King's Family of Churches
The King's Family of Churches (also known as the Evangelical Episcopal Church) was an apostolic family of churches. Its origin are in the Evangelical Anglican 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 be considered a splinter group of any other denomination or communion, because it was formed by the unity of small denominations, independent churches and former denominational congregations who came together the movement known as the Convergence of Christianity.
| King's Family of Churches | |
|---|---|
 The King's Family official logo, a Jerusalem cross. | |
| Classification | Convergence |
| Orientation | Charismatic, Evangelical |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Associations | The Christian Communion International from 2000 to 2012 |
| Region | Previously Africa, Asia, Europe and South America; since 2012 only Spain |
| Origin | 2000 |
| Merger of | Diocese of Benissa, the Christian Revival Church, Deeper In Christ Ministries, SAEM and other churches. |
| Congregations | Previously 967, now 0. |
| Members | Previously approx. 40k, now 0. |
At the same time, the KFC follows the practices, beliefs and life of the early Celtic church, the Protestant Reformation, and the Anglican tradition, which they feel became a signpost for the Ancient-Future faith [1] and the Convergence Movement.
History
The King’s Family of Churches had its origins in the missionary work of 'Friends of God' lead by Bishop Josep Rossello in Spain. In 2003, they were charter as the "Evangelical Episcopal Church". In January 2007 they started to be known as the "King's Family of Churches".[2]
On December 6, 2003, Bishop Josep Rossello was consecrated the first bishop 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. Rossello was the founder of the King's Family.[3]
Their growth came through pioneering church planting and congregations throughout the world deciding to affiliate with the King’s Family of Churches. All those joining the King's Family were expressing not only common elements of an emerging understanding about this "convergence of the streams" of Christianity, but it was also a direct result of the KFC mission enterprise around the world.[4]
Several years ago the KFC claimed to have 967 congregations in 31 countries.[5]
After the death of Bishop Thomas Kennedy on 5 June 2012, and the reorganisation of the CCI and the CEEC in the USA, the King's Family of Churches is left with only one representative - The King's Church in Pego. This was the 'cathedral' church of the King's Family of Churches. It was in the Spanish town of Benissa for around ten years, but then moved to the town of Pego.
In the latter part of 2016 the congregation in Pego dwindled from an average 25 to 4. The rented building remained open until March 2018. There was apparently no dispute within the church membership or leadership, and after much discussion the end cause seemed to be the migration of the most of the group back to the UK pre Brexit.
There are still some churches in Africa and Asia, even though without any connection to the previous work in Spain.
Government
Tomas Kennedy, consecrated on 17 October 2007, was up to his death (see above) the Acting Presiding Bishop of the King's Family. He was 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 was the overseer of leaders that are pastoring over 600 congregations, as well as bible schools and orphanages.[6]
Following his death government in the King's Family is no longer synodical at the diocesan level and collegial which recognized the assembled body of the bishops as its governing body, but as a local church. The Rev. Michael Adams; the Pastor of the King's Church Pego (before it closed in 2017) was ordained and appointed Senior Pastor by Bishop Josep on 3 November 2007.
The King's Family is not congregational in its polity: It was the diocese, not the parish church/congregation, which was the local church, and diocesan bishops had to give their assent to resolutions passed by synods. However since mid 2012, due to the continual rearrangements of the larger synodal bodies in the USA, and their apparent lack of interest in Europe, the King's Family of Churches, for now, is represented at the local church level only again.
The church upholds the historic three-fold ministry of bishops, presbyters, and deacons. The King's Family can trace its lines of apostolic succession through Anglican, Catholic and Apostolic lines.[7]
Beliefs
The centre of the King's Family of Churches' teaching is the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and embrace the same Doctrinal Essentials as other Christian bodies.[8]
The threefold sources of decision-making are based 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.[9]
Affiliation
The King's Family was a constituent member and Province of the Christian Communion International (CCI), and its bishops were seated in the International College of Bishops.[10] However since the restructuring and split of the CCI and the EEC several years ago, and their inability to provide oversight since the death of Bishop Thomas Kennedy, the King's Church now receive oversight from the International Gospel Outreach group based in Wales in the UK. Senior Pastor the Rev. Michael Adams became an Affiliate Member on 31 October 2013.
References
- Ancient-Future Faith: Rethinking Evangelicalism for a Postmodern World by Robert Webber
- World Missions News, February, 5th 2007.
- Article about the Consecration http://www.roundtownnews.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1022&Itemid=38
- 'Moving in faith and vision' Article, The Missions Herald, October 2005, Issue 23.
- The King's Family Annual Book 2007, Benissa (Spain), Papyrus Press, 2008.
- Article in "Diario Information", 19 de Octubre 2007, Alicante, Spain.
- The King's Family of Churches received apostolic succession through bishops of the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches.
- Detail on the Doctrinal Essentials.
- Anglican Listening Archived 2008-07-05 at the Wayback Machine Detail on how scripture, tradition, and reason work to "uphold and critique each other in a dynamic way".
- CCI Synod notes, September, 2004