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Page: Profile: Group
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Group Stats
Formed?: March 1992
New Members OK?: Yes
Incorporated?: Yes
501* Cert.?: Yes
Wvox Stats
Group Id: 29964
Poster Id: 327525
Posted: Mar.20.2007
Total Views: 836
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Church of the Ancient Paths
Age Range/Type: Family
Located in: Rochester, NY / Albany, NY / Pittsburgh, PA, New York
Key Contact: Rt. Rev. Tracie Voss
Spiritual Path: Interfaith Pagan
Status: Established Group
Community Support: Open Circles... Legal Clergy... Teaching Available
Group Overview: The Church of the Ancient Paths is an Interfaith Pagan group, accepting of any life-affirming path. While we are incorporated as a legal church within New York State, we have spread to have chapters in several cities, and have "crossed the border" into western Pennsylvania.
We are a fairly open group, and if there is something that needs further clarification, please feel free to ask any member of the Clergy. Our updated contact information is listed in every issue of our church newsletter, PATHWAYS. PATHWAYS is available via electronic format upon request.
Our eldest member just enjoyed her 60th birthday, and has been actively practicing the craft since she was in her teens. Our youngest member is about 18 months. We have married couples, single people, gays, straights, men, women, and children. We honor all phases of life. We even have a few cats and dogs!
During the 15 years since our incorporation, we've encountered a wide range of paths. Faiths represented have ranged from Asatru to Zoroastrianism, with everything in between. While our Church Weekends tend to be scheduled for a weekend close to one of the eight traditional Pagan High Holy days, this does not mean that we are restricted to those. If you want to organize something else, provided it abides by and respects the bylaws of the church, feel free.
Circles tend to be fairly informal. Finding the Divine is more important to us than how the individual gets to the divine, or, as we often say, "We don't care how you get there, as long as you get there." While there have been some highly formalized rituals (my ordination as a minister was one) there have also been some less formal drumming circles and open workshops, and even a few occasions that involved chasing a Frisbee or playing with modeling clay. Remember, "Laughter is a sure sign of the presence of the Divine!"
HISTORY:
The Church of the Ancient Paths was a natural outgrowth of the Earth-Centered religious movements happening in the United States during the second half of the 20th century. The term "Pagan" is used as an umbrella that encompasses several different "Ancient Paths, " all of which lead to the individual's concept of Divinity.
Paganism is one of the fastest growing faiths in the United States, yet is still subject to oppression, misunderstanding, and discrimination, often from fundamentalist zealots of all kinds. By the late 1980's, a group of like minded individuals in Vermont felt that better legal representation within the Pagan community might be part of the solution, and established one of the first legally recognized Pagan churches, called "the Church of the Sacred Earth."
By the early 1990's, the Church of the Sacred Earth had grown to the point that inter-state laws would begin to apply. However, they were based in Vermont, and were not interested in dealing with the legal issues involved in running a church across state lines.
Two "daughter churches" formed: the Circle of Northern Light, and the Church of the Ancient Paths.
The Church of the Ancient Paths incorporated in New York State. The first Church Meeting and Ordination occurred in March of 1992. Rt. Reverend Lindy Sanford, as the "living bridge" between the old Church of the Sacred Earth and the new Church of the Ancient Paths, was the natural choice as our first ordained clergy.
FROM THE BYLAWS:
The Church of the Ancient Paths is a non-sectarian, non-creedal interfaith pagan church. The Church functions from the premise that the Divine has created us in so many forms: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual, surely there must be many ways to worship. With respect for the Divine within us all, we support and encourage our members in their explorations of their spirituality.
We, the Assembly of the Church of the Ancient Paths, define a church as a group of individuals who gather for the purpose of engaging in communal religious activity, whether public or private. We define pagan as one who has reverence for the natural world, recognizes that humans are a thread in the web of the Universe, accepts personal responsibility for their actions with awareness that each action affects their surroundings, holds that no intermediary or intercessory is necessary to have a relationship with the Divine.
We do not sponsor, condone or embrace any aspect of a path which advocates or involves hate, bias, oppression or exclusion of any person or group of people on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, social or economic status, employment, education, disability, health, happenstance of birth (ie: natural, clone, bio-engineered, etc.) gender or sexual orientation.
At no time may anyone ever be required, forced, or pressured by the Church, its officials (either singularly or as a group) or any of its members, to participate in any action or belief with which they are uncomfortable for any reason.
The Church supports the right of every individual or group of consenting individuals to hold such ceremonies and rites as they feel are appropriate within the guidelines established by the Bylaws of the Church. The Church of the Ancient Paths shall engage in what the laws of the United States of America acknowledges as religious ceremony including, but not limited to, worship, marriage, ordination, funerals and naming. The Church also engages in the sacred activities of reverence, respect, and service to and for the earth and all its creatures who dwell on it. The Church officially sanctions only those rites and ceremonies performed by ordained Clergy of the Church which have legal ramifications in civil law. While Members and/or Clergy of the Church may hold rites based in their own religious path or organization, this does not imply sanction, by or from any other religious paths or organizations.
The Church and its members are committed to benefiting the communities within which they dwell. Members will not evangelize or proselytize, but may speak of their personal beliefs and principles to others if they choose to inquire.
The Church of the Ancient Paths is a community dedicated to being spiritually supportive of its members. Clergy of the Church have a responsibility to offer teaching and counseling where requested, appropriate and feasible.
FOR MORE INFORMATION...
...or to contact us, please visit our website, listed below!
Website: http://www.churchofancientpaths.org/
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