My Story
‡ by the Most Rev. Richard A. Gundrey ‡
Presiding Archbishop
Archbishop Richard Gundrey was born in Flushing, Queens, New York on September 20, 1934. He was Baptized and Confirmed in the Episcopal church and was active with that church through the late Sixties.
In 1973 Richard joined the Church of Religious Science in Santa Fe and he was a Religious Science practitioner with that group for ten years and was with the Religious Science Church for 14 years. This is where Richard learned the metaphysical concepts that he now incorporates into sacramental rituals in the church of Antioch.
Then in 1985, Richard met a man by the name of Dean Berenz in Santa Fe who was a priest of the Church of Antioch.
The Church of Antioch ordained women and priests could be married. The church does not espouse any dogmatic teachings but allows freedom of interpretation and expression. This seemed to be the right place for Richard.
He studied for two and one half years through distance learning under the mentorship of the Patriarch, Herman Adrian Spruit. With frequent visits to Church Central to receive Minor and Major Orders, on October 31, 1987 Patriarch Herman Adrian Spruit ordained Richard to the priesthood assisted by the Most Reverend Meri Spruit in the Chapel of Miracles at Church Central which was at Mountain View, CA at that time. Present was his mother, Frances Gundrey and his two sons, James and George, as well as a small local congregation.
Father Richard started his own local church in Santa Fe, NM having his first service on August 8, 1988 at rented space at the Santa Fe Women's Center.
On October 27, 1990 Richard was consecrated as a Bishop in the Church of Antioch by Matriarch Meri Louise Spruit with co-consecrators Bishop Michael Daignealt and Bishop Timothy Barker at Loretto Chapel.
The Church has since relocated its weekly services to historic Loretto Chapel.
On February 11, 1996 Richard was appointed Coadjutor to the Matriarch by her hand and seal insuring the direct succession of the leadership of the church in the event of retirement or incapacitation of the Matriarch.
Bishop Richard was elevated to the office of Archbishop on March 28, 1998 by the Matriarch at Loretto Chapel in the City of Holy Faith. As of this writing we have 67 clergy in good standing and 28 Chartered Churches. We have priests in Ireland, England, and Canada. Sophia Divinity School which is used for the training of our priests was started by Bishop Lowell Wadle and Bishop Herman Spruit in 1959 and have been training priests ever since.
Upon the retirement of the Matriarch Meri Louise Spruit on September 20, 1994. Archbishop Gundrey assumed the position of Metropolitan of the worldwide church. On February 19, 2005, at Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, His Beatitude was elevated to the position of Patriarch and Presiding Bishop of the worldwide church by Matriarch Emeritus Meri Louise Spruit.