Church of England Evangelical Council
{{Infobox organization
| name = Church of England Evangelical Council
| abbreviation = CEEC
| established = 1960
| founder = John Stott
| status = Charity
| purpose = Promotion and unity of evangelical Anglicanism
| region_served = England
| leader_title = President
| leader_name = Julian Henderson
| leader_title2 = National Director
| leader_name2 = John Dunnett
| board_of_directors =
| key_people =
| affiliations = Church of England
| website = {{URL|http://www.ceec.info|www.ceec.info}}
}}
The Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC) is an association of mainly conservative evangelical Anglican members of the Church of England.{{cite news |last1=Kuhrt |first1=Stephen |title=Preventing CEEC becoming a 'Rump Parliament' |url=https://www.fulcrum-anglican.org.uk/articles/preventing-ceec-becoming-a-rump-parliament/ |access-date=13 July 2024 |work=Church of England Newspaper |date=14 November 2008}}{{cite web |last1=Read |first1=Charles |title=What is The Church of England Evangelical Council Up To? Some Autobiographical Reflections |url=https://viamedia.news/2023/03/12/what-is-the-church-of-england-evangelical-council-up-to-some-autobiographical-reflections/ |website=ViaMedia.News |access-date=13 July 2024 |date=12 March 2023}}{{cite news |title=CEEC offers to divide the family silver after same-sex vote |url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2023/24-november/news/uk/ceec-offers-to-divide-the-family-silver-after-same-sex-vote |access-date=13 July 2024 |work=Church Times |date=18 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240408180012/https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2023/24-november/news/uk/ceec-offers-to-divide-the-family-silver-after-same-sex-vote |archive-date=8 April 2024 |quote=The conservative Evangelical group the CEEC has become a prominent voice in opposition to the introduction of blessings for same-sex couples and revised guidance to clergy that would allow them to marry same-sex partners }} It self-describes as the collective voice of the "vast majority" of evangelicals within the Church of England,{{cite news |last1=Martin |first1=Francis |title=Evangelical group calls for declarations of resistance to same-sex blessings |url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2023/24-march/news/uk/evangelical-group-calls-for-declarations-of-resistance-to-same-sex-blessings |access-date=13 July 2024 |work=Church Times |date=24 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240223033249/https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2023/24-march/news/uk/evangelical-group-calls-for-declarations-of-resistance-to-same-sex-blessings |archive-date=23 February 2024 |quote=Canon Dunnett said: “CEEC has never claimed to speak for all those who call themselves Evangelical. But its 'umbrella' constituent membership does bring together Evangelicals from the vast majority of groupings and networks }} and states its aim "to promote and maintain orthodox evangelical theology and ethics at the heart of the Church of England".{{cite web |title=About |url=http://www.ceec.info/about.html |website=CEEC |publisher=Church of England Evangelical Council |access-date=26 April 2021 |language=en}} It has been described as theologically conservative.{{cite web |title=Pro-LGBT Anglicans attack evangelicals after new conversation about sexuality is launched |url=https://evangelicalfocus.com/europe/9176/pro-lgbt-anglicans-attack-evangelicals-as-new-conversion-about-sexuality-is-opened |website=Evangelical Focus |access-date=26 April 2021 |language=en |date=27 November 2020}} It was founded in 1960 by the Anglican clergyman John Stott.{{cite web |last1=Baker |first1=David |title=Where is the Church of England Evangelical Council when we need it? |url=https://www.christiantoday.com/article/where.is.the.church.of.england.evangelical.council.when.we.need.it/111306.htm |website=Christian Today |access-date=26 April 2021 |language=en |date=31 July 2017 |quote=What would happen, he mused, if different evangelicals within the CofE could be brought together to talk, pray, plan and resolve any differences? Thus was born the Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC) in 1960.}}{{cite web |title=Church of England Evangelical Council warns against redefining marriage |url=https://archbishopcranmer.com/church-england-evangelical-council-warns-redefining-marriage/ |website=Archbishop Cranmer |access-date=26 April 2021 |date=16 October 2018}} It is a registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales: amongst its stated activities is the "promotion of consultation between evangelical Anglican leaders" and "to encourage and interact with evangelicals within the Church of England".{{cite web |title=THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND EVANGELICAL COUNCIL - Charity 1104514 |url=https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/4006792/charity-overview |website=Register of Charities |publisher=Charity Commission for England and Wales |access-date=26 April 2021}}
Membership
Member of the council include bishops, representatives from mission societies and associations, and laypeople. Organisations affiliated with the council include Anglican Mainstream, Anglican Mission in England, Church Mission Society, Church Pastoral Aid Society, Church Society, Crosslinks, Reform, Fulcrum, and New Wine. The organisations include groups that are conservative evangelical, open evangelical and charismatic in orientation.{{cite web |title=Council Members |url=https://ceec.info/council-members/ |website=CEEC |publisher=Church of England Evangelical Council |language=en |access-date=2024-07-12}}
Leadership
From 2000 to 2014, Wallace Benn, the Bishop of Lewes, was president of the CEEC.{{cite web |title=Benn, Rt Rev. Wallace Parke, (born 6 Aug. 1947), Bishop Suffragan of Lewes, 1997–2012 |url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U24402 |website=Who's Who 2024 |publisher=Oxford University Press |access-date=13 July 2024 |language=en |date=1 December 2023}} From 2021 to 2023, Keith Sinclair served as national director.{{cite web |title=New leader |url=https://www.e-n.org.uk/uk-news/2020-11-new-leader/ |website=www.e-n.org.uk |publisher=Evangelicals Now |access-date=13 July 2024 |date=1 November 2020}}
Since May 2023, the National Director of the CEEC has been Canon John Dunnett, formerly Head of the Church Pastoral Aid Society.{{cite web |title=John Dunnett named as CEEC’s new National Director |url=https://ceec.info/john-dunnett-named-as-ceecs-next-national-director/ |website=ceec.info |publisher=The Church of England Evangelical Council |access-date=13 July 2024 |date=9 May 2023}} Its president is currently Julian Henderson, Bishop of Blackburn.
Reaction to same-sex blessings
In December 2023, the House of Bishops of the Church of England authorised a "selection of readings and prayers of thanksgiving, dedication and asking for God’s blessing for same-sex couples", while also noting that the Church's understanding of marriage "remains as a lifelong, faithful and exclusive covenant between one man and one woman".{{cite web |title=Prayers of Love and Faith to be made available for use from Sunday |url=https://www.churchofengland.org/media/press-releases/prayers-love-and-faith-be-made-available-use-sunday |website=The Church of England |access-date=18 December 2023 |language=en}}
In reaction, the CEEC has proposed "alternative spiritual oversight" (not to be confused with the Church of England's official alternative episcopal oversight offering) for those clergy "who now feel themselves to be in impaired fellowship with their diocesan bishop".{{cite web |title=Responding to the 15 November 2023 General Synod decision: looking forward - The Church of England Evangelical Council |url=https://ceec.info/responding-to-the-15-november-2023-general-synod-decision-looking-forward/ |website=ceec.info |publisher=Church of England Evangelical Council |access-date=18 December 2023 |date=17 November 2023}}{{cite web |title=Alternative Spiritual Oversight - The Church of England Evangelical Council |url=https://ceec.info/alternative-spiritual-oversight/ |website=ceec.info |publisher=Church of England Evangelical Council |access-date=18 December 2023 |date=17 November 2023}} This will be provided by "orthodox evangelical" honorary assistant bishops (Julian Henderson, Rod Thomas, and Pete Broadbent) and non-episcopal "overseers".{{cite web |title=CEEC announces discernment panel for informal overseers, as part of its new provisions for orthodox evangelicals - The Church of England Evangelical Council |url=https://ceec.info/ceec-announces-discernment-panel-for-informal-overseers-as-part-of-its-new-provisions-for-orthodox-evangelicals/ |website=ceec.info |publisher=Church of England Evangelical Council |access-date=18 December 2023 |date=7 December 2023}} This provision is proposed as a stepping stone towards official differentiation and a permanent "new structural arrangement". In July 2024, the CEEC commissioned its first group of 20 overseers including bishops Julian Henderson, Henry Scriven, Keith Sinclair, Pete Broadbent, Rod Thomas, and Rob Munro, with Mike Hill to be commissioned at a later date.{{cite web |title=CEEC commissions first set of overseers |url=https://ceec.info/ceec-commissions-first-set-of-overseers/ |website=ceec.info |publisher=The Church of England Evangelical Council |access-date=12 July 2024 |date=12 July 2024}} Two of the initial twenty overseers are ordained women.{{cite web |title=Commissioning of overseers |url=https://ceec.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Commissioning-of-Overseers-order-of-service.pdf |website=ceec.info |publisher=The Church of England Evangelical Council |access-date=4 September 2024}}{{cite news |last1=Martin |first1=Francis |title=Evangelicals play down the commissioning of 20 ‘overseers’ |url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2024/19-july/news/uk/evangelicals-play-down-the-commissioning-of-20-overseers |access-date=4 September 2024 |work=Church Times |date=15 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240805131109/https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2024/19-july/news/uk/evangelicals-play-down-the-commissioning-of-20-overseers |archive-date=5 August 2024}}
The CEEC also established the "Ephesian Fund" "to support orthodox Anglican ministry when in good conscience they might otherwise withdraw or reduce their giving to their parish church as a result of their bishop’s support for the Prayers of Love and Faith initiative".