Bishop James Parker Dees a Low Churchman? Part 2

March 2, 1977
TO: THE MEMBERS OF THE CLERGY
SUBJECT: LAY PARTICIPATION IN THE CELEBRATION OF HOLY COMMUNION

Dear Friends:

Bishop James P. Dees

We are all in agreement, I believe, that [this] Church with its doctrine and worship is the continuation of the ancient and time-honored Church that has come to us from Apostolic times through the Reformers of the Church of England.

The Sacrament of the Holy Communion and our doctrine concerning it, we believe as established in the Book of Common Prayer and Thirty Nine Articles, is true to the Church's use in the earliest times and true to what our Lord instituted with the Apostles.

The Holy Communion Service from earliest times is a priestly function, and not a lay function, and has always been celebrated by ordained priests of the Church. This is borne out in the rubrics of the Prayer Book.

In recent years the Episcopal Church(USA), in its general breakdown of doctrine and morality and practices, has permitted violations of this ancient and accepted practice by giving certain roles in the Celebration of the Sacrament to the laity. This is contrary to both the doctrine concerning the priesthood and to the ancient practice of the Church.

I would like to request and to remind you that the Celebration of the Holy Communion is a priestly function throughout (except for the recognized and normal duties of the acolytes, who assist by giving the celebrant the bread and wine at the proper time, the lighting of the candles and putting them out, the disposition of the offering plates, etc.) The laity is not given the duties of reading any part of the Prayer Book Service nor of dispensing any of the elements (the bread and wine), which , as indicated above, are priestly functions and are to be reserved to the priesthood .

I believe that the clergy in our Church are celebrating already the Holy Communion as indicated above, in relation to the laity, but I wish simply to make this position clear so that you will have a definitive statement from the Bishop's Office as to the Church's position on this matter.

Thank you for your kind attention.

Sincerely your friend,

James P. Dees

Metropolitan

The Orthodox Anglican Communion

*Bold emphasis added