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Contents<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

About the Church<\/a><\/span>
Ideas and Beliefs<\/a><\/span>
Practice and Ritual<\/a><\/span>
Connections to Other Organisations<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a>About the Church<\/span><\/h1>\n


What is the Apostolic Johannite Church?<\/span><\/h3>\n

We are an esoteric, gnostic, Christian communion within the historic\u00a0Apostolic Succession.<\/span><\/p>\n

We fully embrace the beauty and mystery of the living Christian tradition: candles and incense, ancient rites such as baptism and the eucharist and robed male and female priests. At the same time, we share a commitment to freedom of thought and an insistence that the fullness of the Divine is known both in the hidden secrecy of the individual heart and in the loving connection of community.<\/span><\/p>\n

We hold the same lines of spiritual lineage as older, mainstream churches as well as some less common, mystical lineages like the Gnostic succession of Jules Doinel. We treasure the fullness of mystical Christian teaching whether orthodox or \u201cheretical\u201d as informative.<\/span><\/p>\n

What does Johannite mean?<\/span><\/p>\n

The word comes from the name \u201cJohn\u201d (or \u201cYohanan\u201d in Hebrew).<\/span><\/p>\n

Johannite refers to a spiritual tradition carried in part through the initiatory tradition of John the Baptist, exemplified in the relationship between Christ and the Apostle John, brought to fruition in the community addressed by the Gospel of John, the Gospel embraced by early Gnostics, and which produced the Revelation to John the Theologian. We strive to embody this tradition today.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can learn more about the Johannite Tradition through the many lectures and workshops on our <\/span>YouTube channel<\/a> <\/span>and books on our<\/span> Books<\/a><\/span> page<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Is the Apostolic Johannite Church a Christian Church?<\/span><\/h3>\n

We are part of the \u201ccatholic\u201d (the word means \u201cuniversal\u201d) tradition as it was understood by the early Christian churches, and we use Christian symbolism, form, and sacraments in our worship. Many of our members consider themselves Christian.<\/span><\/p>\n

We also welcome members from a wide variety of faith traditions including Wiccans, Buddhists, Jews, Hindus, Druids and Hermeticists. Respect for the Christian tradition, and all traditions of faith, is central to the Apostolic Johannite identity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is there a Parish in my area?<\/span><\/h3>\n

We currently have Parishes, Narthexes, Missions and Oratories across Canada, the United States, and Australia. All current groups are <\/span>listed on our website<\/span><\/span> (click on \u201cFind Us\u201d in the main menu).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If there isn\u2019t a group in your area, you might consider starting one. For that to happen, someone needs to volunteer as a leader and be approved by the church. Check out our<\/span> Seminary<\/a><\/span> for more information and email<\/span> the Formation Director<\/a> <\/span>if you\u2019re interested.<\/span><\/p>\n

How many clergy do you have?<\/span><\/h3>\n

An official listing of clergy and lay leaders can be found on our <\/span>Governance<\/a><\/span> page<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Do you ordain women?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Yes. As our<\/span> Statement of Principles<\/a><\/span> puts it:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWe recognize the Sacred Flame to be present in all Beings and therefore our Offices are open to all humanity without discrimination on the basis of gender, race, social status or sexual orientation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Further, we are practically committed to gender diversity and non-discrimination in all church functions and activities.<\/span><\/p>\n

What about gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people?<\/span><\/h3>\n

As you can see in our<\/span> Statement of Principles<\/a><\/span>, <\/span>we welcome gay, lesbians, bisexual and transgender people as full members of our church and we do not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation in the administration of any of the sacraments of the church, including ordination to the offices of deacon, priest and bishop (and in fact we have serving GLBT clergy). We are delighted to offer the sacrament of matrimony to any two people in a genuine, loving relationship regardless of gender.<\/span><\/p>\n

So you\u2019re Protestants, right?<\/span><\/h3>\n

No. \u201cProtestant\u201d characterises churches that emerge from earlier Churches in opposition to them (Catholicism, mostly). We share a number of ideas with various Protestant denominations, such as the ordination of women and the idea of a personal and unique experience of the divine. However, we do not define ourselves in opposition to Rome or any other church: we are the continuation of a tradition that shares its roots with all Christian Churches<\/i>.
<\/span><\/p>\n

I thought Gnostics were heretics, why do you look so conventional?<\/span><\/h3>\n

For centuries, gnostic ideas flourished within the Catholic and Orthodox churches. Countless Catholic and Orthodox Bishops died peacefully in their sleep after lifetimes of preaching and practicing gnostic teaching. These people contributed, debated, and crafted much of what we see of liturgical culture today. The Cathars and Bogomils had bishops. The Valentinians celebrated the Eucharist. Of course the Gnostic Revival of the nineteenth century also embraced the structure and liturgy of Catholicism, with a deep, mystical understanding.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our approach seems familiar and approachable on the outside, while principles like freedom of thought and a mystical understanding of liturgy and scripture transform the conventional from within.<\/span><\/p>\n

What does your church do to protect children?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Convicted sex offenders are explicitly barred from holding leadership positions within the Apostolic Johannite Church, and we screen seminarians and clergy through local, national and international background checks, including criminal record checks and sex offender listings. Background checks are conducted every five years for Deacons, Priests and Bishops as a part of licensing.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to this, the AJC also maintains very strict policies ensuring, where possible, that no individuals are placed at risk through the participation of laity that are known to the community to have committed sexual or violent offenses. Should the latter seek the ministry of our Church or clergy, this is done in an environment apart from those at risk.
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<\/a>Ideas and Beliefs<\/span><\/h1>\n

It is common to being to explore a religious tradition or organisation by asking what its members believe. In the case of the Apostolic Johannite Church, this question can prove frustrating and our answers may seem non-committal. We are a community drawn together more by shared symbolism, common liturgy and loving unity than by intellectual agreement alone.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What do you believe in?
<\/span><\/h3>\n

We invite you to read our Statement of Principles. In particular, note:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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We affirm that there are many ways in which Gnosis may be experienced. Thus, we promote freedom of thought<\/i> in pursuit of one\u2019s inward Path towards the Divine, whether that pursuit is modern or ancient in origin, or individual or communal in experience.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The Principles outline the shared experience of the AJC community. Your experience may well be different. We are a diverse community and our Principles are intended to sketch out a shared centre to the Church, if you find them welcoming, we welcome you.<\/span><\/p>\n

Do you believe in the Bible?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Both the Old Testament and the New Testament are sources of our inspiration, as are other works including the Corpus Hermeticum and the Nag Hammadi Gnostic Scriptures. We understand these texts from a multi-layered, allegorical and mystical view, rather than a literal one.<\/span><\/p>\n

Do you believe in the Trinity?<\/span><\/h3>\n

We affirm<\/i> the Trinity of the Divine as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We also use the language of Pleroma (fullness), Logos (word), and Hagia Sophia (holy wisdom) and other forms.<\/span><\/p>\n

How can I learn more about Gnosticism?<\/span><\/h3>\n

We also have several books, homilies, videos and interviews by AJC clergy which can be explored in<\/span> the Learning section of our website<\/span><\/a> (click the \u201cLearn\u201d link on the main menu) as well as organized and list on the biographical pages for individual clergy (click the 'Governance' link on the main menu).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n