Francis Krebs (born December 12, 1946) is an American Bishop of the

Ecumenical Catholic Communion The Ecumenical Catholic Communion (ECC) is an American-based Independent Catholic churches, independent Catholic church. Its members understand themselves as following the Catholic tradition without being in communion with the Bishop of Rome. The E ...

who is currently serving as Presiding Bishop. He took office September 18, 2015 replacing Bishop Peter Elder Hickman, founding Bishop and Presiding Bishop from 2003-2015. With his election, the Office of Presiding Bishop moved to St. Louis, MO.

Biography

Early life and education

Krebs was born in

Brentwood, Missouri Brentwood is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 8,233 at the 2020 census. Geography Brentwood is located at (38.619102, -90.348715). According to the United States Census ...

on December 12, 1946. He grew up Roman Catholic in St. Mary Magdalene Parish and attended St. Louis University High School run by the Jesuits. Krebs received his bachelor's degree from Cardinal Glennon College and received his seminary training at Kenrick Seminary, both in St. Louis. He was ordained into the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis The Archdiocese of St. Louis ( la, Archidiœcesis Sancti Ludovici) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church that covers the City of St. Louis and the Missouri counties of Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, Perr ...

in 1972.

Ministry in the Roman Catholic Church

Krebs served as a Roman Catholic priest for 18 years as a parish pastor at St. Ann, Pius the Fifth and Sts. Peter & Paul.

Leaving the Roman Catholic Priesthood

Krebs left ministry in the Roman Catholic Church in 1990. He worked for a St. Louis based behavioral health firm as a management consultant. During this time, Frank met and married his partner. As a married gay man, he could not return to the Roman Catholic priesthood, but Krebs desired to return to priestly ministry.

Joining the Ecumenical Catholic Communion

In 2005, Krebs and about 20 others started a church calling itself Sts. Clare & Francis. In the early years of formation, the parish became a member community in the Ecumenical Catholic Communion and Krebs was incardinated as an Ecumenical Catholic Communion priest. As of 2015, the parish had 125 registered members. Krebs was appointed by then Presiding Bishop, Peter E. Hickman, as vicar of the midwest region from 2008-2010. In October 2010, Krebs was elected as President of the House of Pastors in the Ecumenical Catholic Communion and served in that position until 2013. He also served as Co-Chair on the National Council of Church's Racial Justice Working Group from 2011-2013. During that time the Ecumenical Catholic Communion was not a member of the

National Council of Churches The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, usually identified as the National Council of Churches (NCC), is the largest ecumenical body in the United States. NCC is an ecumenical partnership of 38 Christian faith groups in the Uni ...

(NCC). Krebs was invited by the Ecumenical Catholic Communion's partner, Bishop Chuck Leigh of the Apostolic Catholic Church, a member church of the NCC. Today the Ecumenical Catholic Communion is an official member of the NCC.

Episcopal Election

Krebs was nominated for Presiding Bishop and then elected to that post at the 2014 Synod of the Ecumenical Catholic Communion in Denver, CO. His commissioning was held at

Eden Theological Seminary Eden Theological Seminary is a seminary of the United Church of Christ in Webster Groves, Missouri, near St. Louis, Missouri. The seminary was established in 1850 by German pastors in what was then the American frontier. The pastors soon formed ...

on September 18, 2015.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Krebs, Francis 1946 births Living people American Christian clergy LGBT bishops LGBT people from Missouri Former Roman Catholics Gay Christians