Evangelical Friends International
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225160057
2008-07-12T05:33:22Z
Johnpacklambert
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'''Evangelical Friends International''' (EFI) is an association of [[Religious Society of Friends]] (Quaker) [[Yearly meeting]]s (regional associations) around the world that profess [[Evangelicalism|evangelical]] Christian beliefs.
== History ==
The Society of Friends suffered a series of schisms in the early 19th Century. The first divided "[[Elias Hicks| Hicksite]]" Quakers, who believed the inward light was more important than scriptural authority, from "Orthodox" Quakers, who emphasized Biblical sources. The second divided the Orthodox branch into [[John Wilbur|"Wilburite"]] or conservative Friends, who preferred a quietist approach and disavowed Biblical inerrancy, from [[Joseph John Gurney|"Gurneyite"]] Friends, whose approach was deeply influenced by evangelical movements in other Protestant denominations, especially the ideas of [[John Wesley]]. These Gurneyite Friends formed Five Years Meeting (renamed [[Friends United Meeting]] in 1965) as an association of yearly meetings following the adoption of the [[Richmond Declaration]] in [[1877]].
After [[World War I]], growing desire for a more fundamentalist approach among some Friends began to split Five Years Meeting. in [[1926]], Northwest Yearly Meeting withdrew from the organization, leading several other yearly meetings and scattered monthly meetings. In 1947, the [[Association of Evangelical Friends]] was formed, with triennial meetings which lasted until 1970. This led in turn to the 1965 formation of the Evangelical Friends Association, a precursor to today's Evangelical Friends International, formed in 1989.<ref>http://www.nwfriends.org/what-friends-believe/historical-statement/ Northwest Yearly Meeting Historical Statement</ref>
== Mission ==
The mission of EFI is "to help local Friends churches around the world meet the spiritual needs of their communities." Over 1,100 Evangelical Friends churches representing more than 140,000 Friends in 24 countries are currently associated with EFI. Currently, the largest Quaker church in the world is [[Friends Church]], an [[Evangelicalism|evangelical]] Quaker [[megachurch]] located in [[Orange County, California]].
Evangelical Friends International spreads its form of Quakerism through the Evangelical Friends Mission, which recruits and sends missionaries to various parts of the world to teach people the beliefs of Evangelical Friends and to start new Friends churches.
== Uniqueness of EFI Among Friends ==
Friends, especially in the United States, are divided today as a result of divisions that took place mostly in the 19th Century. The Evangelical branch is the one that is most similar to other [[Christian]] denominations and differs some from other branches of [[Quakerism]]. Evangelical Friends may refer to a local congregation as a ''church'', while some other Friends call it a [[Monthly meeting]]. They have programmed (i.e., planned) services, while many other Friends have silent services in which people speak as they feel led by God. Programmed services will usually incorporate silent open worship, but it is only one element in the service.
A key doctrinal issue that sets Evangelical Friends apart from liberal Friends is their [[Biblical]] view of salvation. Evangelical Friends believe that all people are in need of salvation, and that salvation comes to a person by putting his faith in [[Jesus Christ]]. Other Quakers have a wide range of liberal views on salvation, up to and including beliefs such as [[Universalism]]. Evangelical Friends may not share the views on [[pacifism]] which most [[Quakers]] hold to.
<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/dp/0944350569 Reasons for Hope by John Punshon]</ref>
<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/dp/0944350534 A Living Faith by William Cooper]</ref>
== Uniqueness of EFI Among Other Evangelicals ==
Evangelical Friends International of North America is part of the [[National Association of Evangelicals]], a large body of Christian denominations and groups in the United States that share evangelical beliefs.
The issue that sets Evangelical Friends apart from other evangelical Christians is that they consider themselves part of the larger Friends movement. They also feel that their particular beliefs are consistent with the beliefs of the earliest Friends, such as [[George Fox]] (other Friends assert the same about their own beliefs and practices). Evangelical Friends also generally adhere to most, if not all, of the testimonies (core beliefs and values) of Friends (see [[Religious Society of Friends#Testimonies|"Testimonies"]] under [[Religious Society of Friends]]).
== North American yearly meetings associated with EFI ==
*Alaska Yearly Meeting
*[http://www.efcer.org/ Evangelical Friends Church - Eastern Region]
*[http://www.maym.org/ Evangelical Friends Church - Mid-America Yearly Meeting]
*[http://www.nwfriends.org/ Northwest Yearly Meeting]
*[http://www.rmym.org/ Rocky Mountain Yearly Meeting]
*[http://www.efcsw.org/ Evangelical Friends Church--Southwest]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==See also==
*[[Friends General Conference]]
*[[Friends United Meeting]]
==External links==
*[http://www.evangelicalfriends.org Evangelical Friends International]
*[http://www.friendsmission.com/index.html Evangelical Friends Mission]
{{Template:Religious Society of Friends}}
[[Category:Quaker organizations]]
[[Category:Religious organizations established in 1989]]