
Christ the King Episcopal Church
Lakeland, Florida
OUR HERITAGE
Christ the King is a parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida located in Lakeland, Florida. We worship together according to the rites of the Book of Common Prayer and the traditions of Anglican spirituality.
Christ the King was founded in 1984 through the invitation of the Rt. Rev. William Folwell. Initially known as "North Lakeland Mission," the church began as a mission from All Saint's Episcopal Church in downtown Lakeland. With the Rev. Hugh Williams as the first Vicar, twenty-six congregants joined in petition of support and celebrated the first official Eucharist on August 16, 1984, in a Holiday Inn on Highway 98 near I-4. Soon after, the church moved services to Padgett Elementary School until they secured the property on Socrum Loop Road. The bounding of the grounds and the consecration of the current sanctuary took place on October 17, 1987, the Rt. Rev. William Folwell presiding. The Rev. Hugh Williams served the congregation for twelve years (1984-1995), succeeded by The Rev. Rick Gomer (1995-2012), The Rev. Dr. Wally Reynolds (2012-2015), The Rev. Carolyn Biggs (2015-2023), and The Rev. Jaqueline Ponce (2023).The current priest, The Rev. Dr. Robert Moses, was called and began ministry on January 1, 2024. Christ the King belongs in the Southeast Deanery in the Diocese of Central Florida's organizational structure.
Christ the King Episcopal Church
Diocese of Central Florida
The Diocese of Central Florida was formed in 1969 at a Special General Convention by splitting the Diocese of South Florida (now non-existent) into three diocese: Southeast Florida, Southwest Florida, and Central Florida. The Rt. Rev. Henry Loutitt (then, bishop of South Florida) became Central Florida's first bishop, but he served only one year before his retirement. Succeeding bishops include: The Rt. Rev. William H. Folwell (1970-1989), The Rt. Rev. John W. Howe (1989-2012), and The Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer (2012-2023).
The current diocesan bishop, The Rt. Rev. Dr. Justin Holcomb, was elected and consecrated in 2023.
The diocese comprises eighty worshipping congregations across fifteen counties (from St. Lucie and Okeechobee in the south to Marion and Volusia in the north). The diocese also owns Camp Wingmann - a camp dedicated to children and youth.
The diocese belongs to Province IV in the Episcopal Church's organizational structure.
Learn more about The Diocese of Central Florida here.
The Episcopal Church
The Episcopal Church is the only United States-based member of the Anglican Communion, a denominational descendant of both the Church of England and the Episcopal Church of Scotland.
Following the American Revolution, Anglican parishes in the nascent United States, seeking ecclesial structure and order, called the First General Convention of the Episcopal Church in 1785 in Philadelphia. The named themselves the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, with Samuel Seaborn (1784, Connecticut), Samuel Seaborn (1787, New York), and William White (1787, Philadelphia) ordained the first bishops.
Today the Episcopal Church is made up of 108 dioceses and 3 mission areas in 22 countries. It is governed by a triennial General Convention and lead by a Presiding Bishop.
Learn more about The Episcopal Church here.
Anglican Communion
With tens of millions of members, the Anglican Communion is one of the largest worldwide Christian Christian communities, united by ties to the spirituality and traditions of the Ecclesia Anglicana (the English Church), which has existed in the British Isles since the 2nd century CE.
While the Church in England formally separated from the Bishop of Rome in the 16th century during the reign of King Henry VIII, the continuing church has always considered itself as the reformed Ecclesia Anglicana. Today the Anglican Communion is made up of 42 provinces and 5 extra-provincial members in 165 countries on 6 continents. Some of the provinces are national, others are regional - all are bound by four instruments of communion: the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lambeth Conference, the Primates' Meeting, and the Anglican Consultative Council.
Learn more about The Anglican Communion here.