The Company of Mission Priests (CMP) is a "dispersed community" of male priests of the Anglican Communion, who want to consecrate themselves wholly to the church's mission, free from the attachments of marriage and family. CMP was founded in 1940 by the initiative of the superiors of the Anglican religious orders of the Community of the Resurrection, the Society of the Sacred Mission and the Society of St John the Evangelist.
CMP follows a Vincentian rule of life. It is not officially classified as an Anglican religious order by the church, but as an "acknowledged community". Members give simple promises, (cf. simple vow) which are renewed annually. The whole community meets in General Chapter once a year, and the Regional Chapters more frequently.
CMP is known for its work in Guyana and Madagascar and for its work in staffing "needy" parishes in England with two, three or more priests, who live together in a clergy house. CMP was one of the founding members of Vincentian Millennium partnership in AD 2000.
The warden from 2005 till 2012 was Father Timothy Pike CMP, who has now been succeeded by Fr Beresford Skelton CMP and the episcopal visitor is the Right Reverend Lindsay Urwin OGS, formerly the Bishop of Horsham, and now the Administrator of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham.
Famous quotes containing the words company of, company, mission and/or priests:
“I do not mind if I lose my soul for all eternity. If the kind of God exists Who would damn me for not working out a deal with Him, then that is unfortunate. I should not care to spend eternity in the company of such a person.”
—Mary McCarthy (1912–1989)
““Come, boys, I know there’s kindly hearts among so good a
crowd—
To be in such good company would make a deacon proud.”
—Hugh Antoine D’Arcy (1843–1925)
“We never can tell how our lives may work to the account of the general good, and we are not wise enough to know if we have fulfilled our mission or not.”
—Ellen Henrietta Swallow Richards (1842–1911)
“And I saw it was filled with graves,
And tomb-stones where flowers should be;
And Priests in black gowns were walking their rounds,
And binding with briars my joys and desires.”
—William Blake (1757–1827)