THE INSTITUTE OF
EPISCOPAL FORMATION
As the episcopal training arm for COAAB, we at The Institute of Episcopal Formation set the goal of teaching the faith that was once delivered unto the Saints (Jude 3), or Paleo-Orthodoxy. We do this by presenting the Christian faith through courses that represent the Three Streams of the Faith: Catholic or Sacramental, Evangelical or Missionary, and Pentecostal or Charismatic. Our ethos is pre-schism 1054, or Reformed Catholicism focused on Jerusalem with a slight Anglican affinity.
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Through this educational institution, you will find that we are primarily looking at the faith of the first 4 to 5 centuries of Christianity when it was at its zenith. This ancient faith held to the concept of prima scriptura. It had respect for the traditions and testimony of the Church as long as they did not contradict the scriptures, as the early fathers would say.
This church had a growing and developing liturgy. Its ministry was in transformation to becoming a Christian priesthood. It had disciplines and practices that made it authentic and a faith that would transform the world.
Because of these, we offer a one-to-two-year program of online study and on-site intensives that will assist in clerical formation and development for the cleric and the bishop. Our Episcopal Formation program can also lead to an honorary Doctor of Christian Ministry Degree or Doctor of Divinity in Episcopal Formation for those who are qualified.
Important Note Regarding Title and Authorization:
This degree is conferred honoris causa and is honorary in nature—not academic—serving as a sacred acknowledgment of your theological contributions and canonical leadership. It does not represent the completion of a formal academic program but recognizes years of meritorious service, judicial wisdom, and ecclesiastical excellence.
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The institution of Episcopal Formation, the educational arm of Christian Life Cathedral Ministries, Inc., is authorized as a religious educational institution to confer honorary doctorates and religious degrees on distinguished servants of the Church.
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The United States Supreme Court, in United States v. Ballard (1944), affirmed that religious organizations are constitutionally protected under the First Amendment to bestow religious titles and credentials based on sincerely held faith and doctrine. These recognitions are legitimate within our faith tradition and carry deep spiritual significance in our ecclesiastical context.