History

Of The Anglican Independent Communion

The Founder, the late Rt Rev'd Dr Peter Compton-Caputo

The late Bishop, The Rt Rev'd Dr Peter A Compton-Caputo founded the Anglican Independent Communion Worldwide in 1997. He 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 5½ 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. +Peter's career in the church began in Schenectady, New York. After a period of training, he was Ordained as a Deacon in the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States in January 1977. Some time later 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. He enjoyed having '..all the fun without the responsibility'!

Why +Peter left ECUSA and joined the Church of England

Being a traditionalist, +Peter watched with despair as the Episcopal Church, abandoned biblical morality and surrendered slavishly to political correctness, 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. He was expected to stand by and watch the complete surrender of the church which he loved to the shrill demands for Priestesses. This proved a step too 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 Assistant Curate of St Peter's Church, Meavy, in the County of Devon, which post held for a period of time before returning to the United States.

The Traditional Episcopal Church, Maryland, USA

On his return to the USA +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 services. In this respect, he was led to a small disused Chapel located at the junction of General's Highway and Crownsville Road, in Crownsville, which, with the help of his friends, he was able to purchase.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.

Birth of the Anglican Independent Communion

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 and +Peter was joined by a number of other disillusioned congregations through out the United States and elsewhere.

Securing the Succession

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 +Norman 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 workload could be taken off +Peter's shoulders. This consecration took place at St Paul's, 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.

The Division of the Communion into Provinces

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, the Communion should be divided into Provinces for ease of administration.

The installation of +Norman as Metropolitan Archbishop, Anglican Independent Communion Worldwide, 2003-2007

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 of 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 installation of Archbishop Dr. Patricio Robles as Metropolitan Archbishop, Anglican Independent Communion Worldwide, 2007-2011

In 2007 the Most Reverend Dr. Patricio Viveros Robles O.S.B.,Th.D, Ph.D., Archbishop Latin America Province was consecrated Metropolitan and Primate for the Anglican Independent Communion Worldwide.

 

 

 

 

 

The installation of Archbishop Dr. Peter McInnes as Presiding Bishop for the Anglican Independent Communion Australia, 2008 - 2017

The Very Reverend Peter McInnes (Vicar-General AICW in Australia) was consecrated Bishop on 16 September 2006. The Right Reverend Dr. Peter McInnes was elected as Metropolitan Chancellor for A.I.C.W. on (15/9/07 until 31/3/08) and Archbishop and Presiding Bishop for Australia on (31/3/08) by the International College of Archbishops.

The installation of Archbishop Dr.Jorge Roderiguez Escobar as Metropolitan Archbishop, Anglican Independent Communion Worldwide, 2011-2013

In December 2011 the Most Reverend Dr. Jorge Roderiguez Escobar was consecrated Metropolitan and Primate for the Anglican Independent Communion Worldwide at the AICW Convention.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The installation of Archbishop Dr.Clive Read as Metropolitan Archbishop, Anglican Independent Communion Worldwide, 2013-

In July 2013 the Most Reverend Dr. Jorge Roderiguez Escobar, Metropolitan and Primate for the Anglican Independent Communion Worldwide, abdicated this position to Archbishop Dr.Clive Read in Spain.

The installation of Bishop Charles May as Chairman, Anglican Independent Communion Australia, 2017-

On 7/10/17 Bishop Charles May was voted Chairman & Administrator for the Anglican Independent Communion Australia.