Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches Repudiates BNP’s Rev Robert West

A comment arrives:

Dear Sir,

As a member of the [Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches] Council, I must respectfully disagree with both Rev West’s view of FIEC policy and with your interpretation of the FIEC’s reluctance to speak against the BNP. The FIEC has declined your invitation to castigate the BNP not because it wishes to endorse the policies of the BNP but because it is unwilling to become a political lobby group for or against any political party. We profoundly disagree with a range of political views, across a range of political parties.

In fact, the FIEC strongly believes that the churches that make up the Fellowship would repudiate any idea that the Scriptures support the published policies of the BNP. There are elements within the policies of all political parties which are contrary to the Scriptures. In the case of the BNP, it appears to us that its policies seek to create an attitude of racial hierarchy which values people of some ethnic origins more than others. The Scriptures do not support any such policies, and we greatly regret that Mr West has asserted that they do, and in so doing, that he has linked the name of The Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches with his own erroneous views. Mr West is not in any way accredited by or associated with the FIEC.

Our restraint in answering your concerns does not condone either Rev. West’s views or your own.

Respectfully,
Pastor Michael Teutsch (Chair of the Care and Recognition Team)

This comes just nine months after the BNP’s Rev Robert West gave a sermon at an FIEC-affiliated Baptist chapel in  Leicestershire; the chapel’s administrators share the same surname as a local BNP activist. The FIEC issued a private assurance to a Messianic Jew that they did not approve of Rev West taking an FIEC pulpit (which is more than I got), but only now has any public statement been made, after Rev West left a comment on my blog opining that

I doubt very much that the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches oppose my views or the views of any genuine Christian and patriot, backed-up as they are by the holy Scriptures…

More background on Rev West here.

UPDATE: As well as Pastor Teutsch’s comment, there’s this more general announcement:

To all FIEC churches

We would wish you to be aware of a statement being made on a website in the public domain by the Rev Robert West, a parliamentary candidate representing the British National Party (BNP).

Mr West states the following: “I doubt very much that the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches oppose my views or the views of any genuine Christian and patriot, backed-up as they are by the holy Scriptures”.

Mr West has not contacted the FIEC office to find out what the views of the FIEC might be about this issue, and the FIEC regrets that Mr West has seen fit to make public reference to the supposed views of the FIEC without getting in touch with the office.

In fact, the FIEC strongly believes that the churches that make up the Fellowship would repudiate any idea that the Scriptures support the published policies of the BNP. There are elements within the policies of all political parties which are contrary to the Scriptures. In the case of the BNP, it appears to us that its policies seek to create an attitude of racial hierarchy which values people of some ethnic origins more than others. The Scriptures do not support any such policies, and we greatly regret that Mr West has asserted that they do, and in so doing, that he has linked the name of The Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches with his own erroneous views. Mr West is not in any way accredited by or associated with the FIEC.

Richard Underwood
General Secretary
The Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches

Meanwhile, it’s worth repeating the repudiation of West made by the Apostolic Church in 2006; this Pentecostal denomination ordained West in the 1970s, and West displayed his diploma on television in April (in a piece for the Politics Show which also featured me). In 2006 the church responded to a query from a blogger thus (the original blog has been deleted, but luckily I quoted it at the time):

…First of all may I confirm that The Apostolic Church does not support the views or the activities of the British National Party. The Church has no political association whatsoever.

On the second matter I am uncertain about who is the Mr Robert West mentioned in the article. One thing is certain: he does not speak on behalf of The Apostolic Church. If this person lives in Lincolnshire he does not attend The Apostolic Church. In fact as a denomination we have no churches in Lincolnshire.

I note that he is quoted as being ‘ordained as an elder’ within the Church. If this person has had any association with The Apostolic Church in the past the only means by which he can maintain either his membership or office is by attending one of our churches. If he were an active member of the Church his views would not be accepted by the Church and disciplinary action would be undertaken by the Church which strongly distances itself from views such as these.

5 Responses

  1. Happy Holidays Richard!

    Hope you have a good one.

  2. Merry Crimbo Ritchie lad. To you and yours, peace and goodwill.

  3. Why have the “RELIGEOUS LEARERS” abondoned CHRISTIANITY ?

    They have become ANTI-CHRIST AND ANTI-CHRISTIAN.

    Do not decry the BNP and it’s Member’s for Picking CHRISTIANITY OUT OF THE GUTTER WHERE “THE DEFENDER’S OF THE FAITH” THREW IT.

    DEFENDER’S OF WHOSE FAITH ? The ANTI-CHRIST = PRO-MOHAMMED ?

  4. Why have the “RELIGEOUS LEADERS” abondoned CHRISTIANITY ?

    They have become ANTI-CHRIST AND ANTI-CHRISTIAN.

    Do not decry the BNP and it’s Member’s for Picking CHRISTIANITY OUT OF THE GUTTER WHERE “THE DEFENDER’S OF THE FAITH” THREW IT.

    DEFENDER’S OF WHOSE FAITH ? The ANTI-CHRIST = PRO-MOHAMMED ?

  5. […] a few days ago – the BNP’s Rev Robert West (blogged by me a number of times, such as here) has been out campaigning; the Daily Telegraph reports: Griffin gets into his car and we drive to […]

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