Our Ecclesia = Christadelphian Church

In the Christian world people may find many denominations having different churches.

English: Major branches within Protestantism (... — Major branches within Protestantism (excludes Restoration movements): Diagram of Protestant denominations and movements; see also Image:ChristianityBranches.svg (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

All over the world you may find Christadelphians. They all may are independent communities, not linked to a ‘Main Church’ like in the other Christian denominations. This means that in the comparatively small religious body who have attempted to get back to the faith and character of the early Christian church, you may find different groups with different customs and attitudes. Even in one community or parish you might have differences in services between one day and an other.

The Christadelphians are located in many countries throughout the world
with large groups of Christadelphians in the United Kingdom and Europe, Australia and New Zealand, United States of America, Canada, Central America, South America, Asia and Africa. Some of them may have committed them selves to bigger groups or certain organisations like the Christadelphian Bible Mission (CBM), the W illiamsburg Christadelphian Foundation (WCF) or Carelinks, just to call the most important ones.

Each congregation is called an ‘ecclesia’. (the New Testament word for church). We are therefore known among Christadelphians as – “The Belgian Christadelphian Ecclesia”.

Marcus Ampe at the ecclesia in Paris, September 2012

Being not chained to one or the other organisation, but only to each other out of brotherly love, the Belgian ecclesia or church meets in homes, like the early Christians, rented rooms, public places and meet in some cases at other ventures like some Christadelphians own buildings, as in Newbury, Den Haag, Eden. We also sometimes use fraternity homes like the one of the Quakers in Paris.

In this world we can find many sorts of Christians who are living in a spiritual wilderness. They feel alone, spiritually isolated, and they don’t have too many Christian friends that they are experiencing a rich and full fellowship in Christ with. Some of them attend a church on Sunday morning, yet still, they are living in the desert or in the darkness and they know it.

Some have given up on the traditional form of church altogether. And they are in serious pursuit of an expression of church that provides authentic community centred on Jesus Christ and taking the Word of God seriously as the guide for their way of life. But they cannot find such an expression in their city.

We would like to come up to those people and show to them how they themselves also can start a group of people willing to follow the Word of God. We also would love to unite all those people who love that Word of God and who want to become a part of the Body of Christ, but they feel quite alone. We would love to bring them in an environment where they can experience spiritually and should not be feeling dry and empty again.

We would like those people to come and see how a strong common belief in God as our Father, the God of gods, and in Jesus as our Saviour, the Messiah, binds our community together. Together, how different we may be, from which country we may originate, which mother tongue we may have, we feel like brothers and sisters as part of one great family, united in the Body of Christ.

Jehovah, de God der goden, Zijn woord in de Bijbel of Heilige Schrift — Jehovah, the God of gods in the Book of books, the Bible.

Accepting the Bible as our guide, and believing it to be the infallible and inspired Word of God, we want to spend a lot of time reading and studying that word, and helping each other to understand the many passages of the different books of what we call Holy Scriptures.

We welcome all who want to study the Word of God with us and who want to keep fellowship with us, gathering or meeting at regular times. Membership is extended to those, who like us, believe what we understand to be the Bible’s teaching, and as a result, have been baptised by full immersion in water.

We believe that the return of our Lord Jesus Christ to the earth is certain and that he will rule the earth from Jerusalem.

As a lay community organised on the pattern adopted by the first century Christians we do not have paid clergy or a church hierarchy. Everybody helps to build up the community with the possibilities he or she has. Members of each congregation are addressed as ‘brother’ or ‘sister’, and all may be involved in organising our activities, contributing their time and energy voluntarily in service to God.
As Christadelphians our aim is, quite simply, to follow as closely as possible the teachings and example of Jesus as recorded in the Bible.

In a world full of uncertainties we enjoy a simple, direct and logical faith, offering peace of mind and contentment now; and the promise of everlasting joy to come.