The Gold Standard
Article Three: Heresy
CANON 1 - Heretical doctrines shall in no wise be tolerated within the bounds of the Caribbean Patriarchate. Heretical doctrine may be discussed, but strictly in reference to study for identifying error. Any who adhere to what is officially deemed a heresy by the Caribbean Patriarchate, or are in communion with teachers of such, or willfully and knowingly receive any of the sacraments from them, let them be anathema, for they dare to mix the clean with the unclean. At the same time, the Presbytery, guided by the Apostles and Bishops, will deal with each matter on a case-by-case basis, so not to punish the righteous with the wicked, and not to burn the wheat with the tares. Thus, the Augustinian and Cyprian understandings will be balanced.
CANON 2 - Regarding Carlton Pearson, and the disorder which surrounded him: the Holy Synod has fully agreed with the findings of the ecclesiastical entity known as the Joint College of African American Pentecostal Bishop’s Congress (though we are not in union with the Joint College of Bishops Congress) and the World Bishop’s Congress, and therefore anathematize his heresy of “the Gospel of Inclusion”. As for his Episcopal status, he is not regarded as a Bishop in the Lord’s Church; therefore, those ordained by him clerics of any rank whatsoever after and according to his heresy are in error. Everything that was done both to him and by him after the time of his declaration of heresy is to be held invalid until he recants and repents. Those embracing such a gross heresy shall be, not considered to be Clergy in the eyes of the Caribbean Patriarchate. Those following and teaching such a heresy shall be considered completely outside of the Church of God, in need of evangelization.
CANON 3 - Regarding Elijah Bernard Jordan the false Prophet, and the disorder which surrounded him: the Holy Synod as well as the collective of the Prophets fully agree to anathematize his heresy of “charging money for prophesy”. Let all the Prophets and students of his teaching share in such a fate. As for his Episcopal status, though he was lawfully and validly consecrated by His Eminence Archbishop Roy E. Brown years ago, he is no longer a true Bishop in the Lord’s Church because of his heretical and simonistic actions; therefore, those ordained by him clerics of any rank whatsoever after and according to his heresy are in error. Everything that was done both to him and by him after the time of his declaration of heresy is to be held invalid until he recants and repents.
CANON 4 - According to the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, the one true Church shall adhere to the blessed Trinity, which is central to our salvation. It is unfortunate however of the disorder which surrounds those who concelebrate with teachers of heretical doctrines such as Sabellianism which is considered today the so-called “Oneness believers” and “Jesus-only believers”. It is to be properly identified as a false gospel, and the teachers of such shall incur upon themselves the anathema declared by Apostle Paul unless they recant and repent.
CANON 5 - According to the Apostle Simon-Peter and several of the ecumenical councils, which spoke by the authority of the Spirit of Christ, the power of the All-Holy Ghost given for holy orders or the performance of other sacraments and miracles cannot be haggled for with money or carnal goods. Those which do so insult the Spirit of God, who is central to our salvation. It is unfortunate of the disorder which surrounds those who concelebrate with such heretics. It is to be properly identified as the sin of “Simony” as it always has been identified. The Clergy of the Holy Caribbean Patriarchate are to be careful of the proper context of the dealing with money during and for Church services. They are to avoid being found guilty of simonistic behavior for such events as baptisms, marriages, preaching engagements, ordinations, Holy Communion, etc.
CANON 6 - Bishops and other clergy who are out to make a name for themselves compromise the faith for the image of validity and popularity, “having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof”, and therefore anathematize themselves for the duel heresy of co-signing the false Gospel of “the Oneness doctrine” and “Simony”. As for their Episcopal status, they are not to be considered a true Bishop in the Lord’s Church except they repent; therefore, those ordained clerics of any rank whatsoever by them after knowing this heresy are in great error. Everything that was done both to him and by him after the time of this act and declaration of heresy is to be held invalid.
CANON 7 - According to the great Apostle Paul of Tarsus, one’s holy orders are in fact tied in with their saving faith (Titus 1:1-3). If a person was once consecrated validly, then it shall stand as such and remain sufficient so long as they remain in the services of the Lord Jesus Christ. It has come to our attention however that many Bishops and other clergy are out being re-consecrated in an attempt to heap up for themselves “lines of successions” for the sake of making a name for themselves and proving themselves to be “more valid” because of a particular lineage or a multitude of lines of succession. Such a practice should never be found within the walls of this Church, for it is a compromise of the faith once and for all delivered unto the saints for the image of validity and popularity, “having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof”. As for their Episcopal status, they are to be corrected on this matter for fear of a continuation of this grave error and forgiven for their ignorance. If such a practice continues, they are not to be considered a true Bishop in the Lord’s Church; therefore, those ordained clerics of any rank whatsoever by him after knowing his heresy are in great error.
If any should question the validity of their succession and holy orders within the bounds of this Church, let them refer to Apostle Paul’s sacred words in 1st Corinthians 1:10 saying “Now I say, that every one of you says ‘I am of Paul’, and ‘I am of Apollos’, and ‘I am Peter’, and ‘I am of Christ’. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” The question of validity, therefore, should not be so within this Church. If one has such doubts, let them settle themselves with the faith our Lord, or let them step down from their position, for that one will feed their doubts to the sheep, and God will not prosper them.
CANON 8 - Concelebrating any sacrament given from the hands of unrepented heretics and excommunicated believers is strictly forbidden. This shall include but not be limited to concelebrating with or serving the Eucharist to them, granting them or participating in the granting of holy orders to them, receiving from them the sacrament of marriage, performing participating or receiving the baptism of or on them. Such will be counted as the rejection of orthodox Christianity. Everything that was done by them or on them after the time of their declaration of heresy is to be held invalid. Any who adhere to this false doctrine, or are in communion with them, or receive holy orders from them, let them be anathema, for they dare to mix the clean with the unclean according to the 68th Apostolic Canon, the 7th Canon of the 2nd Ecumenical Council, the 95th Canon of the Sixth Ecumenical Council, and the 1st rule of St. Basil the Great. At the same time, there are differentiations of acceptance of heretics into the Church: some are accepted by a written renunciation from the heresy, some by repentance and anointing (Holy Unction or the reception of the baptism of the All-Holy Ghost), and others – the pagans – through water baptism.
The 7th Canon of the Second Ecumenical Council specifies that certain heretics, those who distorted the basic dogmas of the Church to a less great extent, for example, the Arians, were accepted into the Church by anointing, while those heretics who distorted the basic dogmas of Christianity, for example, the Gnostics, were considered pagans before being baptized. The same practice is defined in the 7th Canon of the Laodicea Council. The 95th Canon of the Sixth Ecumenical Council also specifies that followers of heresies condemned by the Third Ecumenical Council (Nestorian) and by the Fourth Ecumenical Council (Monophysite) are accepted into the Church through repentance alone, and that the hierarchy and clergy are accepted in the present status.
The heretics against whom Ecumenical Councils were convened, – Arians (First), Macedonians (Second), Nestorians (Third), Monophysites (Fourth), – are accepted into the Church by means of a written renunciation from the heresy and repentance (or anointing and repentance). The same provisions apply to the heretics referred to in the 7th Canon of Laodicea Council. It is evident that the canons of the Ecumenical Councils acknowledge even the baptism of heretics, so long as the teachings of the Blessed Trinity remain intact.
CANON 9 - The Prophets of old, beginning with Moses, and even up until the time of the Apostles of our Lord and throughout the history Church regarded homosexuality as a grave sin and an abomination. Those people therefore who are homosexual, that is to say, they embrace either an open or private homosexual lifestyle without repentance and desire to change, are in direct opposition to the will of God. Those people who knowingly ordain Clergy who still live a homosexual lifestyle dare to mix the clean with unclean. The violators of God’s standard shall be removed from their place alongside the Clergy. As for the status of the homosexuals, they shall not to be considered a true member of Clergy in the Lord’s Church except they repent; therefore, those ordained clerics of any rank whatsoever by them after knowing this heresy are in great error. Everything that was done both to and by them after the time of this discovery and declaration of heresy is to be held invalid. Only in certain and rare cases will Clergy be considered ordained at the hands of such figures, being “an ordination from God via economia”.
CANON 10 - In addition to these, the Church shall also reject all heresies pronounced within the first eight (8) Ecumenical Councils of Christianity, and any other heresies that may be produced by the will of the devil in this time. These shall be discerned and declared heresy by the Holy Synod in meeting, a meeting between the Caribbean Patriarchate leaders and our brethren in communion, or an Ecumenical Council.
CANON 11 - In the year 1872 AD, the Eastern Orthodox, holding a Synod in Constantinople, spoke against the heresy of ethnophyletism, the name of an ecclesiological heresy which says that the Church can be territorially organized on an ethnic, racial, or cultural basis so that within a given geographic territory, there can exist several Church jurisdictions, directing their pastoral care only to the members of specific ethnic groups. The formation in the same place of a particular [local] Church based on race which only receives faithful of that same ethnic group and is run by pastors of only of the same ethnic group, as the adherents of ethnophyletism claim, is an event without precedent. The Holy Caribbean Patriarchate shall stand with the Eastern Church decree against this heresy, for such segregation is not in the will of God. The Apostle St. Paul withstood and rebuked St. Peter for this very thing, showing him and us all “there is neither…Jew nor Greek…. for all are one in Christ”. The Holy Caribbean Patriarchate, therefore, shall embrace this holy stand against ethnophyletism, which is known to us as racism. Ministries shall not be set up and governed strictly for the sake of cultural pacification.
If any Clergy are found to be guilty of said racism, shunning the flock of God and only preferring certain sheep over another, let that Clergy be excommunicated until they repent. If repentance is given, let the Apostle/Bishop sit them among the people for one year before restoring them back as Clergy. If it be an Apostle or Bishop, let them be restored by the Metropolitan within two years, for they should have known better. The Teachers of the faith are held in greater regard and therefore greater accountability. If they continue, let them be altogether cut off from the Church, removed from their position in Holy Orders and no longer regarded as servants of God, but as haters of men.