Catholic Apostolic Church

The Catholic Apostolic Church was an eschatologically oriented group which split from the Church of England in the early 19th century. It was characterized by strong eschatological expectation, belief in Edward Irving's view of Christ's assumption of sinful human flesh, and an extremely literalistic method of Biblical interpretation. The church's hierarchical structure included apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, seraphim, angels, deacons, and coadjutors.

The Catholic Apostolic Church was established in England in the early 1830s, with the aim of restoring the office of the twelve apostles in anticipation of the imminent second coming of Christ, and preaching the gifts of the Spirit. From Scottish Presbyterian origins, an elaborate liturgy was developed based largely on Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic models, with an increasing trend towards the ceremonial. Its early founders and leaders included a wealthy London banker and politician, Henry Drummond (1786-1860), the first apostle, John Bate Cardale (1802-1877), and the preacher Edward Irving (1792-1834) after whom members of the church are often but unjustifiably called Irvingites. Members were instituted by "sealing" or laying on of hands, by an apostle, the highest order in a fourfold ministry of apostles, prophets (to expound and exhort), evangelists (to declare the truths of the gospel) and pastors (to minister to the flock.) Each congregation was presided over by an "angel in charge".

The peak of the Church's popularity in Yorkshire was around the 1880s-1890s, with meetings also held in Skipton, Shipley, Hebden Bridge, Heckmondwike and Sowerby Bridge. In 1896 nearly &600 was spent on extensions and improvements to the church in Bradford and in 1907 a new vestry was also built there. In 1898, a congregation of 300 took communion at the annual apostolic visitation, and even in 1930-1931 lay attendance topped 100. However, ordinations to the priesthood ceased with the death of the last apostle in 1901 and thereafter congregations disintegrated and membership slowly dwindled. The formerly independent congregations became dependencies once more, firstly of Bradford, in 1914, before Bradford itself was placed under the care of the Angel in Charge of Manchester in 1927. The Bradford diary of services shows monthly meetings with an average of 35 attendees continuing until November 1959.

The Catholic Apostolic Church originated in England during the early 1830's, developing out of a revivalist group led by Henry Drummond. The members of the CAC have been widely designated as Irvingites, despite their disclaimers of the centrality of Edward Irving in the formation and development of the church. Irving was a member of Drummond's group and an influential preacher in London who was accused of heresy and expelled from the ministry of the Church of Scotland in 1833. Various aspects of the theology and terminology of the CAC have been traced to the teachings of Irving, but he was never accorded a high position in the hierarchy of the church and died only two years after the formal establishment of the CAC.

Theologically, CAC has been characterized by the strong eschatological expectation, belief in Irving's view of Christ assumption of sinful human flesh, and an extremely literalistic method of Biblical interpretation. In preparation for the imminent Second Advent of Christ, the group gathered around Drummond felt called to reinstate the full complement of ministries of the primitive church, and later to add other positions of ministry resulting in a hierarchical structure that included apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, seraphim, angels, deacons and coadjutors.

The first 'apostle', John Bate Cardale, was appointed in 1832 and was joined by eleven other 'apostles' before the first Council of Zion was held in 1835. One of the first actions of the Council of Zion was the sending of the statements, or testimonies, to the bishops of the Church of England and King William IV, which set forth the mission of the Church. The 'apostles' then began missionary work on the continent and in South America, each 'apostle' being assigned a country or countries for his special attention. The work met with particular success in Holland, Germany, and Prussia, attracting many people of social and political prominence.

From the first, the CAC was distinctive in its polity and practices. In England, the church centered around the seven churches in London ( modeled after those in the book of Revelation), chief of which was the church in Gordon Square, built in 1853. The Church was supervised as a whole from the Apostles' Chapel at Albury. An increasing inclination toward the Catholic doctrine and practices was apparent as the church developed, due in part to the influence of the ideas encountered in its missionary work and the views of the Tractarian movement in England. This trend was reflected in an elevated understanding of the sacraments and a preference for a more elaborate liturgy.

The church passed through a severe crisis in 1901 when the last of the 'apostles' died. Because the 'apostles' had been expected to survive until the second coming, no provision had been made for their replacement. Church officials of lesser rank therefore assumed leadership of the church, and its activities continued on a reduced scale. As more and more officials passed away and no 'apostles' were available to appoint new leaders, local congregations ceased to meet and church buildings were sold, beginning in the late 1940's. Many church members were reabsorbed into the Church of England, although there is evidence that Catholic Apostolic Church members in many countries have retained a special identity and maintain communication with each other, despite the formal disbanding of the group.

For further information regarding the Catholic Apostolic Church see The History and Doctrine of Irvingism by Edward Miller (1878), The Catholic Apostolic Church by P.E. Shaw (1946), and A History of Creeds and Confessional of Faith by William A Curtis (1911).