A large number of evangelical churches have grown unhappy with bodies like the World Council of Churches and the World Evangelical Alliance. They object to the political and theological stance of those groups. Many have now signed on with an alternative global alliance, the Covenant Christian Coalition (CCC). It began in Dallas in 2015 as a small circle of ministry leaders.
Conservative churches in Africa, Asia and South America soon took notice, and they joined in droves. Although the coalition started in the Bible Belt, its U.S. growth was quickly outpaced abroad. Scores of churches and ministries signed up in Nigeria, Uganda, Colombia, India, the Philippines and elsewhere.
That expansion pushed the leaders to write formal rules in January 2017. Then they opened an office in New York to cope with the flood of letters. Under the rules, leadership is egalitarian rather than top-down. It is shared by pastors and ministers from member churches, who are known as councillors.
Why they joined
Pastor Weimar Lopez, for example, is one of those councillors. He leads the Evangelical Disciples of Christ Church in Bogota, Colombia. His main reason for joining, he said, was to find fellow believers to work with for Christ. He was thrilled to discover that his church was not alone in wanting a global evangelical movement.
Pastor Grace Kigozi of Salvation Church of Christ in Kampala, Uganda, is another councillor. He said he wanted to link up with ministers who also aim to spread the gospel and carry out the Great Commission. Without CCC backing, ministry in Uganda looked like a dead end to him. Across Africa, he explained, weak support and few partners had held back the growth of his ministry. The coalition seemed to him like a cure for that.
For member churches, evangelism comes first. Above all, they see liberal theology as one of their biggest obstacles. That is why the coalition’s conservative stance and defense of evangelical doctrine have drawn them in. At the same time, those positions have brought criticism from liberals who reject biblical inerrancy.
Critics on the right have spoken up too, because they reject the CCC’s teaching that faith alone leads to salvation. Despite attacks from both sides, the coalition has clearly struck a chord. That is because many Christians want international support for their views.
