PropheticReformation.com

Introducing Terry Virgo

Just a few thoughts to help you on your way...

Why include a section on Terry Virgo on a website about reformation of prophetic ministry? I will answer that shortly, in the meantime here is a short brief on this great Man of God.

Terry Virgo is the leader of the Newfrontiers Charismatic Evangelical Christian movement.

Born and raised in Brighton on the English South Coast Virgo started a small church movement which has grown into an international group of churches in 29 nations. He is well known for his teaching on the doctrine of grace and is a leading Reformed Charismatic.

He teaches a complementarian view of gender relationships. Many charismatics who believe in modern day apostolic ministry recognise him as an apostle.

Born in Brighton, England Terry Virgo was sixteen years old when he became a Christian, but for four years he struggled between a very exciting world, a very formal church and feelings of inadequacy. The baptism in the Spirit rekindled his passion for God and he gave up his job in London and became a full-time door-to-door evangelist in the Brighton area.

After a couple of years Terry went to London Bible College. While he was in London two things particularly impressed him: the clear expositional preaching of Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones at Westminster Chapel and a group of Spirit-filled Christians who met on Sunday mornings for glorious times of worship. From then on Terry longed to see New Testament church life that was firmly rooted in the Word and filled with the Spirit.

In 1968 Terry moved to Seaford on the south coast of England, where he began leading a small group of believers. His goal was to build a new radical church life founded on the principles that he saw in the New Testament. While he was there someone prophesied that God would take him outside the boundaries of his local church to help other groups of believers. This soon started to happen as a number of small groups of people in the South East with similar motivations asked Terry to come and help them. This signalled the beginning of the ministry, which has grown into the work of Newfrontiers.

As a young pastor, Terry took part in the Charismatic movement. Having become disillusioned by his experience in traditional UK churches, he sought to direct his church toward what he considered its New Testament "charismatic roots." He was influenced in this pursuit by the teaching of the British Restorationist Arthur Wallis, who believed that a return of the charismatic gifts (such as prophecy and speaking in tongues) to the traditional denominations was not sufficient and that a more thorough restoration of church life to a New Testament pattern was necessary. Particular attention was initially given to the "Ephesians 4" ministries of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor/teacher, and over time a broader understanding of the nature of church life began to emerge.

During its beginnings, Terry's restorationist network was strongly shaped through Downs Bible Weeks – conferences usually a week long which gathered those involved in the early UK charismatic/restorationist movement to hear preaching from the the main leaders of the denomination, known as the apostolic team. The Downs Bible Week ran for a decade from 1979 and gathered up to 20,000 people at its height. Expositional Bible teaching and lively worship were major features of the event.

Originally operating under the banner of Coastlands, the growing network of churches that related to Terry Virgo and the team he lead formed closer working relationships focused on missions, church planting, and church oversight. This developed into the network known as Newfrontiers today.

Terry is the author of 14 books, including No Well Worn Paths, God's Lavish Grace, Does The Future Have a Church?, and The Tide is Turning. He is also known for hosting the well-known Stoneleigh Bible Weeks and the annual leaders Christian conference at Brighton.