Thank you for your inquiry and your forthright question about apostolic succession in the UAC.  The short answer to your question is yes, we do have apostolic succession.  Our lineage is through Joseph Rene Vilatte in the Antiochian - Jacobite Succession and Antonio Barberini in the Roman Catholic-Old Catholic Succession.  These are essentially the same lines that any clergy in the independent movement hold.

 

We very intentionally do not list our succession on the website for a couple of reasons.  The first (and I make no judgment about your interest in our succession in making this statement) is that we have found that many people - most especially folks from Old Catholic traditions - who are extremely concerned about apostolic succession have a history of being much less interested in being church (having active, verifiable ministries that actually accomplish things) than in playing church (consecrating Eucharist on a TV tray in their living room with their pets as a congregation and arguing about who has the prettiest vestments and the most valid lineage).

 

The second has to do with our understanding of the historicity of apostolic succession.  We find there to be no historic evidence for the Apostles ever being ordained in the way that we understand ordination, nor can we find any evidence for Peter actually being first among the Apostles nor for Peter actually ordaining anyone priest or consecrating them bishop in the way that we understand ordination - the laying on of hands by Peter with the intent of conveying apostolic succession.  I would hasten to point out that, from an Orthodox perspective, St. Andrew is held to be the Apostle from whom they proceed.  When you add to this equation the fact that at one time there were three Popes, apostolic succession stands on shaky ground indeed.  That having been said, we do believe in apostolic succession as a mythological reality (myth being understood as indicating something that is true even if it never happened) while at the same time being very honest about the problems that exist with its historicity. 

 

Finally, I would take issue with your assertion that T.D. Jakes is not a "real" bishop.  Let me say quite clearly that T.D. Jakes and I have very little in which we would agree.  However, I do not believe for a moment that it is apostolic succession that makes one a bishop.  In a tradition where apostolic succession is not held I do not believe there is anything invalid about that tradition raising up men or women to be bishops and ordaining them as such.  As an example of this attitude in ECUSA, I would remind you that ECUSA is in full communion with the ELCA.  While some individual clergy in the ELCA do have apostolic succession from the ethnic Lutheran tradition in which they were ordained, the ELCA does not hold to apostolic succession.

 

I would hasten to point out that apostolic succession is not a biblical concept and is not listed in the criteria for ordination in the scriptures.  I mention this because the UAC does not make apostolic succession a criteria for fellowship with other church bodies.  We recognize as validly ordained all those who have been raised up by a community and ordained to be a leader within that community.  In order to have unity within the UAC, should a clergy person from a tradition without succession become clergy within the UAC, we do ordain them priest or deacon with succession but we do so while fully recognizing the validity of their ministries prior to coming to the UAC.  In fact, such folks are allowed to function as valid clergy until our next General Assembly at which time they are ordained within our tradition.

 

On the other hand Peter Akinola, the Anglican bishop of Nigeria, has apostolic succession but I cannot bring myself to recognize him as a bishop.  No human being who would advocate the execution of his countrymen for any reason will ever be someone I can recognize as a bishop regardless of their apostolic succession.  There is more to being a bishop, priest, or deacon than lineage.

 

In the UAC we have a strong commitment to ecumenical partnerships.  We believe that we are called first and foremost to work toward the justice and peace necessary to make the Kingdom of God a reality on earth.  We readily and eagerly participate in worship with our ecumenical partners and recognize their sacraments as valid whether or not they possess apostolic succession.  Doctrine, dogma and practices that attempt to establish in-groups and out-groups in the body of Christ are Pharisaical and we reject them.

 

As you discern your next spiritual home and consider the UAC in that process, know that all of our clergy certainly do have apostolic succession.  To be fair to you in your process, you must also know that apostolic succession is not a doctrine over which we get extremely energized.  There are some of us who place great emphasis on it and others who place very little emphasis on it.  We retain it, and will continue to retain it, as a vehicle through which we remain connected to the historic church.  We do not, however, use it in an attempt to establish superiority over others or to exclude others.  Any such attempt would be contrary to our ethos and would not be tolerated.