopal Church

building. The restaurant’s addition of a sports bar

wing created the portion of the sprawling building

that today houses the coffeehouse. Celtic artwork on

Augie's walls is reproduced and enlarged from the

illustrated Books of Kells and Lindisfarne.

The coffee is all organic and fair-traded. And

all proceeds of the business are set aside to give to

charitable organizations. The city loves it and many

students, faculty, townspeople, and even the clergy of

the local Presbyterian church make it their home.

service for students at local Colorado State

University. Several students are part of the

congregation, one of whom is studying for the

Diaconate. Fr. Smith worked with students to found

the Thomas Cranmer Philosophical Society that

meets twice a month on campus for a pizza supper

and discussion.

In Stockton, CA, Fr. Larry Shaddix and

group at the University of the Pacific where Jonathan

is a Senior. Fr. Shaddix and Jonathan feel that such a

group would best attract students who have or might

develop an interest in Anglicanism.

been active in outreach to students at the University

of California at Berkeley. The location of SJAATC

within a block of the campus makes it convenient for

students to attend services at the chapel. And the

Vicar, Fr. Matthew Weber, is also a music librarian at

the University.

coordination with Nazareth House Apostolate, just

celebrated an annual Rosary Pilgrimage, traveling

from Grace Church to various religious sites in

Indiana. Photos are on the photo web album at

http://picasaweb.google.com/hicks.vicki/RosaryPilgri

mage2008#.

Fr. Seraphim Thomas and his wife Vicki also

make a mission trip to Sierra Leone each year with

donations of food and medical supplies and

contributions to the recently constructed school in

Kabala. More information and photos are available at

www.nazarethhouseap.org.

Archbishop Provence is pleased to announce

the Grand Prize Winners for the Junior Writers

Contest. Thank you to the judges and to all who

participated. There were many excellent entries.

the World," Holy Cross Anglican Church, Oklahoma

City (Father Miley, Bishop Morrison, Diocese of the

Southwest) $500

Great Big Flood," Holy Cross Anglican Church,

Oklahoma City (Father Miley, Bishop Morrison,

Diocese of the Southwest) $300

Ark," Holy Cross Anglican Church, Oklahoma City

(Father Miley, Bishop Morrison, Diocese of the

Southwest) $200

Geoffrey, Age 12, "Jesus Heals the Blind," St.

Luke's, Redding (Father Davis, Archbishop

Provence, Diocese of the West) $200

Holy Trinity," St. Nicholas Anglican Church (Father

Brulc, Bishop Morrison, Diocese of the Southwest)

Kavya, Age 6 ½ , "Noah and the Flood," St.

Bartholomew's Anglican Church, Woodinville,

Washington (Father McGrath, Archbishop Provence,

Diocese of the West)

(as a percentage of church school enrolment,

minimum of 10 enrolled) Tie $500 each:

St. Bartholomew's Anglican Church, Woodinville

Holy Cross Anglican Church, Oklahoma City

Cross Anglican Church, Oklahoma City $1,000

Mark your 2009 calendars for these events:

Dorothy’s Rest near Sebastopol, CA. Registration

information will be in the next issue and on the

APCK web site.

Synod hosted by St. Peter’s Church, Oakland,

CA.

State Park on the California coast near the

Oregon border. We are hoping to obtain a Park

reservation for July.

The Anglican province of Christ the King

welcomes with joy three new congregations in

California and Oregon.

The Reverend Larry Shaddix officiated at the

CA. Holy Cross is the second church founded in the

central valley in the past two years as part of the

Diocese of the Western States.

Fr. Shaddix, a social worker in Stockton, said

that interest in Holy Cross was initiated when, “I was

approached by several residents of Lodi and Stockton

who asked about the possibility of starting a local

church.” Fr. Shaddix, who also serves All Saints’

Church in Burlingame, explained the historic

American Anglican tradition of APCK and contacted

APCK Archbishop James Provence. After

discussions with Abp. Provence, the organizing

group decided to begin an APCK Church in north

Stockton.

in Grants Pass, OR. The Rev. Thomas G. Elliott is

Rector and is assisted by Deacons Shawn Clines and

Gordon Rendall.

joins the APCK. Mr. John Oster is the Senior Warden

there. The Rev. Tony Sands and Dcn. David

LaBarbera are currently commuting from Chico, CA,

for services at St. Paul’s.

We welcome the parishioners of these newest

additions to the APCK family and look forward to

joining with them in the worship and service of our

Lord.

Anglican Province of Christ the King.

2725 Sacramento Street

San Francisco, California 94115

Archbishop James E. Provence

Copyright © 2008, Anglican Province of Christ the

King. All rights reserved. No part of this newsletter

may be reproduced in any form without permission.

Contact: Dr. Monty C. Stanford

messenger@anglicanpck.org

The APCK Provincial web site is available on the