Continuing Churches are often numerically small denominations that formed from disputes within a larger parent organization. The ‘continuing’ organizations may be old or the split between the parent Church and the Continuing Church may be recent.

Terminology

The term Continuing Church has been used by a number of Christian denominations formed in response to a variety of doctrinal disagreements between members. The use of this term is meant to suggest that no new doctrines were being promoted by the dissenters, but rather that the historic faith allegedly abandoned by the parent body was being preserved—or continued—in these newly-founded churches.

Examples of Continuing Churches

Examples of Continuing Churches include the Free Church of England

Free Church of England

The Free Church of England is an Anglican church which separated from the established Church of England in the course of the 19th century. The church was founded by evangelical clergy and congregations in response to the rise of Anglo-Catholicism. The first congregations were formed in 1844...

 (1844), Presbyterian Church in America

Presbyterian Church in America

The Presbyterian Church in America is an evangelical Protestant Christian denomination, the second largest Presbyterian church body in the United States after the Presbyterian Church . The PCA professes a strong commitment to evangelism, missionary work, and Christian education...

 (1973), Continuing Anglican Movement

Continuing Anglican Movement

The term Continuing Anglican movement refers to a number of churches in various countries that have been formed outside of the Anglican Communion. These churches generally believe that "traditional" forms of Anglican faith and worship have been unacceptably revised or abandoned within some...

 (1977), Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly

Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly

The Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly is a conservative Presbyterian denomination in the United States. It was founded in 1991 by members of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in the Americas. It admits only men into church office and holds to Young Earth creationism...

 (1991), the Episcopal Missionary Church

Episcopal Missionary Church

The Episcopal Missionary Church is a Continuing Anglican church body in the United States and a member of the Federation of Anglican Churches in the Americas...

 (1992), and the Free Church of Scotland (continuing)

Free Church of Scotland (Continuing)

The Free Church of Scotland is a Scottish Presbyterian denomination which was formed in January 2000...

 (2000). In the USA, the ordination of women

Ordination of women

Ordination in general religious usage is the process by which a person is consecrated . The ordination of women is a regular practice among some major religious groups, as it was of several religions of antiquity...

 beginning in the 1970s played a major part in the formation of a number of Continuing Churches.

In Australia, both Fellowship of Congregational Churches

Fellowship of Congregational Churches

The Fellowship of Congregational Churches is a conservative Congregational denomination in Australia. It was formed by the forty congregations of the Congregational Union of Australia who chose not to join the Uniting Church in Australia in 1977....

 and the Presbyterian Church of Australia

Presbyterian Church of Australia

The Presbyterian Church of Australia is the largest Presbyterian denomination in Australia. .-Beginnings:...

 continued after the Uniting Church in Australia

Uniting Church in Australia

The Uniting Church in Australia was formed on 22 June 1977 when many congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, the Presbyterian Church of Australia and the Congregational Union of Australia came together under the Basis of Union....

 formed in 1977.

Apostolic succession

Continuing Churches with a Catholic or Anglican tradition have sometimes found it difficult to manage the initial separation in that there are a limited number of Anglicans or Roman Catholics who have passed on valid Apostolic succession. Prior to the 1970s, ‘Continuing Churches’ often approached English speaking Old Catholics to obtain Apostolic Succession and to place themselves within the historic episcopacy. This means that although such churches may have continued the beliefs and practices of Anglicanism, they have Apostolic Succession through the Old Catholic bishops Arnold Harris Matthew or Rudolphe De Landas Berghes. Most Continuing Anglican churches, however, descend from the "Denver Consecrations" of 1978 in which the consecrators were bishops in good standing in the Anglican Communion

Anglican Communion

The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...

.

Theology

‘Continuing Churches’ are frequently less tolerant of doctrinal diversity than the parent Church and claim that they hold on to an 'orthodox' position. The separation of the ‘continuing’ Church from the parent body often leads to a position of conflict between the two organisations.