Independent Evangelicals

The Independent Evangelicals are a loose grouping of mission halls and congregations who believe in the supreme authority of the Bible and the need for individual conversion. Many of them have origins in the 19th century. Some are linked together through the Federation of Independent Evangelical Churches [FIEC] others through groups like the London City Mission and the Shaftesbury Society. Also included in this grouping are churches from the Brethren movement [originally known as Plymouth Brethren].

This grouping also covers the newer charismatic ‘House Churches’ The Charismatic movement which began in England in the 1960’s brought renewal to many congregations in the mainline denominations, but also led to the formation of ‘house churches’, so-called  because they originally met in people’s homes. ‘Community Church’,’Christian Fellowship’ and ‘non-denominational’ are among the commonly used labels today. By the 1990’s most were meeting in rented community halls or in premises [including redundant churches] they have acquired. Even in Newham the leadership and members tend to be white and young to middle-aged. In many parts of the UK strong network and leadership structures between such churches have emerged to the extent that they have been called the ‘restorationist denominations’.

Restoration refers to the belief that they are in the vanguard of restoring the church or the Kingdom of God to its original standards and purity. In the Borough there a limited number of such churches, which generally remain outside the wider national restorationist denominations, but which work together with charismatic groups in the mainline denominations and independent evangelical sector under the umbrella of  Newham Christian Fellowships/Transform Newham [2006 Directory].

 

They are grouped locally in Newham Christian Fellowship/Transform Newham and nationally in Evangelical Alliance. They include:

 

CANNING TOWN EVANGELICAL CHURCH  Cliff Walk E16

1848   Originally Peculiar People          45

 

FOREST GATE BRETHREN IN CHRIST CHURCH @ Durning Hall E7

 

GAINSBOROUGH CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP 77 Gainsborough Road E12

  • 16

 

HIGHWAY EVANGELICAL CHURCH 92 Romford Road E15

  • [from Moody and Sankey Conference Hall E15]

 

IMMAANUVEEL KIRISTAVA AIKIYAM@ Manor Park Christian Centre E12

1982    Tamil    300

 

LATIMER CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP Cleves Road E6

Former Shaftesbury                       40

To provide Christian worship and witness    To serve the local community in social action

 

MANOR PARK CHRISTIAN CENTRE 454 High Street North E12    [Baptist?]

1890  Manor Park Baptist Church         225

 

MORAVIANS meeting at Harold Road Centre E7 from 1976

See The Newham Story for picture and text

The Moravian Church was, like the Methodists, a product of the 18thC evangelical revival and was in Newham in the early part of the 20thC. It would probably have disappeared but for the arrival in Newham of substantial Moravians originating from the Caribbean, where the Moravian Church had strong and successful missionary work. There is only one Moravian Church in Newham. [2006 Newham Religious Groups Directory]

 

PLAISTOW CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

1981     Met in Lawrence Hall, Swimming Pool, School

Founder and leader  Terry Diggens

Cornerstone, Barking Road E.23

 

ST.ANDREWS @ St.Andrews Church, E13

1981  Site formerly Anglican, then Newham Race Relations In Contact Ministries, Patrick Sookhdeo. In 2006 the site was sold to UKP. The congregation moves to Plaistow Baptist to become Memorial Community Church.

 

THE KINGS CHURCH @ Bignold Hall E7

2005 closed. Site to Harvest Rock

 

LONDON CITY MISSION   RIDLEY CENTRE 94 Upton Lane E7

1895

 

LONDON CITY MISSION  VARLEY CHRISTIAN CENTRE Varley Road E16

1900    Large docklands grant in 1980’s   LCM closed 2009? Used by Christian groups