Church of England Evangelical Council explained

Church of England Evangelical Council
Abbreviation:CEEC
Established:1960
Founder:John Stott
Status:Charity
Purpose:Promotion and unity of evangelical Anglicanism
Region Served:England
Leader Title:President
Leader Name:Julian Henderson
Leader Title2:National Director
Leader Name2:John Dunnett
Affiliations:Church of England

The Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC) is an association of mainly conservative evangelical Anglican members of the Church of England.[1] [2] [3] It self-describes as the collective voice of the "vast majority" of evangelicals within the Church of England,[4] and states its aim "to promote and maintain orthodox evangelical theology and ethics at the heart of the Church of England".[5] It has been described as theologically conservative.[6] It was founded in 1960 by the Anglican clergyman John Stott.[7] [8] It is a registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales: amongst its stated activities is the "promotion of consultation between evangelical Anglican leaders" and "to encourage and interact with evangelicals within the Church of England".[9]

Membership

Member of the council include bishops, representatives from mission societies and associations, and laypeople. Organisations affiliated with the council include Anglican Mainstream, Anglican Mission in England, Church Mission Society, Church Pastoral Aid Society, Church Society, Crosslinks, Reform, Fulcrum, and New Wine. The organisations include groups that are conservative evangelical, open evangelical and charismatic in orientation.[10]

Leadership

From 2000 to 2014, Wallace Benn, the Bishop of Lewes, was president of the CEEC.[11] From 2021 to 2023, Keith Sinclair served as national director.[12]

Since May 2023, the National Director of the CEEC has been Canon John Dunnett, formerly Head of the Church Pastoral Aid Society.[13] Its president is currently Julian Henderson, Bishop of Blackburn.

Reaction to same-sex blessings

In December 2023, the House of Bishops of the Church of England authorised a "selection of readings and prayers of thanksgiving, dedication and asking for God’s blessing for same-sex couples", while also noting that the Church's understanding of marriage "remains as a lifelong, faithful and exclusive covenant between one man and one woman".[14]

In reaction, the CEEC has proposed "alternative spiritual oversight" (not to be confused with the Church of England's official alternative episcopal oversight offering) for those clergy "who now feel themselves to be in impaired fellowship with their diocesan bishop".[15] [16] This will be provided by "orthodox evangelical" honorary assistant bishops (Julian Henderson, Rod Thomas, and Pete Broadbent) and non-episcopal "overseers".[17] This provision is proposed as a stepping stone towards official differentiation and a permanent "new structural arrangement". In July 2024, the CEEC commissioned its first group of 20 overseers including bishops Julian Henderson, Henry Scriven, Keith Sinclair, Pete Broadbent, Rod Thomas, and Rob Munro, with Mike Hill to be commissioned at a later date.[18] Two of the initial twenty overseers are ordained women.[19] [20]

The CEEC also established the "Ephesian Fund" "to support orthodox Anglican ministry when in good conscience they might otherwise withdraw or reduce their giving to their parish church as a result of their bishop’s support for the Prayers of Love and Faith initiative".

Notes and References

  1. News: Kuhrt . Stephen . Preventing CEEC becoming a 'Rump Parliament' . 13 July 2024 . Church of England Newspaper . 14 November 2008.
  2. Web site: Read . Charles . What is The Church of England Evangelical Council Up To? Some Autobiographical Reflections . ViaMedia.News . 13 July 2024 . 12 March 2023.
  3. News: CEEC offers to divide the family silver after same-sex vote . 13 July 2024 . Church Times . 18 November 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240408180012/https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2023/24-november/news/uk/ceec-offers-to-divide-the-family-silver-after-same-sex-vote . 8 April 2024 . The conservative Evangelical group the CEEC has become a prominent voice in opposition to the introduction of blessings for same-sex couples and revised guidance to clergy that would allow them to marry same-sex partners .
  4. News: Martin . Francis . Evangelical group calls for declarations of resistance to same-sex blessings . 13 July 2024 . Church Times . 24 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240223033249/https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2023/24-march/news/uk/evangelical-group-calls-for-declarations-of-resistance-to-same-sex-blessings . 23 February 2024 . Canon Dunnett said: “CEEC has never claimed to speak for all those who call themselves Evangelical. But its 'umbrella' constituent membership does bring together Evangelicals from the vast majority of groupings and networks .
  5. Web site: About . CEEC . Church of England Evangelical Council . 26 April 2021 . en.
  6. Web site: Pro-LGBT Anglicans attack evangelicals after new conversation about sexuality is launched . Evangelical Focus . 26 April 2021 . en . 27 November 2020.
  7. Web site: Baker . David . Where is the Church of England Evangelical Council when we need it? . Christian Today . 26 April 2021 . en . 31 July 2017 . What would happen, he mused, if different evangelicals within the CofE could be brought together to talk, pray, plan and resolve any differences? Thus was born the Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC) in 1960..
  8. Web site: Church of England Evangelical Council warns against redefining marriage . Archbishop Cranmer . 26 April 2021 . 16 October 2018.
  9. Web site: THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND EVANGELICAL COUNCIL - Charity 1104514 . Register of Charities . Charity Commission for England and Wales . 26 April 2021.
  10. Web site: Council Members . CEEC . Church of England Evangelical Council . en . 2024-07-12.
  11. Web site: Benn, Rt Rev. Wallace Parke, (born 6 Aug. 1947), Bishop Suffragan of Lewes, 1997–2012 . . Oxford University Press . 13 July 2024 . en . 1 December 2023.
  12. Web site: New leader . www.e-n.org.uk . Evangelicals Now . 13 July 2024 . 1 November 2020.
  13. Web site: John Dunnett named as CEEC’s new National Director . ceec.info . The Church of England Evangelical Council . 13 July 2024 . 9 May 2023.
  14. Web site: Prayers of Love and Faith to be made available for use from Sunday . The Church of England . 18 December 2023 . en.
  15. Web site: Responding to the 15 November 2023 General Synod decision: looking forward - The Church of England Evangelical Council . ceec.info . Church of England Evangelical Council . 18 December 2023 . 17 November 2023.
  16. Web site: Alternative Spiritual Oversight - The Church of England Evangelical Council . ceec.info . Church of England Evangelical Council . 18 December 2023 . 17 November 2023.
  17. Web site: CEEC announces discernment panel for informal overseers, as part of its new provisions for orthodox evangelicals - The Church of England Evangelical Council . ceec.info . Church of England Evangelical Council . 18 December 2023 . 7 December 2023.
  18. Web site: CEEC commissions first set of overseers . ceec.info . The Church of England Evangelical Council . 12 July 2024 . 12 July 2024.
  19. Web site: Commissioning of overseers . ceec.info . The Church of England Evangelical Council . 4 September 2024.
  20. News: Martin . Francis . Evangelicals play down the commissioning of 20 ‘overseers’ . 4 September 2024 . Church Times . 15 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240805131109/https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2024/19-july/news/uk/evangelicals-play-down-the-commissioning-of-20-overseers . 5 August 2024.

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