NATIONAL COUNCIL OF EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCHES, a voluntary association of British Nonconformist churches for co-operation in religious, social and civil work. It was the outcome of a unifying tendency displayed during the latter part of the 19th century About 1890 the proposal that there should be a Nonconformist Church Congress analogous to the Anglican Church Congress was seriously considered, and the first was held in Manchester on the 7th of November 1892. In the following year it was resolved that the basis of representation should be neither personal (as in the Anglican Church Congress) nor denominational, but territorial; and the name of the organi zation was changed from Congress to National Council as soon as the assembly ceased to be a fortuitous concourse of atoms, and consisted of duly appointed representatives from the local coun cils of every part of England. The local councils consist of repre sentatives of the Congregational and Baptist Churches, the Meth odist Churches, the Presbyterian Church of England, the Free Episcopal Churches, the Society of Friends, and such other Evan gelical Churches as the National Council may at any time admit. The constitution states the following as the objects of the National Council: To facilitate fraternal intercourse and co-operation among the Evangelical Free Churches ; to assist in the organization of local councils; to encourage devotional fellowship and mutual counsel concerning the spiritual life and religious activities of the Churches; to advocate the New Testament doctrine of the Church, and to defend the rights of the associated Churches; to promote the application of the law of Christ in every relation of human life. Although the objects of the Free Church councils
are thus in their nature and spirit religious rather than political, there are occasions on which action is taken on great national affairs. The movement differs essentially from the Evangelical Alliance, inasmuch as its unit is not an individual, private Chris tian, but a definitely organized and visible Church. The essential doctrine of the movement is a particular doctrine of church manship which regards the Lord Jesus Christ as the sole and Divine Head of every branch of the Holy Catholic Church throughout the world.
The Report of the National Free Church Council is published at the headquarters of the organization, the Memorial Hall, Far ringdon Street, London E. C. The Report for 1927-28 shows that England, Wales and the Channel Islands have been covered with a network of Councils, each of which elects its representatives to the annual gathering. The movement has spread to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Jamaica, the United States of America and India.