The Affinity Advisory Council, a group of church and organisation leaders, have agreed to champion the formation of The Gospel Coalition UK. This could see Affinity becoming TGC-UK, with a broader membership.
The decision to pursue this course is likely to be a sensitive one. Affinity’s roots are in the British Evangelical Council, which grew in prominence in the 1960s when churches left mixed denominations to join it.
Affinity director Graham Nicholls stated, ‘we have a heart to broaden and deepen our unity with other evangelical believers across the UK and strengthen our witness together.’
A grouping seeking to draw in Anglicans remaining within the Church of England evokes memories of the short-lived Essentially Evangelical, which was formed in 1998.
Affinity is a partnership of over 1200 churches and Christian organisations. Most churches gain membership via their networks.
The Affinity tie-up with TGC has raised eyebrows with some due to its reputation for woke articles and its links with the Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics.
Affinity Trustees include John Stevens (FIEC National Director), Mark Thomas (EMW General Secretary) and David Meredith (Free Church of Scotland Mission Director).
Advisory Council members include David Mackay (Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland), Timothy McGlynn (Free Church of Scotland Continuing) and Andrew King (Association of Grace Baptist Churches South East).
Founded in 2005 by Don Carson and Tim Keller, the Gospel Coalition (TGC) describes itself as ‘a fellowship of evangelical churches in the Reformed tradition.’ There are already over twenty different editions of the TGC website in countries or regions outside the USA.
The Affinity tie-up with TGC has raised eyebrows with some due to its reputation for woke articles and its links with the Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics.
Keller Center fellows include several Englishmen such as Chris Watkin (author of Biblical Critical Theory) and Andrew Wilson (teaching pastor of King’s Church, London, part of the charismatic Newfrontiers).
Affinity have said they are ‘in the process of consulting with gospel partners outside Affinity about how to create a broader fellowship of churches and Christian organisations to serve the cause of Christ and his church.
The purpose is to establish a UK-based organisation that is unique but also benefits from the resources and knowledge of The Gospel Coalition worldwide.
Affinity trustees and council members will no doubt also be consulting churches within their groupings.
Affinity is working with the International Director of TGC, Tim Savage. Events, resources, and public advocacy’ are mooted for TGC-UK.
However, no final decision has been reached about exactly what this extended partnership might look like.
