Episcopal Church USA leader will speak at Christ the King 4th annual celebration

The Reverend Canon Charles Fulton, Director of ACTS 29 Ministries and a priest in the Episcopal Church USA (ECUSA), will speak at the 4th anniversary services of Christ the King Charismatic Episcopal Church at 10 a.m., Sunday, Sept. 10.

Later in the day, the congregation will gather at 4 p.m. on the new church property for a service of dedication. The Right Reverend John W. Holloway, Bishop of the Diocese of Georgia, will officiate at a special service with clergy from other ICCEC congregations in attendance.

The guest speaker for the anniversary, Charles Fulton, serves as the director of the Episcopal Church's most recognized "renewal ministry."

A church builder, Fulton has founded missions and established schools. He serves as a Canon in the Diocese of Florida for Leadership Training and Spiritual Growth.

Canon Fulton graduated from Stetson University with a degree in Business Administration and received two degrees from Yale Divinity School. He holds a doctorate in Biblical theology.
Christ the King, a member congregation of the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church, was begun four years ago as eleven people joined the founding pastor, Father David Epps, and members of his family, in the Epps' living room on a Thursday evening. Within a few weeks, the mid-week prayer gathering had swollen to 46, forcing the small group to seek space elsewhere.

At the suggestion of Paul Massey, the new congregation looked into the possibility of worshiping in a funeral home chapel. Greg Hall, at Carmichael-Hemperley in Peachtree City, welcomed the congregation and services were begun on the second Sunday in September, 1996.

Since that time, the congregation has seen steady, consistent growth, with high attendance for special events in the 150 - 165 range.

In 1999, the church purchased 11.5 acres of land on Highway 34 in Coweta County and plans are underway to prepare for the construction of a sanctuary in the near future.

In the four years of the church's existence, three men have been ordained to the priesthood, one to the diaconate, two set apart as commissioned ministers, three men are students at St. Michael's Seminary, and seven are exploring calls to ordained ministry. A mission of the church has been planted in Hogansville, and home groups have been established in Fayetteville, Sharpsburg, and Newnan.

Epps' larger outreach to the community includes service as a law enforcement chaplain and as a columnist for The Citizen newspapers. He also is published regularly in a variety of magazines. The church has intentions to assist in the planning and planting of 20 new ICCEC churches in Georgia in 20 years.

"Sometimes, people will ask why a church our size has so many ministers," Epps said. "It's because we are going to need them in the days to come. We believe that God is laying the foundation of leadership now, even before the opportunities are obvious."

Epps noted that the ICCEC, as a denomination, is only eight years old and started with three churches on the West Coast. Since then, the church has mushroomed around the world and is considered one of, if not the, fastest growing denominations in the world. Although Touchstone magazine has indicated that the ICCEC is now the second largest "Episcopal" denomination in the United States (ECUSA is the largest), the ICCEC is not really a part of the Episcopal structure or the so-called Anglican Communion.

"Our roots are not in the Episcopal Church," Epps explained. "Our line of authority, or 'apostolic succession,' comes from the Apostolic Catholic Church of Brazil, which has a direct link to the Roman Catholic Church. You could say that we are 'Catholic' but not 'Roman Catholic.' We do use the Episcopal liturgy, although we are very much praise and worship oriented, and most Episcopalians and Catholics who have attended feel quite at home."

However, Epps stated that, surprisingly, the largest number of transfers have come from evangelical, Pentecostal, or charismatic churches, although a large number of members had very little prior church background.

"Christ the King is really a melting pot culturally, denominationally, and racially," Epps indicated.

Carmichael-Hemperley, which hosts Christ the King, is located on Ga. Highway 74 in Peachtree City, two miles north of Westpark Walk Shopping Center. A nursery for small children is available in the facilities of Kids 'R' Kids across the street. For additional information call 770.251.2760 or write FatherDavidEpps@aol.com.

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