Our History

The Antiquity of the Celtic Church

Our history reaches back to the earliest expressions of Christianity that took root in the Celtic lands within the first centuries following the Crucifixion. The Christian Church in Britain traces its origins to the early Church, with historical and patristic sources attesting that Christianity was present in Roman Britain by at least the second century—well before the mission of St. Augustine of Canterbury in 597 CE.

Early British Christians remained in communion with the wider catholic Church while developing distinctive spiritual expressions shaped by monastic life, devotion to Holy Scripture, ascetic discipline, missionary zeal, and a profound reverence for God’s creation.

Writers such as Tertullian (c. 200 CE) record that even regions of Britain “inaccessible to the Romans” had received the Gospel. British bishops participated in the Councils of Arles (314 CE), Sardica (343 CE), and Ariminum (359 CE), demonstrating that the British Church possessed an established episcopate and apostolic order from an early date.

Following the withdrawal of Roman authority, Christianity did not disappear from Britain. Instead, it continued to flourish throughout the Celtic lands of Britain, Ireland, and Scotland, giving rise to great missionary saints such as Patrick, Ninian, Columba, Aidan, Hilda, and many others. The British and Celtic Churches preserved apostolic faith and sacramental life while emphasizing monastic leadership, pastoral care, and evangelistic mission.

This ancient Church stands as a living witness to the continuity of Christian faith in the British Isles from the early Church through the Celtic era and beyond.

Our bishops trace their apostolic succession through historic ecclesial lines that include connections to Glastonbury Abbey, through three historically attested abbots and at least two abbots preserved in ancient tradition. According to long-held Christian legend, Joseph of Arimathea is believed to have journeyed to Glastonbury and established what is regarded as the first legally sanctioned Christian church in the land, with the consent of a local king. While this account belongs to sacred tradition rather than documented history, it reflects the deep antiquity and spiritual significance long associated with Glastonbury as a center of early British Christianity.