Newfrontiers
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| Founder(s) | Terry Virgo |
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| Type | Reformed Charismatic Church Network |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Members | 800+ churches |
| Motto | A worldwide family of churches together on a mission |
| Website | Official website |
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References: Registered Charity number: 1060001 |
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Newfrontiers (previously New Frontiers International) is a neocharismatic apostolic network of evangelical, charismatic churches founded by Terry Virgo. It forms part of the British New Church Movement, which began in the late 50s and 60s combining features of Pentecostalism with British evangelicalism.[1] Other streams of the British New Church Movement with which it shares some features include Together, Ministries Without Borders, and Life-Links. Groups like Pioneer, Ichthus Christian Fellowship, and Vineyard are more distantly related. Newfrontiers is a rapidly growing movement with over 700 churches representing more than 60 nations worldwide to date.[2][better source needed] Newfrontiers describes itself as "an international family of churches together on a mission to establish the Kingdom of God by restoring the church, making disciples, training leaders and planting churches." Its theology is distinctively Reformed. Newfrontiers is committed to building churches according to "New Testament principles." One of the slogans of the movement has been "changing the expression of Christianity around the world," which is based on a prophecy given by Paul Cain (the Latter Rain revivalist) to the movement in 1990.[3][4]
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[edit] Participation
Every Newfrontiers church has its own unique approach to participatory worship, but most commonly, anyone wishing to contribute during corporate worship must first share it with a meeting anchor. If it is considered to be potentially beneficial to the whole church body, any worship music being played will subside for a moment, and the individual can address the congregation. In other Newfrontiers churches the expectation is that members of the congregation will speak out if they feel they have received an idea, message (mental) image or verse of Scripture no prior approval is required or expected. Regular members of the congregation claim that repeatedly, such images, messages etc., turn out to be particularly relevant to the topic that is later preached in the service. Others claim that specific questions or advice they sought has been answered via this process.[citation needed]
[edit] Bible weeks
There is a conference that runs over the August Bank Holiday weekend called North, although churches from all over the country, Wales, Scotland and as far afield as Canada attend.[citation needed] Newday is a major youth event that takes place in the heart of the nation, with thousands of young people between the ages of 12 and 19.[5]
[edit] Everything Conference
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| Type | Christian conference |
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| Founded | 2010 |
| Headquarters | London, ENG |
| Key people | Matthew Hosier, David Stroud, Jeremy Simpkins |
| Owner | Newfrontiers |
| Website | EverythingConference.org |
The Everything Conference is an annual one day Christian conference held in the UK by the Newfrontiers family of churches.[6] The conference is held in London, and focuses on cultural transformation.[7]
The conference borrows its name from the verse in the Bible "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it."[Ps 24:1].[7][8]
[edit] Leadership
In each local church leadership is expressed in a plurality of local (male) elders (though generally one of the elders takes a leading or senior role), often with multiple staff. The raising and training of local leaders to run cell groups (often now called "life groups", "small groups" or "home groups"), worship teams and other ministries is seen as a priority. Newfrontiers runs an annual international leaders conference where thousands of church leaders come from around the world to gather for a mix of Bible teaching and lively worship services. This conference in Brighton runs concurrently with Mobilise for students and Christians in their 20s and attracts, in total, over 4,000 people a year including people from other denominations. The combination of these two events is now called Together On A Mission.[citation needed]
[edit] Complementarianism
All Newfrontiers churches hold to a complementarian position on gender similar to that promoted by the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. This means that women are not allowed to occupy positions of governmental leadership within the local (or wider network of) churches, such as eldership or apostolic ministries. Women do, however, hold positions in almost every other area in the church and are encouraged to do so.[9]
[edit] Responses
Nigel Wright believes that Newfrontiers and other British restorationists are claiming too much when they speak of "restoring the church."[10]
In 1986, sociologist and church historian Andrew Walker wrote of Newfrontiers that "churches are far more centralised and controlled than those of (...) mainline charismatic fellowships... The situation seems slightly analogous to Japanese business practices: they… export with great success, but import virtually nothing from anybody else".[11]
In April 2009, the Journal of Beliefs and Values published an article reporting on a 2007 study which "set out to examine the psychological type profile of Lead Elders within the Newfrontiers network of churches in the United Kingdom and to compare this profile with the established profile of clergymen in the Church of England". One of the conclusions:
There is a toughness about this style of leadership that is unlikely to be distracted by opposition. The disadvantage is that this style of leadership can leave some individuals hurt and marginalised for what is seen by the leadership as the overall benefit to the organisation.[12]
[edit] See also
- ChristChurch London, one of the largest Newfrontiers churches in the UK.
[edit] References
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This article lacks ISBNs for the books listed in it. (January 2011) |
- ^ Walker, Andrew (1984), in Martin, David; Mullen, Peter, Strange Gifts? A Guide to Charismatic Renewal, Oxford: Blackwell, p. 214
- ^ "New frontiers together" (official site). Retrieved 22 December 2008.
- ^ Kay, William K (2007), Apostolic Networks in Britain: New Ways of Being Church, Milton Keynes: Paternoster, p. 260
- ^ You tube, Google
- ^ http://newdaygeneration.org/about-us
- ^ "Everything Conference". Christ Church London. Retrieved 2010-05-10.
- ^ a b "eNews Report". UK: Newfrontiers. May 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-10.
- ^ "Everything". New frontiers together. 1 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-10.
- ^ Value 8, "Our seventeen values", Together (New frontiers).
- ^ Wright, Nigel (1986), The Radical Kingdom: Restoration in Theory and Practice, Kingsway: Eastbourne, pp. 118–9.
- ^ Walker, Andrew (1986), Restoring the Kingdom: the Radical Christianity of the House Church Movement (2nd ed.), London: Hodder & Stoughton, pp. 317–8.
- ^ Francis, Leslie J; Gubb, Sean; Robbins, Mandy (2009), "Psychological type profile of Lead Elders within the Newfrontiers network of churches in the United Kingdom", Journal of Beliefs & Values 30 (1): 61–9, doi:10.1080/13617670902784568.
[edit] Further reading
- Fleming, John (December 2007), Bind Us Together: To Be the Church That Jesus Really Wants (paperback), Seaford: Thankful, ISBN 978-1-905084-15-9.
- Hosier, John (2005), Christ's Radiant Church, Oxford: Monarch Books, ISBN 978‐1‐85424‐700‐1.
- Virgo, Terry, The spirit-filled church: Finding Your Place in God's Purpose, ISBN 0-857-21049-1.
- Virgo, Terry (2001), No Well-Worn Paths, Eastbourne: Kingsway, ISBN 0-85476-990-0.
- Walker, Andrew (1998) [1985], Restoring the Kingdom: the Radical Christianity of the House Church Movement (4th ed.), Guildford: Eagle, ISBN 0-340-41470-7.
[edit] External links
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