The American Council of Christian Churches (ACCC) will hold its 85th Annual Convention at the Bible Presbyterian Church of Collingswood, New Jersey, from October 22-24, 2026. The theme for the Convention will be “Earrnestly Contending for the Grace of God.”
A number of godly ministers from various Bible-believing denominations will be speaking on various aspects of this subject. Dr. Bruce McAllister, president of Bob Jones University; Dr. John McKnight, of Reformation Bible Church in Darlington, Maryland; and Rev. Jonathan Smith, President of the ACCC, will be delivering the major evening addresses.
A number of breakout sessions will be held which will discuss various movements and trends in today’s church world in the light of Scripture.
Below is the complete schedule for the Convention. These may be printed for use in your church bulletins.
The delegates to the 22nd World Congress of the ICCC voted unanimously to accept the invitation of the Philippine Council of Christian Churches to hold the 23rd World Congress in the Philippines in 2030. Details will be provided as the time approaches. The ICCC last met in the Philippines in 2010. Please be in prayer for ICCC and PCCC leaders as initial plans are already underway.
One of the great joys and blessings of the 22nd World Congress of the ICCC was reunification with the American Coun-cil of Christian Churches (ACCC).
The ICCC is actually the child of the ACCC. A resolution passed in Detroit, Michigan, at the 1947 ACCC Annual Convention, stated, in part: “A time has come in the prov-i-dence of our gracious God when a council of Christian churches to bear testimony to ‘the faith once delivered unto the saints,’ and to represent Bible-believing churches throughout the world should be established.” This resolution called for a meeting to be held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from August 12-19, 1948, for the purpose of organizing the council. Letters were sent to Bible-believing Protestant churches across the globe, inviting them to send representatives.
Sadly, a division developed, and from the early 1970s the two councils operated independently of each other. Many of the issues involved then no longer exist, or have been resolved. In the past few decades there have been some who have served on the executive committees of both councils, and the cooperation, friendship, and relations between the two groups have grown increasingly stronger.
After much prayer, and open discussions, the ACCC voted at its annual convention in 2025 to apply for renewed membership in the ICCC. At the ICCC World Congress in Nakuru, Kenya, in July 2026, the delegates unan-imously welcomed the ACCC into Associate Membership. ACCC President Rev. Jonathan Smith gave one of the major addresses at the Congress, and spoke to the ICCC delegates preceding the vote.
Both councils take the strong sepa-ratist stand of their founders. Together with the psalmist David, we rejoice in the words of Psalm 133:1: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Christian unity without compromise is the command of the Scriptures.
We pray that the godly wisdom of the men in both councils will be a mutual blessing to each other as we seek to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints,” (Jude 3) and stand united “for the Word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation1:9). May God give us the wisdom and obedience to remain faithful to His Word.
The 22nd World Congress of the ICCC, held in Nakuru, Kenya, from July 22-29, 2026, will be remembered as a time of great unity, as new churches were received into membership, and previous ICCC groups joined in fellowship. In a separate article, we report on the wonderful reunion of the ICCC and the American Council of Christian Churches.
We are thankful for the hard work of the leaders of the East Africa Christian Alliance (EACA), an ICCC regional body. President Bishop Richard Kivai, General Secretary Bishop Geoffrey Buliba, and Treasurer Bishop Joseph Kurgat did much to assist the ICCC Planning Committee to make and implement the various plans. Many EACA ministers brought messages in the Congress.
Another church council, the East Africa Christian Association, has operated independently of the ICCC since a division took place in the early 1980s. A number of ministers from various denominations in the Association were all welcomed. They attended and participated in the Congress, and four of their ministers brought Bible messages.
After examination by the ICCC Executive Committee of their applications and doctrinal statements, interviews with the leaders of each group, and information and recommendations from various sources, the following denominations and churches were received into membership: American Council of Christian Churches, Bethzhada Baptist Church (Nairobi, Kenya), Everlasting Love Church (Nakuru, Kenya), Grace Baptist Church (Kittaning, Pennsylvania, USA), Methodist Church of Pakistan (Independent), Tipton, Iowa, Bible Church, and the United Presbyterian Church of Pakistan.
Music
Wonderful music was provided by many of the delegates, with choirs, soloists, and instrumentalists. Two families from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, comprised of 19 people, attended, and served as the wonderful orchestra for the Congress. They were joined by several others. They also played their hand chimes. Mrs. Chaewon Ra, missionary with The Independent Board for Presbyterian Foreign Missions, in Tanzania, served as the Congress pianist, accompanying all of the congregational hymns and many other musicans.
Statement and Resolutions
The ICCC delgates passed a resolution on “The Work and Ministry of the Holy Spirit,” which warned against the Charismatic Movement and other modern movements which condone the idea of extra-Biblical revelation in our day. Resolutions were also passed concerning “Communism and Socialism” and “Religious Persecution.” You can read the full text of each of these on this website. They are also available in PDF format suitable for printing.
The “Faithful Church in the End Times” is the theme chosen for the upcoming Congress of the Confederation of Evangelical Fundamental Churches of Peru. The meetings are set for February 24-27, 2026, in the beautiful Andes Mountains city of Ayacucho. The Cine-Teatro Municipal de Ayacucho, in the heart of Ayacucho’s historic district will be the Congress venue.
The key verse will be 2 Thessalonians 3:3: “But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.”
Information can be received by calling +51 946 049 204 or +51 999 079 610.
The present officers of CIEF-PERU are:
❖ President: Rev. David Huamantinco Limaco (Ayacucho). ❖ Vice President: Deacon Luiggi Buitron Jimenez (La Perla, Callao). ❖ Secretario: Dr. Pablo Pino Lozano (Breña, Lima). ❖ Treasurer: Rev. Gilber Pérez (Iquitos, Loreto).
The National Conference of the Philippine Council of Christian Churches (PCCC) was a real time of spiritual nourishment, fellowship and encouragement. The meeting held in Rizal, Laguna, the Philippines, included over 200 church leaders from various Bible believing denominations.
Messages were delivered by nine esteemed speakers, includingRev. Yap Kim-Sin of the Singapore Council of Christian Churches, who also serves on the executive committee of the International Council of Christian Churches (ICCC).
The sermons all centered around the theme of the conference: “Sanctified, Set Apart, and Standing.” This will likewise be the theme of the 22nd World Congress of the ICCC, scheduled to meet in Nakuru, Kenya, from July 22-29, 2026. This theme was chosen after being suggested by our Philippine brethren.
The officers of the PCCC are Rev. Pio Tica, president; Rev. Luis Seijo, General Secretary, and Rev. Oscar Bautista, Treasurer. Revs. Tica and Seijo serve on the ICCC Executive Committee.
Attendees at the Philippine Council of Christian Churches Convention
