Evangelical Movement of Wales
Encyclopedia
The Evangelical Movement of Wales was born in the 1940s, it came to light as a counter move by reformed
Christians to the liberal theology
which was gaining influence in to the Protestant
denominations
of Wales
during the 20th century.
The Movement is a fellowship of churches and individuals who accept the Holy Scriptures
, as originally given, as the infallible Word of God and of divine inspiration, and who recognise them as their sole authority in all matters of faith and practice.
The Movement serves both English
and Welsh
speakers. Given this bilingual focus, where appropriate, parallel and corresponding status is given to both languages in their work.
The General Secretary of the Movement for 45 years and one of its founders was Rev J. Elwyn Davies, he stated:
The Movement and Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones
(one if its influential supporters), have been influential among Evangelical Christians in Wales and beyond (see also Gareth Davies).
Experiencing increased hostility in the 1960s and 1970s within their churches, a number of pastors and congregations sympathetic to the Movement left their denominations and set up independent evangelical churches in many parts of Wales.
Reformed churches
The Reformed churches are a group of Protestant denominations characterized by Calvinist doctrines. They are descended from the Swiss Reformation inaugurated by Huldrych Zwingli but developed more coherently by Martin Bucer, Heinrich Bullinger and especially John Calvin...
Christians to the liberal theology
Liberal Christianity
Liberal Christianity, sometimes called liberal theology, is an umbrella term covering diverse, philosophically and biblically informed religious movements and ideas within Christianity from the late 18th century and onward...
which was gaining influence in to the Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
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...
of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
during the 20th century.
The Movement is a fellowship of churches and individuals who accept the Holy Scriptures
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 originally given, as the infallible Word of God and of divine inspiration, and who recognise them as their sole authority in all matters of faith and practice.
The Movement serves both English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
speakers. Given this bilingual focus, where appropriate, parallel and corresponding status is given to both languages in their work.
Goals
The Movement's stated aims are:- The promotion of a true and faithful witness to the fundamental truths of the Christian faith and to the essential spiritual unity of those who subscribe to it.
- To bring others to a personal knowledge of the Lord JesusJesusJesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
ChristChristChrist is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
and to encourage such to live a godly life. - To foster evangelismEvangelismEvangelism 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....
, experiential religion and a concern for revival. - To provide means for uniting and co-ordinating the witness and fellowship of evangelical churches, fellowships and individual Christians.
- The formation and supervision of evangelical fellowships.
- The publication distribution and sale of English & Welsh literature consistent with the doctrinal belief of the Movement and to facilitate the same to open such shops and other outlets as may be necessary for these purposes.
- To provide Christian workers who subscribe to the movement's doctrinal belief with advice and support.
- To provide theological education and training for persons aspiring to Christian service within the evangelical constituency.
- To co-operate with other bodies, at home and abroad, which subscribe to the movement's doctrinal beliefs in the furtherance of the foregoing aims and objects.
- To help Christians think and act biblically regarding the world in which they live.
History
The Movement's first initiative was to publish Y Cylchgrawn Efengylaidd (The Evangelical Magazine), of which the first edition was November / December 1948. The magazine was originally published in Welsh and soon after a sister magazine was published in English. the magazine continues to be published monthly as of 2011.http://www.emw.org.uk/magazine/The General Secretary of the Movement for 45 years and one of its founders was Rev J. Elwyn Davies, he stated:
- the Movement became a focus for fellowship, nurture and service for Christians who found themselves placed at a considerable disadvantage in churches and denominations which, to a very considerable extent, had departed from the main tenets of the Christian faith.
The Movement and Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Martyn Lloyd-Jones
David Martyn Lloyd-Jones was a Welsh Protestant minister, preacher and medical doctor who was influential in the Reformed wing of the British evangelical movement in the 20th century. For almost 30 years, he was the minister of Westminster Chapel in London...
(one if its influential supporters), have been influential among Evangelical Christians in Wales and beyond (see also Gareth Davies).
Experiencing increased hostility in the 1960s and 1970s within their churches, a number of pastors and congregations sympathetic to the Movement left their denominations and set up independent evangelical churches in many parts of Wales.
Sources
- Davies, Gwyn : 'A Light in the Land - Christianity in Wales 200-2000' : 2002 : ISBN 1-85049-181-X
- Gibbard, Noel : 'The first 50 years - history of the Evangelical Movement of Wales' : 199?