Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I was recently asked about the titles Patriarch and Matriarch that +++Herman and +++Meri used in the early days of the Church. As you know, when ++Richard Gundrey succeeded +++Meri as head of the Church in the United States, he chose to retire those titles and instead use the title Presiding Bishop, a practice I have continued.
Although these titles are no longer in use, there has been some interest expressed in reviving the title of Patriarch. After giving this careful consideration, I do not feel it would be appropriate to reintroduce it at this time. To help explain my thinking, I have prepared the attached document, which also reflects on the relationship of the Church in the United States to the other national Churches of Antioch.
Additionally, I wanted to note that the Church in the United States has secured a trademark for the Cross of Antioch within the United States. We understand that this allows the US Church to extend permission for its use to other groups or individuals. While we may not all be in formal intercommunion, we nevertheless share in the heritage of Archbishop Spruit’s vision of the Church, even as it is expressed in different ways within our respective national contexts.
In that spirit, permission is gladly extended to the Churches in the United Kingdom, Australia, Argentina, and Mexico, along with their subordinate ministries, to make use of the Cross.
As we enter this holy season, please be assured of my prayers for you and for the communities you serve. May you experience a truly blessed and joyful Easter, filled with the peace and renewing hope of the Risen Christ.
Fraternally,
++Mark Elliott Newman