OUR VISION IS TO BECOME A CHURCH PLANTING DIOCESE
Background
All our congregations began as what would now be called church plants – groups of Christians meeting together in homes or rented accommodation, sometimes for years, before erecting their own buildings.
We’ve done it before so we can do it again!
To help us build up a vision and skill set to enable us to win souls for Christ and plant new Free Church of England (FCE) churches, the Right Rev’d Matthew Firth heads our church planting outreach.
Building off the pre-pandemic foundational work the diocese did with Always Forward, the GAFCon-affiliated ACNA church planting initiative, back in 2019, we hope to expand once again throughout our geographical regions.
CHURCH STRUCTURE
Our churches are composed of individuals who make up the Body of Christ. Ideally, several individuals and families gather for regular worship as a congregation within the parish church, as outlined below, but this is not always possible.
Scattered Members
Lay (non-ordained) individuals who don’t live near an existing congregation can apply to become Scattered Members. This enables them to stay in touch, to access FCE material and to pray for our work. An annual donation is invited.
Associate Congregations
Existing congregations not already within the FCE may apply to the Bishop to become Associate Congregations. This implies that both the congregation and the Diocese are exploring whether full membership is the right way ahead over a set timeframe.
Traditional Route
The traditional route of growing a church plant from small beginnings is also an option.