WORCESTER DIOCESAN EVANGELICAL FELLOWSHIP
CONSTITUTION January 2023
1. The aims of the Worcester Diocesan Evangelical Fellowship (“WDEF”) are as follows.
The WDEF is for
1.1. Fellowship: for mutual encouragement in mission and discipleship
1.2. Evangelicals: for the nourishment of evangelical faith and spirituality
1.3. the Diocese: for the benefit and growth of Worcester Diocese
2. Basis of faith The Fellowship’s basis of faith is that of the Church of England Evangelical Council (“CEEC”), including the two declarations [below].
3. Membership
3.1. is open to all clergy and laity who live or work in the Diocese, and who support the aims of the Fellowship and assent to the CEEC basis of faith and declarations.
3.2. A “member” is defined as someone who, living or working in the Diocese of Worcester, supports the aims of the Fellowship, and each year affirms their assent to the CEEC basis of faith and additional declarations, and intends to pay their annual subscription.
3.3. At the discretion of the WDEF Committee, members will be welcomed from neighbouring Dioceses who do not have a Diocesan Evangelical Fellowship or who are in the process of setting one up.
4. The WDEF Committee
4.1. shall consist of:
4.1.1.a chairperson
4.1.2.a vice-chairperson
4.1.3.a secretary
4.1.4.a treasurer and
4.1.5.up to four additional members, of whom at least one is lay, at least one is clergy
4.2. shall have power to co-opt annually up to six other members to ensure good balances of gender, ethnicity, the different streams of evangelicalism and geographical representation; this power provides an opportunity to ensure good links with the Bishop’s Council, General Synod and the Church of England EvangelicalCouncil.
4.3. All members of the Committee shall be WDEF members committed to upholding the Fellowship’s aims and its basis of faith, including the two declarations (see clause 2 above).
4.4. The Officers and four further Committee members shall be elected by ballot and simple majority at the Annual Meeting. An option to Re-Open Nominations will always be included. To stand for election, candidates must be nominated and seconded by members of the WDEF.
4.5. The Committee shall meet at least three times per year to further the aims of the WDEF.
4.6. The Committee shall be responsible for arranging the meetings of the WDEF.
4.7. No one shall speak on behalf of the WDEF without the prior agreement of the Committee.
4.8. Committee meetings shall be considered quorate only if there are at least half plus one members present, two of whom are Officers.
4.9. Until the first Annual Meeting, the chairperson and secretary may co-opt members onto the committee.
5. The Annual Meeting
5.1. shall be held before the end of June each year.
5.2. shall appoint for a term of three years
5.2.1.the chairperson
5.2.2.the vice-chairperson
5.2.3.the secretary
5.2.4.the treasurer and
5.2.5.the four additional representatives.
5.3. shall fix the amount of the membership subscription each year.
6. The treasurer shall present to the Annual Meeting a statement of account of the Fellowship for the previousyear.
7. Meetings
7.1. The WDEF shall hold at least three meetings each year.
8. The Constitution
8.1. The Constitution shall be adopted at the first meeting of the WDEF, which shall have the power to amend the Constitution by a simple majority.
8.2. Following its adoption, the Constitution shall only be amended by a two-thirds majority at an Annual Meeting, following notification of the proposals to all members at least two weeks before the meeting.
8.3. Changes to the Constitution shall take effect at the following year’s Annual Meeting.
Adopted 31st January 2023
CEEC BASIS OF FAITH AND DECLARATIONS (adopted by WDEF)
1. BASIS OF FAITH
1.1. The Basis of Faith of CEEC shall be:
1.1.1. Introduction - As members of the Church of England within the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church, we affirm the faith uniquely revealed in the Holy Scriptures and set forth in the catholic creeds, of which the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion are a general exposition. Standing in the Reformation tradition we lay especial emphasis on the grace of God - his unmerited mercy - as expressed in the doctrines which follow.
1.1.2. God as the Source of Grace - In continuity with the teaching of Holy Scripture and the Christian creeds, we worship one God in three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God has created all things, and us in his own image; all life, truth, holiness and beauty come from him. His Son Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, was crucified, died, rose and ascended to reign in glory.
1.1.3. The Bible as the Revelation of Grace – We receive the canonical books of the Old and New Testaments as the wholly reliable revelation and record of God's grace, given by the Holy Spirit as the true word of God written. The Bible has been given to lead us to salvation, to be the ultimate rule for Christian faith and conduct, and the supreme authority by which the Church must ever reform itself and judge its traditions.
1.1.4. The Atonement as the Work of Grace - We believe that Jesus Christ came to save lost sinners. Though sinless, he bore our sins, and their judgment, on the cross, thus accomplishing our salvation. By raising Christ bodily from the dead, God vindicated him as Lord and Saviour and his victory. Salvation is in Christ alone.
1.1.5. The Church as the Community of Grace - We hold that the Church is God's covenant community, whose members, drawn from every nation, having been justified by grace through faith, inherit the promises made to Abraham and fulfilled in Christ. As a fellowship of the Spirit manifesting his fruit and exercising his gifts, it is called to worship God, grow in grace, and bear witness to him and his Kingdom. God's Church is one body and must ever strive to discover and experience that unity in truth and love which it has in Christ, especially through its confession of the apostolic faith and in its observance of the dominical sacraments.
1.1.6. The Sacraments as the Signs of Grace - We maintain that the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion proclaim the Gospel as effective and visible signs of our justification and sanctification, and as true means of God's grace to those who repent and believe. Baptism is the sign of forgiveness of sin, the gift of the Spirit, new birth to righteousness and entry into the fellowship of the People of God. Holy Communion is the sign of the living, nourishing presence of Christ through his Spirit to his people: the memorial of his one, perfect, completed and all-sufficient sacrifice for sin, from whose achievement all may benefit but in whose offering none can share; and an expression of our corporate life of sacrificial thanksgiving and service.
1.1.7. Ministry as the Stewardship of Grace - We share, as the People of God, in a royal priesthood common to the whole Church, and in the community of the Suffering Servant. Our mission is the proclamation of the Gospel by the preaching of the word, as well as by caring for the needy, challenging evil and promoting justice and a more responsible use of the world's resources. It is the particular vocation of bishops and presbyters, together with deacons, to build up the body of Christ in truth and love, as pastors, teachers, and servants of the servants of God.
1.1.8. Christ's Return as the Triumph of Grace - We look forward expectantly to the final manifestation of Christ's grace and glory when he comes again to raise the dead, judge the world, vindicate His chosen and bring his Kingdom to its eternal fulfilment in the new heaven and the new earth.
2. DECLARATIONS
WDEF note: These additional declarations are included as clarity on particular points of contention.
2.1. We gladly proclaim and submit to the unique and universal Lordship of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, humanity’s only Saviour from sin, judgement and hell, who lived the life we could not live and died the death that we deserve. By his atoning death and glorious resurrection, he secured the redemption of all who come to him in repentance and faith.
2.2. We acknowledge God’s creation of humankind as male and female and the unchangeable standard of Christian marriage between one man and one woman as the proper place for sexual intimacy and the basis of the family. We repent of our failures to maintain this standard and call for a renewed commitment to lifelong fidelity in marriage and abstinence for those who are not married.