The ECC: The Church Poised for the Future
Feb 8th, 2009 by John
The Evangelical Covenant Church is a remarkable movement in contemporary American religion. I’ve just spent a week learning the history of this association of churches. Because the Covenant is deeply committed to life over doctrine (not life without doctrine or life opposed to doctrine), it has received its knocks through the years from the doctrinally-obsessed crowd. The Fundamentalists have called the Covenant “liberal” and the liberals have considered the Covenant parochial or narrow. Yet, the Covenant has persisted in holding to the historic orthodox faith amidst the swinging tides of theological debate.
I like the two controlling questions of the Covenant: 1) Where is it written? This question emphasizes the centrality of the Bible in all discussion and/or debate. And not the Bible as some systematized book of answers, but the Bible as God’s grand Story of redemption and salvation of the cosmos. Some things biblical are worth dying over; a lot are not. The Covenant tries not to make doctrinal mountains out of humanly created molehills no matter how theological. 2) How is your walk with Jesus today? The pietistic movement informs Covenant spirituality. Both heart and head are invited into the transforming work of the Spirit. Covenanters live in a fresh, immediate relationship to Christ with intimacy with God being a grounding reality. Professing correct, precise doctrine means little if it is not expressed in a passionate life with God for the sake of others. That, too, is a mark of the Covenant; it is a missional movement.
In the current discussions of the missional church, the Covenant has a history of defining the faith in terms of praxis. It is never good enough to just profess correct doctrine. The devil can do that. What matters is behavior. All behavior is an incarnation of belief. The Covenant is after a warm, Christ-like life lived under the authority of the Word as discerned and applied in community with others.
Covenant in the Evangelical Covenant Church name means the commitment of a community to a way of life centered in Christ. It is not a theological term (as in ‘covenant theology’), but a relational term of a band of believers connected to a vision of the faith that is vibrant with life as well as defined by doctrine.
So, how is your walk with Jesus today?
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John,
I want to thank you so much for sharing you much for sharing this with us. I know that I have been blessed this morning. I always look forward to my walk with Christ. I have over time realized that it isn’t just something done on Sunday but daily that I lookforward. I spend time in the Bible, Pslams, Yoga, Meditation, and prayer. I also spend time writting my first book which is wonderful therapy and great way to see to see where God is and has done in my life. I love writting. Again your blog too has been a blessing this morning. I would love to learn more and more on this subject.
Preacherman,
Thanks for the good words. You can learn more about the Covenant at http://www.covchurch.org. It is an intriguing association…more a movement than a denomination.
Have a blessed day!
John,
Thanks for this. What a great reminder for me, a Covenanter for 8 years or so. It has renewed my sense of why I love this community of believers so much. Descriptors like warm, fresh, relational, & missional make me smile. I hope others will want to know what makes this denomination different than others!
Of course no group is perfect, but Deb and I love the Evangelical Covenant denomination, as we’ve been members of Redeemer Covenant in Dutton. Yes, all you say is true here. Don’t know what the future holds, but I’d like to remain a part of this denomination the rest of the way. Though what counts is that we are Christians. Covenant captures what really counts pretty well, I think.
Hey John,
Just found your blog! I agree with you about the incredible week at Midwinter! Blessings on your and your ministry in Christ!
Jeff Kahl (from Saranac)
John,
I also would add that they are putting their money where their mouth is when it comes to racial reconciliation, poverty and justice ministries, and urban church planting. To their credit, the ECC as a denomination has the best reputation among my urban ministry colleagues all over the country for those reasons.
I also have to admit I have a soft spot for them because Paul Carlson (the martyred missionary from Congo back in the 1960’s) would have been my 2nd cousin (I was born four years after he died). And of course the ECC has remembered him in many different ways. One of these days or years I hope to go visit the mission work in Congo that for over a century has embraced both church planting and community development in living out Missio Dei (and of course I will visit my cousin’s grave).
John, Thanks for your post. I have recently joined the covenant up in Calgary, Canada. I came from the Christian and Missionary Alliance and have been intrigued and moved by this highly pietistic group. Our church is currently following up on the Human Trafficking initiative of the denomination. Another great feature is their commitment to social justice issues and caring for the marginalized. Thanks for the update on the conference, i missed out this year but i hope to be there next year.
Cool post. I love the Cov too.
I’m a 9-year veteran now and I continue to find more and more that intrigues and encourages me as I follow Jesus with my Covenant sisters and brothers. Midwinter is one of my favorite times of year. Even if it is in Chicago. In February.