The Jesus Fellowships and Other Churches

Throughout the years, the Jesus Fellowship have had a mixed reaction from other churches, religious leaders and affiliated church groups. Ranging from an Archdeacon of Northampton actively denouncing the group as a cult, to their ever changing membership of the Evangelical Alliance. Having been known as the 'Jesus Fellowship Church (Baptist)' for many years, their links with the Baptist Church were formally severed when the Baptist Union expelled the group during the eighties, although the fellowship are still keen to advertise their Baptist roots.

The Baptist Connection

The Jesus Fellowship Church were expelled from the 'Baptist Union of Great Britain and Ireland' during 1986, the Union cited the fellowships lack of involvement with other Baptist churches and the groups expansion/recruitment in areas near other Baptist churches without consultation as the main reasons for their expulsion.

Bugbrooke's Baptist Chapel is still owned by the Jesus Fellowship. In recent years use of the Chapel had been scaled down, although recently Sunday services have restarted within the building.

20/03/1982 : 'SIGN UP' THE KIDS SHOCKER

24/09/1982 : SPECIAL ENQUIRY : BAPTISTS HAVE NO SAY

12/07/1985 : GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THE JESUS PEOPLE

11/06/1986 : ADDICT CARING UNIT BID DENIED BY SECT

02/10/1986 : NEW SETBACK FOR JESUS PEOPLE

13/11/1986 : BAPTISTS EXPEL JESUS PEOPLE

13/11/1986 : JESUS SECT IN BAPTIST EXPULSION

14/11/1986 : WHY WE EXPELLED SECT, BY BAPTISTS

20/11/1986 : FELLOWSHIP EXPELLED

22/11/1986 : WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED

13/07/2000 : LETTERS PAGE - CAN VILLAGE'S OLD CHAPEL BE RESTORED TO US NOW?

21/02/2001 : CHAPEL IS BACK IN SERVICE

The Evangelical Alliance

After five years of membership, the Evangelical Alliance asked the Jesus Fellowship for their resignation from their group in 1986. Following investigations into the fellowship the Alliance cited the lack of good relationships with other evangelical churches, and the dangers of 'a single-mindedness of approach that inferred directive leadership to a strong degree' within their reasons behind the request for resignation.

The Multiply Christian Network, a church network run by the Jesus Fellowship recently joined the Evangelical Alliance, effectively meaning the Jesus Fellowship has rejoined.

07/07/1986 : LETTERS PAGE - JESUS PEOPLE - NO CHANGE

10/07/1986 : JESUS PEOPLE FACE TRIPLE BLOW

24/07/1986 : CHURCHES SHUN THE JESUS PEOPLE

27/10/1988 : ALL OUT FOR JESUS AND FIGHTING FOR YOU! : IN THE PUBLIC EYE!

10/11/1988 : THEY TWISTED MY WORDS!

17/11/1988 : LETTERS PAGE - ALLIANCE DOES ACKNOWLEDGE US AS A GENUINE CHURCH

Multiply Christian Network www.multiply.org.uk

The Northampton Free Church Federal Council

In the early eighties, following a newspaper appeal for an investigation, the Northampton Free Church Federal Council planned to investigate the Jesus Fellowship - until they realised they had no authority to do so.

17/12/1982 : CHURCHES SHOULD STEP IN

20/12/1982 : FELLOWSHIP PROBE CALL TAKEN UP

09/02/1983 : GROUP HAS NO POWER TO PROBE JESUS SECT

Venerable Bazil Marsh

In the mid eighties, The Archdeacon of Northampton, The Venerable Bazil Marsh, was not a fan of the Jesus Army. Often publicly voicing his opinion of his view of the group as being a cult.

10/10/1986 : INVITE FROM JESUS PEOPLE

12/06/1987 : JESUS ARMY UNDER FIRE

23/09/1987 : JESUS UNIFORM UNDER ATTACK

22/09/1987 : MEET US - SECT'S OFFER TO CRITICS

15/06/1989 : JESUS ARMY ROW TO RECEIVE TV AIRING

15/06/1989 : GODS ARMY ON THE MARCH

Millenium Man