The United Evangelical Church is a Christian denomination in Nigeria. It has existed since 1887. It has more than 1,000 congregations and 2,000,000 members. The church was founded by an Irish missionary, Rev.Samuel Alexander Bill the first of many missionaries who served with The Qua Iboe Mission, now known as Mission Africa, which is based in Belfast. The Mission and Church were initially named after the place where the mission began its work, at Ibeno near the Qua Iboe River in the present day Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria. The church and mission have been entirely independent entities since 1984, but the two continue to work together closely. The church has its headquarters at Uyo in Akwa Ibom State. United Evangelical Church is a Bible believing church and does not practice doctrines that do not have any biblical background.
Structure
The church maintains a four tier structure. There are the local units, each of which is an individual branch overseen by a local pastor, there is a Superintendency which comprises local branches at close proximity to each other and must not be less than 10 units, overseen by a Superintendent. A collection of five or more Superintendencies, makes up an area conference in what can be likened to the diocesan system of other Protestant churches. The assembly of all the area conference including the mission fields, makes up the National Conference and Rev Samuel Udeme Ebukiba is the current National Conference Chairman while National Secretary of the church is the Elder/Arch Andrew Essien and its Board of Trustees Chairman is Elder Air MarshalNsikak Eduok. The National Conference Chairman is the spiritual head of the church and oversees gatherings at the national level A breakaway group continues to term itself the QIC, but the United Evangelical Church is recognized by Mission Africa as the only true successor of the QIC.
Main administrative branches
Area conference
Aba
Abuja
Ankpa
Ejule
Eket
Ibaji
Idah
Kaduna
Mbioto-Mkpat Enin
Ogugu
Olamaboro
Oloko
Ukanafun
Umuaro
Uyo
Superetendencies
Calabar
Eleme Township
Lagos Township
Lagos Central
Ondo
Oron
Port Harcourt
Rumuomasi
Toto
District
Benin Township
Bonny Township
Enugu Township
Owerri Township
Warri Township
Utako Township
Autonomous
Abak Itenge
Afaha Effiat
Asuna
Ikat Etetuk
Odoro Ikot
Annual conference gatherings
The United Evangelical Church holds its rotatory annual conferences every last quarter of the year; preferably starting from the first week of December each year. This conference is the event where key decisions guiding the church's act for the next year are formulated and it is usually at such conferences that new pastors are ordained pending their induction into the college of ministers. Events at the conferences include: Sessions, Standing Committee and Ministry Committee meetings, the ordination, holy communion and thanksgiving services.