The International Free Protestant EpiscopalChurch
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THE FREE PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH®
WELCOME TO THE INTERNATIONAL FREE PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF GERMANY®
TIFPEC brings the Word of God to millions of people, in every country in the world.
I. WE BELIEVE IN "ONE HOLY CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH". "(Make) every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all" (Ephesians 4:3-6) Called Together to Unity in Faith With the Gospel of Jesus Christ, according to the witness of Holy Scripture and as expressed in the ecumenical Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed of 381, we believe in the Triune God: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Because we here confess "one, holy, catholic and apostolic church" our paramount ecumenical task is to show forth this unity, which is always a gift of God.Fundamental differences in faith are still barriers to visible unity. There are different views of the church and its oneness, of the sacraments and ministries. We must not be satisfied with this situation. Jesus Christ revealed to us on the cross his love and the mystery of reconciliation; as his followers, we intend to do our utmost to overcome the problems and obstacles that still divide the churches. We commit ourselves: to follow the apostolic exhortation of the Letter to the Ephesians and persevere in seeking a common understanding of Christ's message of salvation in the Gospel; in the power of the Holy Spirit, to work towards the visible unity of the Church of Jesus Christ in the one faith, expressed in the mutual recognition of baptism and in eucharistic fellowship, as well as in common witness and service.
II. ON THE WAY TOWARDS THE VISIBLE FELLOWSHIP OF THE CHURCHES WORLDWIDE.
"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35)
Proclaiming the Gospel together
The most important task of the churches worldwide is the common proclamation of the Gospel, in both word and deed, for the salvation of all. The widespread lack of corporate and individual orientation and falling away from Christian values challenge Christians to testify to their faith, particularly in response to the quest for meaning which is being pursued in so many forms. This witness will require increased dedication to Christian education (e.g. catechism classes) and pastoral care in local congregations, with a sharing of experiences in these fields. It is equally important for the whole people of God together to communicate the Gospel in the public domain, which also means responsible commitments to social and political issues.
We commit ourselves:
to discuss our plans for evangelisation with other churches, entering into agreements with them and thus avoiding harmful competition and the risk of fresh divisions; to recognise that every person can freely choose his or her religious and church affiliation as a matter of conscience, which means not inducing anyone to convert through moral pressure or material incentive, but also not hindering anyone from entering into conversion of his or her own free will.
Moving towards one another:
In the spirit of the Gospel, we must reappraise together the history of the Christian churches, which has been marked by many beneficial experiences but also by schisms, hostilities and even armed conflicts. Human guilt, lack of love and the frequent abuse of faith and the church for political interests have severely damaged the credibility of the Christian witness. Ecumenism therefore begins for Christians with the renewal of our hearts and the willingness to repent and change our ways. The ecumenical movement has already helped to spread reconciliation. It is important to acknowledge the spiritual riches of the different Christian traditions, to learn from one another and so to receive these gifts. For the ecumenical movement to flourish it is particularly necessary to integrate the experiences and expectations of young people and actively encourage their participation.
We commit ourselves:
to overcome the feeling of self-sufficiency within each church, and to eliminate prejudices; to seek mutual encounters and to be available to help one another; to promote ecumenical openness and co-operation in Christian education, and in theological training, continuing education and research.
Acting together:
Various forms of shared activity are already ecumenical. Many Christians from different churches live side by side and interact in friendships, in their neighbourhoods, at work and in their families. Couples in interdenominational marriages especially should be supported in experiencing ecumenism in their daily lives. We recommend that bilateral and multilateral ecumenical bodies be set up and maintained for co-operation at local, regional, national and international levels. At the world level it is necessary to strengthen co-operation between us.In the event of conflicts between churches, efforts towards mediation and peace should be initiated and/or supported as needed.
We commit ourselves:
to act together at all levels of church life wherever conditions permit and there are no reasons of faith or overriding expediency mitigating against this; to defend the rights of minorities and to help reduce misunderstandings and prejudices between majority and minority churches in our countries.
Praying together:
The ecumenical movement lives from our hearing God's word and letting the Holy Spirit work in us and through us. In the power of this grace, many different initiatives now seek, through services of prayer and worship, to deepen the spiritual fellowship among the churches and to pray for the visible unity of Christ's Church. A particularly painful sign of the divisions among many Christian churches is the lack of eucharistic fellowship.In some churches reservations subsist regarding praying together in an ecumenical context. But we have many hymns and liturgical prayers in common, notably the Lord's Prayer, and ecumenical services have become a widespread practice: all of these are features of our Christian spirituality.
We commit ourselves:
to pray for one another and for Christian unity; to learn to know and appreciate the worship and other forms of spiritual life practised by other churches; to move towards the goal of eucharistic fellowship.
Continuing in dialogue:
We belong together in Christ, and this is of fundamental significance in the face of our differing theological and ethical positions. Rather than seeing our diversity as a gift which enriches us, however, we have allowed differences of opinion on doctrine, ethics and church law to lead to separations between churches, with special historical circumstances and different cultural backgrounds often playing a crucial role.In order to deepen ecumenical fellowship, endeavours to reach a consensus in faith must be continued at all cost. Only in this way can church communion be given a theological foundation. There is no alternative to dialogue.
We commit ourselves:
to continue in conscientious, intensive dialogue at different levels between our churches, and to examine the question of how official church bodies can receive and implement the findings gained in dialogue; in the event of controversies, particularly when divisions threaten in questions of faith and ethics, to seek dialogue and discuss the issues together in the light of the Gospel.
III. OUR COMMON RESPONSIBILITY IN THE WORLD. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" (Matthew 5:9)
We commit ourselves:
to counteract any form of nationalism which leads to the oppression of other peoples and national minorities and to engage ourselves for non-violent resolutions; to strengthen the position and equal rights of women in all areas of life, and to foster partnership in church and society between women and men.
Safeguarding the creation:
Believing in the love of the Creator God, we give thanks for the gift of creation and the great value and beauty of nature. However, we are appalled to see natural resources being exploited without regard for their intrinsic value or consideration of their limits, and without regard for the well-being of future generations.Together we want to help create sustainable living conditions for the whole of creation. It is our responsibility before God to put into effect common criteria for distinguishing between what human beings are scientifically and technologically capable of doing and what, ethically speaking, they should not do.We recommend the introduction in churches worldwide of an Ecumenical Day of Prayer for the Preservation of Creation.
We commit ourselves:
to strive to adopt a lifestyle free of economic pressures and consumerism and a quality of life informed by accountability and sustainability; to support church environmental organisations and ecumenical networks in their efforts for the safeguarding of creation.
Strengthening community with Judaism:
We are bound up in a unique community with the people Israel, the people of the Covenant which God has never terminated. Our faith teaches us that our Jewish sisters and brothers "are beloved, for the sake of their ancestors; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable" (Rom 11.28-29). And
Freie Protestantisch Bischöfliche Kirche e.V
+Bischof Peter Leers
Gemeinde St.Benedikt zu den Engeln
Necklenbroicher Str. 63 c
D-40667 Meerbusch, NRW
Deutschland
+49(0)2132-911448
Email: gemeindestbenedikt@gmx.de
TO BE ANGLICAN MEANS:
+ To be a part of Christ's Church, without excluding or isolating yourself from other Christians.
+ To participate in the life of God's people, with its happiness and sadness.
+ To belong to a community where all persons are respected for their individuality and can use their talents.
+ To demonstrate a theology based on the Holy Scriptures and on Tradition, coherent with intelligence and reason.
+ To be prepared to celebrate unity in diversity.
+ To take the Holy Scriptures seriously, without believing that every text must be understood literally.
+ To prefer freedom in Christ to sameness of opinion.
+ To feel devotion and reverence for the Sacraments, without trying to define each point concerning these mysteries.
+ To consider the ministry as the duty and privilege of all baptized people.
+ To be strong on morality (all that's good and edifies) and to avoid moralism (that defines salvation as due to one's conduct and not to the work of Christ).
+ To participate in the apostolic inheritance, faith in the Gospel of Christ.
+ To be part of an old and sacred history, which renews itself every day.
+ To believe that the Church belongs to all of us and everyone has the privilege of supporting it in accordance with the possibility of each one.
+ To participate in the administration and government of the Church under the established order.
+ To belong to an international, intercultural, and interracial family, that proclaims the Gospel worldwide. as commanded by Christ.
This Church is wholly under the spiritual jurisdiction of the Bishop Primus and Canonical obedience is required. It has been a custom since our Church was founded for all Bishops and Staff Leaders to inform the Bishop Primus of all their diocesan activities on at least a monthly basis. This is required by our Ecclesiastical Constitution and Canons.
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The International Free Protestant Episcopal Church®
Protestantism as a general term is now used in contradistinction to the other major Christian faiths, Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. We claim to be The (old and true) Free Protestant Episcopal Church of the days of its founding in 1897 and we claim an unbroken historical connection through the Reformation, the Church of England, with the Church of Christ from the earliest Christian era.
The International Free Protestant Episcopal Church is part of the one, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Christian Church. It follows the belief, tenets, teachings and practice of early Christians. The word "Free" in the name of the church expresses the spirit of originality, openness and confidence - the spirit of the first Christian communities.This Church practices basic Christian traditions offering open Communion to all baptized Christians. The high point of the FPEC was when it obtained recognition by the British Government as a legally constiuted denomination. His Worship arrived at this conclusion after investigating the origin of the Orders of the Church and the services used for ordinations and consecrations which are based on the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.
This Church is wholly under the spiritual jurisdiction of the Bishop Primus and Canonical obedience is required. It has been a custom since our Church was founded for all Bishops and Staff Leaders to inform the Bishop Primus of all their diocesan activities on at least a monthly basis. This is required by our Ecclesiastical Constitution and Canons.
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