What a wonderful convocation! I came to the end of last month’s convocation feeling encouraged, uplifted, and grateful to be a part of the CEEC and to serve as your presiding bishop. From meetings with my brother and sister bishops, to times of corporate worship and Eucharist, to wonderful teachings and discussions, to our closing worship service on Thursday evening and the ordination service held for my own diocese on Friday evening – the whole week was a glorious moment in the life of our communion.
Clergy from various CEEC jurisdictions pose with the Presiding Bishop, Archbishop Quintin Moore (center).
There are a few things I wanted to share with you as a follow-up from last month:
Our next CEEC Convocation will be in 2025. It will mark the 30th year of the communion and the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. More information about that will come next year.
I know several of our dioceses and jurisdictions hold their own annual gatherings. Let me add my support and encouragement to make sure those meetings are held in 2024. As a sign of fellowship and the growth of the whole CEEC family, might I even suggest that we extend invitations to people from other dioceses and jurisdictions to attend our gatherings? This will continue the work of cross-pollination that was added to in Hutchinson. These times of fellowship, worship, and hearing each other’s hearts is so vital to the work that we do.
During one of the sessions, I mentioned the work of Archbishop Reinhard Sekar in India. Archbishop Reinhard and his people are in the process of registering the CEEC in the entire country of India, across all 28 states and 8 union territories. On behalf of the bishops, I asked for your help to raise the remaining $2,300 of the $5,000 needed to complete this task. Again, I would humbly ask for your assistance, however great or small, in finishing off this amount for Archbishop Reinhard and CEEC-India. Furthermore, if you feel led, we would like to make a one-year financial commitment to CEEC-India to help them in their post-registration work. To help with either goal, you can go to https://ceecusa.churchcenter.com/giving and select “India” from the drop-down menu. You can select a one-time or recurring contribution. Please contact Bishop Ryan Mackey (ryan@fathershouse.net) if you have questions.
Again, I am so humbled to serve in this role and honored to serve with all of you. The icon of “Christ and Abbot Mena”, sometimes called “Christ and His Friend”, has served as a point of mediation and vision for me throughout the past several months. Similar to the “Christ Pantocrator of Sinai” icon, in this icon Christ both holds the shoulder of Abbot Mena with one hand while looking towards him, and holds the Gospel in the opposite hand while casting an eye towards the viewer and the world. May we, too, hold and love those whom Christ has given us to serve, while directing them onward towards a deeper life in Christ.
Ordination service for deacons and presbyters.
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Cor. 13:14, NIV).
Constantly praying,
The Most Revd Quintin Moore
Presiding Bishop, The Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches