User:Timbomb/Apostolic Johannite Church

The Apostolic Johannite Church is a Gnostic Christian Church which claims valid Apostolic Succession from various lineages including Catholic, Old Catholic and Orthodox bishops. The AJC is one of the largest extant Gnostic jurisdictions, having Parishes, Narthexes (see Local Parishes and Study Groups below) or representatives in six countries (Canada, USA, Spain, Germany, Mexico and Australia.) It is among the most active Gnostic Churches in North America, and is a founding member of the North American College of Gnostic Bishops. It maintains an active seminary program, the St. Raphael the Archangel Theological Seminary and in collaboration with the Gnostic Church of Mary Magdalene sponsors a lay monastic order called the Order of Saint Esclarmonde (see Esclaremonde of Foix - Legacy)

The AJC considers itself a continuation of the 1804 Johannite Church of Bernard Raymond Fabré-Palaprat and Doinel's Gnostic Restoration of 1890, which became part of the tradition of Apostolic Succession in 1913. As an independent jurisdiction employing traditional sacraments, it can be considered part of the Independent Sacramental Movement. The church has been described or referred to in several books notably in and articles

The All Saints Accord
The All Saints Accord among Gnostic Churches was originally proposed by Father Jordan Stratford of the AJC, and includes signatories on the Episcopal level from the AJC and nine other independent Gnostic Churches.

Notable Members

 * Shaun McCann is the Patriarch of the AJC, current president of the North American College of Gnostic Bishops and rector of St Joseph's in Calgary, AB.


 * Jordan Stratford is a priest ordained within the AJC and practising at Regina Coeli Parish in Victoria, BC. He is a published author who has been interviewed a number of times as an expert on modern Gnosticism notably next to other authors such as N. T. Wright and Marvin Meyer . His definitions of Gnosticism have been quoted in course material at Haverford College.


 * William Behun is a bishop of the AJC currently serving as Primate of the United States of America. He lectures in ethics and ontology at The Pennsylvania State University and is the author of "The Historical Pivot", as well as articles on Heidegger, Augustine and Schelling.

Local Parishes and Study Groups

 * The Parish of St Joseph of Arimathea, Calgary, AB, Canada
 * Regina Coeli Parish, Victoria, BC, Canada
 * Parish of St Michael, Kenosha, WI, USA
 * Parish of St Gabriel, Madison, WI, USA
 * Parish of St Sarah the Egyptian, Boston, MA, USA
 * Saint Francis of Assisi Gnostic Community, San Francisco, CA, USA
 * Parish of San Juan y San Andrés, Madrid, Spain
 * Parish of St Uriel the Archangel, Sydney, Australia
 * St Teresa of Avila Community, Brisbane, Australia
 * Oratory of St Gerasimos, State College, PA, USA
 * St. Mary Magdalene Parish, Littleton, CO, USA