History and Structure

1. History

IEF came into being in 1967, following the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965). Members of the International League for Apostolic Faith and Order (ILAFO), which had been founded in 1951 as a consequence of the formation of the World Council of Churches (WCC, 1948), realized that a more inclusive ecumenical body was now desirable.

At the conference in Fribourg in 1967, ILAFO, whose predominantly Old Catholic, Anglican and Evangelical-Lutheran membership had already been enriched by some Orthodox, Reformed and (since 1966) Roman Catholic individuals, decided to reconstitute itself as the International Ecumenical Fellowship (IEF).

The charismatic personality of Flora GLENDON HILL inspired the Fribourg Statement, which has remained at the heart of IEF: “By prayer, study and action, the International Ecumenical Fellowship (IEF) seeks to serve the movement towards the visible unity of the Church according to the expressed will of Jesus Christ by the means He wills.”

She encapsulated IEF’s vision for shared worship, discipleship and fellowship in the following words: “To serve the will of God, and unite the people of God, by hearing the word of God, proclaiming the praise of God, and breaking the bread of God.”

The first IEF international conference was held in 1968 at Gwatt in Switzerland, and at subsequent conferences the basic format for IEF conferences, with the celebration of the Eucharist at its heart, was established.

Our growth led to the adoption of a formal constitution and the establishment of national bodies (called regions) in 1974, the founding members being Great Britain, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany and the United States of America (USA). As conferences took place in different countries, new regions were formed in France and in Belgium.

IEF developed significantly after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Contacts nurtured by individuals in the previous decade were able to grow, and further regions came to be formed in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia; and Christians in the Eastern part of Germany were able to join a reunified German region.

The inclusion of Christians with different experiences of freedom and oppression, Church and political life, not least of those from Orthodox majority countries, has invigorated and enriched us.

2. Structure

Between international conferences, the life of IEF continues throughout the year with each region organizing groups, lectures and meetings, including the regional annual general meetings.

Ten regions make up IEF at present: each of these having its own officers, council of management, and local and national organization, and being ecumenical in principles, aims and composition.

These regions send their president and one other member (the international representative) of their national council as representatives to the General Assembly (GA): this main decision-making body usually meets twice a year.

The GA elects a Council of Management (CoM), consisting of a president, vice-president, treasurer and secretary (elected for three years), which takes executive action between General Assemblies (Gas), and may appoint different officers, for example a webmaster.

Apart from our annual budget, the Gustave Weigel Fund (GWF), established by the Fellowship, provides the means for the international participation of those who otherwise could not afford it.

IEF members keep in touch through a website (www.iefnet.info); many regions have their own websites and newsletters, and they support each other through prayer and intercession as well as the exchange of visits and hospitality. Different aspects of IEF’s calling and vision can be found in written declarations and publications.