The Rt Rev Dr Barry Rathbone

 

  

Founding Moderating Bishop & Abbot of the Order. De Jure Bishop Metropolitan

 

 

 

 

 

  

(Member of The International Chaplains Association and Management Board Member of the Spiritual Workers Association)

 

Visit Bishop Barry's blog site:

http://bishopsramblings.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

 

A Personal Message from Our Founder

  

 

 'Welcome Home. You know, life is difficult enough without people of faith making it harder with extra, unnecessary rules and regulations made by man to dominate and control you. We in the ICSJ want to make your relationship with God as simple and empowering as possible. All people have been made in God's divine and perfect image (Gen. 1 vv26), why should we want to change what God has already made so perfect?

  

 

 

If you truly wish to develop your spiritual side and seek a closer relationship with God as your supreme and all loving Creator, then welcome! If you are not sure yet, read on and find out more! We willingly welcome all who want to become one with their spirituality and offer two avenues for those seeking to develop a ministry within the community they reside in.

 

For the past 16 years I have been privileged beyond belief to lead our community as it takes it's place in the global faith communities, quietly guiding and inspiring where it can. However, my health has suffered with the immense responsibility, and also I have found that I am being pushed in other directions ministerially, and therefore have taken the decision, as of the 31st July 2008, to stand down and resign as Moderating Bishop (Chair and Chief Executive effectively) to allow fresh blood to take the body into it's third decade. I am immensely proud of our community and the work our members do around the world and continue to support it unequivocably from the 'back benches'.

 

In recent months, certain (I am sure) well meaning people have made scurrilous comments as to our validity. I would like to state here and now that this body was formed NOT by me alone, out of any desire to 'massage' my ego or to give ourselves credibility, but by 12 of us who felt that the existing faith bodies were elitist, xenophobic, homophobic and exclusive in their activities, rather than embracing the similarities they shared, and felt that a new body that promoted a commonality might be able to kickstart a ressurgence of people's desire to learn more about their spirituality. Although we are not a huge organisation, and we certainly do not have the 'bling' credentials of other bodies (our bank account is virtually empty because we all self fund our ministries and anything we reap centrally goes towards charitable works outside the ICSJ), we are genuinely motivated by a humilitous desire to serve and assist the people we minister too. As to titles, letters etc, yes, I agree, in reality most titles are, in the 21st century, redundant and reak of fusty old fashioned historical rank and privilege. Yet there are still a large number of people who have grown up in such an environment and feel a sense of comfort from the familiar and the traditional. Personally I feel that nothing that has not been earnt has any validity, and I am happy to say that everything you see on members of ICSJ are validly and mostly externally earned. Our in house Order is purely that, in house, and only has interest to us. What you see is what you get, and actions speak louder than words, and those who constantly berate us for our existence are simply blowing hot air into the wind, energy that could be much better utilised in the service of mankind.

 

 You are most welcome in unconditional love and grace.'

  

 

 

 

 

 

++Barry

 

( the picture above right is the personal coat of arms of our Patriarch showing his close links to the Maltese people, and his love and admiration for the Templar tradition of inclusivity for all faiths. The picture below shows ++Barry with his husband Peter) 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About Barry

 

+Barry was one of the original 12 founders of our original body, the CSJ. He was installed as Patriarch (protector) of our international community in 2006. However, in practice the style and title is sinecurial.  He is also a published writer on theological matters and a frequent commentator on television and radio programmes relating to faith and equality matters. Further, he is a Member of the International Chaplain's Association and occasional reviewer for their newsletter 'Plainviews'. In early 2008 he was invited to join the 'Round Table' of the newly formed Spiritual Workers Association as a member, and is assisting in the development of a Ministerial Training Diploma Course for that body (which is currently seeking UK University accreditation)in addition to his very hectic diary commitments for ICSJ and his secular role as a Tutor/Trainer for NVQ courses and also for young people excluded from mainstream schooling.

 

With his husband Peter, +Barry wishes Bishop Ashley every success and blessing as he steps up as Acting Moderating Bishop until the next congress.

 

First ordained in 1986 as an Elder within a traditional Christian environment, albeit very young it was recognised that he had a calling to minister to God's people by the congregation he was a member of. Overtime he became frustrated with the elitist and exclusive nature of traditional establishments. Fragmented and divisive, archaic and outdated, they made him realise that God had long since got lost in the mountains of rules and regulations that made certain people more important and valued than others, and left an awful lot of people excluded. It was this 'exclusivity' as opposed to 'inclusivity' that led him, in affiliation with 11 other similarly dissaffected members of traditional faith bodies to constitute 'The Community of St John the Divine' (CSJ) the pre-cursor to the current 'ICSJ'.

In the ICSJ we believe in the 'pastoral shepherd/servant' relationship between clergy and Bishops, and, as such, reject the temptation to add on titles other than those prescribed by Scripture. Of late much comment has been made on the subject of 'Apostolic Succession', ie: the supposed understanding that only those who can confirm a direct link back to St Peter (allegedly but not confirmed first Bishop of Rome or 'Pope') can call themselves Bishops by God's divine ordaining. Therefore, to follow this premise to its' conclusion, only those who have received the laying on of hands and the phrasing of 'receive the Holy Spirit' can call themselves true Bishops. My personal opinion on the matter is that if people choose to follow that then fine, that is their right of course. However, in attacking those who have been consecrated by the acclamation of the people through the intervention of the Holy Spirit, as were the first apostles appointed (see Acts 1 vv23-26) is fallacy and shows a distinct immaturity of theological understanding.  Even the early theological author and seer of the Church; St Cyprian of Carthage (192-258AD) noted 'There are many churches, just as there are many rays of the sun, but only ONE source of light.' Those who waste valuable time on trying to dismiss the validity of colleagues would surely be better placed spending their time in delivering completion of the Great Commandments and Great Commission within their own ministry. After all, as St Paul so succinctly points out in the second chapter of Romans: 'So matter who you are, if you pass judgement you have no excuse.... you condemn yourself..... He (God) will repay each one as his works deserve.' Our role as clergy, whether Deacon, Priest or Bishop (Presbyter) is surely to complete the Great Work started by the instruction of Jesus to the first twelve disciples to be loving, inclusive and supportive to all who seek to grow in faith with God, and leave everything else to God.

 

+Barry often uses this paraphrase to symbolise his thoughts on the subject:

 

'When two or three are gathered in my name, they will ignore me, form a committee and do whatever they like!!!'

 

Although traditionally from an Anglo-Catholic background, +Barry believes wholeheardtedly in the integration and unifying of ALL faiths and creeds under the Universal Commandments they all share, as enshrined in the words of Jesus of Nazareth (please see our Home Page to be reminded). God never meant us all to be fragmented and divided on the grounds of the human-made rules and regulations, the dogmas and creeds that WE have insisted on. Rather, he believes utterly that God wants us to be a united 'rainbow people' freed from our limitations by a return to the basics that He gave us to start with. Perhaps its because it is so simple that human nature wants to make it more complicated?

Picture of Enthronement (Left)

 

 

Bishop Barry at his installation as Patriarch and de jure Bishop Metropolitan of the world family of ICSJ in 2006 at our Cathedral Church in Bournemouth being mitred or 'crowned'  in the presence of family and friends and distinguished Bishops and clergy from other bodies. The Patriarch is flanked in the background by his husband; Peter Jones OSJ (on the right) and his mother; Dame Cherill Rathbone DSJ (on the left) our Chair of Trustees

 

 

Click here to find out about the rest of the team at Church House