Documents

We first and foremost believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God and all that we need can be found in the Bible.

The Holy Sacraments

Baptism

Penance/Reconciliation/Confession

Eucharist/Holy Communion

Confirmation

Holy Matrimony/Marriage

Holy Orders/Ordination

Anointing of the Sick/Extreme Unction

Lords Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory. for ever and ever. Amen

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your Kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours.
Now and for ever. Amen

We are here to save the lost and build our own churches. Some may come to us because we fill a need.

Apostles' Creed

1. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:
2. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord:
3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary:
4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He descended into hell:
5. The third day he rose again from the dead:
6. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty:
7. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead:
8. I believe in the Holy Ghost:
9. I believe in the holy catholic church: the communion of saints:
10. The forgiveness of sins:
1l. The resurrection of the body:
12. And the life everlasting. Amen.

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Athanasian Creed

1. Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith;
2. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.
3. And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity;
4. Neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance.
5. For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit.
6. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is all one, the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.
7. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit.
8. The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated.
9. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible.
10. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal.
11. And yet they are not three eternals but one eternal.
12. As also there are not three uncreated nor three incomprehensible, but one uncreated and one incomprehensible.
13. So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Spirit almighty.
14. And yet they are not three almightiest, but one almighty.
15. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God;
16. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.
17. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord;
18. And yet they are not three Lords but one Lord.
19. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord;
20. So are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say; There are three Gods or three Lords.
21. The Father is made of none, neither created nor begotten.
22. The Son is of the Father alone; not made nor created, but begotten.
23. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.
24. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.
25. And in this Trinity none is afore or after another; none is greater or less than another.
26. But the whole three persons are coeternal, and coequal.
27. So that in all things, as aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.
28. He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity.
29. Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
30. For the right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man.
31. God of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and man of substance of His mother, born in the world.
32. Perfect God and perfect man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting.
33. Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood.
34. Who, although He is God and man, yet He is not two, but one Christ.
35. One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of that manhood into God.
36. One altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person.
37. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ;
38. Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead;
39. He ascended into heaven, He sits on the right hand of the Father, God, Almighty;
40. From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
41. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies;
42. And shall give account of their own works.
43. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.
44. This is the catholic faith, which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved.

This is a pledge that we believe we all should consider before we enter into the ministry. It is very close to the one that Bishop Luther had us sign prior to our ordination.

Affirmation of Principles

I affirm first and foremost that I am a Christian who, in Faith, accepts Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

I will provide a living example of the Great Commandment, demonstrating love of God, love of my neighbor, performing food works through Faith, and serving all the people of God.

I will strive to follow the guidance and inspiration of Jesus Christ in all I do in my everyday life especially exhibiting honesty, financial responsibility and maturity in all aspects of my behavior.

I will treat all mankind as my brothers and sisters in Christ, never speaking ill of another person or another Christian denomination, no knowingly spread slander, gossip, or rumor either by word of mouth, in writing or by any other means.

I will adhere strictly to Christian Truth, never becoming involved in anyway with any cult,religious or otherwise or with the occult, Satanism, witchcraft, or demonology in any of their insidious forms.

I further affirm my membership in the Unity Catholic Church and/or the Order of the Servants of the Good Shepherd and in the Body of Christ as a whole and my commitment of Christian love to all my fellow members.

I pledge to nurture my spiritual life through frequent reading of Sacred Scripture and prayer for the entire Body of Christ.

If a clergy, and ordained by and though the Servants of the Good Shepherd, I pledge to celebrate all liturgical functions and to administer all sacraments according to the norms established by the Unity Catholic Church and the Servants of the Good Shepherd

I pledge if clergy to respect my clerical office and use it for the work of the Lord.

I pledge if married to aspire toward making my marriage a Holy example of a living sacrament.

I pledge to take my ministry most seriously at all times, and in all respects, to constantly make efforts to improve my capabilities as a Christian minister through spiritual activities and on-going study since I can only give to others what I have myself. I assume full responsibility for my ministry, realizing that its success or failure depends solely on my cooperation, or lack of cooperation with the Grace of the Holy Spirit.

I fully subscribe to all the above Affirmations and pledge to honor them to the best of my ability.

Guidelines for Priests

Liturgical Practices:

1. The Servants of the Good Shepherd has the the Tridentine Rite as its official Liturgy. But we have allowed with permission serveral approved Liturgies. Please remember if you are a member of one of the orders they may have more specific liturgies that are required. There are many great services which include the (Novus Ordo)Roman Rite, the Tridentine Rite, Divine Liturgy of St John Cassian (Gallician) Divine Liturgy of St. Gregory the Great (Ancient Roman)

2.-5 reserved for future useage

6. The Mass is an important part of the office of the pries and holds special meaning when done within a community. It represents the universal Church gathered at a given time and place. Clergy should as often as possible celebrate the Mass with a congregation when possible, and should also celebrate individually also.

7. When doing Mass with a congregation, the Altar is to be covered with at least one cloth (white). Another cloth using the proper color may be used as an overlay. A cross will be on the altar or behind it on the wall.. There shall be at least two candles. Four or six candles may be used or if a diocesan bishop celebrates seven. The cross and candles may be carried in the entrance procession or may be on the alter. The Gospel book, if separate from the book of other readings, may be placed on the altar or it may be carried in the procession.

Normal usage will be a chalice, corporal, purification, paten and a pall and ciboria if used. The cruets with wine and water may be brought up at the offertory or placed on a side table prior to the service.

8.Vestments:

Priests and Deacons should normally wear at least a clergy shirt with collar. ( Purple reserved for Bishops) The celebrate should wear a stole.

The common practice will normally wear a alb over the clergy shirt. The celebrate would then wear either just the stole, or a chasuble and a store. All priests at the altar may also wear a stole. But only the celebrate will wear the chasuble.

All that wear an alb, should wear an cincture unless it is made to be used without one. There is no official knot that has to be used.

The Bishops characteristic vestments are the miter and cozier. A shepherds staff may be used instead of the cozier. The bishop also often wears a bishops ring and may wear an ornate pectoral cross. Several Bishops prefer not to wear a miter or use a crosier, an they are not required, just recommended.

There are certain liturgical colors appropriate to various days. The priests chasuble and stole may follow those colors are may remain white. If various priests are concelebrating, all attempts to match color shall be made.

Items not in use, we normally do not use birettas, maniples, pallium stoles, bells on vestments and special shoes.

In general , clerical clothing is inappropriate whenever the activity is purely personal or social for routine non-Church business and chores. Clerical clothing should never be worn where the activity would reflect badly on the Church. ( But of course the priest should not be doing those activities anyway) Some may be able to wear their clergy clothing at work, others may not. Do not wear it, if it causes any discord or if it is against your employers rules. The wearing of a crucifix, cross, or other Christian witness symbol is always a great idea.

Clerical Collar: the use of the Roman or Anglican collar is allowed. A clergy shirt should normally be used for all liturgical functions and all church meetings and functions.

9. We highly recommend you read the book "The Priests Handbook" which goes along with the Common Book of Prayer, even if you do not use that service. It gives a lot of information on proper standing, when and how to face the congregation and so much more hands on, that can be properly addressed here. Also if ever in doubt, contact your Bishop, or the National office.

10. Communion can be received by the people in both kinds ( bread and wine taken, bread first then the wine) or they may be received by the people by intinction, the bread is dipped into the wine and then given to the person.

The Orthodox practice of having separate bread that is blessed for the people to take home with them is allowed. This is not the Communion bread, but merely a bread that has been blessed.

11. Chanting is permitted but those who wish to do it, should be sure to use proper formats and practice so that it is done properly.

12. Whenever he is present with a congregation, the bishop should preside over the assembly and associate the clergy with himself in the celebration. If he does not preside over the service, he should give the dismissal blessing.

13. We do not currently issue a national ID card. Blank clergy ID are available from various sources and clergy may get their own showing their local ministry as part of the national group.

14. A Church charter may be issued to any church if they desire one. To be chartered, they must have a regular place and time of meeting. It must be open to the public and advertised in some manner. And there has to be at least two other members other than clergy before a charter will be considered. All charters are requested from the national office. A priest upon ordination, has all he needs to start and found a parish if he wishes. The charter will be formal acceptance of that parish once it is started.

15. We use the Gregorian (modern) calendar and use the western date for Easter.

16. Fasting and prayer are an important part of worship and from the bible we know that is an important part of coming close to God.
a. Total fast one hour before receiving Holy Communion.
b. Meats on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and other days as chosen.
c. There is normally no fasting on Pentecost, and Christmas

17. The only requirements for our clergy to marry a couple are that: They must be a man and a women, all state and Federal ( National laws for other nations)laws must be followed, and both parties should be baptized.

18. Incense is optional in any form of the Mass, but if used remember that some people may have breathing issues, so keep it light. Only use proper incense with censer. Only liturgical incense is to be used, household deodorizing types of incense like cones and sticks are never used. Liturgical incense is burnt using small charcoals which burn long enough for most liturgies. If you have not used it before, practice with it before you try to use it in a service. (Beware of smoke detectors, they are sensitive to incense and candle smoke)