Newfrontiers founder addresses FIEC leaders on identity

The founder of the Newfrontiers network of charismatic evangelical churches, Terry Virgo, has addressed 100 FIEC church leaders.

He was speaking at the London Leaders’ Gathering of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC).

London has a great density of gospel churches (13% of all FIEC churches are in London, increasing to 26% when you include the south east) so the London Leaders’ Gathering aims to bring together leaders in the city in one place each year.

Terry Virgo spoke about his ministry in leading churches and the process of passing leadership on to the next generation.

Terry also brought a message from Romans 6 and 7 to point to the need for churches to hold on to their Christian identity as God’s chosen saints. Although the challenges outside the church are massive, there are challenges inside the church too, and we must not lose a grasp of the gospel and our identity in Christ.

There was time to share and pray in small groups in response, and to worship – the hall was filled first with the hum of prayer and then with passionate singing to God.

The church leaders shared a meal (the chickpea curry seemed to be a favourite) and then heard from three Christian leaders in particular to be encouraged and to fuel prayer: Carl Knightly spoke about his work with London City Mission and ‘Faith in Later Life’; Geoff Coyne talked about his ministry as the chaplain at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability; Alex Lyell (pastor at Streatham Central Church) shared his vision to help Christians release their wealth for the good of the Kingdom – inspired by the parable of the shrewd manager in Luke 16.