| Evangelical Catholic Church | |
| Type: | Catholic |
| Main Classification: | Independent Catholic |
| Orientation: | Evangelical Catholic |
| Leader Title: | Bishop |
| Leader Name: | James Alan Wilkowski |
| Founded Date: | July 7, 1997 |
| Founded Place: | Chicago, Illinois |
| Separated From: | Roman Catholic Church |
| Separations: | North American Catholic Ecumenical Church |
| Congregations: | 4 |
| Members: | 1,500 |
| Other Names: | Independent Evangelical Catholic Church in America |
The Evangelical Catholic Church (ECC), formerly known as the Independent Evangelical Catholic Church in America (IECCA), is an Independent Catholic church headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1997,[1] it claimed about 1,500 members in three parishes in 2014.[2] In 2017, the ECC claimed four parishes in Chicago, Illinois; Bend, Oregon; Providence, Rhode Island; and Watertown, Wisconsin.[3]
The Evangelical Catholic Church professes two creeds: the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed.[4] Its theology differs from that of the Roman Catholic Church in that it permits both men and women, married as well as unmarried, to become deacons, priests and bishops; accepts gay marriage; encourages divorced and remarried worshipers to receive Communion; and allows birth control.[5]