The Society of Free Christians is small group of liberal Christians founded in 1999 by the Reverend Stephen Callander, the late Ivan Franks and others, very broadly in the spirit of the earlier Society of Free Catholics to promote liturgical 'catholic' worship within liberal Christian, non-credal, non-judgemental theology. The Society believes the uniting influence of liturgical language and worship drawing members 'God-wards' to be of more importance than the divisive influence of rigid dogmas or theological constraint.
The Society actively encouraged freedom of religious thought and practical expression.
The Society's worship was firmly entrenched in the 'Prayer Book' tradition and used as its main liturgical resource the Free Church Book of Common Prayer of 1919, edited by the Rev. Joseph Morgan Lloyd Thomas, founder of the Society of Free Catholics, and the Common Prayer of King's Chapel, Boston.
The SFC was wholly inclusive and supported the full and equal ministry of men and women.
From its foundation SFC had members from a range of church traditions: Unitarian, Old Catholic, Reformed, Free Christian.
In November 2006 the Society of Free Christians was re-organised and renamed the Religious Society of St Simon, under the administration of The Liberal Rite.
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