CONSTITUTION

 

1. NAME
   • The Church of England Evangelical Council (“CEEC”).

 

2. BASIS OF FAITH
   • The Basis of Faith of CEEC shall be:
     • Introduction – As members of the Church of England within the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church, we affirm the faith uniquely revealed in the Holy Scriptures and set forth in the catholic creeds, of which the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion are a general exposition. Standing in the Reformation tradition we lay especial emphasis on the grace of God – his unmerited mercy – as expressed in the doctrines which follow.
     • God as the Source of Grace – In continuity with the teaching of Holy Scripture and the Christian creeds, we worship one God in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God has created all things, and us in his own image; all life, truth, holiness and beauty come from him. His Son Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, was crucified, died, rose and ascended to reign in glory.
     • The Bible as the Revelation of Grace – We receive the canonical books of the Old and New Testaments as the wholly reliable revelation and record of God’s grace, given by the Holy Spirit as the true word of God written. The Bible has been given to lead us to salvation, to be the ultimate rule for Christian faith and conduct, and the supreme authority by which the Church must ever reform itself and judge its traditions.
     • The Atonement as the Work of Grace – We believe that Jesus Christ came to save lost sinners. Though sinless, he bore our sins, and their judgment, on the cross, thus accomplishing our salvation.   By raising Christ bodily from the dead, God vindicated him as Lord and Saviour and proclaimed his victory.   Salvation is in Christ alone.
     • The Church as the Community of Grace – We hold that the Church is God’s covenant community, whose members, drawn from every nation, having been justified by grace through faith, inherit the promises made to Abraham and fulfilled in Christ. As a fellowship of the Spirit manifesting his fruit and exercising his gifts, it is called to worship God, grow in grace, and bear witness to him and his Kingdom.   God’s Church is one body and must ever strive to discover and experience that unity in truth and love which it has in Christ, especially through its confession of the apostolic faith and in its observance of the dominical sacraments.
     • The Sacraments as the Signs of Grace – We maintain that the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion proclaim the Gospel as effective and visible signs of our justification and sanctification, and as true means of God’s grace to those who repent and believe. Baptism is the sign of forgiveness of sin, the gift of the Spirit, new birth to righteousness and entry into the fellowship of the People of God.   Holy Communion is the sign of the living, nourishing presence of Christ through his Spirit to his people: the memorial of his one, perfect, completed and all-sufficient sacrifice for sin, from whose achievement all may benefit but in whose offering none can share; and an expression of our corporate life of sacrificial thanksgiving and service.
     • Ministry as the Stewardship of Grace – We share, as the People of God, in a royal priesthood common to the whole Church, and in the community of the Suffering Servant. Our mission is the proclamation of the Gospel by the preaching of the word, as well as by caring for the needy, challenging evil and promoting justice and a more responsible use of the world’s resources.   It is the particular vocation of bishops and presbyters, together with deacons, to build up the body of Christ in truth and love, as pastors, teachers, and servants of the servants of God.
     • Christ’s Return as the Triumph of Grace – We look forward expectantly to the final manifestation of Christ’s grace and glory when he comes again to raise the dead, judge the world, vindicate His chosen and bring his Kingdom to its eternal fulfilment in the new heaven and the new earth.

 

3. OBJECT
   • The object of CEEC shall be the advancement of the Christian religion incorporating the beliefs and doctrines set out in section 2 above; and in furtherance of that object, but not otherwise, CEEC shall have the following powers.
     • To promote effective consultation between Anglican Evangelical leaders, in order that the evangelical heritage, as expressed in the Basis’ of Faith, may be better applied to contemporary opportunities and problems in church and nation.
     • To seek primarily to identify key issues, to work for the development of a common mind and concerted action on each, and should this not prove possible, to map out the different views held.
     • To seek also to relate to, interact with, and encourage diocesan evangelical fellowships, societies, and other groups working within the evangelical constituency, and those working within the formal structures of the Church of England.
     • To act as the English agent of the Evangelical Fellowship in the Anglican Communion.
     • To be a channel for establishing and maintaining relationships with evangelicals in other churches.

 

4. ASSENT TO THE OBJECT AND BASIS OF FAITH
   • Each and every prospective member of CEEC and the Working Group, before admission to membership, and each and every individual tasked with acting on behalf of CEEC, before being so tasked, shall signify in writing their personal agreement with the Basis of Faith and Object set out in sections 2 and 3 above, respectively, and the following two additional declarations:
     • We gladly proclaim and submit to the unique and universal Lordship of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, humanity’s only Saviour from sin, judgement and hell, who lived the life we could not live and died the death that we deserve. By his atoning death and glorious resurrection, he secured the redemption of all who come to him in repentance and faith.
     • We acknowledge God’s creation of humankind as male and female and the unchangeable standard of Christian marriage between one man and one woman as the proper place for sexual intimacy and the basis of the family. We repent of our failures to maintain this standard and call for a renewed commitment to lifelong fidelity in marriage and abstinence for those who are not married.
   • Each and every member of CEEC and the Working Group shall commit to holding the others to the declarations at section 4.1 above.

 

5. MEMBERSHIP
   • CEEC shall be made up of the following members:
     • Officers as described in section 6 below.
     • Eighteen representatives of diocesan evangelical fellowships or similar: twelve from the Province of Canterbury and six from the Province of York (of whom at least half from each Province shall be laity).
     • Up to four representatives of the Evangelical Group in General Synod (at least half of whom shall be laity).
     • Up to four representatives of the Evangelical bishops within the College of Bishops (at least one of whom shall be a Diocesan).
     • Up to two representatives of the Principals of the Church of England evangelical theological colleges.
     • A representative (normally the chief officer) of up to fourteen evangelical organisations or networks currently active within the Church of England, the identity of the organisations to be determined afresh by CEEC every four years, starting with the following:
       • Anglican Evangelical Junior Clergy Conference
       • Anglican Mainstream
       • Anglican Mission in England
       • Awesome
       • CMS
       • Church Pastoral Aid Society
       • Church Society
       • Crosslinks
       • Fellowship of Word and Spirit
       • Fulcrum
       • Latimer Trust
       • New Wine
       • Reform
     • Up to ten other members co-opted by CEEC, following discussion, in order to increase the representative nature and expertise of CEEC. It is desirable that at least two such members should be identified with a major church and a rural church, respectively.
   • Members of CEEC shall serve for a term of four years and may be available for re-election or re-nomination. This provision, section 5.2, shall not apply to the four representatives of the Evangelical Group in General Synod who shall each serve for the lifetime of the General Synod for which they are elected or chosen.
   • Casual vacancies may be filled by the organisation, network or group which appointed or elected the member whose seat has been vacated.
   • If any member of CEEC shall fail to attend two consecutive meetings without the prior consent of the Chair, their membership shall lapse.

 

6. OFFICERS
   • The Officers of CEEC shall be
     • President (normally a Diocesan Bishop)
     • Chair
     • Secretary
     • Treasurer

More than one person may be appointed to share any of these roles.

• Only the Chair must be an existing member of CEEC. If any Officers are not already members of CEEC, they will become members of CEEC upon appointment as Officers.
• The Officers of CEEC shall be elected by the Members of CEEC, shall serve for a term of four years and may be available for re-election. Casual vacancies may be filled as they arise and Officers elected to fill casual vacancies will serve for the remainder of the term of their predecessor.

 

7. LEGAL STATUS
   • CEEC is a limited liability company, limited by guarantee, with registered company number 04910075 (“the Company”).
   • CEEC is also a registered charity number 1004514 (“the Charity”).
   • The Company and the Charity are controlled by this Constitution and the Company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association.
   • The members of CEEC shall be the members of the Company.
   • The Officers shall be the directors of the Company and the trustees of the Charity.

 

8. FUNCTION
   • CEEC will operate as a Council of Reference for the Working Group.
   • CEEC will meet annually (and on such further occasions as it considers necessary)
     • To appoint a Working Group (including a Chair);
     • To agree a vision for the Working Group;
     • To review the activities of the Working Group;
     • To approve an annual budget; and
     • To engage in such further activities as in its discretion it considers are consistent with the Basis of Faith and Object.
   • Through the agency of the Working Group, and having regard to its Basis of Faith and Objects, CEEC will seek
     • To bring together Anglican evangelicals;
     • To facilitate opportunities for relationships to develop amongst Anglican evangelicals;
     • To create spaces for specific conversations and consultations amongst Anglican evangelicals;
     • To encourage and facilitate joint public statements by evangelical organisations and networks representing the breadth of evangelicalism;
     • To facilitate communication between Anglican Evangelicals in England and Anglican Evangelicals in other parts of the world; and
     • To engage in such further activities as CEEC considers are consistent with its Basis of Faith and Object.

 

9. WORKING GROUP
   • The Working Group shall be made up of between 6 and 10 members appointed by CEEC (at least a third of whom shall be laity), one of whom shall be appointed Chair of the Working Group by CEEC.
   • If CEEC appoints a National Director, the National Director shall be a member of the Working Group.
   • Members of the Working Group need not be members of CEEC.
   • It will be the responsibility of the Working Group
     • Annually to prepare a draft vision for consideration and agreement by CEEC;
     • To work towards the implementation of the vision agreed by CEEC;
     • To provide CEEC with written progress reports at such intervals as may be determined by CEEC from time to time.
   • The Working Group shall meet (in person or by video or telephone conference) as often as it considers appropriate and necessary in order to fulfil its functions.
   • The Working Group shall have power to spend in accordance with the approved budget.

 

10. PROCEDURE
    • All meetings of CEEC other than the annual meeting shall be called extraordinary meetings. At the request of the Working Group or one quarter of the members, the Officers shall convene an extraordinary meeting of CEEC for a date not later than eight weeks after receipt of the request.
    • All meetings of CEEC shall be called on at least twenty-one days written notice.
    • The accidental omission to give notice of a meeting to, or the non-receipt of notice of a meeting by, any person entitled to receive a notice shall not invalidate the proceedings at the meeting.
    • Written notice may be served by fax, email, personal service or post.
    • A quorum at all meetings of CEEC shall be one half of the current membership.
    • CEEC shall have power to amend this constitution by a majority of two-thirds of members present and voting upon twenty-one days’ written notice to members.
    • Save as aforesaid, CEEC shall conduct its business as it shall from time to time think fit.
    • Without prejudice to section 10.7 above:
      • A resolution (other than a resolution to amend the constitution) shall require a simple majority of members present and voting.
      • CEEC shall conduct (or procure others to conduct) a rigorous review of its performance and effectiveness every four years.

 

11. ELECTIONS
    • Candidates to represent diocesan evangelical fellowships or similar shall be nominated in writing by a member of a diocesan evangelical fellowship or similar or a serving member of CEEC and the chair and secretary of each diocesan evangelical fellowship or similar in the appropriate province shall be the electors. An elector shall not be permitted to vote unless and until he or she has signified in writing his or her personal agreement with the Basis of Faith, Object and the two additional declarations set out in sections 2, 3 and 4.1 above, respectively.
    • Such elections as may be necessary shall be conducted by the method of single transferable vote.

 

12. DISSOLUTION
    • CEEC may be dissolved by a resolution of a majority of two-thirds of members present and voting upon twenty-one days’ written notice to members.
    • If, upon dissolution, any assets remain after the satisfaction of debts and liabilities, such assets shall be given to the Evangelical Fellowship of the Anglican Communion.

 

13. TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS
    • Upon the passing by the existing CEEC of a valid resolution adopting this Constitution, existing members and Officers of CEEC shall become members and Officers, respectively, of the new CEEC and shall retire at the expiry of their current term of office or in January 2015 (whichever is the earlier).
    • Following the creation of the new CEEC, any and all vacancies in the membership shall be filled and a Working Group appointed as soon as reasonably practicable.