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In 1898, the deacon Robert was transferred to the Missionary Jurisdiction of Ashville in western North Carolina. By the next year he was listed as being assistant minister at St Stephen's Chapel in Morganton and St Cyprian's Church in Lincolnton. Between 1900 and 1905, Robert moved around much of the Eastern seaboard, serving in Delaware, Charleston (South Carolina), Richmond (Virginia), Nashville (Tennessee), until finally ending up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
At some point, he joined an off-shoot of the Episcopalian Church, known as the ''"American Catholic Church",'' a sect founded by [[w:Joseph René Vilatte|Joseph René Vilatte]] in 1915. He is listed in the records of the Episcopal Church of the USA as late as 1908, when he was suspended from ministry on the allegations of abandoning his post.
==Orthodoxy==
Once there, Robert visited various [[monastery|monasteries]] and churches, soon becoming quite the sensation. Sundry periodicals began publishing pictures and articles on him, and soon Robert became the Special Guest of the Tsar, which allowed him to be present for the anniversary celebrations of [[Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas II's]] coronation, and [[Memorial Services|memorial service]] for Alexander III. Leaving Russia, Robert traveled Turkey, Cyprus, and the [[Holy Land]], returning to America and writing an article to the ''Russian-American Orthodox Messenger'' in 1904 about his experience in Russia.
For three years, Robert studied under Greek priests for his [[baptism]]. In January of 1906, he is documented <ref>The ''Philadelphia Inquirer'' reported on [[January 8]], 1906, that ''“Rev. R.J. Morgan of the American Catholic Church, an off-shoot of the Protestant Episcopal Church, assisted.”''</ref> as ''assisting'' in the Christmas [[Divine Liturgy|liturgy]]. As there were no In 1907 the Philadephia Greek community referred Robert to the [[seminary|seminariesEcumenical Patriarchate]] in America until 1911, in 1907 Robert was sent to Constantinople armed with two letters: of support. One was a recommendation from a Fr . Demetrios Petritis for Petrides, the Greek priest then serving the Philadelphia community, dated [[June 18|18 June]] 1907, who described Morgan as a man sincerely coming into Orthodoxy after long and diligent study, and recommending his baptism and [[ordination]] into the priesthood, and a . The second letter of support was from the "Ecclesiastical Committee" of the Philadelphia Greek community of that parish that stated Orthodox Church, stating he could serve as an assistant priest if he failed to set up form a separate Orthodox parish among his fellow Black churchAmericans.<ref>Summaries of the two letters are given in the Synodal Minutes of [[July 19|19 July]], 1907, presided over by Patriarch [[Joachim III of Constantinople|Joachim III]], who introduced the subject of Morgan's baptism and ordination. As is stated in the second letter, Morgan's goal was to establish an Orthodox community of Blacks (''"...να πηξη ιδιαν ορθοδοξον κοινοτητα μεταξυ των εν Αμερικη ομοφυλων αυτου Νιγρητων..."'').</ref>
Robert was interviewed by [[Metropolitan]] [[Joachim (Phoropoulos) of Pelagonia]], one of the few bishops of he the [[Ecumenical Patriarchate]] that could speak Englishand amongst the most learned of the Constantinopolitan hierarchs of that time. The [[metropolitan]] concluded that Robert should be baptised, chrismated, ordained, and sent back to America in order to ''"carry the light of the Orthodox faith among his racial brothers". '' In early August, Robert was baptised Raphael before 3000 people, and on the feast of the [[Dormition]] of the [[Theotokos]], ordained a priest.
Fr Raphael was sent back to America with vestments, a cross, and 20 pounds sterling. He was allowed to hear [[confessions]], but denied [[Chrism|Holy Chrism]] and an [[antimension]], presumably to attach his missionary ministry to the Philadelphia church.
However, one deterrent from this theory comes in the familiarity he had with the Orthodox Church by McGuire's ''consecrator'', Joseph René Vilatte. At various points, Vilatte come into contact with both the [[Russian_Orthodox_Church|Russian]] and [[Syriac_Orthodox_Church|Syriac]] Orthodox Churches in a move for Catholic-Orthodox reconciliation, having even been accepted for a while by Bishop [[Vladimir (Sokolovsky-Avtonomov) of the Aleutians|Vladimir]] of [[Alaska]] in May of 1891.
==Further ReadingReferences==* Manolis, Paul G. ''Raphael (Robert) Morgan: The First Black Orthodox Priest in America''. '''Theologia: Epistēmonikon Periodikon Ekdidomenon Kata Trimēnian'''. (En Athenais: Vraveion Akadēmias Athēnōn), 1981, vol.52, no.3, pp.464-480. ISSN: 1105-154X* Namee, Matthew. ''[http:<div><references/></orthodoxhistory.org/?p=244#more-244 The First Black Orthodox Priest in America].'' '''OrthodoxHistory.org''' (The Society for Orthodox Christian History in the Americas). July 15, 2009.div>
==Sources==
*[http://www.joyousjam.com/fatherraphael/index.html Father Raphael] Lumsden, Joy, MA (Cantab), PhD (UWI).
*[http://ancientfaith.com/specials/16th_ancient_christianity_african-american_conference/matthew_namee/ Fr. Raphael Morgan: America's First Black Orthodox Priest] Namee, Matthew. 16th Annual Ancient Christianity & African-American Conference. 03 June, 2009.
* [[w:Joseph René Vilatte|Joseph René Vilatte]] at Wikipedia.* Manolis, Paul G. ''Raphael (Robert) Morgan: The First Black Orthodox Priest in America''. '''Theologia: Epistēmonikon Periodikon Ekdidomenon Kata Trimēnian'''. (En Athenais: Vraveion Akadēmias Athēnōn), 1981, vol.52, no.3, pp.464-480. ISSN: 1105-154X*Mather, Frank Lincoln. ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=RFZ2AAAAMAAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s Who's who of the Colored Race: A General Biographical Dictionary of Men and Women of African Descent].''. University of Michigan. Gale Research Co., 1915. * Namee, Matthew. ''[http://booksorthodoxhistory.google.comorg/books?id=RFZ2AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA226&lpg=PA226&dq=who's+who+of+the+colored+race+raphael+morgan&source=bl&ots=mPXZ6sHp28&sig=5ddkczyQWij83-qA6_xs6AcPUTA&hl=en&eip=6AJESrOhF5SNtgf0m244#more-ScAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2 Google Books Link244 The First Black Orthodox Priest in America]*[http://en.wikipedia'' '''OrthodoxHistory.org/wiki/Joseph_Rene_Vilatte Joseph René Vilatte] Wikipedia''' (The Society for Orthodox Christian History in the Americas). July 15, 2009.
[[Category:Priests]]
