The Bishopric: A Handbook on Creating Episcopacy in the African-American Pentecostal Church addresses the need for assistance and training for the proliferated Episcopacy within the African-American community.

The Pentecostal Episcopacy is a little book that deals strictly with the episcopacy from a Pentecostal dynamic. It straight to the point and offers a look at an episcopacy not based on apostolic succession. In this book you will find order of services for the consecration and ordination of clergy and the installation of pastors.

This volume of ecumenical documents, key texts, and critical essays is the first collection of its kind exclusively dedicated to Pentecostalism and its contributions to Christian unity. In the first part, a cadre of internationally renowned scholars addresses the ecumenical heritage and perspectives of the Pentecostal movement since the early twentieth century. Part 2 offers a collection of final reports from international dialogues with Pentecostal participation. The final part contains programmatic essays in response to The Nature and Mission of the Church, a major study on the doctrine of the church published by the World Council of Churches. Most of these essays were first presented by the ecumenical-studies group of the Society for Pentecostal Studies, currently the only organized ecumenical think tank among Pentecostals in North America. Since its formation in 2001, the group has encouraged Pentecostal participation in ecumenical concerns, has hosted Roman Catholic-Pentecostal conversations at the annual meeting of the Society, has invited international scholarly debates on ecumenical matters, and has engaged in the study of ecumenical consensus statements. The essays and documents in this collection model the dedication and commitment among Pentecostals today that engage the challenges and opportunities of Christian unity from the perspective of a tradition that has often been falsely accused of being anti-ecumenical. This collection presents an invaluable resource for teachers, scholars, and pastors interested in engaging the global Christian arena from the worldwide and ecumenical image of Pentecostalism. Contributors Carmelo E. Alvarez Harold D. Hunter Douglas Jacobsen Veli-Matti Karkkainen Frank D. Macchia Raymond R. Pfister Cecil M. Robeck Jr. Paul van der Laan Wolfgang Vondey

Many American Christians remain ignorant of black Pentacostalism. In this expansive historical overview, Estrelda Alexander recounts the story of African American Pentecostal origins and development. Whether you come from this tradition or you just want to learn more, this book will unfold all the dimensions of this important movement's history and contribution to the life of the church.

Why Bishops? What's so special about Bishops? What are Bishops called to and how best can they do it? This book is the single resource of answers to all the questions one could conceivably have about what a Bishop is and their function and purpose in the Church. Paul Avis offers a fascinating account of the ministerial identity of the bishop, and in particular the tasks and roles of episcopal ministry. Placing the Bishop within his wider ecclesiological framework, Avis illuminates the role of the individual in episcopal ministry. The book sets the vital work of a Bishop within an ecclesiological framework: the Bishop in the Anglican Communion, within the Church of Christ, within the purposes of God.

The Freshman Bishops Manual is the freshman guide to new bishops who are entering the Congress of Apostles and Bishops. This manual is meant to acclimate new members to the episcopacy and the COAAB Episcopacy. This is an easy to read manual for senior and new episcopates.

Revised and updated for the twenty-first century: the authoritative reference for the ceremonies, traditions, and protocols of today’s Catholic Church. In The Church Visible, James-Charles Noonan presents a detailed and comprehensive resource on all matters concerning the external life of the church. As the only book of its kind published in more than a century, it is the recognized authority on the subject—and the first to incorporate the momentous changes of the Second Vatican Council. This newly revised edition presents the most up to date information on such topics as Papal Honors, Church Protocol, Vesture & Insignia, the Universal Church, and more.

A survey of historical, theological and philosophical arguments for a democratization of the Christian church.

Answers to frequently asked questions about Bishop C.H. Mason and the General Assembly of the Church of God in Christ.