HISTORY

The history of the World Evangelical Congregational Fellowship goes back to the 35th Annual Meeting of the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference (USA) which convened on August 2-4, 1983, on the campus of the Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Annual Meeting took on an international flavour. Visitors included Rev. Len Kingston, General Secretary of the Fellowship of Congregational Churches in Australia, Rev. David Saunders, a pastor from the Evangelical Fellowship of Congregational Churches in Great Britain (who was attending his second Annual Meeting), and Rev. Sasiuo Haruo, President of the United Churches of Christ in Moen, Chuuk, along with three other Micronesian pastors. In a meeting between Rev. Len Kingston, Rev. David Saunders and the Executive and Fraternal Relations Committee of the CCCC, it was agreed that the ties between evangelical Congregationalists from around the world needed to be strengthened and that there needed to be a means by which effective communication and joint ministries could be carried out.

The formation of an international evangelical Congregational union was proposed and the participants agreed to meet together a year later for further discussions. A year later, at the 36th Annual Meeting of the CCCC, which convened on July 24-26, 1984, on the campus of Gordon College, Wenham, Massachusetts, a second meeting was held. Present were Rev. Len Kingston, Rev. Edward S. Guest, Secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of Congregational Churches of Great Britain, Rev. Francisco de Souza, a young missionary with dual standing in the CCCC and the Union of Evangelical Congregational Churches of Brazil, and the Executive and Fraternal Relations Committee of the CCCC. The four Micronesian pastors also returned, but they did not participate in the discussions. At this meeting it was decided to form an international fellowship to be called the World Evangelical Congregational Fellowship, and the first three articles of its Constitution were written. During the next year, the Constitution of the WECF was completed by correspondence. The initial draft was written in the United States and then sent to England and Australia for further input. This resulted in a second draft which was voted on and approved by the three participating bodies: The Conservative Congregational Christian Conference in the United States, the Fellowship of Congregational Churches in Australia, and the Evangelical Fellowship of Congregational Churches in Great Britain. The sharing of newsletters, visits and a six-month pastoral exchange between the CCCC and the FCC further strengthened the ties between these bodies.

It was further decided through correspondence that the inaugural assembly of the WECF would be held in England on October 15-18, 1986. The stated purpose of the meeting was "to constitute the WECF, elect officers, determine the country for the next meeting and enjoy rich fellowship in Christ around His Word." Throughout the process of forming the WECF there was a wonderful sense of God's providence. When the idea of such a fellowship surfaced in 1983, it seemed to come to several hearts at once. In 1966, there had been an attempt to form an International Evangelical Congregational Union. A Constitution had even been drawn up, which later served as a reference for the drawing up of the WECF Constitution, but the timing was not right. At that stage, the EFCC and the FCC, as well as several other founding members of the WECF, did not exist. Twenty years later, the timing was right and the WECF was born. The feeling of those present at the inaugural assembly in England was that this was a "gathering" rather than a planned event - God had "gathered" us together into a new fellowship of evangelical Congregationalists from around the world.

Participants in the inaugural assembly meetings were: the Fellowship of Congregational Churches, Australia, the Union of Evangelical Congregational Churches of Brazil, the Evangelical Fellowship of Congregational Churches, Great Britain, the Congregational Union of Ireland, the Union of Congregational Churches of Portugal, and the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference, USA. All of these had previously voted to become part of the WECF. Three other groups had also voted to join but were not represented. They were the United Churches of Christ of Moen, Truk, the Congregational Union of New Zealand, and the Evangelical Fellowship of Congregational Churches of South Africa.

The meetings began at Pilgrim Hall, near Uckfield, in Sussex. The Constitution was reviewed and minor adjustments made. Attention was given to six areas of ministry that are outlined in Article 10 of the Constitution as possible areas for cooperation - missions, evangelism and church growth, publications, personal exchange, theology and society. These areas were included in the Constitution because it was felt that in them there could be realistic cooperation and an exchange of information that would be to the benefit of the members associations. The final meeting saw the election of the WECF's first officers - President: Rev. Clifford Christensen (USA); Vice-President: Rev. Vanderli Carreiro (Brazil); Secretary: Rev. Len Kingston (Australia); Treasurer: Rev. Edward S. Guest (England); Members-at-large: Rev. Daniel Calado (Portugal), Rev. Malcolm Coles (Ireland) and Dr. Graeme Smith (USA).

Worship was an important part of each day and a wonderful spirit of unity was demonstrated in all sessions. Brothers and sisters in Christ from around the world prayed and sang together in their own language as they worshipped the Lord. The inaugural session of the Assembly was held on Saturday October 18th, at Westminster Chapel in London. Attention centred on the four words in the name of the new organization as representatives from each member country focused on the word "world," Rev. Len Kingston spoke on what it means to be "Evangelical," Rev. Edward Guest spoke on what it means to be "Congregational," and Rev. Clifford Christensen spoke on what it means to experience "Fellowship." A covenant, patterned after an old church covenant of 1818, was then signed by representatives from each association. The day of worship concluded with a Communion Service. The WECF had been duly constituted and had officially commenced its journey. Since the inaugural meetings, Triennial Meetings have been held in Mendes in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1989), Sydney, NSW, Australia (1992), Braintree, Massachusetts, USA (1995), Cape Town, South Africa (1998), Olds, Alberta, Canada (2001), Auckland, New Zealand (2004) and Leicestershire, England (2007). These have been times of rich fellowship, blessing, encouragement and challenge. A commitment to the areas that unite has overcome areas of difference that have arisen from time to time and there has been significant cooperation between member associations of the WECF. Special projects have been identified and supported, including several fund raising appeals to enable ministries to continue. Several new member associations have been welcomed into the WECF and most are usually represented at the triennial meetings. In September, 2008, a Mid-Term Meeting was held in Velingrad, Bulgaria. The Ninth Triennial Meeting will be held in Brazil in 2010.

Those who have been involved in this worldwide fellowship have found it to be a rich and blessed experience. Evangelical Congregationalism is alive and well in many parts of the world. To God be the glory!

(adapted from an article by Rev. Clifford Christensen, USA)