World Evangelical Congregational Fellowship

World Evangelical Congregational Fellowship
Abbreviation	WECF
Type	Fellowship
Orientation	Evangelical Protestant
Polity	Congregational
Region	Worldwide
Origin	1986 Sussex, England
Congregations	1,447
Members	162,707
Official website	cong-wecf.org

The World Evangelical Congregational Fellowship (WECF) is a global association of evangelical Christian Congregational Churches, from various national associations around the world, which is united by a common belief in the lordship of Jesus Christ and the authority of the Bible, as well as by its common desire for evangelism.

Origins

In 1891, in London, the International Congregational Council (ICC) was founded. This body represented, for many decades, congregational unity throughout the world.

However, in the 20th century, Liberal Theology and Ecumenism spread among Congregational churches throughout the world. Many Congregational churches, as a result, have abandoned the doctrine of Biblical inerrancy and also the distinctives of Congregationalism.

In the 1960s and 1970s, several congregational groups around the world merged with Presbyterian and/or Methodist and/or Anglican groups, forming denominations such as the Igreja Evangélica Presbiteriana de Portugal, ^[1] Uniting Church in Australia, ^[2] United Church of Canada, ^[3] Church of North India, Church of South India and United Reformed Church. ^[4]

In 1970, the ICC was already formed by several united churches, which were also members of the Alliance of the Reformed Churches holding the Presbyterian System (ARCPS). Thus, this year, the ICC and ARCPS merged, giving rise to the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC).

WARC was formed by several churches that defended Liberal Theology and many congregational denominations preferred not to join the organization.

Consequently, the remaining Congregational denominations, which refused to unite with other denominations as well as refused to participate in the World Alliance of Reformed Churches came together to form a new international organization for the group.

The idea for the WECF began at a series of annual meetings of the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference in 1983, when a number of international delegates at the American meetings expressed an interest in solidifying relationships with other evangelical congregationalists across the globe. ^[5] A constitutional framework for the Fellowship was ultimately agreed upon, and the WECF held its inaugural assembly in October 1986, in Sussex, England.

Statistics

According to a denomination census released in 2020, it has 18 denominations members in 17 countries. ^[6]

Organization

The WECF is overseen by a number of executive officers from different nations: including a President, vice-president, Treasurer, Secretary, and several members-at-large. It presently meets triennially, with a smaller-scale mid-term meeting, every year and a half.

Members

List of Members of the World Evangelical Congregational Fellowship (as of 2025): ^[7]

Country	Denomination	Number of congregations	Number of members	Year
South Africa	Evangelical Fellowship of Congregational Churches	20	3,000	2025 [8]
Argentina	Evangelical Congregational Church in Argentina [n 1]	120	6,000	2021 [9]
Australia	Fellowship of Congregational Churches	28	1,500	2004 [10]
Brazil	Union of Congregational Churches in Brazil	436	50,000	2004 [11]
Brazil	Alliance of Evangelical Congregational Churches of Brazil	91	-	2016
Bulgaria	Union of Evangelical Congregational Churches in Bulgaria [n 1]	34	5,000	2006 [12]
Canada	Congregational Christian Churches in Canada	30	7,000	2004 [13] [14]
United States of America	Conservative Congregational Christian Conference	301	51,112	2020 [15] [14]
Philippines	National Association of Congregational Churches	-	-	-
India	Association of Evangelical Churches (India) [n 1]	200	35,000	2017 [16]
North Macedonia	Union of Evangelical Congregational Churches in Macedonia	-	-	-
Federated States of Micronesia	Chuuk Congregational Church of Christ in the Federated States of Micronesia	-	-	-
Myanmar	Evangelical Churches in Myanmar	-	-	-
Nepal	Evangelical Congregational Churches of Nepal	-	-	-
New Zealand	Congregational Union of New Zealand	13	670	2019
Portugal	Union of Evangelical Congregational Churches in Portugal	23	325	2004 [17]
United Kingdom	Evangelical Fellowship of Congregational Churches	125	-	2024
United Kingdom and Ireland	Congregational Union of Ireland	26	3,100	2004 [18]
Guam	Congregational Churches in Guam and Saipan [n 2]	-	-	-
'Global	World Evangelical Congregational Brotherhood	1,447	162,707	2004-2024

References

1. "History of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Portugal" . Retrieved 15 December 2021.
2. "Uniting Church in Australia". World Council of Churches. January 1948. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
3. "History of the United Church of Canada". British Dictionary. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
4. "United Reformed Church". World Council of Churches. January 1948. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
5. World Evangelical Congregational Fellowship, OUR HISTORY, cong-wecf.org, USA, retrieved August 22, 2020
6. World Evangelical Congregational Fellowship, Members, cong-wecf.org, USA, retrieved August 22, 2020
7. "Members of the World Evangelical Congregational Fellowship" . Retrieved January 7, 2025.
8. "Evangelical Fellowship of Congregational Churches" . Retrieved May 2, 2025.
9. "Global Ministers:Evangelical Congregational Church of Argentina". February 16, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
10. "Fraternity of Congregational Churches of Australia". Archived from the original on December 23, 2005. Retrieved December 23, 2005.
11. "Reformiert: Union of Evangelical Congregational Churches of Brazil" . Retrieved November 10, 2016.
12. "Evangelaska Kongreschanska Zewrkwa". 9 February 2006. Archived from the original on January 30, 2023. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
13. "Congregational Christian Churches in Canada". Archived from the original on April 21, 2010. Retrieved April 21, 2010.
14. Eileen W. Lindner (2012). Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches 2012. Nashville: Abingdon Press. ISBN   978-1-4267-5610-8.
15. "2020 United States Census of Religion" . Retrieved April 1, 2024.
16. "Association of Evangelical Churches (India)". Archived from the original on June 4, 2017. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
17. "Union of Evangelical Congregational Churches in Portugal". February 27, 2004. Archived from the original on 4 June 2023. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
18. "Congregational Union of Ireland". Archived from the original on November 29, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2023.

Notes

1. It is also a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches.
2. Associate Member.