Evangelical Church (ECNA)
Encyclopedia
The Evangelical Church in North America is a national Protestant denomination in the United States. It is closely identified within the holiness movement
with roots in Methodism
and the teachings of John Wesley
. Its headquarters are located in Brooklyn Park
, Minnesota
, a suburb of Minneapolis.
Its official emblem is composed of a red flame, symbolizing the fire of the Holy Spirit
which descended at Pentecost
, atop an open Bible
. As of 2000, the Church had 12,475 members in 133 local churches. The Church sponsors missionaries in seven countries.
It publishes an official magazine, The Evangelical Challenge, issued quarterly, and a newsletter, The Heartbeat, ten months per year.
The EUB Book of Discipline, the controlling document of church governance, made no provision of the secession of local congregations or regional conferences, and failed to recognize the validity of the Pacific Northwest Conference's action, or similar votes taken at congregational meetings. The merger was effected in April 1968, forming the United Methodist Church
, which took title to all assets and properties formerly belonging to the Pacific Northwest Conference and its local churches and organizations.
The Evangelical Church in North America (ECNA) was officially formed on June 4, 1968, by a group of the dissenting ministers and laymen representing some fifty congregations in Oregon
and Washington. Before the end of June laity and ministers from North Dakota
and Montana
, representing more than twenty additional congregations had joined their ranks.
In 1969, the Evangelical Church entered into a financial settlement agreement with the Methodists whereby the new denomination gained title to some of the facilities of the former EUB Church, including most of the secessionist congregations. That same year, the Holiness Methodist Church, united with the Evangelical Church. In 1975, the Wesleyan Covenant Church, became part of the Evangelical Church, including its Navajo
missions in central New Mexico
.
-Arminian, emphasizing free will
over determinism
and salvation through a two separate and instantaneous acts of Grace
, justification
and sanctification, attained through Faith
resulting in repentance
. This, together with Biblical inerrancy
and belief in a direct command of God to universally evangelize are common to the various bodies which comprise the Holiness movement
. The Church has an official "Statement of Faith," which is based on that of the Methodists which it inherited from the EUB, but which has been revised to make these emphases of doctrine more specific.
. The Evangelical Church is a missionary oriented church averaging at least one adult missionary per local church. The three major organizations supported, beyond the Evangelical Church Missions department, are OMS International, World Gospel Mission
and Wycliffe Bible Translators
. In addition, Evangelical Church members serve through a score of other interdenominational missions organizations.
Holiness movement
The holiness movement refers to a set of beliefs and practices emerging from the Methodist Christian church in the mid 19th century. The movement is distinguished by its emphasis on John Wesley's doctrine of "Christian perfection" - the belief that it is possible to live free of voluntary sin - and...
with roots in Methodism
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
and the teachings of John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
. Its headquarters are located in Brooklyn Park
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
According to the 2010 census, there were 75,781 people residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 52% White, 24% African American, 1% Native American, 15% Asian, 42 residents identifying themselves as Pacific Islander, 4% from other races, and 4% from two or more races...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, a suburb of Minneapolis.
Its official emblem is composed of a red flame, symbolizing the fire of the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy 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...
which descended at Pentecost
Pentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
, atop an open Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. As of 2000, the Church had 12,475 members in 133 local churches. The Church sponsors missionaries in seven countries.
It publishes an official magazine, The Evangelical Challenge, issued quarterly, and a newsletter, The Heartbeat, ten months per year.
History
At its annual session in 1967, the Pacific Northwest Conference of the Evangelical United Brethren (EUB) Church voted by a two-thirds majority to secede from its parent body and continue to operate as a separate denomination. The action was taken in anticipation of the upcoming merger with the Methodist Church, which they had opposed primarily over issues of Biblical authority, social activism, and the doctrine of Entire Sanctification, on all of which points the dissenters viewed the Methodists as becoming too liberal. Thus, the ECNA became the conservative counterpart to the Methodist Church.The EUB Book of Discipline, the controlling document of church governance, made no provision of the secession of local congregations or regional conferences, and failed to recognize the validity of the Pacific Northwest Conference's action, or similar votes taken at congregational meetings. The merger was effected in April 1968, forming the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
, which took title to all assets and properties formerly belonging to the Pacific Northwest Conference and its local churches and organizations.
The Evangelical Church in North America (ECNA) was officially formed on June 4, 1968, by a group of the dissenting ministers and laymen representing some fifty congregations in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and Washington. Before the end of June laity and ministers from North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
and Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, representing more than twenty additional congregations had joined their ranks.
In 1969, the Evangelical Church entered into a financial settlement agreement with the Methodists whereby the new denomination gained title to some of the facilities of the former EUB Church, including most of the secessionist congregations. That same year, the Holiness Methodist Church, united with the Evangelical Church. In 1975, the Wesleyan Covenant Church, became part of the Evangelical Church, including its Navajo
Navajo people
The Navajo of the Southwestern United States are the largest single federally recognized tribe of the United States of America. The Navajo Nation has 300,048 enrolled tribal members. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent governmental body which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the...
missions in central New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
.
Theology
The Evangelical Church is strongly WesleyanJohn Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
-Arminian, emphasizing free will
Free will
"To make my own decisions whether I am successful or not due to uncontrollable forces" -Troy MorrisonA pragmatic definition of free willFree will is the ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints. The existence of free will and its exact nature and definition have long...
over determinism
Determinism
Determinism is the general philosophical thesis that states that for everything that happens there are conditions such that, given them, nothing else could happen. There are many versions of this thesis. Each of them rests upon various alleged connections, and interdependencies of things and...
and salvation through a two separate and instantaneous acts of Grace
Divine grace
In Christian theology, grace is God’s gift of God’s self to humankind. It is understood by Christians to be a spontaneous gift from God to man - "generous, free and totally unexpected and undeserved" - that takes the form of divine favour, love and clemency. It is an attribute of God that is most...
, justification
Justification (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 sanctification, attained through Faith
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
resulting in repentance
Repentance
Repentance 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...
. This, together with Biblical inerrancy
Biblical inerrancy
Biblical inerrancy is the doctrinal position that the Bible is accurate and totally free of error, that "Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact." Some equate inerrancy with infallibility; others do not.Conservative Christians generally believe that...
and belief in a direct command of God to universally evangelize are common to the various bodies which comprise the Holiness movement
Holiness movement
The holiness movement refers to a set of beliefs and practices emerging from the Methodist Christian church in the mid 19th century. The movement is distinguished by its emphasis on John Wesley's doctrine of "Christian perfection" - the belief that it is possible to live free of voluntary sin - and...
. The Church has an official "Statement of Faith," which is based on that of the Methodists which it inherited from the EUB, but which has been revised to make these emphases of doctrine more specific.
Governance
Like other denominations in the Methodist tradition, the principle governing body of the Evangelical Church is a general conference, with delegates from each of six regional conferences. The regional conferences meet annually with delegates from each of the local congregations within their respective territories. The Church does not have bishops, but is led by Conference Superintendents and a General Superintendent, who are elected to fixed terms, and have both pastoral and administrative responsibilities.Affiliations
The Evangelical Church is a member of the Christian Holiness Association and the National Association of EvangelicalsNational Association of Evangelicals
The National Association of Evangelicals is a fellowship of member denominations, churches, organizations, and individuals. Its goal is to honor God by connecting and representing evangelicals in the United States. Today it works in four main areas: Church & Faith Partners, Government Relations,...
. The Evangelical Church is a missionary oriented church averaging at least one adult missionary per local church. The three major organizations supported, beyond the Evangelical Church Missions department, are OMS International, World Gospel Mission
World Gospel Mission
The World Gospel Mission is an interdenominational Christian holiness missionary agency headquartered in Marion, Indiana, United States. From its inception, WGM has been aligned with the Wesleyan Holiness tradition of Protestantism...
and Wycliffe Bible Translators
Wycliffe Bible Translators
Wycliffe Bible Translators is an interdenominational organization mandated to making a translation of the Bible in every living language in the world, especially for cultures with little existing Christian influence. Wycliffe was founded in 1942 by William Cameron Townsend and is associated with...
. In addition, Evangelical Church members serve through a score of other interdenominational missions organizations.
See also
- Evangelical AssociationEvangelical AssociationThe Evangelical Church or Evangelical Association, also known as the Albright Brethren, is a "body of American Christians chiefly of German descent", Arminian in doctrine and theology; in its form of church government, Methodist Episcopal....
- Evangelical United Brethren
- MethodismMethodismMethodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
- United Brethren in ChristUnited Brethren in ChristUnited Brethren in Christ may refer to:*Church of the United Brethren in Christ, the evangelical Christian denomination*United Brethren in Christ , a historic church building...
- United Methodist ChurchUnited Methodist ChurchThe United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...