In the free evangelical tradition, ministry is not the preserve of the ordained. The universal priesthood of believers means that every member is called, gifted, and accountable for the work of the church.
In the free evangelical tradition, the local congregation is the primary ecclesial reality. This is not democratic populism — it is a theological conviction about where authority in the church resides.
The International Federation of Free Evangelical Churches links 31 national bodies across four continents. For new readers, here is a guide to who they are and what holds them together.
The free evangelical tradition is built on a specific understanding of what the church is and who belongs to it — the gathered community of those who have personally confessed Christ.
The free evangelical tradition is not a fourth Reformation. It is the convergence of three nineteenth-century renewal streams: revivalist, holiness, and Alliance — and understanding them illuminates what the movement is and why it holds together.
Free evangelical churches agree on the gospel and grant freedom on everything else. The primary/secondary distinction is not theological laziness — it is a carefully designed architecture for cooperation.