Purpose
The College of Archpriests exists as a quiet, honorary fellowship recognizing the long faithfulness of clergy whose ministries have been shaped by both pastoral longevity and serious academic commitment. It is not a governing body, not a theological consortium, and not an activist organization. The College holds no meetings, adopts no positions, and speaks for no church or jurisdiction. Its only purpose is to acknowledge, affirm, and encourage those whose lives have been given to the care of souls over many years.
The tippet, along with the academic hood of which it was once part, is historically associated with the personal honor of priests is awarded in the color of the cover of the Altar Book of the Episcopal Church, is here simply a sign of character rather than office—a recognition of something endured and something offered.
The College is fraternal and sororial: a fellowship of those who have walked the long road of sacramental ministry with perseverance, humility, and devotion to the Church’s teaching and worship in the parish church.
Criteria for Invitation
Membership in the College is by invitation and is ordinarily extended to clergy who meet these primary criteria:
• Twenty years or more of parish-based priestly ministry.
• An earned postgraduate degree in theology, ministry, or a closely related field.
• Good standing within their ecclesiastical jurisdiction.
• A reputation for integrity, constancy, and devotion to the pastoral cure.
These standards may be refined as the College develops, but they express the central values around which this fellowship is being formed: longevity, learning, and a life given to shepherding God’s people.
Nature of the Fellowship
The College is intentionally modest in scope and quiet in demeanor. It is a voluntary association, grounded in the Anglican Prayer Book tradition, and constituted as a fellowship of honor rather than a body of governance.
• The College is non-governing and holds no legislative, administrative, or canonical power.
• The College does not speak on behalf of any church, diocese, or jurisdiction.
• The College does not convene for the purpose of passing resolutions or engaging in activism.
• Membership is entirely honorific, conveying no authority, expectation of additional duties, or privilege, except the optional tippet and the written honorific of “The Reverend Archpriest N. N.”
In essence, the College exists to recognize that seasoned clergy—those who have persisted for decades in the work of preaching, teaching, sacramental ministry, study, and pastoral care—embody a particular witness worthy of acknowledgement.
