What do Coptic Evangelivals believe?

[Raafat]

Hi,

Does anyone know what does the Coptic Evangelical Church (Here Evangelical means just Protestant, because Arabic makes them synonymous)

I tried to find more about their theology from their sources or Google, I found nothing.
The founding church merged into another church and ceases to exist, today its part of PC-USA, but I am not sure if they’d be the same church.
Its sister church is Church of Scotland, but I don’t know what does “sister” here mean.

So can anyone give me an insight go their believes?

 

[ltwin]

So can anyone give me an insight go their believes?

Couldn’t find anything online. However, the Coptic Evangelical Church [also known as the Evangelical Church of Egypt (Synod of the Nile) was founded by the United Presbyterian Church in North America (which as you say merged into what is today the Presbyterian Church USA).

The United Presbyterian Church subscribed to the Westminster Standards (Westminster Confession, the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, etc.). You can read the Westminster Standards here at thewestminsterstandard.org.

If they continue to adhere to the Westminster Standards, then they will believe basic Calvinistic/Presbyterian theology: the Trinity, Sola Scriptura, Justification by Faith Alone, Unconditional Election and Irresistible Grace (Predestination), 2 Sacraments (baptism/Lord’s Supper), they practice infant baptism on the basis of Covenant theology, they believe in the Spiritual Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and they practice presbyterian church government (no bishops).

Its sister church is Church of Scotland, but I don’t know what does “sister” here mean.

They are both Presbyterian Churches, and most likely they have a lot of partnerships between the churches.

 

[Athanasius_Mary]

I would assume they would be similar to the Evangelical Orthodox Church? Only Coptic instead of Byzantine.

https://www.evangelicalorthodox.org/home

 

[Raafat]

They were formed by PCUSA
So I don’t know, gonna have a look thanks.

 

[ltwin]

I would assume they would be similar to the Evangelical Orthodox Church? Only Coptic instead of Byzantine.

I think they are very different. The Coptic Evangelical Church started as a missionary church. American missionaries went to Egypt and established Presbyterian churches which eventually became a self-governing denomination.

The Evangelical Orthodox Church is not a missionary church but a syncretic denomination attempting to merge elements of Evangelicalism with Eastern Orthodoxy. It was founded by people affiliated with Campus Crusade for Christ who discovered a love for the Church Fathers and liturgical worship.

 

[Augustinian]

I would assume they would be similar to the Evangelical Orthodox Church? Only Coptic instead of Byzantine.

Probably not IMO.

My guess is that the Coptic Evangelicals are just the fruit of a mission sent out by a Protestant group. Protestants are unlike Catholics, they really don’t mandate a hierarchy, so if a national group breaks off formal affiliation for whatever reason, that’s fine.

 

[Raafat]

The Evangelical Orthodox Church is not a missionary church but a syncretic denomination attempting to merge elements of Evangelicalism with Eastern Orthodoxy. It was founded by people affiliated with Campus Crusade for Christ who discovered a love for the Church Fathers and liturgical worship.

I don’t get this church tbh. Are they Protestant or Orthodox?
May the Orthodox equivalent of Anglicanism?

I think they are very different. The Coptic Evangelical Church started as a missionary church. American missionaries went to Egypt and established Presbyterian churches which eventually became a self-governing denomination.

So because the original church no longer exists due to a merger with other church, I don’t know what this daughter church believe.

I got some of their educational material, but I’m not a Christian and can’t say whether they presented a particular belief or something shared by the Christian religion as a whole.

 

[Raafat]

My guess is that the Coptic Evangelicals are just the fruit of a mission sent out by a Protestant group. Protestants are unlike Catholics, they really don’t mandate a hierarchy, so if a national group breaks off formal affiliation for whatever reason, that’s fine.

It is all management no biggie, eh?

 

[ltwin]

I don’t get this church tbh. Are they Protestant or Orthodox?

They are not Orthodox (as in Eastern Orthodox or Oriental Orthodox), though I’m sure they believe their beliefs are orthodox (as in theologically correct). The name “Coptic” comes from the fact that it was a mission among Coptic Egyptians.

They are Protestants. Specifically, they are Presbyterians. This is made clear in their several alternative names: Evangelical Church of Egypt (Synod of the Nile) also called Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Egypt.

May the Orthodox equivalent of Anglicanism?

You’re making this too hard. They are Presbyterians. It’s that simple.

So because the original church no longer exists due to a merger with other church, I don’t know what this daughter church believe.

They are Presbyterians. They just manage their own business instead of being under the control of American Presbyterian missionaries. Their beliefs didn’t change. They simply became an “autocephalous” national Presbyterian church.

It is all management no biggie, eh?

It is an autonomous national church, but it still has relationships with the Presbyterian Church (USA) as seen by these links: Presbyterian Mission Agency Give to The Synod of the Nile, Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Egypt Fund | E052081 | Presbyterian Mission Agency and Presbyterian Mission Agency Egypt | About Our Work | Presbyterian Mission Agency. As you can see, PC(USA) still raises money on behalf of this church from American Presbyterians.

The church is also a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, which means it is in fellowship with other Presbyterian and Reformed denominations from around the world.

For more information, read its entry in the Claremont Coptic Encyclopedia. It says in the very first sentence, “COPTIC EVANGELICAL CHURCH, a Presbyterian national church founded through the efforts of the United Presbyterian Church in North America in 1854.”

That pretty much settles it. They are Presbyterians.

 

[Raafat]

I wasn’t talking about the Evangelical church in Egypt.
I was talking about Evangelical Orthodox Church.

 

[ltwin]

I wasn’t talking about the Evangelical church in Egypt.

I was talking about Evangelical Orthodox Church.

Oh, ok LOL. They are trying to blend Evangelicalism with Orthodoxy. I’m not really sure how that works in reality.

 

[Augustinian]

Oh, ok LOL. They are trying to blend Evangelicalism with Orthodoxy.

Not necessarily, it might have nothing to do with eastern Orthodoxy at all.

The “orthodox” label might just mean that their doctrines are consistent with standard, orthodox, evangelical teaching. There is an “Orthodox Presbyterian Church”, I guess they are just purer and more in tune with the teachings of Calvin and Knox.

 

[ltwin]

Not necessarily, it might have nothing to do with eastern Orthodoxy at all.

In this case it definitely does. The History section of its website says this:

The Evangelical Orthodox Church (EOC) is a movement for classical Christianity within the One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church with its temporal origins in Evangelical Protestantism, particularly in the Campus Crusade for Christ student missionary organization. This movement came to embrace an Orthodox theology while nurturing the treasures of evangelical expression. In a living expression of the faith, the EOC came to discover her roots and heritage. From the beginning the EOC sought to live out the Way in everyday life in fellowship and community. As the understanding of classical Christianity matured, the EOC started to hold and incorporate treasures from both the East and the West in its liturgical expression, recommending the value of each to the other. After some 10 - 12 years of living with this tension, a large part of the EOC membership chose to enter the Antiochian Orthodox Church in 1987. Many members remained as the EOC, faithfully laying hold of and pursuing the original call & vision.

Members of a typical evangelical denomination don’t just decide one day to join an Eastern Orthodox Church en masse.

The “orthodox” label might just mean that their doctrines are consistent with standard, orthodox, evangelical teaching. There is an “Orthodox Presbyterian Church”, I guess they are just purer and more in tune with the teachings of Calvin and Knox.

Yes, in the case of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church the “orthodox” does simply mean traditional Reformed theology. That church was founded during the Fundamentalist-Modernist Controversy within the PCUSA during the 1920s and 1930s when the liberals basically took over the the Presbyterian Church.