Dear Editor,
The underlying issue (‘FIEC doctrinal basis update on track’, en September) is probably one of Independency as an ecclesiology. Fellow of Independent Evangelical Churches are free (as Independents) to have their own Basis of Faith; what we require is that they assent to ours on an annual basis as part of their ongoing FIEC affiliation. Churches who are members of FIEC do not have to adopt our Basis of Faith as their own, but they do have to agree with our Basis of Faith every year.
The reason we are looking to make the changes is that some churches who have historically adopted our Basis of Faith as their own are no longer doing so as it does not make a specific point about marriage as it stands. So those churches have asked us to consider this clarification which is what sits behind the proposals put forward by the Trustees.
