Bishop Gregory Godsey was born in Hopkinsville, Kentucky on June 21, 1979 to a Roman Catholic family. They traveled from church to church as a child experiencing the various expressions of the Christian faith first hand. They spent time in Pentecostal, Holiness, Southern Baptist, Methodist, Episcopalian, and independent (or non-denominational) churches in Kentucky.
By 1999, Bishop Godsey had started to question his calling to the priesthood within the Roman church. They found themselves unable to reconcile their beliefs with those of the magisterium on issues such as clerical celibacy, papal infallibility and closed communion. That is when their searching brought them to the Independent Sacramental Movement.
Their first experience in the movement was disastrous. They found themselves in the company of charlatans who turned out to be invalid. Having been ordained and consecrated by these people, they were once again put in the situation of searching for help within the movement to make things right. In an answer to prayer, Bishop Mark Pultorak and Bishop David Worley of the American Orthodox Catholic Church – Propheta Jurisdiction offered to sub-conditionally ordain and consecrate Bishop Godsey in 2004. This would put an end to the struggles over validity that had plagued them.
Bishop Godsey founded the Ancient Apostolic Communion in 2002 with the assistance of Bishop John A. Parker Jr, Fr. David S. Jennings and a few other clergy. This communion worked to proclaim the good news that God loves everyone for years. The Communion put forth five major papers on issues of doctrine and theology, which received praise from those in the movement and those in mainstream denominations.
Due to desire to continue the mission of the Ancient Apostolic Communion and due to the need for fellowship with other like-minded clergy, the Ancient Apostolic Communion merged into the Liberal Catholic Apostolic Church, which would later be known as the Old Catholic Apostolic Church. This move has helped to further stabilize both jurisdictions and has provided a greater support structure for all involved.
On April 14, 2012, Bishop Godsey was officially installed as the first Bishop Ordinary of the Diocese of Saint Maximilian Kolbe (AL, FL, GA, and SC). In addition, he was also installed as the Director of the Office of Communications and Media Relations.
After the departure of the first Presiding Bishop of the Old Catholic Apostolic Church in May of 2015, Bishop Godsey was elected and installed as the second Presiding Bishop of the church and the church voted to change the name of the jurisdiction to the Old Catholic Churches International.
From August of 2019 to September of 2020, Bishop Godsey worked as an on-call Chaplain at Augusta University Health Systems in Augusta, GA. He was a member of the Association of Professional Chaplains from May of 2020 to May of 2021.
He was the Founding Editor of Convergent Streams (https://www.convergentstreams.org), a magazine geared towards and for the Independent Sacramental Movement. He was also the founder of the Independent Sacramental Movement Database (https://www.independentmovement.us).
Bishop Godsey is the Senior Pastor of Saint Francis Parish and Outreach in Augusta, GA. Saint Francis Parish and Outreach is a vibrant parish that reaches out to the least, the lost, and the forgotten in the Augusta, GA area. They provide nutrition and toiletry bags to the homeless in the area as well a reaching out to the LGBTQIA+ community.
Bishop Godsey is an Amateur Radio Operator (Amateur Extra License by the FCC) and served for six years as the President of the North Augusta Belvedere Radio Club. During that time they volunteered to teach middle and high school students about Amateur Radio. They also worked with Amateur Radio Emergency Services in times of emergency and disaster.
Bishop Godsey is a passionate advocate for social justice and inclusion. They are a strong supporter of LGBTQ+ rights and believes that all people are created equal in the image of God. They are also a vocal critic of racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination.
Bishop Godsey is a gifted preacher and teacher. They are known for their warm and engaging personality and their ability to communicate complex theological concepts in a way that is both clear and accessible. They anre also a prolific writer and blogger, and their work has been featured in a variety of publications.
Bishop Godsey is a dedicated and compassionate pastor who is committed to serving the needs of their congregation and the broader community. They are a powerful voice for justice and inclusion, and is an inspiration to all who know them.