Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the Episcopal Fellowship for Renewal?
The Episcopal Fellowship for Renewal (EFR) is a lay-led, grassroots organization, dedicated to the renewal of The Episcopal Church.
2. What is your purpose?
To restore orthodox Christian faith and witness to The Episcopal Church. We won’t turn our backs on God, and we won’t turn our backs on The Episcopal Church. You can read more about our mission here.
3. I heard you were a bunch of kids.
We are mostly GenZ “Zoomers” ranging in ages from 15 to 29, but we have Millennials and some GenXers as well.
4. Who are you in real life?
We are schoolteachers, college students, technicians, aspiring artists, filmmakers, a few high schoolers, and a priest or two.
5. Who are you affiliated with?
We are not affiliated with any group or organization. That said, we were inspired by (and grew out of) RedeemedZoomer’s Operation Reconquista, a mainline Protestant youth movement of reformation and renewal.
6. Have you ever met each other in real life, or are you a bunch of LARPers?
In September of 2023, the leaders of EFR to attended the Communion Partners / RADVO meeting at the Church of the Incarnation in Dallas. That’s where many of us met in person for the first time.
7. Does RedeemedZoomer run the EFR?
No, RedeemedZoomer does not run the EFR. We have our own leadership team of several adults, from a variety of backgrounds.
8. How is the EFR related to Operation Reconquista?
We agree with RedeemedZoomer and Operation Reconquista that orthodox Christian faith and witness must be restored to the mainline Protestant churches in the United States. While we collaborate when we can, we are independent from the other denominations in the movement. Each denomination has its own group with its own leadership. Each mainline group in the Reconquista composed its own 95 Theses. Our theses were written by Episcopalians, for Episcopalians.
9. I don’t like your overall tone, especially the word “reconquista.”
We’ve tried to reframe the “reconquista” more as a “return of the exiles” and as a “rebuilding the wall.”
In other words, more Ezra and Nehemiah and less Joshua.
As for the 95 Theses, they are meant as something of an homage to the great Reformers, Martin Luther especially, who himself could be quite bombastic.
10. Do you advocate violence?
Absolutely not.
11. What’s the point of your 95 Theses?
The point of the 95 Theses is to foster a much-needed churchwide discussion about the future (and place) of traditional-minded believers in The Episcopal Church.
12. Why don’t you just join the Anglican Church in North America?
Because our goal is to stay in The Episcopal Church and to help ensure that conservative, traditional, and biblically orthodox Episcopalians continue to have a place to stand within The Episcopal Church and the wider Anglican Communion.
13. I’ve heard that you tell seminarians to lie about their conservative beliefs during the ordination process.
We do not counsel anyone to lie during the ordination (or any other) process. Instead, we strive to follow Jesus’ counsel in Matthew 5:37 to let our yes be yes and our no be no.
14. You seem exclusive.
“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? (Ezekiel 18:25)
Many say they adhere to a generous and inclusive orthodoxy, but we think it’s important for The Episcopal Church to keep a place for the historic orthodox believer, not just to survive, but to thrive. Generosity and inclusion must start with being generous towards and including those who stick to the old ways.
15. What is your position on the Anglican Church in North America?
We acknowledge them as brothers and sisters in Christ and as faithful Anglicans. We acknowledge the sacrifices many of them made when starting a new denomination and we ask for their prayers for the success of our endeavor.
16. You just seem to care about old buildings.
These are more than buildings. They are important symbols. Anglicans value symbols. They are our patrimony and history. They are yours too. They dot the American landscape, but soon they may be gone.
17. This will never work. The Episcopal Church is too far gone. You can’t succeed.
We leave our success up to God. All we know is that we need to be faithful. The Reformer’s motto was Semper Reformanda, always reforming. Even if you’re in a more “faithful” or “orthodox” offshoot Anglican denomination you can’t rest on your laurels. You have to do this work too. “Sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it” (Genesis 4:7).
18. What is your position on Ukraine, Israel, Palestine, and Christian Nationalism?
We are not a political organization. These issues are important, but beyond our scope. We are a reform movement, working to restore The Episcopal Church to orthodox Christian faith and witness.
19. Who is funding you?
As of now, we have no funding.
20. Where can I learn more about you?
Check out our media page here.
21. How can I get involved with the EFR?
Sign up using the form on the Join page. Once we’ve verified you, we’ll connect you to our Discord server where you can interact with our leadership and the many EFR members who have already connected and banded together from all across the United States.