Terry Virgo

Founder of an English Evangelical church

Terry Virgo (born 20 February 1940) is a prominent leader in the British New Church Movement, formerly known as the House Church Movement. He is the founder of the Newfrontiers family of neocharismatic evangelical churches, which has grown into an international apostolic network of over 1500 churches in more than 70 nations. He is a leading Calvinist Charismatic. He has five grown up children and twelve grandchildren.

Virgo was born and raised in Brighton, on the English South Coast. He was not brought up in a believing home, though he was sent to Sunday school at both a high Anglican church, and a low Presbyterian Church, where he "never heard the gospel." When Virgo was 16 his sister became a believer, and through her he too was touched by God: he "got down on his knees and began to weep." At first he went to a formal Anglican Church, but when he visited Holland Road Baptist Church, he said "the moment I went through the door, I realised that these people had got what I had." The pastor, EG Rudman, exercised a great influence on Virgo at a formative stage." Rudman was a supporter of the Keswick Convention. Virgo was also influenced by Denis Clark and Campbell MacAlpine.

As a young pastor, Virgo was influenced by 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, shepherd and teacher, and over time a broader understanding of the nature of church life began to emerge. He has been called a sort of elder statesman of Calvinist continuationists.

The network of churches that related to Terry Virgo originally used the name Coastlands, and then New Frontiers International, finally settling on Newfrontiers. By the end of the 1990s Newfrontiers had had become the largest Apostolic network in the UK. William K Kay believes that significant numbers of Baptist churches joining the movement, and avoiding scandals and other negative events contributed to this hegemony. The same year, Virgo handed over leadership of Newfrontiers to a score of leaders worldwide, each of whom is described as being "free to develop his own strategies, training programs, and gospel advance", marking a significant change in the leadership structure of Newfrontiers.

Terry Virgo, along with many British New Church Movement leaders, believes the Bible teaches that the ministry of an apostle is for today, and did not end with the death of the first Apostles. He thinks the widespread belief amongst Evangelicals that apostles are no longer for today is largely a result of the Reformers opposition to the Roman Catholic notion of apostolic succession which has strongly influenced the Evangelical view ever since. He says: 'We do believe in the ongoing role of apostles and all Ephesians 4 gifts. We do recognize that of course the original twelve Apostles were unique, and that the canon of Scripture is complete. We do see the need however, today, for master builders in helping to establish foundations in local churches and for fathers in the faith." Terry Virgo thinks that restoration of apostles is the most important and distinctive feature of "Restoration" as defined by Andrew Walker. Terry is widely recognised as an apostle within this movement.

Terry Virgo holds to a complementarian view of gender roles.