Church Society facts for kids
 |
|
| Predecessor |
|
|---|---|
| Formation | 1950 |
| Type | Evangelical Anglican charity |
| Headquarters | Dean Wace House, Watford, England |
|
Key people
|
J. C. Ryle, William Griffith Thomas, Philip Edgcumbe Hughes, Gerald Bray, Wallace Benn |
The Church Society is a Christian group in England. It's a charity that supports traditional Evangelical Anglican beliefs within the Church of England. It was formed in 1950 when two older groups, the Church Association and the National Church League, joined together.
In 2018, Church Society also merged with two other similar groups, Reform and the Fellowship of Word and Spirit. This helped them work together to share their traditional views more effectively within the Church of England.
The Church Society publishes a journal called The Global Anglican. It used to be called Churchman. Many important Anglican leaders have been involved with the Church Society over the years, including J. C. Ryle and John Stott.
Contents
History of the Church Society
The Church Society's roots go back to the 1800s. Groups like the Protestant Association (started in 1835) and the Church Association (started in 1865) were formed. Their main goal was to keep the Church of England's teachings and worship traditional. They wanted to make sure the church stayed true to its original Protestant beliefs.
The Church Association, for example, aimed to "uphold the principles and order of the United Church of England and Ireland." They wanted to prevent changes that would make the church's services too similar to those of the Roman Catholic Church.
These early groups published information and held public meetings. They also tried to use legal actions to clarify church rules. However, sometimes church leaders didn't follow the court decisions, so these legal efforts became less common.
In 1928, the National Church League, led by William Joynson-Hicks, 1st Viscount Brentford, helped stop some proposed changes to the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. These changes were seen by some as moving away from traditional beliefs.
The society and its earlier groups have published many theological books and journals since the 1800s. These include the Church Association Tracts, some written by J. C. Ryle. Many books were published through their own publishing companies.
Finally, in 1950, the Church Association and the National Church League officially merged to create the Church Society we know today. In 2018, it merged again with Reform and the Fellowship of Word and Spirit to become an even stronger voice for traditional evangelical Anglicans.
What the Church Society Does Today
Today, the Church Society works to support and renew the Church of England based on biblical faith. They do this in several ways:
- Campaigning: They share their views on important issues affecting the Church of England and the country. They aim to present a clear, Bible-based perspective. For example, they have supported traditional views on who can be leaders in the church. They also campaigned against government plans for same-sex marriage legislation in 2012.
- Patronage: Through a special body called Church Society Trust, they help choose evangelical clergy (church leaders) for about 130 Anglican churches. This includes churches like St John the Baptist in Hartford, Cheshire.
- Publishing: They publish their journal Global Anglican and a members' magazine called Crossway. They also publish books on traditional Anglican beliefs. They have a project called the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Library (REAL) which republishes important evangelical texts. They also create podcasts and videos.
- Administration: They manage various charitable trusts and properties.
The Church Society also holds conferences and training programs. For example, they have an annual conference and an online training course for women called the Priscilla Programme.
The society is led by an elected council and staff. As of 2019, the President was Bishop Roderick Thomas, and the Director was Revd Dr Lee Gatiss. Their main office is in Watford, UK.
Leadership of the Church Society
The Church Society has had different leaders over the years. Here are some of the people who have served as Secretaries and Directors:
Secretaries
- 1942–1949: Llewellyn Roberts (for the National Church League)
- 1945–1952: Gordon Savage (for the Church Association and then Church Society)
- 1953–1956: Philip Hughes
- 1956–1962: Tom Hewitt
- 1962–1967: John Sertin
- 1967–1975: Michael Benson
- 1975–1982: Don Irving
- 1983–1991: David Samuel
- 1991–1998: David Streater
Directors
- 1998–2011: David Phillips
- 2013–: Lee Gatiss
Since 2017, the Church Society has also had an Associate Director, Ros Clarke. In 2019, they appointed two part-time Regional Directors to help with their work in different areas.
See also
- Forward in Faith
