A Member of the Assemblies of Charismatic Orthodox of America

A Bridge of Apostolic Unity.

Signed in as:

filler@godaddy.com

Account

Holy Church of Saint Peter the Rock

The Mission of charismatic orthodoxy

Our Mission: Unity, Continuity, and the Future of the Church

The Wound of Division

The Christian Church was born as one, holy, apostolic, and catholic—united in faith, sacrament, doctrine, and worship. For the first millennium of Christianity, the Church existed as a single communion, despite cultural and linguistic differences between East and West. Bishops gathered in councils, doctrine was preserved through Holy Tradition, and unity was maintained through shared sacramental life.

That unity was wounded in 1054, when long-standing theological, political, and cultural tensions culminated in what is now known as the Great Schism. The Church fractured into what became the Roman Catholic Church in the West and the Eastern Orthodox Church in the East. While both retained apostolic succession, sacramental life, and continuity with the early Church, communion was broken.

This division was never intended to be permanent. It was a tragedy—one that weakened the witness of the Church to the world.

The Reformation: Reform, Not Rejection

Five centuries later, another crisis emerged—not against Christianity itself, but within the Western Church. Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk, did not seek to create a new church or fracture Christianity further. He sought reform, not revolution.

Luther’s concerns were moral, pastoral, and theological: abuses, corruption, and practices he believed obscured the Gospel. His intent was to call the Church back to faithfulness—not to dismantle apostolic Christianity.

However, historical forces intervened. The printing press, the rise of nation-states, political interests, and the concept of private interpretation of Scripture accelerated fragmentation beyond Luther’s control. What began as a call for reform resulted in widespread division.

Over time, Protestant Christianity splintered into tens of thousands of denominations worldwide, each holding varying interpretations of doctrine, sacraments, authority, and worship. While Protestantism preserved essential truths—faith in Christ, Scripture, evangelism—it largely severed itself from Holy Tradition, sacramental continuity, and the liturgical life of the early Church.

This was not Luther’s intention. It was the unintended consequence of reform divorced from unity.

God’s Desire: That They May Be One

Jesus Christ Himself prayed for unity:

“That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee.” (John 17)

Unity is not optional. It is not sentimental. It is the will of God.

The Apostle Paul exhorted the Church to maintain one body, one Spirit, one faith, one baptism. Division weakens witness. Fragmentation confuses doctrine. Unity glorifies Christ.

Throughout history, God has continually stirred hearts toward reconciliation—not uniformity, but communion.

The Long Road Toward East–West Reconciliation

For centuries after the Great Schism, attempts at reunion were sporadic and often politicized. Yet sincere efforts never ceased.

In 1964, a historic moment occurred when Pope Paul VI met Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I in Jerusalem. This meeting led to the mutual lifting of the 1054 excommunications—an unprecedented step toward healing.

Subsequent popes continued this work:

Pope John Paul II, in Ut Unum Sint, publicly affirmed that unity with the Orthodox Church was not optional but essential to the Church’s mission.
Pope Benedict XVI emphasized shared apostolic roots and the necessity of theological humility.
Pope Francis has repeatedly met with Orthodox patriarchs, especially Patriarch Bartholomew, speaking openly of reconciliation and common witness.

On the Orthodox side, hierarchs have likewise affirmed that reunion is possible—though complex—and must be grounded in truth, not compromise.

We believe these efforts are not coincidental. They are providential.

The Coming Question of Protestant Unity

We believe that Catholic–Orthodox reconciliation will occur in the future—not by absorption, but by restored communion grounded in the faith of the undivided Church.

When that happens, the unified Church will inevitably turn toward the Protestant world, where millions of sincere believers live faithfully, yet largely disconnected from apostolic continuity, sacramental life, and Holy Tradition.

That moment will not be easy.

Many Protestants reject:

Sacred Tradition
Sacraments beyond baptism and communion
Liturgical worship
Apostolic authority
Historic creeds as binding

This creates a real and serious obstacle to unity.

Why We Exist

This is why we were formed.

The Association of Charismatic Orthodox Assemblies (ACOA) exists as a future bridge—not between Christianity and something else, but within Christianity itself.

We are Protestant by history and mission. We retain Protestant strengths: evangelism, preaching, charismatic worship, and accessibility. Yet we intentionally reject historical amnesia.

We:

Affirm all sacraments
Teach the historical origins of the Church
Preserve liturgical and doctrinal continuity
Operate under a defined canon and rule
Lean heavily Orthodox in theology, without claiming jurisdiction
Celebrate liturgies and sacraments similar to the Latin Rite, intentionally and reverently

This is not confusion. It is preparation.

A Bridge, Not a Battleground

We do not exist for Catholics to convert us, nor for Protestants to dominate us. We exist to translate, prepare, and receive.

Our mission is to:

Teach historical truth honestly
Train ministers in authentic liturgy and doctrine
Restore sacramental life within a Protestant context
Provide a place where unity can begin without coercion

When the time comes, ACOA will stand ready—not as an authority demanding submission, but as a bridge offering continuity.

Our Hope

We believe in one Church.

We believe unity will be restored.

We believe history matters.

And we believe God is preparing the ground now.

Our mission is not merely institutional—it is ecclesial, theological, and prophetic:
to help heal the divisions of the past so the Church may once again speak with one voice to the world.

THE SACRAMENTAL LIFE OF THE CHURCH

We affirm that the sacraments are not merely symbolic rituals, but actual mysteries (Greek: "mysterion"), through which God's grace is imparted to the believer. These are tangible encounters with the divine.

1. Baptism (Initiation)

Baptism is the sacrament of entry into the Body of Christ. We perform full immersion in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38), as a spiritual marriage and covenantal initiation into the Church. The candidate wears a black robe to signify death to sin, and emerges in a white robe to signify rebirth into the Church—the Bride of Christ. This sacrament seals the believer with a new identity.

2. Chrismation (Sealing of the Holy Spirit)

Immediately following baptism, the newly baptized is anointed with holy chrism (oil) signifying the sealing of the Holy Ghost. This practice reflects the early church tradition (Acts 8:17), where the Apostles laid hands and anointed converts. Chrismation affirms that the Holy Spirit indwells and empowers the believer.

3. The Eucharist (Communion)

The Eucharist is the culmination of Christian worship—the real participation in the Body and Blood of Christ (John 6:53–56). We do not believe in mere symbolism; rather, the bread and wine become the mystery of His Presence. Only baptized and properly prepared believers partake in this holy mystery, receiving spiritual nourishment and unity with Christ and the Church.

4. Confession (Reconciliation)

While we teach that sins are confessed to God alone, pastoral confession offers spiritual accountability and healing. In our private confessional booths, believers receive biblical counsel, are guided in repentance, and restored to spiritual health (James 5:16). Confession is sacramental, not therapeutic—a grace-filled moment of humility.

5. Marriage

Marriage is a holy sacrament and must be entered with reverence. We perform only biblical, legal marriages between one man and one woman. All couples undergo premarital counseling, examining compatibility, biblical roles, and spiritual unity. Marriage ceremonies are sacred covenants before God and the Church.

6. Ordination (Holy Orders)

Ordination is the sacramental setting apart of men to serve the Church as deacons, pastors, bishops, and archbishops. All clergy must undergo strict spiritual, moral, and academic formation, including earning degrees from our partner, the Theological Seminary of Kentucky. Laying on of hands and prayer confers spiritual authority and ecclesial responsibility.

7. Healing of the Sick

We anoint the sick with oil and lay on hands (James 5:14–15), believing that healing may be physical, emotional, or spiritual. Exorcisms are conducted not as spectacle, but after investigation by the bishop. The Church ministers deliverance only under proper authority.