ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians is an

evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their n ...

denomination in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. As a Presbyterian church, ECO adheres to Reformed theology and

Presbyterian polity Presbyterian (or presbyteral) polity is a method of church governance ("ecclesiastical polity") typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session o ...

. It was established in 2012 by former congregations and members of the

Presbyterian Church (USA) The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PC(USA), is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the US, and known for its liberal stance on doctrine and its ordaining of women and ...

, abbreviated PC(USA). Denominational disputes over theology—particularly ordination of practicing homosexuals as pastors and gay marriage—and bureaucracy led to the founding of ECO. In 2018, ECO has over 383 congregations, 103,425 covenant partners (church members) and over 500 pastors. ECO churches are

egalitarian Egalitarianism (), or equalitarianism, is a school of thought within political philosophy that builds from the concept of social equality, prioritizing it for all people. Egalitarian doctrines are generally characterized by the idea that all hu ...

in beliefs and ordain women as pastors and elders.

Name

The acronym "ECO" came from its original denominational name, which was the Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians. Because the nickname stuck, the denomination kept it and repurposed it to represent ECO's three-fold commitment to make disciples of Jesus Christ (Evangelical), connect leaders through accountable relationships and encourage collaboration (Covenant), and commit to a shared way of life together (Order). The name "ECO" also speaks to the commitment to "strengthen the 'ecosystems' of local churches" by providing the environment and resources to produce healthy churches.

History

ECO first grew out of discussions that took place in 2010 among pastors of the

who were concerned about the denomination's theological disputes they believed were distractions from the church's primary calling to spread the

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

. PC(USA) had faced controversy for years over its

liberal theology Religious liberalism is a conception of religion (or of a particular religion) which emphasizes personal and group liberty and rationality. It is an attitude towards one's own religion (as opposed to criticism of religion from a secular position ...

and disputes over the authority of the Bible. In 2008, its General Assembly proposed allowing the ordination of partnered LGBT clergy. This proposal was adopted in 2011, but it was opposed by some evangelical Presbyterians. In February 2011, a group of pastors issued a

white paper A white paper is a report or guide that informs readers concisely about a complex issue and presents the issuing body's philosophy on the matter. It is meant to help readers understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision. A white paper ...

that declared the PC(USA) "deathly ill" and called for a new approach. In August, the

Fellowship of Presbyterians The Fellowship Community, formerly known as the Fellowship of Presbyterians (FOP), arose from a movement started by seven pastors from some of the largest PC(USA) churches in the United States in 2010. The movement gained momentum when they met in ...

was formed as an umbrella organization of evangelicals in the Presbyterian Church (USA). The Fellowship initiated plans for ECO in response to interest from pastors and congregations for a new Presbyterian denomination. ECO was created to accommodate conservative Presbyterians that permitted the

ordination of women The ordination of women to ministerial or priestly office is an increasingly common practice among some contemporary major religious groups. It remains a controversial issue in certain Christian traditions and most denominations in which "ordin ...

. While other conservative Presbyterian churches in the United States existed, most of these did not permit female clergy with the exception of Evangelical Presbyterian Church, to which most of the PC(USA) presbyteries would not release the departing congregations to leave with their church properties due to the fact that the EPC did not mandate female clergy regarding it as non-essential. ECO was officially launched in January 2012 at a conference in Orlando, Florida. It began accepting member congregations in April. In the five years between 2012 and 2017, 303 churches and 121,000 people left the PC(USA) to join ECO.

Beliefs

Essential Tenets

The beliefs of ECO are expressed in a statement of Essential Tenets. These are part of ECO's constitution and is the denomination's binding theological document. The Essential Tenets affirm that the

Old Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England * Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, M ...

and

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chris ...

s are infallible and authoritative, containing everything necessary for

faith Faith, derived from Latin ''fides'' and Old French ''feid'', is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or In the context of religion, one can define faith as "belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". Religious people ofte ...

and life. In common with other Christians, ECO believes in the doctrine of the

Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God th ...

and the

Incarnation Incarnation literally means ''embodied in flesh'' or ''taking on flesh''. It refers to the conception and the embodiment of a deity or spirit in some earthly form or the appearance of a god as a human. If capitalized, it is the union of divinit ...

—the "two central Christian mysteries"—and that the only hope of

salvation Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its ...

and

adoption Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, fro ...

as children of God is God's

grace Grace may refer to: Places United States * Grace, Idaho, a city * Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois * Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office * Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uninc ...

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...

. Reflecting its Reformed heritage, ECO believes that, as a consequence of the

Fall of Man The fall of man, the fall of Adam, or simply the Fall, is a term used in Christianity to describe the transition of the first man and woman from a state of innocent obedience to God to a state of guilty disobedience. * * * * The doctrine of the ...

, humans lost

free will Free will is the capacity of agents to choose between different possible courses of action unimpeded. Free will is closely linked to the concepts of moral responsibility, praise, culpability, sin, and other judgements which apply only to ac ...

and are incapable of turning towards God. Salvation is made possible by only the

irresistible grace Irresistible grace (also called effectual grace, effectual calling, or efficacious grace) is a doctrine in Christian theology particularly associated with Calvinism, which teaches that the saving grace of God is effectually applied to those ...

of God, who chose the elect before the world was created. The Essential Tenets explain that within the church, God's grace is received through the preaching of the Word of God, the administration of the

sacraments A sacrament is a Christian rite that is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments to be a visible symbol of the rea ...

baptism Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...

and the

Lord's Supper The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was institut ...

, and

church discipline Church discipline is the practice of church members calling upon an individual within the Church to repent for their sins. Church discipline is performed when one has sinned or gone against the rules of the church. Church discipline is practiced wi ...

. The offices of

teaching elder Presbyterian (or presbyteral) polity is a method of church governance ("ecclesiastical polity") typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or ...

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chur ...

, and

ruling elder Presbyterian (or presbyteral) polity is a method of church governance ("ecclesiastical polity") typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or ...

correspond to Christ's three-fold office of

prophet In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the ...

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...

, and

king King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

. Because it believes that both men and women are called to all ministries in the church, ECO ordains women. All church members are to embody the three-fold offices in their daily lives by sharing and enacting the

Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

and extending the lordship of Jesus Christ. According to the Essential Tenets, progressive sanctification is an expected characteristic of a Christian life. This includes a life of

prayer Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified ...

, regular self-examination (especially guided by the

Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments (Biblical Hebrew עשרת הדברים \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים, ''aséret ha-dvarím'', lit. The Decalogue, The Ten Words, cf. Mishnaic Hebrew עשרת הדיברות \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְ ...

), and sincere confession of sin. According to the Essential Tenets, Christians are to maintain lives of

chastity Chastity, also known as purity, is a virtue related to temperance. Someone who is ''chaste'' refrains either from sexual activity considered immoral or any sexual activity, according to their state of life. In some contexts, for example when ma ...

either through celibacy or

marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

between a man and a woman.

Confessions

The Essential Tenets affirm a number of creeds, confessions and catechisms inherited from the Reformed tradition. These confessions are considered a faithful explanation of scriptural truth and a subordinate standard of doctrine to the Bible. When ECO was organized, its churches continued using the ''

Book of Confessions The ''Book of Confessions'' contains the creeds and confessions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The contents are the Nicene Creed, the Apostles' Creed, the Scots Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, the Second Helvetic Confession, the We ...

'' inherited from the Presbyterian Church (USA). In May 2017, ECO's Theological Task Force released its own edition of the ''Book of Confessions'', which was identical to PC(USA)'s except for the inclusion of new introductions written by members of ECO and the use of a different translation of the Heidelberg Catechism. Between 2016 and 2018, a process of confessional revision concluded with the adoption of the ''Confessional Standards'', which replaced the ''Book of Confessions''. It includes the following doctrinal standards: * Nicene Creed *

Apostles' Creed The Apostles' Creed (Latin: ''Symbolum Apostolorum'' or ''Symbolum Apostolicum''), sometimes titled the Apostolic Creed or the Symbol of the Apostles, is a Christian creed or "symbol of faith". The creed most likely originated in 5th-century ...

* Heidelberg Catechism *

Westminster Confession of Faith The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the "subordinate standard" ...

Westminster Shorter Catechism The Westminster Shorter Catechism is a catechism written in 1646 and 1647 by the Westminster Assembly, a synod of English and Scottish theologians and laymen intended to bring the Church of England into greater conformity with the Church of Sco ...

Westminster Larger Catechism The Westminster Larger Catechism, along with the Westminster Shorter Catechism, is a central catechism of Calvinists in the English tradition throughout the world. History In 1643 when the Long Parliament of England called the Westminster As ...

Barmen Declaration __NOTOC__ The Barmen Declaration or the Theological Declaration of Barmen 1934 (German: ''Die Barmer Theologische Erklärung'') was a document adopted by Christians in Nazi Germany who opposed the German Christian movement. In the view of the de ...

Several confessions found in the ''Book of Confessions'' were not included in the new ''Confessional Standards''. These include: *

Scots Confession The Scots Confession (also called the Scots Confession of 1560) is a Confession of Faith written in 1560 by six leaders of the Protestant Reformation in Scotland. The text of the Confession was the first subordinate standard for the Protestant ch ...

Second Helvetic Confession The Helvetic Confessions are two documents expressing the common belief of the Calvinist churches of Switzerland. History The First Helvetic Confession ( la, Confessio Helvetica prior), known also as the Second Confession of Basel, was drawn up in ...

Confession of 1967 The Confession of 1967 is a confession of faith of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), abbreviated PC(USA). It was written as a modern statement of the faith for the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (UPCUSA), the "norther ...

* Brief Statement of Faith This seems to indicate that the denomination is no longer espousing the Neo-Orthodoxy or the Barthian theology of the

and the radical feminism enshrined in the Brief Statement of Faith, which became the foundations of the LGBTQ movements in the

PC(USA) The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PC(USA), is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the US, and known for its liberal stance on doctrine and its ordaining of women and ...

, in their new ''Confessional Standards''.

Practices

ECO believes that baptism joins an individual to the Christian Church. It practices

infant baptism Infant baptism is the practice of baptising infants or young children. Infant baptism is also called christening by some faith traditions. Most Christians belong to denominations that practice infant baptism. Branches of Christianity that ...

and recognizes the validity of all Christian baptisms. It practices

open communion Open communion is the practice of some Protestant Churches of allowing members and non-members to receive the Eucharist (also called Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper). Many but not all churches that practice open communion require that the ...

for all "who put their trust in Jesus Christ". Full members, or "

covenant Covenant may refer to: Religion * Covenant (religion), a formal alliance or agreement made by God with a religious community or with humanity in general ** Covenant (biblical), in the Hebrew Bible ** Covenant in Mormonism, a sacred agreement b ...

partners", are able to vote in congregational meetings and hold leadership roles. To become a covenant partner, a person must make a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ as savior and lord. ECO recognizes three

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...

offices:

pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...

, elder and

. Ordained officers vow to "receive, adopt, and be bound by the ''Essential Tenets''" and to be guided by the ''Confessional Standards''. Ordination is performed by prayer and the

laying on of hands The laying on of hands is a religious practice. In Judaism ''semikhah'' ( he, סמיכה, "leaning f the hands) accompanies the conferring of a blessing or authority. In Christian churches, this practice is used as both a symbolic and formal met ...

Structure

Tacoma, WA - First Presbyterian Church 03

ECO follows

presbyterian polity Presbyterian (or presbyteral) polity is a method of church governance ("ecclesiastical polity") typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or ...

. Each congregation is governed by a session of elders elected by the members. The session also includes the pastor, who chairs or "moderates" session meetings. Congregations are organized into presbyteries, which exist to provide oversight and support to congregations and pastors. The members of a presbytery are its congregations (represented by elders called "commissioners") and pastors. ECO presbyteries typically range in size from 10 to 20 congregations. There are 22 geographical presbyteries: *East Central Presbytery (Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland) *Presbytery of Florida *Great Lakes Presbytery (Michigan, Ohio) *Presbytery of Texas (Texas, Louisiana) *Presbytery of the West (Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico) *Presbytery of Northern California *Presbytery of the Northwest (Oregon and Washington) *Presbytery of Southern California *Presbytery of Alaska *Presbytery of the South (Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia) *Presbytery of the Rivers of Life (western Pennsylvania) *Upper Midwest Presbytery (North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa). *Bluewater Presbytery (Hawaii and parts of California) *Mission Presbytery (parts of California) *Presbytery of Mid America (Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas) *Heritage Presbytery (Delaware, New Jersey, Southeast Pennsylvania) *Cornerstone Presbytery (New York, Northeast Pennsylvania) *Northeast Coast Presbytery *Presbytery of North Carolina *Hope Presbytery (Arizona) *Presbytery of the Harvest (Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin) *Presbytery of South Carolina The synod is the chief decision-making body of the denomination. Synod commissioners are elected by the presbyteries and include both elders and ordained pastors. The synod elects an executive council, which has power to organize presbyteries, settle disputes between them and manage the ongoing operations of the denomination.

Statistics

In 2018, there are over 383 congregations, 129,765 members and 500 pastors affiliated with ECO.

Notable congregations

* Austin Korean Presbyterian Church (Austin, Texas) * Binnerri Presbyterian Church (Dallas, Texas) * Christ Presbyterian Church (Edina, Minnesota) * First Presbyterian Church (Colorado Springs, Colorado) * First Presbyterian Church (Mount Holly, New Jersey) * First Presbyterian Church (Corpus Christi, Texas) * First Presbyterian Church (Houston, Texas) * First Presbyterian Church (Tacoma, Washington) * Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church (Chino Hills, California) * Grace Presbyterian Church (Houston, Texas) * Highland Park Presbyterian Church (Dallas, Texas) * Menlo Church (

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...

, California) * Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church (Houston, Texas) * Pilgrim Mission Church (Teanec, New Jersey) * St. Andrews Presbyterian Church (Newport Beach, California) * Tacoma Central Presbyterian Church (Tacoma, Washington)

Citations

References

* * *

External links

*
Disaffected Presbyterians Announce New Evangelical Body
{{authority control Presbyterian denominations established in the 21st century Members of the National Association of Evangelicals Members of the World Communion of Reformed Churches Presbyterian denominations in the United States Christian organizations established in 2012 Evangelical denominations in North America 2012 establishments in California