On Sunday, March 19 at 10:00 a.m., the Cathedral of Christ the King, Sharpsburg, will host three bishops from the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church. On Sunday, March 19th, Archbishop Craig Bates, the Patriarch of the ICCEC, will visit the Cathedral of Christ the King and welcome two international leaders to the South Metro Atlanta area. Bishop Ariel Santos is the Bishop of the Diocese of Metro Manilla & Northern Luzon and Bishop Paulino Villavicencio is the Bishop of Diocese of Southern Luzon. Both Bishops Santos and Villavicencio are leaders in the ICCEC’s church in the Philippines.
Archbishop Bates, who spent a number of years in The Episcopal Church, was Rector of the Church of the IntercessoR on Long Island, New York and was, for many years, bishop of the Northeast Diocese. He was elevated to the global patriarchate in 2008 and currently resides in Jacksonville, FL and is the bishop of the Diocese of Malverne and is the Primate of North America. The late 60’s and the early 70’s were a turbulent time and many young men and women got involved in drug use from marijuana use to psychedelic drugs, and unfortunately heroin. Bates began working with that population and, while doing that work, earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Franconia College, Franconia, New Hampshire and a Masters Degree in Psychology from Anna Maria College, in Paxton, Massachusetts. He eventually took part in opening several therapeutic communities and drug rehabilitation families in Massachusetts. He and his family moved to New York City and he attended The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church, graduating in 1980 with a Master of Divinity degree. He has been active in both the Civil Rights and Pro-Life movements,
These leaders in the international church will be visiting Christ the King following the North American House of Bishops in Jacksonville, FL. David Epps, the church’s rector and the bishop for the Diocese of the Mid-South said, “We are truly blessed to be able to receive men of God who labor for the Kingdom across the globe.” He invites members of the community to share in the service. The church is located at 4881 Highway 34 East, Sharpsburg, GA.
