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The Anglican Independent Communion – Worldwide
By
The Most Rev’d. Dr. Norman S.
Dutton C.J., D.D., Th.D.
Metropolitan Archbishop
The late Bishop, The Rt. Rev’d. Dr. Peter A. Compton-Caputo founded the Anglican Independent Communion – worldwide, in 1997. It now has Provinces in the United States of America, the British Isles & Europe, and in the Caribbean, making it one of the largest “continuing” Anglican Communions in the world, outside the control of “The Anglican Communion” under the leadership of Archbishop of Canterbury.
Bishop + Peter was born in 1934 in Manhattan, and attended schools in that City before enlisting in the United States Air Force in 1951, serving with them for the next 5˝ years, after which he became a serving Police Officer in Grand Rapids in the State of Michigan.
+ Peter later went into local government work, and held posts in Ypsilanti, in the State of Michigan, New York State, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire.
+ Peters career in the church began in Schenectady, New York, where he was, after a period of training, Ordained as a Deacon in the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States, in January 1977. It was some time later that he was made a Priest, giving as his reason for the delay, that he was enjoying the job of a Deacon so much, that he did not want the problems and responsibilities that came with the Priesthood and running a parish, to quote him “all the fun without the responsibility”.
Being a traditionalist, + Peter watched with despair as the Episcopal Church, abandoned biblical morality and surrendered slavishly to political correctness, and the downgrading of the place of the sacraments in the worship of the church, and worst of all, the steady undermining of the very belief in Christianity as a revealed faith, and then being expected to standby and watch the complete surrender of the church which he loved, to the shrill demands for Priestesses, this proved a step to far for + Peter, who said “enough is enough” and along with many other like minded clergy, distanced himself from the heresies of ECUSA.
+ Peter then moved to England and was appointed by the Church of England as Vicar of St. Peter’s Church, Heavy, in the County of Devon, which he held for a period of time before returning to the United States.
On his return + Peter entered an Anglican Franciscan Monastery, taking Orders as a Monk, but, in 1985 he was called out by the Presiding Bishop, and sent to Annapolis in Maryland, to found a fledgling congregation as part of the Traditional Episcopal Church, arriving in the district, + Peter, not only had to recruit a congregation, but also had to find somewhere to hold his services, in this respect, he was led to a small disused Chapel located at the junction of Generals Highway and Crownsville Road, in Crownsville, which he was able to purchase from its owners, with the help of his friends. This was the historic Church of St. Paul, which later became his Episcopal seat.
In 1993 + Peter was Consecrated as a Bishop within the Traditional Episcopal Church.
In 1997 the Congregation and Vestry of St. Paul’s Church voted to withdraw from this group as a result of problems, which had occurred within it. And so The Anglican Independent Communion was born, + Peter was then joined by a number of other disillusioned congregations through out the United States and elsewhere.
In a real sense The Anglican Independent Communion – Worldwide, is a Continuing Church, not a new Church. It continue to believe in everything the Church of England and the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States accepted and taught before they were swamped and strangled by liberalism. That is why it calls itself a “Traditional Church”.
In particular, it holds to the Holy Bible as God’s inspired Word and to the Book of Common Prayer, the Ordinal and the 39 Articles of Religion, as containing reliable summaries of our Faith. It holds to the two Sacraments of the Gospel, Holy Baptism, which brings us “into Christ” and is completed in Confirmation, and the Eucharist (Holy Communion), which unites us to the Sacrifice of Christ Jesus and through which He feeds us with His Body and Blood.
The Communion holds to the Holy Orders of Bishops, Priests and Deacons, in a valid Apostolic Succession, and it believe that in accordance with the teachings of Holy Scripture and Church Tradition, that all who hold these Orders must be men.
In July 2001 + Peter, invited The Rt. Rev’d. Dr. Norman S. Dutton, who had been consecrated as Bishop in Anglia (England) at St. Paul’s Crownsville, in 1999 to accept the vacant position of Co-adjutor Bishop (+ Peter’s designated successor), a position which he accepted with some reluctance due to the distance between England and the United States, however due to the poor state of + Peter’s health + Norman agreed, it was also agreed that Archdeacon, The Venerable John W. Gains, Rector of St. James’ Anglican Parish, Delaware, would be consecrated as a Bishop in the United States, so that much of the heavy work load could be taken off + Peters shoulders, this consecration took place at St. Paul’s, shortly after, with Bishops + Norman S. Dutton and + Colin R. Tatem acting as Co-consecrators in absentia.
A few short weeks later on the 15th August 2001 + Peter was called to higher service as a result of complications directly associated with the diabetic condition which had plagued him for many years, + Peter was laid to rest in the Cemetery at his beloved St. Paul’s Chapel.
Following the passing of Bishop + Peter, conversations took place between the Bishops of the Communion, and it was agreed that subject to the approval of the Churches and Clergy, that the Communion should be divided into Provinces for ease of administration and that:
The Anglican Independent Communion in the Americas, would have as its Presiding Bishop, The Rt. Rev’d. Dr. John W. Gains,
The Anglican Independent Communion in the British Isles & Europe, with as its Presiding Bishop, The Rt. Rev’d. Dr. Norman S. Dutton,
The Anglican Independent Communion in the Caribbean, with as its Presiding Bishop, The Rt. Rev’d. Dr. Colin R. Tatem.
At the Clericus of The Anglican Independent Communion in the British Isles & Europe, held at St. Raphael's Church, Moseley Birmingham, England on All Saints Day, the First day November in the year of our Lord 2003 by a clear majority of all the clergy present, it was agreed that the title of Presiding Bishop should be changed to that of Metropolitan Archbishop, and The Most Rev’d. Dr. Norman S. Dutton was duly elected and installed as the first Metropolitan Archbishop of the Communion, on the same day.
+ Norman’s appointment as Metropolitan Archbishop, has been recognised by the other Provinces, who have now acknowledged him as the head of The Anglican Independent Communion - Worldwide.
The Anglican Independent Communion – Worldwide, is an Anglican Communion both by doctrine and worship, it is committed to the traditional liturgy of the Anglican Church as contained in the Book of Common Prayer, and to the use of the Authorised King James version of the Holy Bible in public worship.
The Communion is only “Independent” from the present heresies that have infected the Church of England, and the Protestant Episcopal Church of America. It is not “Independent” from the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, which is the Body of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, here on earth.
The Ordinations and Consecrations of our Bishops, Priests and Deacons are a continuation of valid and lawful lines of Apostolic Succession, and are directly descended from all five of the Ancient Patriarchal Sees. Jerusalem, Antioch, Rome, Alexandria and Constantinople, which we believe, contribute to the spiritual authority of our Communion.
