The History of the Company of Jesus

The Company of Jesus was founded in 1985 by Br. Bp.+Peter Riola, when Anglicanism was dividing into small pieces, we decided to do the opposite. We created a religious order which accepted all Christians, as long as each individual accepted the Nicene Creed as the statement of faith. We began as a service ministry serving hospice, nursing homes, hospitals, military, etc. we had two small parishes.

Br. Bp +Geoffrey Ames Founded the Franciscan Servants of the Holy Cross in 2001 as an order within the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches (CEEC). In January 2002 it was decided to merge the two orders, keeping the Company of Jesus (CoJ) name, and with Bp. Ames taking on the job of Abbot. Br. Bp Ames was serving as treasurer of the Company of Jesus before becoming Abbot in 2002.

While a military chaplain, Br. Bp. Ames was deployed to the Middle East in 2003. At that time he transferred the leadership of the CoJ to Br. Mark Camp, then treasurer of the Order. In 2004, Fr. Camp was consecrated a Bishop in the CEEC, and Br. Andrew Counts was appointed as the new Abbot of the Order, with Br. Bp. Camp serving as Bishop Protector to the Company of Jesus.In his tenure, Abbot Counts saw the CoJ expand throughout the United States, Columbia, Brazil, Spain, and Central America. In 2009, the Company of Jesus was received as an Order into the Anglican Mission in America, under the Protection of Bishop Doc Loomis. Br. Tim Luken, the Prior of Livingstone Monastery, joined the Company of Jesus in 2010, bringing the Monastery into the Order.

In 2012, Bishop Loomis arranged for his parishes to merge into the Anglican Church of North America’s (ACNA) Diocese of the Great Lakes (ADGL). At that time Bp. Roger Ames became the Bishop Protector of the CoJ. Bp. Ames would later ordain Br. Tim as deacon (2015) and priest (2017) in the ACNA.

After 16 years of service, Abbot Counts retired. During his tenure the Company of Jesus moved from CEEC into the Anglican Mission in America to the Anglican Church in North America, in the Anglican Diocese of the Great Lakes. In 2019, Br. Tim Luken (Chancellor) was Appointed to be Abbot General by Bishop Roger Ames (Bishop Protector) and Bishop Ron Jackson (Ordinary, ADGL), during a broadcast service for the whole Society.

• Br. Bishop Peter Riola (Abbott Emeritus) currently resides in London, England.

• Br. Bishop Geoffrey Ames (Abbot Emeritus) currently resides in Salem, Massachusetts.

• Br. Archbishop Mark Camp (Abbot Emeritus) died of cancer on November 14, 2015.

• Br. Andrew Counts (Abbot Emeritus) currently lives in Charleston, West Virginia.

• Br. Tim Luken (Abbot General) currently lives in Newport News, Virginia.