The British New Church Movement (BNCM) is a
neocharismatic
The Neo-charismatic (also third-wave charismatic or hypercharismatic) movement is a movement within evangelical Protestant Christianity that is composed of a diverse range of independent churches and organizations that emphasize the post-biblical ...
evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
movement. Its origin is associated with the
Charismatic Movement
The charismatic movement in Christianity is a movement within established or mainstream Christian denominations to adopt beliefs and practices of Charismatic Christianity with an emphasis on baptism with the Holy Spirit, and the use of spirit ...
of the 1960s, although it both predates it and has an agenda that goes beyond it. It was originally known as the "house church movement", although this name is no longer relevant as few congregations meet in houses.
Gerald Coates, one of the early leaders, coined the name ''New Churches'' as an alternative. It is also
restorationist
Restorationism (or Restitutionism or Christian primitivism) is the belief that Christianity has been or should be restored along the lines of what is known about the apostolic early church, which restorationists see as the search for a purer a ...
in character, seeking to restore the church to its 1st century equivalent. While the Charismatic Movement focused on the transformation of individuals, the BNCM (like
Brethrenism,
Baptists
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...
,
Anabaptist
Anabaptism (from New Latin language, Neo-Latin , from the Greek language, Greek : 're-' and 'baptism', german: Täufer, earlier also )Since the middle of the 20th century, the German-speaking world no longer uses the term (translation: "Re- ...
s and the
Restoration Movement
The Restoration Movement (also known as the American Restoration Movement or the Stone–Campbell Movement, and pejoratively as Campbellism) is a Christian movement that began on the United States frontier during the Second Great Awakening (179 ...
in the US) focused also on the nature of the church. For the BNCM since 1970, this has focused on the renewal of the fivefold ministries, particularly apostles, which for others might resemble a charismatically ordained and functioning
episcopate
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
.
The British New Church Movement numbered roughly 400,000 people in the year 2000. It has two major aspects: those who believe in the role of apostles, where churches relate together in "streams", and independent charismatic churches, where they generally do not. Those in streams represent about 40% of the BNCM. Since its origins, it has grown to include many networks of churches, with individual congregations found throughout the world.
History
Origins
Arthur Wallis and David Lillie,
Plymouth Brethren
The Plymouth Brethren or Assemblies of Brethren are a low church and non-conformist Christian movement whose history can be traced back to Dublin, Ireland, in the mid to late 1820s, where they originated from Anglicanism. The group emphasizes ...
men, became convinced of the validity of spiritual gifts. Lillie had received the "Baptism in the Spirit" in 1941, and Wallis in 1951. Influenced by ex-
Apostolic
Apostolic may refer to:
The Apostles
An Apostle meaning one sent on a mission:
*The Twelve Apostles of Jesus, or something related to them, such as the Church of the Holy Apostles
*Apostolic succession, the doctrine connecting the Christian Churc ...
leader Cecil Cousen, they developed an understanding that a return of the 'charismatic gifts' (e.g., prophecy and speaking in tongues) to the traditional
denominations was not sufficient, and that the church needed to be restored to the
New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...
forms of
church government
Ecclesiastical polity is the operational and governance structure of a church or of a Christian denomination. It also denotes the ministerial structure of a church and the authority relationships between churches. Polity relates closely to e ...
as described in St. Paul's epistle to the
Ephesians
The Epistle to the Ephesians is the tenth book of the New Testament. Its authorship has traditionally been attributed to Paul the Apostle but starting in 1792, this has been challenged as Deutero-Pauline, that is, pseudepigrapha written in Pau ...
-
Apostle
An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...
,
Prophet
In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the s ...
,
Evangelist
Evangelist may refer to:
Religion
* Four Evangelists, the authors of the canonical Christian Gospels
* Evangelism, publicly preaching the Gospel with the intention of spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ
* Evangelist (Anglican Church), a c ...
, Pastor and Teacher (Eph 4:11). This became known as the fivefold ministry model, and the group saw the fulfillment of these offices as essential to the reviving of the world wide Christian Church. Although they had in practice left the Brethren, their subsequent efforts produced a hybrid, Pentecostalised Brethrenism, displaying features of both traditions.
Growth and development
In the early 1970s the "Magnificent Seven" (later becoming the "Fabulous Fourteen") came together; a group of leaders who recognised each other as apostles and prophets, and who sought to develop a theology and ecclesiology that would guide the restoration of the Church. In 1976, however, these leaders diverged into two separate streams:
* "Restoration 1" ('R1') followed the more conservative teachings of
Arthur Wallis, Graham Perrins and Bryn Jones, and included such figures as
Terry Virgo
Terry Virgo (born 20 February 1940) is a prominent leader in the British New Church Movement, formerly known as the House Church Movement. He is the founder of the Newfrontiers family of neocharismatic evangelical churches, which has grown into ...
, founder of the
Newfrontiers
Newfrontiers (previously New Frontiers International) is a neo-charismatic church network of evangelical, charismatic churches founded by Terry Virgo. It forms part of the British New Church Movement, which began in the late 1950s and 1960s co ...
network of churches,
Barney Coombs
Barney Coombs (1937– 22 July 2018) was a British religious leader, and the first leader of the International Council of Salt and Light Ministries, and Senior Leader at West Coast Christian Fellowship in Vancouver, Canada. Salt and Light is a netw ...
of Salt and Light Ministries International, and Tony Morton, formerly of Cornerstone.
* "Restoration 2" ('R2') took a more relaxed view of cinema, popular music, and ‘secular’ culture, were generally less separatist, (contributing significantly to the resurgence of the Evangelical Alliance), and encouraged the leadership ministries of women. This stream included the ministries of
Gerald Coates, John and Christine Noble, and others not now associated like Maurice Smith, Dave Tomlinson and George Tarleton.
* Andrew Walker distinguishes Roger and Faith Forster's
Ichthus Christian Fellowship Ichthus Christian Fellowship is a neocharismatic Christian church movement and Apostolic network based in London, United Kingdom. It is part of the British New Church Movement (BNCM) and has links with other BNCM leaders and movements, especially G ...
from the rest: "perhaps the most significant house church organization that lies outside
Restorationism
Restorationism (or Restitutionism or Christian primitivism) is the belief that Christianity has been or should be restored along the lines of what is known about the apostolic early church, which restorationists see as the search for a purer a ...
is the Ichthus movement."
[Andrew Walker, Restoring the Kingdom (Guildford: Eagle, 1998) 47]
R1 and R2 did not represent two separate organisations. Both contained multiple groupings as listed above. R1 and R2 were labels devised by Walker for ease of discussion in his book. However they passed into popular usage.
The division was caused by a number of factors: differences of opinion about the priority of apostles and prophets; different views of grace and law, women in ministry, and relating to contemporary culture; and a discussion about appropriate discipline for an early leader. It was finally catalysed by a letter setting out the problems sent by Arthur Wallis to the other early leaders. A number of attempts to repair this breach were made, and within a few years there was some dialogue again. However, the shared vision of earlier times was never regained.
Since 2000
Due to the emphasis of the movement on relational church structures, and an emphasis on local autonomy, the movement does not have an overarching authority or figurehead. The various networks retain differing levels of association with one another.
Restoration 1 diverged into three groups, under the leadership of Bryn Jones, Terry Virgo and Tony Morton. Eventually, Bryn Jones' group has diversified into five identifiable parts: churches led by Alan Scotland,
Keri Jones
William Keri Jones (born 13 January 1945) is a Welsh dual-code international rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s and 1970s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Wales, and at club level ...
(Bryn's brother), Gareth Duffty, Andrew Owen and Paul Scanlon. Restoration 2 had originally had at least three groups: that led by Gerald Coates, John Noble, and George Tarleton. Tarleton left the movement quite soon after the split; in the 90s John Noble joined Gerald Coates' movement, with some of his churches following. During this time, Dave Tomlinson started as an Apostle within R1, moved to R2 and then also left the movement, becoming an anglican vicar. Barney Coombs churches have developed alongside R1 throughout the period. Thirty years after the first division, it appears that churches connected with R1 have generally maintained their impetus (with the exception of Tony Morton's churches, whose association has dissolved after he left the movement also). On the other hand, churches within R2 have had a much more difficult history.
Although some might say that R1 and R2 have ceased to have any meaning as labels and the relationship problems from the 1970s have very largely been healed, the close fellowship of the original group has never been regained, and there is no sense of shared leadership within the movement. The current distance between the various leaders would still reflect a different views of grace or cultural accommodation, for example; even if ideas about the use of spiritual gifts, adult baptism, and informality of meeting remained the same. In recent years, new streams have developed as others have almost ceased to play an active part.
Key characters have included Terry Virgo, Barney Coombs (died 2018), and Gerald Coates (died 2022).
Notable ministers
*
Gerald Coates
*
Barney Coombs
Barney Coombs (1937– 22 July 2018) was a British religious leader, and the first leader of the International Council of Salt and Light Ministries, and Senior Leader at West Coast Christian Fellowship in Vancouver, Canada. Salt and Light is a netw ...
* Cecil Cousen
* Faith Forster
*
Roger Forster
* Bryn Jones
*
Keri Jones
William Keri Jones (born 13 January 1945) is a Welsh dual-code international rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s and 1970s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Wales, and at club level ...
* David Lillie
* Campbell McAlpine
* Tony Morton
* John and Christine Noble
* Graham Perrins
* Alan Scotland
* Maurice Smith
*
Noel Stanton
Noel Stanton (25 December 1926 – 20 May 2009) was the founder of the Jesus Army.
Life
Stanton was born in Bedfordshire in the East of England, and educated at Bedford Modern School. His parents were farmers. When he was 18, he was Conscript ...
* George Tarleton
* Dave Tomlinson
*
Colin Urquhart
Colin Urquhart (1940 – 13 September 2021) was an English Evangelical Christian minister, speaker, author, and apostolic and Neocharismatic leader in the United Kingdom.[Terry Virgo
Terry Virgo (born 20 February 1940) is a prominent leader in the British New Church Movement, formerly known as the House Church Movement. He is the founder of the Newfrontiers family of neocharismatic evangelical churches, which has grown into ...]
*
Arthur Wallis
Notes
{{Reflist, 2
Further reading
*Fleming, John ''
Bind Us Together
''Bind us Together'' is a book by John Fleming which was published in December 2007 by Thankful Books.
Overview
''Bind us Together'' describes the restoration movement (also referred to as the British New Church Movement) that occurred in the ...
: ...To Be the Church That Jesus Really Wants'' (Seaford: Thankful, 2007)
*
Hocken, Peter ''Streams of Renewal: The Origins and Early Development of the Charismatic Movement in Great Britain'' (Exeter; Paternoster, 1986)
*Kay, William K ''Apostolic Networks in Britain'' (Milton Keynes; Paternoster, 2007)
*Thurman, Joyce V ''New Wineskins: A Study of the House Church Movement'' (Frankfurt: Lang, 1982)
*
Turner, Maxbr>
“Ecclesiology in the Major ‘Apostolic’ Restorationist Churches in the United Kingdom” ''Vox Evangelica'' 19 (1989) 83-108*Walker, Andrew ''Restoring the Kingdom: the Radical Christianity of the House Church Movement'' 3rd Ed (Guildford: Eagle, 1998)
*Walker, Andrew "Crossing the Restorationist Rubicon: from House Church to New Church" in M Percy Ed ''Fundamentalism, Church and Society'' (London: SPCK, 2001)
External links
Charismatic Renewal In Britain: Roots, Influences And Later Developments - Rev Dr David Hilborn
Apostolic networks
Evangelicalism in the United Kingdom
Christian new religious movements
Christian theological movements