The Order of Corporate Reunion was incorporated in the State of Missouri by Peter Paul Brennan, Bertil Persson, Francis Spataro, and Michael Kline in 2010.  

In order to safeguard the Order from potential usurpation, these bishops chose to incorporate the Order under Chapter 352 of the Missouri Revised Statues, meaning that instead of merely filing the standard incorporation paperwork with the Secretary of State, these bishops had to submit a petition to the Circuit Court requesting the granting of a Charter to the Order.  The Circuit Court approved their request for a charter in January 2010.

The following points are a matter of record:

(1) everyone involved in the Order of Corporate Reunion recognizes that Peter Paul Brennan - one of the incorporators of the Missouri corporation - was the Prime Bishop or Universal Primate;

(2) the corporation formed by Peter Paul Brennan, Bertil Persson, Francis Spataro, and Michael Kline in 2010 has clearly defined protocols for succession outlined in Article VIII of the Articles of Agreement filed with and approved by the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri;

(3) in accordance with the protocols set forth in Article VIII of the Articles of Agreement filed with the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri, upon the death of Peter Paul Brennan, Michael Kline was appointed Prime Bishop of the Order of Corporate Reunion by the administrators and executors of the corporation identified by name in Article VIII, as per the express intention of the four original incorporators stipulated in the petition for a Charter submitted to the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri in 2010;

(4) of the four original incorporators, three are still living, and all three of these original incorporators (Bertil Persson, Francis Spataro, and Michael Kline) recognize Richard Cumming as the Universal Primate of the Order of Corporate Reunion.

N.B. (June 23rd 2023) Subsequent to the publication of this notice, Bishop Michael Kline has formed an "Executive Board" consisting primarily of former members of the OCR attached to the Caldarelli faction.  This "Executive Board" has allegedly attempted to "dismiss" Richard Cumming as Universal Primate and install a counter-claimant, Jon-Lawrence Langer.  It is our understanding this this new group wishes to adopt a more liberal position concerning the ordination of canonical bigamists and ladies.

These developments are certainly lamentable, but the position of Richard Cumming as Universal Primate is protected by the Articles of Agreement filed with the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri in 2010.  Article VI of the Articles of Agreement stipulates that "there shall be one 'Member'; the 'Member' shall be the Universal Primate...mention of any other 'members' are considered non-voting, and therefore have no legal rights to ownership, title nor legal management of the Order of Corporate Reunion; former members are also considered having no legal rights to ownership, title, nor legal management of the Order of Corporate Reunion."  

In accordance with the terms of Article VI of the Articles of Agreement, there is simply no mechanism for an "Executive Board" established by a former Primate to remove a sitting Primate from office.

Apart from the former members of the Caldarelli faction, it is our understanding that the only bishop to have joined Bishop Kline in this act of separation is Bishop Jon-Lawrence Langer.  We are delighted to continue to enjoy the support of the overwhelming majority of the membership of the Order of Corporate Reunion.

We are amply satisfied of our ability to demonstrate our identity as the legitimate Order of Corporate Reunion.  However, we must recognize that there are now four organizations claiming to be the Order of Corporate Reunion.  Such division is a clear source of scandal and brings us into disrepute.  The existence of such division is certainly unfortunate as is the fact that many of the "competing" groups consist primarily of self-appointed clergy who possess no pastoral charge, who seem enamored by titles and honors instead of wishing to consecrate themselves to the service of the people of God, and who wish to include canonical bigamists, ladies, and homosexuals in their ranks.  

In recognition of this sad reality, we have made the reluctant decision to "rebrand."  We will retain possession of our Missouri corporation and of our UK corporation.  However, henceforth our public activity will be undertaken in the name of The Association for the Promotion of the Unity of Christendom, the title of our predecessor organization.  This will enable us to continue to undertake the work of the Order of Corporate Reunion without engaging in these petty acrimonious disputes with various vagantes clerics.

Several bishops have encouraged us to impose canonical sanctions upon Bishops Kline and Langer, particularly in light of the fact that Bishop Kline has persisted in acting as Registered Agent of our Missouri corporation despite the fact that he has been removed as Registered Agent.  We respectfully decline to do so.  We also respectfully decline to pursue legal action against Bishop Kline for continuing to act as Registered Agent after he had been dismissed from this position.  We embrace Bishops Kline and Langer as brothers in the faith, and we encourage their return to the Order of Corporate Reunion, founded in 1874 and incorporated in 2010 in the State of Missouri.