Changes

The vast majority of Mathew's people at once gathered separately, and they chose James Wedgwood as their leader. Some time later a retired Old Catholic bishop, hearing of Mathew’s reversal, offered to regularize the separated group’s position by consecrating their elected leader. The consecration of James Wedgwood on February 13, 1916 is regarded as the foundation date of the new Church, to be known later in September 1918 as the Liberal Catholic Church.  

The vast majority of Mathew's people at once gathered separately, and they chose James Wedgwood as their leader. Some time later a retired Old Catholic bishop, hearing of Mathew’s reversal, offered to regularize the separated group’s position by consecrating their elected leader. The consecration of James Wedgwood on February 13, 1916 is regarded as the foundation date of the new Church, to be known later in September 1918 as the Liberal Catholic Church.  

Wedgwood prepared some foundational documents (Constitution and Rules for Clergy, Statement of Principles), secured approval for them from his English colleagues, and set off for Australia to enlist Charles Webster Leadbeater’s help in devising a new liturgy, building congregations, and finding suitable candidates for Holy Orders. Having already in 1915 interested Leadbeater in the potential for good of the Old Catholic Church, both men were convinced that the blessing of Christ Himself rested upon their work. Leadbeater lamented the absence of his collegue Annie Besant In a letter to her, saying, “Your splendid gift of language, your wonderful power of putting things poetically, would be invaluable to us.”

Wedgwood prepared some foundational documents (Constitution and Rules for Clergy, Statement of Principles), secured approval for them from his English colleagues, and set off for Australia to enlist Charles Webster Leadbeater’s help in devising a new liturgy, building congregations, and finding suitable candidates for Holy Orders. Having already in 1915 interested Leadbeater in the potential for good of the Old Catholic Church, both men were convinced that the blessing of Christ Himself rested upon their work. Leadbeater lamented the absence of his colleague Annie Besant In a letter to her, saying, “Your splendid gift of language, your wonderful power of putting things poetically, would be invaluable to us.”

===Charles Webster Leadbeater===

===Charles Webster Leadbeater===

==Current Doctrine==

==Current Doctrine==

===Scriptural interpretation===

===Scriptural interpretation===

Lay members are free to interpret Scripture and all matters of doctrine as they choose, informed by the theosophical Wisdom Tradition as the prevailing approach within the Liberal Catholic community. A wide range of viewpoints is found in most congregations but not to the extent of displacing Christian [[esoteric]]ism. Members are free to believe as they choose, unity of purpose arising from sharing a common [[liturgy]]. Nevertheless most are informally comfortable with the Church’s brief ''Summary of Doctrine''.  

Lay members are free to interpret Scripture and all matters of doctrine as they choose, informed by the theosophical Wisdom Tradition as the prevailing approach within the Liberal Catholic community. A wide range of viewpoints is found in most congregations but not to the extent of displacing Christian [[esoteric]]ism. Members are free to believe as they choose, unity of purpose arising from sharing a common [[liturgy]]. Nevertheless, most are informally comfortable with the Church’s brief ''Summary of Doctrine''.  

===Statement of Principles and Summary of Doctrine===

===Statement of Principles and Summary of Doctrine===

However, all Liberal Catholic Clergy are themselves expected to formally indicate their “general agreement” with the Statement of Principles and Summary of Doctrine. The Liberal Catholic Church Summary of Doctrine, although amended slightly after 1958, remains into the 1990’s very much a claim to be the Ancient Wisdom clothed in Christian terms. This document affirms both the unity of God who is said to manifest in the Universe as a Trinity, and the latent divinity gradually finding expression in all human lives. Christ is “a mighty spiritual presence in the world”, the compassionate guide and guardian of humanity. Humans are ultimately perfectible, as they are reborn again and again under “an inviolable law of cause and effect”, and therefore a company of “just men made perfect who help mankind”, and also a ministry of powerful [[angel]]s. The LCC continues to be seductively hospitable to all who are attracted to its churches, asking only that they participate with reverence. Emphasis is on the “freedom of the spirit.”

However, all Liberal Catholic Clergy are themselves expected to formally indicate their “general agreement” with the Statement of Principles and Summary of Doctrine. The Liberal Catholic Church Summary of Doctrine, although amended slightly after 1958, remains into the 1990’s very much a claim to be the Ancient Wisdom clothed in Christian terms. This document affirms both the unity of God who is said to manifest in the Universe as a Trinity, and the latent divinity gradually finding expression in all human lives. Christ is “a mighty spiritual presence in the world”, the compassionate guide and guardian of humanity. Humans are ultimately perfectible, as they are reborn again and again under “an inviolable law of cause and effect”, and therefore a company of “just men made perfect who help mankind”, and also a ministry of powerful [[angel]]s. The LCC continues to be seductively hospitable to all who are attracted to its churches, asking only that they participate with reverence. Emphasis is on the “freedom of the spirit.”

====Provinces====

====Provinces====

The world-wide LCC is divided into 20 provinces, each under a Regionary Bishop, and a number of lesser populated territories, each supervised by an appointed administrator. Clergy are trained both practically, ''in situ'', and with the aid of correspondence courses offered by the ''Liberal Catholic Institute of Studies''. These courses are not yet widely translated into languages other than English and are not evenly supported by individual '''LCC''' Regionary Bishops.  

The worldwide LCC is divided into 20 provinces, each under a Regionary Bishop, and a number of lesser populated territories, each supervised by an appointed administrator. Clergy are trained both practically, ''in situ'', and with the aid of correspondence courses offered by the ''Liberal Catholic Institute of Studies''. These courses are not yet widely translated into languages other than English and are not evenly supported by individual '''LCC''' Regionary Bishops.  

====Unpaid clergy====

====Unpaid clergy====

LCC Clergy are unpaid. They either hold secular occupations or are retired. Only men are admitted to major orders, but recently women servers have been introduced in many provinces. No charges are made for any services rendered. Donations (for example, after weddings or baptisms) are generally accepted, but are never requested.  

LCC Clergy are unpaid. They either hold secular occupations or are retired. Only men are admitted to major orders, but recently women servers have been introduced in many provinces. No charges are made for any services rendered. Donations (for example, after weddings or baptisms) are generally accepted, but are never requested.  

[[category:Religion]]

[[Category:Religion]]

[[category:Christianity]]

[[Category:Christianity]]