King's Family of Churches

Infobox Christian denomination
name = King's Family of Churches

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imagewidth =155px
caption = The King's Family Seal.
main_classification = Convergence
orientation = Charismatic Anglican and Evangelical Catholic
polity = Episcopal (with Apostolic Succession)
founded_date = 2000
merger = Diocese of Benissa, the Christian Revival Church, Deeper In Christ Ministries, SAEM and other churches.
membership = The Christian Communion International.
area = Africa, Asia, Europe and South America.
congregations = 967
members = approximately 40.000

The King's Family of Churches (also known as the Evangelical Episcopal Church) is an apostolic family of churches with its origins in the Evangelical missions in Spain, particularly in "Friends of God" mission society, that came to embrace the Convergence Movement of Christianity. The KFC states that it should not consider a splinter group of any other denomination or communion, because it was form by the unity of small denominations, independent churches, and former denominational congregations who came together the movement known as the Convergence of Christianity.

The founders of the KFC drew inspiration from Christian leaders and theologian such as James Haldane Stewart, Michael Harper, Colin Urquhart, Lesslie Newbigin, Robert E. Webber, David Watson, John Stott, Dennis Bennett, John Wimber, Richard Foster, and Simon Chan.

At the same time, the KFC follows the practices, beliefs and life of the early Celtic church, the Lutheran Reformation and the Anglican Church, whom they became a signpost for the Ancient-Future faith [Ancient-Future Faith: Rethinking Evangelicalism for a Postmodern World by Robert Webber] and the Convergence Movement.

History

The King’s Family of Churches had its origins in the missionary work of 'Friends of God' in Spain. In 2003, they were charter as the 'Evangelical Episcopal Church' until January 2007 when they adopted the new name, 'King's Family of Churches'. [World Missions News, February, 5th 2007.]

On December 6, 2003, Josep Rossello was consecrated the first bishop of the King's Family [Article about the Consecration http://www.roundtownnews.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1022&Itemid=38] , and called to establish the Missionary Diocese of Benissa. In 2004, the Diocese of Benissa joined with other independent denominations throughout the world to form the King’s Family of Churches, influenced by the Convergence Movement, which began to blend Spontaneous Christian worship with the Book of Common Prayer inspired by the Evangelical doctrines and the Charismatic Renewal.

It seems their main growth has came through congregations who joined the King’s Family of Churches throughout the world. All those joining the King's Family were expressing not only common elements of emerging understanding about this “convergence of the streams” of Christianity, but it was also a direct result of their mission enterprise around the world. ['Moving in faith and vision' Article, The Missions Herald, October 2005, Issue 23.]

Recently, their second bishop, Tomas Kennedy, was consecrated on October 17th, 2007, and he is the Assistant Bishop of the King's Family. He has been appointed with the responsibility for the development of the Dublin NightChurch, the King’s Church congregation in Spain, and two missionary districts in India. In total, he will oversee leaders that are pastoring over 600 congregations, as well as bible schools and orphanages. [Article in "Diario Information", 19 de Octubre 2007, Alicante, Spain.]

Today, the KFC claims to have 967 congregations in 31 countries. [The King's Family Annual Book 2007, Benissa (Spain), Papyrus Press, 2008.]

Government

Government in the King's Family is synodical at the diocesan level and collegial which recognized the assembled body of the bishops as its governing body. International and diocesan synods maintain different scopes of authority, depending on their canons. [The Canons of the King's Family of Churches]

The King's Family is not congregational in its polity: It is the diocese, not the parish church/congregation, which is the local church (the smallest unit of authority) in the church, and diocesan bishops must give their assent to resolutions passed by synods. Rather than jurisdictional lines built upon geographic areas, the King's Family establishes dioceses and congregations relationally. "(See Episcopal polity).

The church upholds the historic three-fold ministry of bishops, presbyters, and deacons. The King's Family can trace their lines of Apostolic Succession through Anglican, Catholic and Apostolic lines. [The King's Family of Churches have received their Apostolic Succession through the former CEEC, Province of Christ the Good Shepherd http://anglicancommunion-independent.org/Apostolic_Succession.asp]

Beliefs

The center of the King's Family of Churches' teaching is the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. They embrace the same Doctrinal Essentials as other Christian bodies. [ [http://ceecusa.org/doctrine.htm] Detail on the Doctrinal Essentials.]

The King's Family of Churches recognizes the historic ecumenical creeds, the Apostle's Creed and the Nicene Creed;they are used frequently in services of worship. They also recognizes the importance of the Chalcedonian Creed of the Council of Chalcedon.

The threefold sources of decision-making based are base on Scripture, tradition informed by Scripture, and godly Wisdom instructed by Scripture. This balance of scripture, tradition and reason is traced to the work of Richard Hooker, a sixteenth century apologist. In Hooker's model, scripture is the primary means of arriving at doctrine and things stated plainly in scripture are accepted as true. Issues that are ambiguous are determined by tradition, which is checked by reason. [ [http://www.anglicanlistening.org/anglican_listening_61766_ENG_HTM.htm Anglican Listening] Detail on how scripture, tradition, and reason work to "uphold and critique each other in a dynamic way".]

Affiliation

The King's Family is member of the Christian Communion International, and its bishops seats in the International College of Bishops. [Accepted in the Session of the Synod of the College of Bishops of the CCI, September 2004, Jacksonville, USA.]

References

External links

* [http://www.thekingsfamily.org Website of the King's Family of Churches]
* [http://www.thekingschurch.net Website of the King's Church] , the mother church of the King's Family.
* [http://www.bensom.org Website of Benissa School of Ministry]
* [http://www.thekingsfamily.wordpress.org Website of the King's Family News]

* [http://www.eech.es.tl Website of The King's Family of Churches in Chile+]
* [http://www.companyofprophets.es.tl Website of our Religious Order within The King's Family of Churches+]