Evangelical Free Church Background Information
The Evangelical Free Church is Swedish/Danish in origin, the modern American EFCA was founded by a merger in 1950 between the Evangelical Free Church of America (Swedish) and the Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Free Church Association. The Swedish group had its formal beginnings in Boone, Iowa, at a conference held in October of 1884. There is historical evidence that the earliest Evangelical Free Church preacher of note was a Swedish preacher named Fred Edquist in 1882 who first began preaching in McKeesport, PA. Perhaps the most widely known Pastor in Evangelical History is Charles “Chuck” Swindoll. A wonderful communicator of the Gospel and a best-selling Christian author.
Ultimately, the Evangelical Free Church can trace its roots back to the Church of Sweden which is the state-recognized Reformed Church of Sweden. In the 18th and 19th centuries, strict religious regulation inhibited the free practice of religion by many and many of those that did not adhere to the Church of Sweden liturgy, immigrated to America and began to set up churches “free” of government control, as in the case of Fred Edquist.Edquist named his church the “First Swedish Evangelical Free Church”. 2 years later in 1884, two Norwegian-Danish groups began to worship and fellowship together in Boston, Massachusetts and Tacoma, Washington.
As a result of the Evangelical Free Church having a direct lineage to the Reformed Church, they adhere to the 5 Solas of the Reformation: Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone as authority), Sola Gratia (salvation by grace alone), Sola Fide (salvation through faith alone), Sola Christus (salvation in Christ alone), Sola Deo Gloria (salvation for the glory of God alone).
In addition to the 5 solas, The Evangelical Free Church along with their Swedish Reformed ancestors, they are decidedly Calvinist in their soteriological framework and adhere to belief in the 5 points of Calvinism commonly known today as the T-U-L-I-P doctrines – also called “Doctrines of Grace” and/or simply “Reformed Theology”. Here is some more information about the basic framework of Calvinism:
Canons of Dort (1619) were formulated at the Synod of Dort to combat Arminianism and codify the five points of Calvinism (TULIP).
T
Total depravity of man – The Evangelical Free Church embraces the Augustine/Calvinist view of total depravity. This is a radical belief of the condition of man whereby Calvin emphasized that we are entirely without any and all capacity to make right choices and therefore carry out right actions. That is to say we are incapable of any other choice than evil. Here is a quote from IOCR:
“...all men are so contrived by the original corruption, that they are justly considered as liable to damnation; and that this corruption is so diffused through the whole man, as to leave no part of him exempt from the deadly infection.”
Biblical View* – Because of the fall of Adam, every person inherits a nature and environment inclined toward sin and that every person who is capable of moral action will sin. Adam’s sin did not result in the incapacitation of any person’s free will.
That is to say that mankind, made in the image of God, has had that image “defaced” by the sin of Adam and not “erased”. Genesis 3:15-24; 6:5; Deuteronomy 1:39; Isaiah 6:5, 7:15-16;53:6;Jeremiah 17:5,9, 31:29-30; Ezekiel 18:19-20; Romans 1:18-32; 3:9-18, 5:12, 6:23; 7:9; Matthew 7:21-23; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; 6:9-10;15:22; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Hebrews 9:27-28; Revelation 20:11-15
*Biblical View sourced primarily from Leighton Flowers’ soteriology101.com
U
Unconditional Election – The Evangelical Free Church embraces the Augustine/Calvinist view of unconditional election. Calvin, like Augustine believed that God’s election is based on his own random predestination of those to be saved whereby God looks at the whole of humanity and before any of them are created, He selects some to be saved thereby leaving the majority to be condemned.
The election to salvation is not based on foreseen merit or faith yet, according to Calvin, the damnation is based on a foreseen lack of merit and rejection of Christ. The election of some to salvation and subsequent condemnation of the majority to damnation, according to Calvinism, is based purely on God’s sovereign will. Here is a quote from Calvin’s Institutes:
“...God, by his eternal good pleasure, separated those whom he pleased from the rest, rejecting some, and adopting others.”
Biblical View* – Denies that only a select few are capable of responding to the Gospel while the rest are predestined to an eternity in hell. While no sinner is remotely capable of achieving salvation through his own effort, the Bible refutes the idea that any sinner is saved apart from a free response to the Holy Spirit’s drawing through the Gospel.
All men have been given the “ability to respond” to the Gospel that is mankind is responsible (able to give a response). Genesis 3:15; Psalm 2:1-12; Ezekiel 18:23, 32; Luke 19.10; Luke 24:45-49; John 1:1-18, 3:16; Romans 1:1-6, 5:8; 8:34; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Galatians 4:4-7; Colossians 1:21-23; 1 Timothy 2:3-4; Hebrews 1:1-3; 4:14-16; 2 Peter 3:9
*Biblical View sourced primarily from Leighton Flowers’ soteriology101.com
L
Limited Atonement – The Evangelical Free Church embraces the Augustine/Calvinist view of limited atonement. Calvin held that Christ’s atoning work was only specifically for the elect not for all of the “whosoever” mentioned in John 3:16. He believed that the atoning work actually accomplished it for the predetermined elect as opposed to the Biblical belief held by all the early church Fathers including pre-410 A.D. Augustine and Bible believers today:
“The efficacy of the death of Christ extends to none but the elect... for whom he laid down his life.”
Biblical View* – Penal substitution of Christ is the only available and effective sacrifice for the sins of every person. This atonement results in salvation upon a person’s free response of repentance and faith. God does not impose or withhold this atonement without respect to an act of the person’s free will; a free will which God in His sovereignty has provided to mankind.
Christ did not die only for the sins of those who were elected randomly at some point prior to their birth but rather he died for the “whosoever” of the entire world spoken of in John 3:16. Psalm 22:1-31; Isaiah 53:1-12; John 12:32, 14:6; Acts 10:39-43; Acts 16:30-32; Romans 3:21-26; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:10-14; Philippians 2:5-11; Col. 1:13-20; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Hebrews 9:12-15, 24-28; 10:1-18; I John 1:7; 2:2
*Biblical View sourced primarily from Leighton Flowers’ soteriology101.com
I
Irresistable Grace – The Evangelical Free Church embraces the Augustine/Calvinist view of irresistable grace. Like post-410AD Augustine, Calvin believed that when God calls someone to salvation, that calling is effective no matter if the person wants it or not — it overcomes any resistance by the individual and and essentially brings about regeneration despite any choice or response of the person being regenerated.
Augustine and Calvin believed that somehow this was the only way that God could take full glory and have full sovereignty in the entirety of a person’s salvation. They failed to grasp that God in His sovereignty has provided mankind with a responsibility for his heart and behavior and it is for this reason that God has, in His sovereignty, also provided mankind with the ability to hear the Gospel and respond accordingly.
“The Spirit of God is not only the initiator of faith, but the creator of it. The grace of God is so efficacious, that it produces the result for which it is given.”
Biblical View* – Grace is God’s generous decision to provide salvation for any person by taking all of the initiative in providing atonement, in freely offering the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit, and in uniting the believer to Christ through the Holy Spirit by faith. Grace does not negate the necessity of a free response of faith or that it cannot be resisted.
In order to be held culpable for sin we must be responsible for that sin which also means we are held responsible/culpable for the sin of rejecting the grace of God. Ezra 9:8; Proverbs 3:34; Zechariah 12:10; Matthew 19:16-30, 23:37; Luke 10:1-12; Acts 15:11; 20:24; Romans 3:24, 27-28; 5:6, 8, 15-21; Galatians 1:6; 2:21; 5; Ephesians 2:8-10; Philippians 3:2-9; Colossians 2:13-17; Hebrews 4:16; 9:28; 1 John 4:19
*Biblical View sourced primarily from Leighton Flowers’ soteriology101.com
P
Perseverance of the Saints – The Evangelical Free Church embraces the Augustine/Calvinist view of perseverance of the saints. Calvin believed and taught that the elect will persevere because their salvation is grounded in God’s unchanging will and power which has predetermined their salvation and His grace offered to them is irresistable so they cannot fail, even if they wanted to.
“God, having once embraced the elect in his gratuitous love, never leaves them so as to stop bestowing his grace until they arrive at the goal of final salvation.”
Biblical View* – When a person responds in faith to the Gospel, God promises to complete the process of salvation in the believer into eternity. This process begins with justification, whereby the sinner is immediately acquitted of all sin and granted peace with God; continues in sanctification, whereby the saved are progressively conformed to the image of Christ by the indwelling Holy Spirit; and concludes in glorification, whereby the saint enjoys life with Christ in heaven forever.
This is predicated on the promises of God to “never leave us nor forsake us” (Heb 13:5, Isa 41:10) and not due to hard determinist view that a select few were chosen before they existed by random selection to receive a grace that is irresistable. John 10:28-29; 14:1-4; 16:12-14; Philippians 1:6; Romans 3:21-26; 8:29,30; 35-39; 12:1-3; 2 Corinthians 4:17; Ephesians 1:13-14; Philippians 3:12; Colossians 1:21-22; 1 John 2:19; 3:2; 5:13-15; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 13:5; James 1:12; Jude 24-25
*Biblical View sourced primarily from Leighton Flowers’ soteriology101.com
Legacy of the Evangelical Free Church
The Evangelical Free Church places a great emphasis on a high view of Scripture, evangelism, and a strong commitment to personal faith in Jesus Christ. They also have a long history of global outreach and church planting, sending missionaries to various parts of the world, including Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The Evangelical Free Church also emphasizes the unity of believers in Christ across denominational lines as expressed in their slogan which dates back to Melancthon, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.
The Evangelical Free Church has a few notable preachers such as:
Charles Swindoll – Founder and senior pastor–teacher of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas. He is also the author of “The Grace Awakening” and has a worldwide listening audience through his ministry Insight for Living. He is currently the Chancellor of Dallas Theological Seminary.
Greg Laurie – While Greg Laurie is often associated with the Harvest Christian Fellowship, his impact on the broader evangelical movement, including churches in the EFCA, has been significant, particularly through his Harvest Crusades. Laurie embraces the “sinner’s prayer” conversion which has a long track record of producing false Christians. Has been known to embrace false teachers like Rick Warren, Perry Noble and Steven Furtick
Erwin Lutzer – A prominent preacher and author who served as the senior pastor of The Moody Church in Chicago, Lutzer’s influence extends into the EFCA and broader evangelicalism.
The largest Evangelical Free Church in the world is North Coast Church in Vista, California, led by Chris Brown, which has a weekly attendance, of more than 10,000 people.
No one receives eternal life and eternal presence with God, from who all good things come (James 1:17), by belonging to the right church, denomination, world religion, or by having a particular world view. Rather only those who trust in the Lord Jesus preached by the Apostles in the Bible, for their own sin.
We will not trust in a Savior for sins that we either don’t believe we have or that we think aren’t deserving of hell. But the Bible says that ALL have sin and the wages of that sin is eternal separation from God (death). The good news is that the Bible says that you can know that YOU have eternal life. Click the button below to see if you are genuinely saved from your sins according to the Bible: