Apostolic Church
Encyclopedia
The Apostolic Church is a Pentecostal
Christian denomination which can trace its origins back to the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival
. Despite the relatively recent origin of the denomination, the church seeks to stand for first century Christianity
in its faith, practices, and government.
The purpose of the denomination is summed up by one prominent Apostolic writer as:
The worldwide vision of the church is evidenced by a strong missionary concern. The movement which commenced in Welsh-speaking villages of south Wales had, by the end of the 20th century, grown to over six million members in more than 70 nations. The largest national church is the Apostolic Church of Nigeria, with over 4.5 million members and a national convention centre that seats over 100,000.
Ablaze UK (formerly The International Apostolic Convention) has taken place annually over the first week in August since 1916. Until 2002 it was located at the village of Pen-y-groes, Carmarthenshire
, then between 2003 and 2011 it was held in the city of Swansea
, and from 2012 Ablaze UK will take place in Cheltenham
.
Pen-y-groes is the site of the Apostolic Church School of Ministry (founded as the Apostolic Church International Bible School in 1933), the oldest Pentecostal college in Great Britain. The College is currently Closed but the facilities are being used by a Korean Church as a Bible College. The College was closed before and during that time was used as the first initial Rehab centre for Teen Challenge set up by John Macey. There are now also Bible Schools in eleven other countries.
On 5 November 1909, William Oliver Hutchinson, started the first Pentecostal Church in Britain (The Emmanuel Mission Hall, Bournemouth). It soon became the headquarters of a large network of Pentecostal assemblies, known as Apostolic Faith Church.
Rev Daniel Powell Williams the founder of the ‘Apostolic Church’ became an Apostle in the new movement. In 1916, Williams and a number of the Welsh assemblies broke away creating the Apostolic Church in Wales (ACW). Since 1916, the two groups have developed along very different doctrinal paths.
In 1917, a second group centred around Birmingham
affiliated to the ACW. The following year, the ‘Burning Bush Pentecostal Congregation’ in Glasgow
, came into co-operation with the ACW but remained independent. In the same year, a group using the name ‘Apostolic Church’ in Hereford
also came into co-operation with the ACW.
In 1920 Ben Fisher who was the leader of an independent Pentecostal congregation in Belfast
, N.Ireland, invited DP Williams to minister in his church. The group then affiliated to the ACW becoming their first mission field.
H.V.Chanter was the leader of the Apostolic Church of God (ACG); a large group of Pentecostal congregations with HQ in Bradford
. During 1921, Mr Chanter attended the Christmas convention of the ACW in Pen-y-groes. A prophetic word given in Bradford directed the leaders, to invite the Welsh leaders to join them for a meeting. They met 1922, with another wider meeting arranged for Easter. At the Easter convention, leaders from most of the ACW congregations and those affiliated with them met in Bradford.
The 1922 Easter meeting in Bradford was the beginning of the Apostolic Church. Four main groups were present: The Apostolic Church in Wales; The burning bush congregation; The Apostolic Church in Hereford; and the Apostolic church of God. A prophetic word directed them to form administrative union; Penygroes was to be the administrative centre; Glasgow, the financial centre; and Bradford the missionary centre.
. Although Apostolic Church is a common term describing churches and groups within the Oneness Movement, these groups have no connection with the Apostolic Church denomination, which holds to the orthodox doctrine of Nicene Trinitarianism
.)
The Apostolic Church holds to the Protestant position that justification is by grace alone through faith alone. The Soteriology of the Apostolic Church is neither uniformly Reformed nor Arminian. Ecclesiology has taken a prominent place in the theology of the movement. The Church is defined as the Body of Christ and the Headship of Christ is given prominence. Christ is seen to express His Headship through the ascension ministries of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. The sacrament of the Lord's Supper is the central feature of Apostolic worship and was interpreted by the early leaders of the movement according to the Calvinistic doctrine of the spiritual presence.
The theological beliefs of the Apostolic Church are summarised in its confession of faith, known as the Tenet
s, which read as follows:
The Constitution of the Apostolic Church in the UK states that "These Tenets shall forever be the doctrinal standard of the Apostolic Church and shall not be subject to change in any way whatsoever."
The Apostolic Church in Australia, Acts Churches in New Zealand and Ascension Fellowships International in USA all go by a revised set of tenets. The addition of “the resurrection of the believer in an incorruptible body” was a clarification of the Apostolic position due to a theological controversy in New Zealand. The change in order reflects an order more commonly used in evangelical churches.
Pentecostalism
Pentecostalism is a diverse and complex movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, has an eschatological focus, and is an experiential religion. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, the Greek...
Christian denomination which can trace its origins back to the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival
1904-1905 Welsh Revival
The Welsh Revival was the largest Christian revival in Wales during the 20th century. While by no means the best known of revivals, it was one of the most dramatic in terms of its effect on the population, and it had repercussions that reached far beyond the Welsh border, triggering a series of...
. Despite the relatively recent origin of the denomination, the church seeks to stand for first century Christianity
Apostolic Age
The Apostolic Age of the history of Christianity is traditionally the period of the Twelve Apostles, dating from the Crucifixion of Jesus and the Great Commission in Jerusalem until the death of John the Apostle in Anatolia...
in its faith, practices, and government.
The purpose of the denomination is summed up by one prominent Apostolic writer as:
"to make known world-wide the forgiveness of sins through the atoning death of Christ; the baptism in water by immersion; the baptism of the Holy Ghost with signs following; the nine gifts of the Holy Ghost; the five gifts of our Ascended Lord; and the vision called in the New Testament, 'the Church which is His Body'."
The worldwide vision of the church is evidenced by a strong missionary concern. The movement which commenced in Welsh-speaking villages of south Wales had, by the end of the 20th century, grown to over six million members in more than 70 nations. The largest national church is the Apostolic Church of Nigeria, with over 4.5 million members and a national convention centre that seats over 100,000.
Ablaze UK (formerly The International Apostolic Convention) has taken place annually over the first week in August since 1916. Until 2002 it was located at the village of Pen-y-groes, Carmarthenshire
Pen-y-groes, Carmarthenshire
Pen-y-groes is a village in Carmarthenshire, South Wales. The Carmarthenshire village was well-known as the Headquarters of the Apostolic Church. The denomination hosted their International Convention in the Village every year from 1916-2002. The church moved its main office to Swansea in 2002 but...
, then between 2003 and 2011 it was held in the city of Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, and from 2012 Ablaze UK will take place in Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
.
Pen-y-groes is the site of the Apostolic Church School of Ministry (founded as the Apostolic Church International Bible School in 1933), the oldest Pentecostal college in Great Britain. The College is currently Closed but the facilities are being used by a Korean Church as a Bible College. The College was closed before and during that time was used as the first initial Rehab centre for Teen Challenge set up by John Macey. There are now also Bible Schools in eleven other countries.
Church history
Rev Daniel Powell Williams the founder of the ‘Apostolic Church’ became an Apostle in the new movement. In 1916, Williams and a number of the Welsh assemblies broke away creating the Apostolic Church in Wales (ACW). Since 1916, the two groups have developed along very different doctrinal paths.
In 1917, a second group centred around Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
affiliated to the ACW. The following year, the ‘Burning Bush Pentecostal Congregation’ in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, came into co-operation with the ACW but remained independent. In the same year, a group using the name ‘Apostolic Church’ in Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
also came into co-operation with the ACW.
In 1920 Ben Fisher who was the leader of an independent Pentecostal congregation in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, N.Ireland, invited DP Williams to minister in his church. The group then affiliated to the ACW becoming their first mission field.
H.V.Chanter was the leader of the Apostolic Church of God (ACG); a large group of Pentecostal congregations with HQ in Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
. During 1921, Mr Chanter attended the Christmas convention of the ACW in Pen-y-groes. A prophetic word given in Bradford directed the leaders, to invite the Welsh leaders to join them for a meeting. They met 1922, with another wider meeting arranged for Easter. At the Easter convention, leaders from most of the ACW congregations and those affiliated with them met in Bradford.
The 1922 Easter meeting in Bradford was the beginning of the Apostolic Church. Four main groups were present: The Apostolic Church in Wales; The burning bush congregation; The Apostolic Church in Hereford; and the Apostolic church of God. A prophetic word directed them to form administrative union; Penygroes was to be the administrative centre; Glasgow, the financial centre; and Bradford the missionary centre.
Theology
The Apostolic Church is Trinitarian in its theology ( and so is not part of the Oneness Pentecostal MovementOneness Pentecostal
Oneness Pentecostalism refers to a grouping of denominations and believers within Pentecostal Christianity, all of whom subscribe to the nontrinitarian theological doctrine of Oneness...
. Although Apostolic Church is a common term describing churches and groups within the Oneness Movement, these groups have no connection with the Apostolic Church denomination, which holds to the orthodox doctrine of Nicene Trinitarianism
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
.)
The Apostolic Church holds to the Protestant position that justification is by grace alone through faith alone. The Soteriology of the Apostolic Church is neither uniformly Reformed nor Arminian. Ecclesiology has taken a prominent place in the theology of the movement. The Church is defined as the Body of Christ and the Headship of Christ is given prominence. Christ is seen to express His Headship through the ascension ministries of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. The sacrament of the Lord's Supper is the central feature of Apostolic worship and was interpreted by the early leaders of the movement according to the Calvinistic doctrine of the spiritual presence.
The theological beliefs of the Apostolic Church are summarised in its confession of faith, known as the Tenet
Tenet
A tenet is one of the principles on which a belief or theory is based. Tenet may also refer to:* Tenet , a Canadian heavy metal band* Tenet Healthcare, a hospital holding company* Tenet people, an ethnic group in Sudan...
s, which read as follows:
- The one true and living God who eternally exists in three persons in unityTrinityThe Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. - The inherent corruptness of man through the Fall; The necessity of repentanceRepentanceRepentance is a change of thought to correct a wrong and gain forgiveness from a person who is wronged. In religious contexts it usually refers to confession to God, ceasing sin against God, and resolving to live according to religious law...
and regeneration by grace and through faith in Christ alone and the eternal separation from God of the finally unrepentant. - The Virgin birthVirgin birthA virgin birth can refer to:*Parthenogenesis, birth without fertilization*Miraculous births, virgin birth in mythology and religion*Virgin birth of Jesus*Artificial insemination*Russell case...
, sinless life, atoning death, triumphant resurrectionResurrection of JesusThe Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus states that Jesus returned to bodily life on the third day following his death by crucifixion. It is a key element of Christian faith and theology and part of the Nicene Creed: "On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures"...
, ascension and continuing intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ; His second comingSecond ComingIn Christian doctrine, the Second Coming of Christ, the Second Advent, or the Parousia, is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven, where he sits at the Right Hand of God, to Earth. This prophecy is found in the canonical gospels and in most Christian and Islamic eschatologies...
and millennial reign upon earth. - The JustificationJustification (theology)Rising out of the Protestant Reformation, Justification is the chief article of faith describing God's act of declaring or making a sinner righteous through Christ's atoning sacrifice....
and sanctificationSanctificationSanctity is an ancient concept widespread among religions, a property of a thing or person sacred or set apart within the religion, from totem poles through temple vessels to days of the week, to a human believer who achieves this state. Sanctification is the act or process of acquiring sanctity,...
of believers through the finished work of Christ. - The baptismBaptismIn Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
of the Holy spiritHoly SpiritHoly Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
for believers with supernatural signs, empowering the church for its mission in the world. - The gifts of the Holy SpiritSpiritual giftIn Christianity, spiritual gifts are endowments given by the Holy Spirit. These are the supernatural graces which individual Christians need to fulfill the mission of the church. They are described in the New Testament, primarily in , , and . also touches on the spiritual gifts...
for the building up of the Church and ministry to the world. - The Sacraments of Baptism by immersion and of the Lord’s Supper
- The divine inspiration and authority of the Holy Scriptures.
- Christ’s leadership of the Church through apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, elders and deacons, for unity, maturity and growth of the church.
- The security of the believer as he remains in Christ
- The privilege and responsibility of bringing tithes and offerings to the Lord.
The Constitution of the Apostolic Church in the UK states that "These Tenets shall forever be the doctrinal standard of the Apostolic Church and shall not be subject to change in any way whatsoever."
The Apostolic Church in Australia, Acts Churches in New Zealand and Ascension Fellowships International in USA all go by a revised set of tenets. The addition of “the resurrection of the believer in an incorruptible body” was a clarification of the Apostolic position due to a theological controversy in New Zealand. The change in order reflects an order more commonly used in evangelical churches.
- The one true and living God who eternally exists in three persons in unity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- The Divine inspiration and authority of the Holy Scripture.
- The original perfection of creation; the inherent corruptness of humanity through the Fall; the necessity of repentance and regeneration by grace and through faith in Christ alone, and the eternal separation from God of the finally unrepentant.
- The virgin Birth, sinless life atoning death, triumphant Resurrection, ascension and continuing intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ, His Second Coming, and eternal Kingdom reign.
- The justification and sanctification of believers through the finished work of Christ, their security as they remain in Him, and their future resurrectionResurrection of the deadResurrection of the Dead is a belief found in a number of eschatologies, most commonly in Christian, Islamic, Jewish and Zoroastrian. In general, the phrase refers to a specific event in the future; multiple prophesies in the histories of these religions assert that the dead will be brought back to...
in an incorruptible body. - The Sacrament of Baptism by immersion, and of the Lord's Supper.
- The baptism of the Holy Spirit for believers with supernatural signs, empowering the Church for its mission in the world.
- The gifts of the Holy Spirit for the building up of the Church and ministry to the world.
- Christ's leadership of the Church through the ascension ministries of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, for the unity, maturity and growth of the Church.
- The privilege and responsibility of wise stewardship of all that God has given, including the practice of tithing to the local church.