Evangelical Connexion of the Free Church of England

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 4.68.248.132 (talk) at 14:49, 11 July 2008. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

The Evangelical Connexion of the Free Church of England came into being in 2003, following doctrinal disagreements within the Free Church of England.[1] The original body had been intended to be a Protestant, Reformed and Evangelical denomination.[2] However, those leading it led the church in the direction of the modern ecumenical movement. As a result some of the members of the FCE who still held to the doctrinal basis of the FCE (The Doctrines of Grace and Sola Scriptura) felt pushed aside.

The Connexion remains committed to Biblical theology and is essentially paedobaptist, liturgical in worship, and episcopal in polity - though understanding all these from a Scriptural perspective, rather than an essentially Roman Catholic one.

The FCE-EC has no connection with the Church of England and individual members and congregations have contacts within both the FIEC and Affinity. Recent contacts for this group include the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales and the Church of England in South Africa. This independent body holds to the supremacy of Scripture [4] and stands in the body of continuing Anglican churches which take their inspiration from Thomas Cranmer.

The Connexion contends that it is the one remaining Protestant, Reformed, Evangelical, Anglican-style Denomination in the UK whose doctrine and worship is still based on Scripture and the Prayer Book, although an exclusive use of the Prayer Book in Connexion parishes is not required. This body holds to the supremacy of Scripture [3] and claims to stand in the body of continuing Anglican churches which take their inspiration from Thomas Cranmer. The Connexion has not authorized its own modern language liturgy but does allow, with Bishop's permission, the use of such as 'An English Prayer Book' (Church Society Publications - OUP)

The Rev. Dominic Stockford, a Connexion pastor and former Roman Catholic priest converted in 1995, was recently elected and consecrated a bishop in the church, the first for the Connexion. The consecrator was Bishop Arthur Bentley Taylor, the only other active bishop in the Connexion. Also participating were presbyters and a number of senior clergy from Biblical bodies outside the Evangelical Connexion (e.g. The Church Society & the FIEC). The date of his consecration was May 5, 2008 and the ceremony was conducted in Swanwick at the Hayes Centre.

References

External links

  1. ^ Evangelical Times - June 2004
  2. ^ The Declaration of Principles of the FCE: Article 4
  3. ^ The Declaration of Principles of the FCE: Article 1
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Evangelical_Connexion_of_the_Free_Church_of_England&oldid=225024378"