Warren Prall Watters (November 24, 1890 – June 15, 1992) was the founding archbishop of the

Free Church of Antioch The Free Church of Antioch is one of several "Malabar Rite" Independent Catholic Churches which claims valid lines of apostolic succession in the historical episcopate which is not in union with the Catholic Pope in Rome or any Orthodox Patriarch. ...

(Malabar Rite), one of several

Independent Catholic Churches Independent Catholicism is an independent sacramental movement of clergy and laity who self-identify as Catholic (most often as Old Catholic or as Independent Catholic) and form "micro-churches claiming apostolic succession and valid sacram ...

in the United States. Watters was born in

Imperial, Nebraska Imperial is a city in Chase County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 2,071 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chase County. History The original town of Imperial was built on land homesteaded by Thomas Mercier and M.J. Good ...

in 1890. He was an accomplished musician and concert pianist and was educated at Grinnell, Northwestern, Drake, and the University of California. He later did post-graduate doctoral work at the Conservatory of Music in Paris. Watters was deeply interested in esoteric spiritualities and was for many years a member of the

Theosophical Society The Theosophical Society, founded in 1875, is a worldwide body with the aim to advance the ideas of Theosophy in continuation of previous Theosophists, especially the Greek and Alexandrian Neo-Platonic philosophers dating back to 3rd century CE ...

and of its Esoteric School. He was ordained priest in Chicago, Illinois in June, 1927, by Bishop Edwin Burt Beckwith of the

Liberal Catholic Church The name Liberal Catholic Church (LCC) is used by a number of separate Christianity, Christian churches throughout the world which are open to Western esotericism, esoteric beliefs and hold many ideas in common. Although the term ''Liberal Cath ...

. Following his ordination, he served in the Liberal Catholic Church of Omaha, Nebraska, under Bishop Eklund, a charge he held for 17 years. In 1967, Watters was appointed Vicar General of the International Liberal Catholic Church and became bishop-elect in that church in 1970. He was drawn to the

Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch The Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch (CACA) is an independent Catholic jurisdiction established in 1958 by Herman Adrian Spruit. Through the Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch, multiple jurisdictions have sought and acquired episcopal consecr ...

because of its willingness to ordain women. He was consecrated to the episcopate of the Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch-Malabar Rite at Trinity Church in

Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning "Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coas ...

on April 28, 1973, by Bishop

Herman Adrian Spruit The Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch (CACA) is an independent Catholic jurisdiction established in 1958 by Herman Adrian Spruit. Through the Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch, multiple jurisdictions have sought and acquired episcopal consecr ...

who was assisted by co-consecrators Bishop

Stephan A. Hoeller Stephan A. Hoeller is an American author, scholar, and neo-Gnostic bishop. Career An author and scholar of Gnosticism and Jungian psychology, Hoeller is Regionary Bishop of Ecclesia Gnostica. Hoeller was ordained to the priesthood of the Ameri ...

and Jay Davis Kirby. Watters was assigned as Bishop of California for the Church of Antioch and served as co-pastor of the Holy Spirit Church of Antioch in Santa Barbara. During this time he also founded the Center for Esoteric Studies and published the ''Esoteric Review'' magazine. Organizational changes within Church of Antioch led to Watters and several other bishops departing to form their own separate and distinct ministries. Watters, shortly before his death, established the

(Malabar Rite). After his death, he was succeeded by his wife of many years, Ellen Watters, who became archbishop of the church. Ellen Watters was consecrated to the episcopate on April 20, 1986, by Herman Adrian Spruit who was assisted by co-consecrators Meri Louise Spruit and Joseph L. Vrendenburgh. Ellen Watters died in 2002.

Bibliography

*''The Wandering Bishops: Apostles of A New Spirituality'' by Lewis Keizer. 2000 edition. *''Independent Bishops: An International Directory'', edited by Gary L. Ward, Bertil Persson, and Alan Bain. Apogee Books, 1990.

External links

Free Church of Antioch website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watters, Warren Prall 1890 births 1992 deaths American centenarians People from Chase County, Nebraska Bishops of Independent Catholic denominations Men centenarians