Concerning Supreme Court Gay Marriage Ruling

Wednesday was a tragic day for marriage and our nation. The Supreme Court has dealt a profound injustice to the American people by striking down in part the federal Defense of Marriage Act. The Court got it wrong. The federal government ought to respect the truth that marriage is the union of one man and one woman, even where states fail to do so. The preservation of liberty and justice requires that all laws, federal and state, respect the truth, including the truth about marriage. It is also unfortunate that the Court did not take the opportunity to uphold California’s Proposition 8 but instead decided not to rule on the matter. The common good of all, especially our children, depends upon a society that strives to uphold the truth of marriage. Now is the time to redouble our efforts in witness to this truth. These decisions are part of a public debate of great consequence. The future of marriage and the well-being of our society hang in the balance.

Marriage is the only institution that brings together a man and a woman for life, providing any child who comes from their union with the secure foundation of a mother and a father.

Our culture has taken for granted for far too long what human nature, experience, common sense, and God’s wise design all confirm: the difference between a man and a woman matters, and the difference between a mom and a dad matters. While the culture has failed in many ways to be marriage-strengthening, this is no reason to give up. Now is the time to strengthen marriage, not redefine it.

When Jesus taught about the meaning of marriage – the lifelong, exclusive union of husband and wife – he pointed back to “the beginning” of God’s creation of the human person as male and female (see Matthew 19). In the face of the customs and laws of his time, Jesus taught an unpopular truth that everyone could understand. The truth of marriage endures, and we will continue to boldly proclaim it with confidence and charity.

Now that the Supreme Court has issued its decisions, with renewed purpose we call upon all of our leaders and the people of this good nation to stand steadfastly together in promoting and defending the unique meaning of marriage: one man, one woman, for life. We also ask for prayers as the Court’s decisions are reviewed and their implications further clarified.

We stand united with our Southern Baptist, Catholic, Evangelical, and Assembly of God brothers and sisters in refusing matrimonial rights to any couple except single men and women.  Let the civil and secular powers marry who they wish, we stand on the Gospel of Christ.  We still live our Puritan tradition by proudly being Protestant (people of protest).

Christian Marriage

The Congregational Episcopal Church sets forth the following as doctrine in order to be married in service or to be considered married after membership.

Marriage, by definition, is a lifelong union between one man and one woman. The Church does not recognize, even as a civil marriage, a contracted relationship between two men or two women.  This is keeping with the Gospel as preached by the Lord Jesus Christ:

But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.  Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.  Mark 10: 6-9

From this it is very clear that marriage is to be between one man and one woman.  The Congregational Episcopal Church refuses to redefine marriage even as a civil contract to be anything other than what Jesus Christ defined marriage as.

Let it be known that any minister or deacon of this Church shall be defrocked and excommunicated for performing any marriage ceremony other than as defined above. 

Congratulations Pope Francis

Pope Francis Elected 13 March 2013

The US Synod of the Congregational Episcopal Church would like to extend its prayers and congratulations to Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio being elected to Pope of the Roman Catholic Church.  As Pope Francis we pray that the division among Christians may be healed.  We stand behind Pope Francis in defending traditional family values, resisting abortion, and advancing the Gospels of Christ to the nations.  We wish to extend our prayer that Pope Francis be courageous in his preaching and be true to the foundation on which Christianity was founded - the Apostle Peter. 

May the Lord bless Pope Francis with clarity of vision and the splendor of truth.  We give our best wishes and prayers for his Papal mission.

In Christ, Bishop Peter Morimoto

Presiding Bishop US Synod of the Congregational Episcopal Church

The End Times

We have received many emails asking about our outlook on the end times and if we think we are in the end times.  Well, we are in the end times, and we have been since Jesus ascended to His Father's kingdom.  To believe we know when Christ will return, no we do not and no other  human being does either.

One has always needed to be careful when predicting the end times.  Our Lord promised His return and in so doing made it clear that we would not know the moment nor hour.  Through history some predicted and were always wrong about the return of the Lord.  William Miller became shamed when his date in 1844 failed to show that Christ would return.  The year 1910 came and went and the Jehovah Witness Church almost fell apart completely because of false predictions.  Hal Lindsey saw the 1980s completely pass by with no return of Jesus.  May then August 2011 came and went and Harold Camping was wrong about the rapture happening.

There have been some powerful earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, and other natural disasters recently, but they aren’t unique to our time. Because population density is much higher today than in past centuries, more people tend to be killed when natural disasters occur.

People of Jesus’ day were superstitious and believed that natural events contained clues about the future. When Jesus’ disciples asked him what the signs of the end of the age would be, Jesus gave them a careful response:

And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 24:4-13 nkjv).

Jesus may have realized that the disciples would expect the destruction ofJerusalemand the temple to occur in close conjunction with His return and the end of the age. To make it clear to them that they shouldn’t linkJerusalem’s fall with His second coming, He told them specifically not to trust false Christs. He also warned them not to think manmade catastrophes such as wars or natural catastrophes such as famines, epidemics, or earthquakes meant the end of the age had arrived. Such catastrophic events should not be viewed as “the birth pains of the Messiah,” as the Jews sometimes viewed them, but as “the beginning of the birth pains” (v.8 niv) of events that would take place throughout history. Christians should be prepared for these things and for the severe persecution that would rise against the church from time to time.

What Jesus prophesied came true—Israelwas judged andJerusalemdestroyed in the Jewish-Roman wars. Yet, as He said, the horrors of siege and battle along with the natural disasters of that period were in fact only the “beginning of the birth pains.” Thousands of catastrophic events of all types—wars, famines, plagues, and earthquakes—have occurred in the intervening centuries, some of them apocalyptic in scale.

Earthquakes:

Antioch,Syria, ad 525, 250,000 killed;

Aleppo,Syria, 1138, 230,000 killed;

Shaanxi Province,China, 1556, 830,000 killed.

Famines:

“Great Famine” of Europe, ad 1315–17, millions died;

Indian famine of 1896–1902, millions died;

Chinese famine under Chairman Mao, 1958–61, 20-40 million died.

Pandemics:

Antonine Plague (smallpox),Roman Empire, ad 165–180, 5 million died;

Plague of Justinian, 541–542, 25 million died;

Black Death, the Middle East andEurope, 1338–1351, 100 million died.

Wars:

Thousands of wars and armed conflicts since the time of Jesus Christ have caused millions of deaths.

People who lived during these times can be excused for suspecting that they were living in the end time. However, the wisdom of Jesus’ words of caution regarding the linkage of human or natural disasters with the arrival of the end time has endured. His declaration that we cannot know the day or hour of His return (Matthew 24:36) is as applicable to us today as it was to the apostolic church.

Pact of Formation

Our name is Puritan Church in America

We are formed as a synod managed Christian Church
with all local parishes having the authority to elect their clergy, manage their finances, and manage their operations.

We are formed in perpetual operation as a Free Church
Our national synod is located at:
Puritan Church in America, US Synod
Plymouth, MA

The principal officer is US Synod President, Bishop Peter Morimoto
Other officers of the US Synod are:
Bishop Davenport, Vice President
Bishop PJ Duff, Secretary
Rev. Mark Clark, Treasurer
Ms. Shelia Marcum, Advisor

We are open to full communion with any Christian denomination that in good will is in agreement with our articles of beliefs, found here, and we unite ourselves to all people of good will who believe Jesus Christ is the only Son of God born of the Virgin Mary, the Scriptures are the true revelation of God, that the age of Apostolic authority is past and we are currently in the age of waiting for the return of the Lord Jesus.  We reject the following unbiblical theologies (heresies): Liberation, Prosperity, Dominion, Word of Faith, Oneness, Rapture, and Unlimited Social Justice.

All correspondence may be sent to:

Puritan Church in America
using the Contact Form on this web site.

Simply state what you are inquiring or the information needed.
Please be advised that when inquiring about ministerial members by law we can only provide:

Whether the minister is affiliated with our church or not
Dates and places of ministry
Any ministerial credentials earned in our denomination

Chapter Meeting Day 2

Fellowship Pact of the Puritan Church in America

The Puritan Church in America is a free church.  Following Puritan Church traditions. A "free church" is a Christian denomination that is intrinsically separated from civil government.  Refuses incorporation. It is A fellowship of believers. A free church recognizes strict separation of church and government.  

We Believe:

1. The Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired Word of God, without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men and the Divine and final authority of Christian faith and life. 
    
2. In one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
    
3. That Jesus Christ is true God and true man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He died on the cross, a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. Further, He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, where, at the right hand of the Majesty on High, He is now our High Priest and Advocate.
    
4. That the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and, during this age, to convict men, save the believing sinner, and indwell, guide, instruct and empower the believer for godly living and service.
    
5. That man was created in the image of God but fell into sin and is, therefore, lost, and only through by the power of the Holy Spirit can salvation and spiritual life be obtained.
    
6. That the shed blood of Jesus Christ and His resurrection provide the only ground for justification and salvation for all who believe, and only such as receive Jesus Christ are born of the Holy Spirit and, thus become children of God.
    
7. That water baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordinances to be observed by the Church during the present age. They are, however, not to be regarded as means of salvation. 
    
8. That the true Church is composed of all such persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and are united together in the Body of Christ of which He is the Head.
    
9. That only those who are, thus, members of the true Church shall be eligible for membership in the local church.
    
10. That Jesus Christ is the Lord and Head of the Church and that every local church has the right, under Christ, to decide and govern its own affairs. In consultation with the bishop.
     
11. In the personal pre-millennial and imminent coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and that this “Blessed Hope” has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer.
     
12. In the bodily resurrection of the dead; of the believer to everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord; of the unbeliever to judgement and everlasting conscious punishment.

The full statement of our faith is found in the Westminster Confession of 1649 and the Large and Small Westminster Catechisms.

Approved this 11th day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand nine-hundred and eighty five.

With a majority of churches approving. This statement is not a replacement but a modern English rendering of the Plymouth Statement of Faith adopted in 1651

Chapter Meeting Day 1

The results of the Chapter Meeting of Congregational, independent Episcopal Churches seeking reform, and Reformed Anglican Churches are as follows.

27 Congregational Churches
19 Episcopal Churches
10 United Churches of Christ
5 Reformed Anglican
Have accepted invitation to form the Puritan Church in America

We offer full communion with all Congregational Churches outside the NACCC, with the Free Episcopal, Reformed Anglican, Anglican Orthodox, and Catholic Episcopal Church in America.

Do form the Puritan Church in America.  Accepted today are the nine bishops who shall preside over their diocese and shall be consecrated in a ceremony on Palm Sunday in First Congregational Church in Barnstable. Massachusetts.  The national office shall be located in Washington DC at Potomac Congregational Church.  It shall be principal church of the church and an elder bishop shall be elected from among the nine presiding bishops for a period of a two year term.  The first head of the Bishops Council shall be Bishop Morimoto with his home seat in San Francisco, California.   

Province II shall be the province with care of new European churches.  Province III shall be the province with care of new African churches, Province VIII shall be the province with care of new Asian churches, and province IX shall be the province with care for Latin American and Carribean churches.

The leadership of the national board shall be:
Bishops Council (The nine bishops)
Council of Clergy Education and Ordination (one ordained minister from each province)
Council of Deacons (one deacon from each province)
General Council (2 elected members from each province over seeing finances and administration)
Council of Missions and Evangelization (coordination between the Bishops, Clergy, and Deacon councils)

Local leadership shall be 
Bishop
Administration Board
Education and History Board
Parish Coordination
All posts shall be by appointment of the bishop with approval by a majority of parishes in the diocese.

Each parish shall appoint at least a Board of Administration that shall be responsible for appointing clergy, approving deacons, financial disbursement, and approving parish outreach.

Bishops are to be seen as elder ministers who help and encourage clergy in their diocese.  A bishop shall be at least 45 years of age, an ordained minister, have at least 7 years of total active ministry, and be a man of good standing in their profession and in their community.  Bishops shall be single or married and have NOT BEEN DIVORCED, as scriptures warrant.  No openly homosexual man may be considered for bishop.

Clergy shall consist of men who have attained at least 30 hours of education in an accredited college or university.  Undergone approved education in ministry and Christian Theology in an accredited seminary or seminary college.  Or 45 credit hours in a college seminary.  Be at least 25 years old and a Christian for at least 3 years.  Or have the approval of the Council of Clergy and Ordination by a simple majority of approval.  Clergy shall be single or married, and have not been divorced as scripture warrants.  All appointments of clergy shall have approval of the bishop and the Board of Administration of receiving parish.  No openly homosexual man may be considered for ordination.

Deacons shall be men or women who are nominated by their local parish clergy, approved by the bishop and Administration Board of their diocese.  Deacons shall be married or single and have been a Christian for at least 3 years.  No openly homosexuals can be considered.  Deacons shall have the approval of the pastor and Board of the receiving parish.