Barney Coombs
Encyclopedia
Barney Coombs is the leader of the International Council of Salt and Light Ministries, and Senior Leader at West Coast Christian Fellowship, Vancouver, Canada. Salt and Light is a neocharismatic Evangelical
Christian
network of churches
that forms part of the British New Church Movement. He is received apostolically by many Charismatic
churches in North America
, Africa
, India
, Europe
, the UK and New Zealand
, and is seen as the 'father' of the Salt and Light family of churches. He is married to Janette and they have three children and eight grandchildren.
force before becoming a Christian
and responding to a call to full-time Christian ministry. He studied at Capernwray Bible School
, where he graduated with honours.
of Basingstoke Baptist Church in 1966. He later moved to Canada
to be based at West Coast Christian Fellowship in Vancouver. Coombs is widely recognised for his pastoral gifting and has written a number of books including A Guide to Practical Pastoring, Apostles Today, God’s Plan for Himself, Finding Your Purpose in God's Plan and Dealing with What Life Throws At You: How Life's Ups and Downs Can Lead Us to a Greater Intimacy with Jesus.
, David Lillie and Cecil Cousen. The main thrust of this group was that a return of the 'charismatic gifts' (i.e. prophecy and speaking in tongues) to the traditional denominations
was not sufficient, and that the church needed to be restored to the New Testament
forms of church government as described in St. Paul's epistle to the Ephesians - Apostle, Prophet
, Evangelist
and Pastor/Teacher (Eph 4:11). This became known as the fivefold ministries, and the group saw the fulfillment of these offices as essential to the reviving of the world wide Christian Church. In Finding Your Purpose In God's Plan Coombs credits DeVern Fromke as a significant influence on the theology he and the wider group were developing at this time.
In the early 1970s Coombs became part of the "fabulous fourteen", a group of leaders recognised as apostles and prophets who sought to develop a theology and ecclesiology that would guide the restoration of the Church. Later that decade, however, leaders of the restoration movement diverged into two separate streams. "Restoration 1" followed the more conservative teachings of Arthur Wallis
and Bryn Jones, while "Restoration 2" took a more relaxed view of cinema, popular music, and ‘secular’ culture, were generally less separatist in ecclesiology (contributing significantly to the resurgence of the Evangelical Alliance), and encouraged the leadership ministries of women. Coombs identified more closely with the "Restoration 1" stream which included the ministries of Terry Virgo
, Bryn Jones and Tony Morton.
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
network of churches
Local church
A local church is a Christian congregation of members and clergy.Local church may also refer to:* Local churches , a Christian group based on the teachings of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, and associated with the Living Stream Ministry publishing house.* Parish church, a local church united with...
that forms part of the British New Church Movement. He is received apostolically by many Charismatic
Charismatic movement
The term charismatic movement is used in varying senses to describe 20th century developments in various Christian denominations. It describes an ongoing international, cross-denominational/non-denominational Christian movement in which individual, historically mainstream congregations adopt...
churches in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, the UK and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and is seen as the 'father' of the Salt and Light family of churches. He is married to Janette and they have three children and eight grandchildren.
Early life
Coombs was born in 1937 in Whitstable, England. After leaving school he entered the policePolice
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
force before becoming a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
and responding to a call to full-time Christian ministry. He studied at Capernwray Bible School
Capernwray Hall
Capernwray Hall is a former country house situated 3 miles ENE of Carnforth, Lancashire, England, and is currently used as a Christian bible school and holiday centre. The house has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building...
, where he graduated with honours.
Pastoral ministry
Coombs was ordained as pastorPastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of Basingstoke Baptist Church in 1966. He later moved to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to be based at West Coast Christian Fellowship in Vancouver. Coombs is widely recognised for his pastoral gifting and has written a number of books including A Guide to Practical Pastoring, Apostles Today, God’s Plan for Himself, Finding Your Purpose in God's Plan and Dealing with What Life Throws At You: How Life's Ups and Downs Can Lead Us to a Greater Intimacy with Jesus.
British New Church Movement
In the mid-late 1960s Coombs became involved in the restoration movement that grew around key charismatic figures such as Arthur WallisArthur Wallis (Bible teacher)
Arthur Wallis : itinerant Bible teacher and author. Through his teaching and writing, most notably his book The Radical Christian , Wallis gained the reputation of ‘architect’ of that expression of UK evangelicalism initially dubbed ‘the house church movement’, more recently labeled British New...
, David Lillie and Cecil Cousen. The main thrust of this group was that a return of the 'charismatic gifts' (i.e. prophecy and speaking in tongues) to the traditional denominations
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
was not sufficient, and that the church needed to be restored to the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
forms of church government as described in St. Paul's epistle to the Ephesians - Apostle, Prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
, Evangelist
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
and Pastor/Teacher (Eph 4:11). This became known as the fivefold ministries, and the group saw the fulfillment of these offices as essential to the reviving of the world wide Christian Church. In Finding Your Purpose In God's Plan Coombs credits DeVern Fromke as a significant influence on the theology he and the wider group were developing at this time.
In the early 1970s Coombs became part of the "fabulous fourteen", a group of leaders recognised as apostles and prophets who sought to develop a theology and ecclesiology that would guide the restoration of the Church. Later that decade, however, leaders of the restoration movement diverged into two separate streams. "Restoration 1" followed the more conservative teachings of Arthur Wallis
Arthur Wallis (Bible teacher)
Arthur Wallis : itinerant Bible teacher and author. Through his teaching and writing, most notably his book The Radical Christian , Wallis gained the reputation of ‘architect’ of that expression of UK evangelicalism initially dubbed ‘the house church movement’, more recently labeled British New...
and Bryn Jones, while "Restoration 2" took a more relaxed view of cinema, popular music, and ‘secular’ culture, were generally less separatist in ecclesiology (contributing significantly to the resurgence of the Evangelical Alliance), and encouraged the leadership ministries of women. Coombs identified more closely with the "Restoration 1" stream which included the ministries of Terry Virgo
Terry Virgo
Terry Virgo is a prominent leader in the British New Church Movement, . He is the founder of the Newfrontiers family of neocharismatic evangelical churches, which has grown into an international apostolic network of over 700 churches in more than 60 nations. He is a leading Reformed Charismatic...
, Bryn Jones and Tony Morton.
Salt and Light Ministries
Driven by the conviction that the body of Christ is in essence relational and would eventually come to fullness of stature, and influenced by the ideas of British restorationism, Coombs began to gather around him a number of other pastors and leaders with the same vision. This "family" has since grown to include hundreds of leaders and ministries who identify with Coombs' apostolic leadership, with a network that stretches from the UK to Europe, US, Africa, Asia, India and New Zealand.Theology
Central to the theology of Coombs is that the body of Christ is essentially relational and will eventually come to fullness of stature. The priesthood of all believers, the cross-centred gospel, the Kingdom of God, a victorious eschatology, and the summing up of all things in Christ are all important doctrines to Coombs and the Salt and Light network.Books
- A Guide to Practical Pastoring, Sovereign World, Ltd., June 1999 (ISBN 1-85240-240-7)
- Apostles Today, Sovereign World, Ltd., October 2000 (ISBN 1-85240-189-3)
- Finding Your Purpose in God's Plan, Destiny Image Publishers Ltd., 2003 (ISBN 0-7684-3019-4)
- Dealing with What Life Throws At You: How Life's Ups and Downs Can Lead Us to a Greater Intimacy with Jesus, Sovereign World, Ltd., January 2006 (ISBN 1-85240-397-7)