Cherub around Christ's Throne with the face of Man; Book of Kells. The image of Membership is Christ the Man, a friend and companion of mankind.
Friends and guests are invited and welcome to participate in the life of Basileia.
If along the way, friends and guests choose to become Basileians in a more formal sense, then this simply involves establishing a relationship with another Basileian who serves as their Soul Friend (i.e., as a mentor or coach in our Basileian way of life). Such Basileians may be involved with one or more missional initiatives.
Some Basileians in time may additionally choose to extend their individual relationship with a Soul Friend to become an Adult Communicant Member of a particular Fellowship and/or of a Chapter. Finally, some Adult Communicant Members may then additionally choose to become Governing Members.
- All people are invited and welcome to journey with Basileia as observers, guests and as participants in our Basileian lifestyle and missional initiatives.
- Anyone, including those who do not profess to be Christians, may become a Basileian by choosing to come into relationship with another Basileian who serves as their Soul Friend.
- All baptized individuals, including infants and children, are welcome to receive the bread and the wine in any Basileia Eucharistic worship service. All others are welcome to receive a blessing.
- Any professing believer may enter the Catechumenate to become an Adult Communicant Member of a Basileian Fellowship and also of a Chapter.
- Any Adult Communicant Member may enter the Novitiate to become a Governing Member authorized according to their respective office, to serve in diaconal and leadership roles with Basileia’s Presbyter Councils, Deacon Councils and Missional Councils.
- Basileia’s Deacon Councils administer the mentoring of friends and guests of Basileia and of all Basileians in general, training of Soul Friends, catechizing Adult Communicant Members and equipping Governing Members.
Communicant Members
Communicant Members are baptized believers joined to a Fellowship and/or to a Chapter. By definition, “communicant” simply means a person who, because they have been baptized, is permitted to receive the bread and wine (i.e., “communion”) in Eucharistic worship. While all baptized believers, including baptized infants and children, are welcome and invited to receive communion in all Basileia Eucharistic worship services, Adult Communicant Members are believers who have additionally completed the Catechumenate.
Children
The following types of children entering into adulthood may enter the Catechumenate as Catechumens* to become Adult Communicant Members:
- Child Communicant Members. A Child Communicant Member is a baptized child of an Adult Communicant Member of Basileia. Such children may become Catechumens after their 13th birthday to prepare to assume the adult responsibilities of our Basileian way of life.
- Child Communicant Believers. A Child Communicant Believer is a baptized child of parents who are not Communicant Members of Basileia. Such children, with written permission from a parent or legal guardian, may become Catechumens after their 13th birthday to prepare to assume the adult responsibilities of our Basileian way of life.
Adults
The following types of adults may enter the Catechumenate as Catechumens to become Adult Communicant Members:
- Unbaptized Adult Believers. Unbaptized Adult Believers who are 13 years of age and older may become Catechumens. Upon completion of the Catechumenate they will be baptized during their Rite of Initiation* as Adult Communicant Members.
- Adult Communicant Believers. Adult Communicant Believers 13 years of age and older, who are already welcome and invited to receive communion in all Basileia Eucharistic worship services, may become Catechumens.
Rites of Initiation
The following are the initiatory rites of Communicant Members:
- Infant Baptism. All baptized infants of Adult Communicant Members become Child Communicant Members of Basileia. Infants who are not children of Adult Communicant Members may be baptized as Child Communicant Believers.
- Child Baptisms. All children younger than 13 who were not baptized as infants and who are children of Adult Communicant Members may become Child Communicant Members of Basileia. All children younger than 13 who were not baptized as infants and who are not children of Adult Communicant Members may, ideally with the permission of both parents or of any legal guardians, be baptized as Child Communicant Believers.
- Rites of Entrance. All who are qualified to become Catechumens enter into the Catechumenate through the Rite of Entrance, which is ideally performed by a Presbyter through the laying on of hands and prayer in a Basileian Eucharistic worship service. The purpose of a Rite of Entrance is to bless the Catechumen entering the Catechumenate in a holistic way that 1) officially and publically informs the Catechumen’s immediate community of the Catechumen’s acceptance into the Catechumenate and 2) mobilizes the community’s prayer and resources to support the Catechumen through the process of becoming an Adult Communicant Member.
- Rites of Purification. During the Catechumenate, a Catechumen’s Soul Friend is responsible to coordinate the performance of any Rites of Purification determined by consensus to be necessary for the completion of the Catechumenate. Rites of Purification may include 1) anointing* with oil and prayer for healing by elders of the Church, 2) exorcism*, 3) confession*, 4) the formal giving of forgiveness* for wickedness, crimes or any other harm done to the Catechumen directly or indirectly by others, 5) formal acts of restitution* for wickedness, crimes or any other harm done by the Catechumen to others.
- Rites of Incorporation. Catechumens become Adult Communicate Members of Basileia through the laying on of hands and prayer by a Presbyter (who may be joined by others) in a Basileian Eucharistic worship service. Depending on the number of Catechumens being received into Adult Communicant Membership and the particular form of the Rite (i.e., which includes Baptism for all unbaptized Catechumens), each Fellowship or Chapter determines the logistical particulars on how best to perform these Rites. Ideally, these Rites will be performed in a manner that enables the attendance of the greatest possible number of people in the Catechumen’s life and in a time, place and manner worthy of the significance of this event in the Kingdom of God, a significance which may be compared in many respects to weddings (a familial rite of incorporation) ordinations (an ecclesiastical rite of incorporation) and inaugurations (a civil rite of incorporation).
Office
Generally, the Church recognizes that the office of the priesthood of all believers is occupied by all of her baptized members. In affirming this, Basileia further recognizes that all Basileian Adult Communicant Believers are called and all Adult Communicant Members of Basileia are accountable to govern their lives according to the Apostolic Rule of Faith and ministerially serve in diaconal* leadership and administrative roles in relationship to Basileia’s various Presbyter Councils, Deacon Councils and Missional Councils. Adult Communicant Members may also become Governing Members.
Governing Members
Governing Members are Adult Communicant Members of a Fellowship and/or a Chapter. After completing the Novitiate, Governing Members are authorized in specific and official ways particular to their office and responsibilities to lead and administrate the affairs of Basileia’s Presbyter Councils, Deacon Councils and Missional Councils.
Offices
Adult Communicant Members may enter the Novitiate as Candidates for commissioning, ordination, or consecration.
- Commissioned Governing Members. Men and women may become Commissioned Governing Members upon completion of the Novitiate. They are authorized to lead and administrate Basileia’s Missional Councils and serve in diaconal ways with Basileia’s Presbyter Councils and Deacon Councils.
- Deacons. Men and women may be ordained as Deacons upon completion of the Novitiate. Deacons are authorized to lead and administrate Basileia’s Deacon Councils and perform the diaconal functions of Deacons in the Liturgy. They may also lead and administrate Basileia’s Missional Councils, but generally serve these councils in diaconal ways as soon as qualified Commissioned Governing Members are released to do so. Finally, Deacons may serve Basileia’s Presbyter Councils in diaconal ways.
- Presbyters. Men may be ordained as Presbyters upon completion of the Novitiate. Presbyters are authorized to lead and administrate Basileia’s Presbyter Councils and perform the eldership functions of Presbyters in the Liturgy. They may also lead and administrate Basileia’s Deacon Councils and Missional Councils, but generally serve these councils in diaconal ways as soon as qualified Deacons and Commissioned Governing Members are released to do so, respectively. Certain Presbyters are further designated as Abbots when elected as the Head Presbyter of the Alliance, a Community or a Society.
- Consecrated Abbots. Abbots who are consecrated have episcopal authority to ordain.
Rites of Initiation
The following are the initiatory rites of Governing Members:
- Rites of Entrance. All who are qualified to become Governing Members are accepted into the Novitiate through the Rite of Entrance, which is ideally performed by a Presbyter through the laying on of hands and prayer in a Basileian Eucharistic worship service. The purpose of a Rite of Entrance is to bless the Candidate entering the Novitiate in a holistic way that 1) officially and publically informs the Candidate’s immediate community of his or her acceptance into the Novitiate and 2) mobilizes the community’s prayer and resources to support the Candidate through the process of becoming a Governing Member.
- Rites of Purification. During the Novitiate, a Candidate’s Soul Friend is responsible to coordinate the performance of any Rites of Purification determined by consensus to be necessary for the completion of the Novitiate. Rites of Purification may include 1) anointing with oil and prayer for healing by elders of the Church, 2) exorcism, 3) confession, 4) the formal giving of forgiveness for wickedness, crimes or any other harm done to the Candidate directly or indirectly by others, 5) formal acts of restitution for wickedness, crimes or any other harm done by the Candidate to others.
- Rites of Incorporation. Candidates to be commissioned become Commissioned Governing Members of Basileia through the laying on of hands and prayer by a Presbyter in a Basileian Eucharistic worship service. Candidates to be ordained become Presbyters and Deacons of Basileia through the laying on of hands and prayer by a Bishop of Communio Christiana or by a Consecrated Abbot of Basileia in a Basileian Eucharistic worship service. Candidates to be consecrated become Abbots of Basileia through the laying on of hands and prayer by Bishops of Communio Christiana in accord with the Canons of Communio Christiana in a Basileian Eucharistic worship service.
