YEAR BOOK of the EVANGELICAL CONNEXION of the Free Church of England (otherwise called the Reformed Episcopal Church) www.ec-fce.org.uk 2018-2019 Published by the Authority of the Convocation Contents Officers of the Connexion .................................................................... 2 Declaration of Principles ...................................................................... 3 Framework of Reference ..................................................................... 5 Safeguarding our Churches .................................................................. 6 Report from St Paul’s Church, Fleetwood ............................................ 7 Report from Christ Church, Leeds……………………….…………………………….9 Report from Christ Church, Leigh on Sea ........................................... 11 Report from Christ Church, Tuebrook, Liverpool ............................... 12 Report from Emmanuel Church, Workington .................................... 13 Convocation Photographs .................................................................. 15 Appendix A - Directory of Churches ................................................... 16 Appendix B - Directory of Church Pastors .......................................... 18 Appendix C – Former Bishops ............................................................. 20 Appendix D - Retired Ministers ........................................................... 21 Appendix E - Directory of Connexional Scattered Members ............. 21 Building of Fleetwood Church…………………………………………………………..22 1 Officers of the Connexion 2018-2019 Co-ordinator of the Evangelical Connexion: Rev Grahame Wray 35 Rathmell Road Halton Moor LEEDS LS15 0NS Tel: 01132605812, Mob: 07749467867 Email: [email protected] General Secretary: Mr Trevor A Jordan 3 Edward Street Morecambe Lancashire LA4 4BL Tel: 01524833740, Mob: 0787623588 Email: [email protected] General Treasurer and Safeguarding Co-ordinator: Mr David Fowell 103 Cross Gates Avenue Cross Gates LEEDS LS15 7QF Mob: 07445271398 Email: [email protected] 2 Declaration of Principles The Free Church of England, otherwise called Reformed Episcopal Church, which is a branch of the Holy Catholic Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, united by faith to Him, who is the Head over all things to the Church which is His Body, and recognising the essential unity of all who, by a like faith, are united to the one Divine and Common Head, makes declaration of its Principles as follows: 1. The Free Church of England, otherwise called The Reformed Episcopal Church, holding “the faith once delivered to the saints,” declares its belief in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the Word of God, and the sole Rule of Faith and Practice; in the Creed commonly called “The Apostles’ Creed”; in the Divine Institution of the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper; and in the Doctrines of Grace substantially as they are set forth in the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion. 2. This church recognises and adheres to Episcopacy, not as of Divine right, but as a very ancient and desirable form of Church polity. 3. This Church, retaining a liturgy which shall not be repressive of freedom in prayer, accepts the Book of Common Prayer, as it was received, prepared, and recommended for use by the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church, A.D. 1785, reserving full liberty to alter, abridge, enlarge, and amend the same, as may seem most conducive to the edification of the people, “provided that the substance of the faith be kept entire”. 4. This Church CONDEMNS and REJECTS the following erroneous and strange doctrines as contrary to God’s word: First - that the Church of Christ exists only in one order or form of ecclesiastical polity: Second - that Christian ministers are ‘priests’ in another sense than that in which all believers are a ‘royal priesthood’: 3 Third - that the Lord’s Table is an altar on which the oblation of the body and blood of Christ is offered anew to the Father: Fourth - that the presence of Christ in the Lord’s Supper is a presence in the elements of Bread and Wine: Fifth - that regeneration is inseparably connected with Baptism. 5. In accordance with the liberty given in Article 3 of the above Declaration of Principles, this Church accepts the Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England, with such revisions as shall exclude sacerdotal doctrines and practices. 6. This Church, as a Reformed and Protestant Church, hereby reaffirms its constant witness against all those innovations in doctrines and worship, whereby the primitive faith has been from time to time defaced or overlaid, and which at the Reformation were disowned and rejected. 7. This Church will maintain communion with all Christian Churches and will set forward, so far it lies within its ability, quietness, peace, and love, among all Christian people. 4 Framework of Reference for Covenanting Churches and Individuals We are: Biblical - Believing in the inspired Word of God as our sole rule of faith and practice. Episcopal - Led by bishops in the historic line, but whose authority comes through the selection by God’s people, under God’s Providence, and not through “Apostolic Succession”. Liturgical - Careful in our worship of Almighty God using liturgies based on Scripture, relevant to the needs of the worshipper, and free of any “high church” adornments. Our liturgical services are designed to focus only on Him, and not the worship leader or attempts to “entertain”. Reformed - We hold fast to the Doctrines of Grace as God’s way of redeeming lost sinners. As such we maintain a line of evangelical, Low Church witness to the great truths of the Bible that is rooted in the English Reformation. Clergy, Laity and Individuals affirm their continuing commitment to this Framework at Convocation meetings, regretting the historic division which has occurred in the Free Church of England and praying for her return to primitive faith and practice. Clergy believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God and to contain all things necessary to Salvation, and solemnly engage to conform to the Doctrine, and Worship of the Free Church of England, otherwise called the Reformed Episcopal Church, so long as they continue to be a Minister of the Evangelical Connexion; and believe the Doctrine of the said Church, as set forth in the Declaration of Principles thereof, to be agreeable to the Word of God, and in Public Prayer 5 and Administration of the Sacraments, conduct their ministry under the lawful and inclusive authority of Convocation, in total subjection to the Word of God, as the SOLE Rule of Faith and Practice. Lay delegates declare themselves to be Communicants of the Evangelical Connexion of the Free Church of England, and solemnly promise to conduct their office and membership of the Evangelical Connexion under the lawful and inclusive authority of Convocation, in total subjection to the Word of God, as the SOLE Rule of Faith and Practice. Safeguarding our Churches The Evangelical Connexion is a member of CCPAS – The Churches Child Protection Advisory Service. The CCPAS website is www.ccpas.co.uk It is the responsibility of each church in the Connexion to appoint their own Safeguarding Officer and have in place a Safeguarding Policy in order to comply with regulations, the Charity Commission and church insurance policies. It is the responsibility of each church’s Safeguarding Officer to have DBS checks carried out on anyone who is involved in working with children and vulnerable adults. It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure our churches are safe for children and vulnerable adults. 6 Reports from the Churches St Paul’s, Fleetwood - Rev Virgil Tountas Our lives are certainly in the hands of God, and He leads us where He pleases. At the moment at St Paul's I feel as though we are enduring the book of Habakkuk 3:17-19 “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. 19 GOD, the Lord, is my strength.” We have in this past year by God’s grace stayed relatively stable with having lost our warden, and a wonderful couple having left for Wales and yet God gave us another mature couple from Morecambe. This year two have died that have been part of our church, Frank Grimshaw and Janet Riley – with many tears we mourn those who have been much loved. But all in all, we have had a few visitors who were on holidays, a few church grasshoppers and yet our congregation has remained steady and faithful. We have faithfully been preaching expository sermons, through 7 Hebrews and the book of Daniel in our morning sermons and now presently through the book of James. In our Bible study, we've worked through Philippians, Colossians and the book of Philemon. We have had the Rev’d Stephen Holland lead our Bible study, we have had Gideon's share on two occasions in our morning service. Our youth work has not yet begun, and this is one of the projects that we have set before our church because we desire to begin work amongst a lost, lonely, depressed youth in our area – we need much prayer. We regularly have our Jacobs join, it began following every second family service but now we have it once a month and it has certainly drawn us closer together, with friends and family – eating and dwelling on the word of God, discussing and telling of God's great blessings. As minister of St Paul's, I enjoy visiting and speaking to people concerning the Bible, going door to door, talking to people in the streets, and visiting members of St Paul’s. Preaching, teaching, distributing literature is a great part of my life and in the work of God and I love doing it. I pray continually that God would bless us, with faithful people and also with those who are desperately searching for the truth and never forgetting those who just cruise along. I pray that the Lord would add to us numbers from our member’s families and friends.