The neutrality and factual accuracy of this article are disputed. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page.

Part of a series of articles on Christianity

Jesus Christ Birth · Resurrection Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... Image File history File links Christian_cross_trans. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... This page is about the title, office or what is known in Christian theology as the Divine Person. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... The Resurrection—Tischbein, 1778. ... Foundations Church · Theology New Covenant Apostles · Kingdom · Gospel History of Christianity · Timeline St. ... Christian doctrine redirects here. ... Christians believe that Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant (see Hebrews 8:6). ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      For other... “Kingdom of Heaven” redirects here. ... Gospel, from the Old English good tidings is a calque of Greek () used in the New Testament (see Etymology below). ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Church historian... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      The purpose... Bible Old Testament · New Testament Books · Canon · Apocrypha Septuagint · Decalogue Sermon on the Mount Great Commission Translations (English) Inspiration · Hermeneutics This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library. ... Note: Judaism commonly uses the term Tanakh to refer to its canon, which corresponds to the Protestant Old Testament. ... This article is about the Christian scriptures. ... The canonical list of the Books of the Bible differs among Jews, and Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox Christians, even though there is a great deal of overlap. ... A biblical canon is a list of Biblical books which establishes the set of books which are considered to be authoritative as scripture by a particular Jewish or Christian community. ... The biblical apocrypha includes texts written in the Jewish and Christian religious traditions that either were accepted into the biblical canon by some, but not all, Christian faiths, or are frequently printed in Bibles despite their non-canonical status. ... The Septuagint: A column of uncial text from 1 Esdras in the Codex Vaticanus, the basis of Sir Lancelot Charles Lee Brentons Greek edition and English translation. ... This article is about a list of ten religious commandments. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      The Sermon... In Christian tradition, the Great Commission is the instruction of the resurrected Jesus Christ to his disciples, that they spread the faith to all the world. ... The Bible has been translated into many languages. ... The efforts of translating the Bible from its original languages into over 2,000 others have spanned more than two millennia. ... Biblical inspiration is the doctrine in Christian theology concerned with the divine origin of the Bible and what the Bible teaches about itself. ... Biblical Hermeneutics, part of the broader hermeneutical question, relates to the problem of how one is to understand Holy Scripture. ... Christian theology Monotheism Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) History of · Theology · Apologetics Creation · Fall of Man · Covenant · Law Grace · Faith · Justification · Salvation) Sanctification · Theosis · Worship Church · Sacraments · Eschatology Dispensationalism · Covenant Theology New Covenant Theology Christian doctrine redirects here. ... For the Celtic Frost album, see Monotheist (album) In theology, monotheism (from Greek one and god) is the belief in the existence of one deity, or in the oneness of God. ... This article is about the Christian Trinity. ... In many religions, the supreme God is given the title and attributions of Father. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      In mainstream... This is an overview of the history of theology in Greek thought, Christianity, Judaism and Islam from the time of Christ to the present. ... Theology finds its scholars pursuing the understanding of and providing reasoned discourse of religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Christian apologetics is the... THIS IS A FACT Creation is a doctrinal position in many religions and philosophical belief systems which maintains that a single God, or a group of or deities is responsible for creating the universe. ... In Abrahamic religion, The Fall of Man or The Story of the Fall, or simply The Fall, refers to humanitys transition from a state of innocent bliss to a state of sinful understanding. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      This article... Note: Judaism commonly uses the term Tanakh to refer to its canon, which corresponds to the Protestant Old Testament. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      In Christianity... Faith in Christianity centers on faith in the Resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) ... the gospel I preached to you. ... The Harrowing of Hell as depicted by Fra Angelico In Christian theology, justification is Gods act of declaring or making a sinner righteous before God. ... For other uses, see Salvation (disambiguation). ... Sanctification or in its verb form, sanctify, literally means to set apart for special use or purpose, that is to make holy or sacred (compare Latin sanctus holy). Therefore sanctification refers to the state or process of being set apart, i. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      In Eastern Orthodox and... Monument honoring the right to worship, Washington, D.C. In Christianity, worship has been considered by most Christians to be the central act of Christian identity throughout history. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      In Christian... In Christian belief and practice, a sacrament is a rite that mediates divine grace, constituting a sacred mystery. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      In Christian theology, Christian eschatology is the... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      As a current in Protestant Christian theology... Covenant Theology is not to be confused with the Covenanters For Covenantal Theology in the Roman Catholic perspective, see Covenantal Theology (Roman Catholic). ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      New Covenant Theology refers to a... History and traditions Early · Councils Creeds · Missions Great Schism · Crusades · Reformation Great Awakenings · Great Apostasy Restorationism · Nontrinitarianism Thomism · Arminianism Congregationalism Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      The term Early Christianity... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      An Ecumenical Council (also sometimes Oecumenical... For other uses, see Creed (disambiguation). ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      A Christian... For the later Papal Schism in Avignon, see Western Schism. ... This article is about the medieval crusades. ... Reformation redirects here. ... The Great Awakenings refer to several periods of dramatic religious revival in Anglo-American religious history. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Great Apostasy is... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      For other... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Nontrinitarianism refers to Christian... Thomism is the philosophical school that followed in the legacy of Thomas Aquinas. ... Arminianism is a school of soteriological thought in Protestant Christian theology founded by the Dutch theologian Jacob Hermann, who was best known by the Latin form of his name, Jacobus Arminius. ... Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation indepedently and autonomously runs its own affairs. ... Eastern Christianity Eastern Orthodox · Oriental Orthodox · Syriac Christianity · Eastern Catholic Eastern Christianity refers collectively to the Christian traditions and churches which developed in Greece, Russia, Armenia, the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Middle East, northeastern Africa and southern India over several centuries of religious antiquity. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Coptic Orthodox Pope · Roman Catholic Pope Archbishop of Canterbury · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Faith... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      The term... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Syriac Christianity is a culturally and... The Eastern Catholic Churches are autonomous particular Churches in full communion with the Pope of Rome. ... Western Christianity Western Catholicism · Protestantism · Anabaptism · Lutheranism · Calvinism · Anglicanism · Baptist · Methodism · Evangelicalism · Fundamentalism · Unitarianism · Liberalism · Pentecostalism · Christian Science · Unity Church · Oneness Pentecostalism Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Western Christianity... Catholic Church redirects here. ... Protestantism encompasses the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated with the doctrines of the Reformation. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Anabaptists (Greek... Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestant Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Calvinism is... This box:      Anglicanism most commonly refers to the beliefs and practices of the Anglican Communion, a world-wide affiliation of Christian Churches, most of which have historical connections with the Church of England. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Baptist is... For other uses, see Methodism (disambiguation). ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The word evangelicalism often refers to... Fundamentalist Christianity, or Christian fundamentalism, is a movement that arose mainly within British and American Protestantism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by conservative evangelical Christians, who, in a reaction to modernism, actively affirmed a fundamental set of Christian beliefs: the inerrancy of the Bible, Sola Scriptura, the... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Unitarianism is the belief... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Liberal Christianity, sometimes called... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Pentecostal can... Christian Science is a religious teaching regarding the efficacy of spiritual healing according to the interpretation of the Bible by Mary Baker Eddy, in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (first published in 1875). ... Unity, also known as Unity Church, is perhaps of the New Thought denominations the most explicit in identifing with Christianity[1] They have been and continue to be influenced by a wide range of spiritual and philosophical ideas. ... Oneness Pentecostalism is a movement of Pentecostal Christianity that believes in the atoning death of Jesus Christ, His resurrection, His soon return, and the inerrancy of the Word of God as contained in the Bible. ... Restorationism Adventism · Christadelphians · Jehovah's Witnesses · Latter-day Saint movement (Mormonism) Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      For other... The term Adventist can refer to One who believes in the Second Advent (usually known as the Second coming) of Jesus. ... Christadelphians (From the Greek Brothers in Christ) are a Christian denomination which developed in the United Kingdom and North America in the 19th century. ... The Latter Day Saint movement (also called the Mormonism movement or the Mormon movement) is a religious movement beginning in the early 19th century that led to the set of doctrines, practices, and cultures called Mormonism and to the existence of numerous churches whose members call themselves Latter Day Saints. ... For more general information about religious denominations that follow the teachings of Joseph Smith, Jr. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Christian movements are theological, political, or philosophical intepretations of Christianity that are not generally represented by a specific church, sect, or denomination. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      A denomination... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Ecumenism (also oecumenism, Å“cumenism... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      A sermon is an oration by... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      This article... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      A liturgy is a... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      This article is about... Christian art is art that spans many segments of Christianity. ... Throughout the history of Christianity, a wide range of Christians and non-Christians alike have offered criticisms of Christianity, the Church, and Christians themselves. ... Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch A 19th century picture of Paul of Tarsus Paul of Tarsus (originally Saul of Tarsus) or Saint Paul the Apostle (fl. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers... The relationship between Constantine I and Christianity entails both the nature of the conversion of the emperor to Christianity, and his relations with the Christian Church. ... Athanasius of Alexandria (Greek: Αθανάσιος, Athanásios; c 293 – May 2, 373) was a Christian bishop, the Bishop of Alexandria, in the fourth century. ... Augustinus redirects here. ... Saint Anselm of Canterbury (1033 or 1034 – April 21, 1109) was an Italian medieval philosopher and theologian, who held the office of Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109. ... Saint Thomas Aquinas, O.P.(also Thomas of Aquin, or Aquino; c. ... Gregory Palamas Gregory Palamas (Γρηγόριος Παλαμάς) (1296 - 1359) was a monk of Mount Athos in Greece and later Archbishop of Thessalonica known as a preeminent theologian of Hesychasm. ... Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 – February 18, 1546) was a German monk,[1] priest, professor, theologian, and church reformer. ... John Calvin (July 10, 1509 – May 27, 1564) was a French Protestant theologian during the Protestant Reformation and was a central developer of the system of Christian theology called Calvinism or Reformed theology. ... For other persons named John Wesley, see John Wesley (disambiguation). ... Arius (AD/CE 256 - 336, poss. ... Marcion of Sinope (ca. ... The Archbishop of Canterbury is the spiritual leader and senior clergyman of the Church of England, recognized by convention as the head of the worldwide Anglican Communion. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Pope. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Patriarch of Alexandria. ... Throne inside the Patriarchade of Constantinople. ...

Christianity Portal This box: view • talk • edit

Christian Conventions is a name used for official purposes in various countries by a non-denominational Christian church. Distinguishing features of the church are a homeless, itinerant ministry, and fellowship-style worship gatherings in the homes of adherents. The church has no official headquarters. A non-denominational church (usually Christian) is a religious organization which does not necessarily align its mission and teachings to an established denomination. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... For the architectural structure, see Church (building). ... Look up itinerant in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Name of church

As a nondenominational church that remains strictly unaffiliated with other religious groups, one of the church's definitional policies is the disclaiming of any denominational title, name, or formal identification. The church is officially nameless. Members most often refer to their fellowship as "the Truth" or "the Way" (of God). Sometimes, "God's Truth and Way". They might also identify themselves as "Christians", "the saints", or "the friends".

In support of the decision to take no official group name, adherents sometimes point to the scriptural passage where Peter and John are asked "... by what name, have ye done this?" and they answer "... by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth ... there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:5-12). In Acts 9:1-2 and other references in the Acts the "disciples of the Lord" are described as being "of the way".

It has not been legally necessary in most countries for the church to be formally registered as a denomination, because the church is not an incorporated organisation, and therefore is legally unable to own property. The policy of avoiding formal registration, however, has been approached somewhat pragmatically wherever government legislation has compelled the church to be registered, or during exceptional circumstances.

The first instance of this was in England during the First World War, when the church was registered, under the name "Testimony of Jesus". During World War Two, the church was registered in the United States as "Christian Conventions" and in Canada as "Assemblies of Christians". The church has also been registered in a few other places, including Hong Kong ("Christian"), Paraguay ("Friends in Paraguay"), Sweden, and Western Australia. A general "name" such as "Christian Fellowship" may be used for functional purposes, such as when members register as renters of a hall or school for meetings.

The church has received many nicknames by observers. Among these, the most common are "two by two" or "2X2" (in reference to the practice of missionaries working in pairs). Other nicknames are more derisive, such as "the no-name church", "the damnation army", or "the black stockings", in reference to a discarded trend for women to wear dark colours.

Dress and social practices

Dress

Although the church has never published an official dress code, workers have taught that Christians should be modest in dress. What has been considered "modest" and to what degree behaviours in dress have been required, has varied. To a certain extent, what has been considered "modest" by society in general, as well as considerations of practicality, have influenced the teachings and practices of the church. The following practices are generally observed in Western countries: ^{[citation needed]}

• Women wear their hair long.
• Women do not wear jewellery or make-up.
• Men have short hair.
• Men are clean-shaven, or have well-groomed facial hair.
• Clothign should adequately cover sexual characteristics.

Member's attire in non-Western countries tends to reflect local customs concerning modesty and dignity. If clothing adequately hides sexual characteristics, and does not draw unnecessary attention to the individual, it is likely to be accepted.

Terminology

The following are some of the common terms used by the group, and a definition of each in the sense most commonly intended and understood by members of the group.

bishop, elder, deacon - a leader of a church as defined below. Normally the male head of the house in which the church meets.

church - generally, a small, local congregation that meets in a home; can refer to a larger group of believers or to the group as a whole. Not used to refer to a building except when referring to church buildings of other denominations or speaking metaphorically. Used colloquially when talking to strangers to refer to one's Sunday/Wednesday activity, ie "I'll be at church until midday."

field - a geographical region to which a minister or set of ministers has been assigned (similar to "parish"). A parish is a type of administrative subdivision. ...

friend, saint - convert, adherent, member. Collectively "the friends", or "the saints".

meeting - any formal gathering of friends, whether for Sunday morning worship, mid-week bible study (usually Wednesdays), annual special meetings or conventions, or other meetings called for special purposes, such as elders' or workers' meetings.

mission - larger meetings called by workers in a field, usually held at a public venue such as a school or scout hall. Missions are held in series, lasting several months, and local members generally attend them in addition to their regular Sunday morning meeting and the Wednesday night meeting. This is the primary venue for evangelism, to which members are encouraged to invite strangers along. Sometimes these meetings are advertised in local newspapers, and/or with leaflet drops etc. The overseers and workers devise a plan of missions and notify local elders, who in turn notify members.

overseer, head worker - a senior brother worker who has authority over a state, province, territory, or region. The position is normally held until the death or incapacity of the present holder, at which point the senior workers choose his replacement by consensus.

profess, professing - to make or to be making or have made a public declaration of faith in the fellowship. Members are those who "are professing", and vice versa.

worker, servant - minister, missionary, preacher.

Church organization

The group has based its organizational structure generally on the concept that there are two types of divine "call", as noted in the first chapter of Paul the Apostle's Letter to the Romans: the "call to be an apostle," (vs. 1), and the "call to be a saint."(vs. 7). Members commonly refer to these two classes as "workers" or "servants" and "friends" or "saints." St. ... The Epistle to the Romans is one of the epistles, or letters, included in the New Testament canon of the Christian Bible. ... For other uses, see Saint (disambiguation). ...

The main purpose of the workers is seen to be evangelical (i.e. extending the fellowship to others). The main purpose of the saints is seen to be "lights" in their individual communities by living a Christian life. Thus, the ministry is seen to be mobile; the laity to be stable. And, thus, much emphasis is placed on the need for the workers to be unencumbered by possessions and relations, in order to be able to travel freely as needed.

Workers travel within their appointed fields, hold public gospel meetings, and from these gospel meetings seek to gain converts. The workers organize such converts into small local communities, called churches; appoint homes in which these churches meet for worship; and appoint elders (also called "bishops") and deacons responsible for leading the church, normally the head of the house in which the church meets. As new converts are most commonly known to one or more members of the church, they ordinarily join the meeting of members to whom they are geographically and socially close. A new convert will be introduced to the leader of his or her nearest local meeting.

The workers are supervised by one or more senior brother worker within each region.

Workers

Workers are the church's missionaries and ministers. The option of entering the ministry is theoretically open to every baptised member, although it has been over 40 years since married people were accepted into the ministry. When a church member feels that God has "called" them to enter the work they offer their services to the overseer within their state or territory. If accepted into the work, they are expected to sell everything they have and give the money to the poor (i.e. via charity), or give it to the church, or a combination of both. For other uses, see Missionary (disambiguation). ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      For other types of... This article is about the Christian religious act of Baptism. ... In modern usage, the practice of charity means the giving of help to those in need. ...

The workers point to the example of the Apostles and their immediate response to Jesus' calling them to be "fishers of men"; such as leaving their nets "at once" (Matthew 4:19; Mark 1:18) and abandoning clerical duties (Luke 5:28; Mark 2:14). Because the Apostles "left all to follow Christ", the workers reason that new workers must likewise be willing to leave behind all relationships, possessions, and positions in order to follow Jesus in the ministry. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      For other...

Novice workers do not engage in any formal religious training (i.e. theological schools or university). Some may have done so before coming to this faith. It is reasoned that Jesus and most of the first apostles did not have any formal religious training beyond the common public education. Further, it is reasoned that the theologian may rely too heavily on his or her own reasoning and not on revelation from God. Workers generally work in pairs, a senior worker with a junior assistant. This arrangement allows the younger workers to learn from the older workers' experience. This period of junior status can last for decades.

The overseer within a locality retains the discretion to allow or disallow a person to enter the ministry. A new worker usually formally begins his or her ministry by speaking at a Convention or Special Meeting. This date is considered the date of the worker's ordination.

Workers in Australia officiate at the funerals of members, particularly if the individual worker is well known to and on good terms with the member in question and their families. Often, the officiating worker is also a relative, although this by no means confers any precedence in the choice of who will officiate. In Australia the workers are generally not registered marriage celebrants, but give sermons and prayers at members' weddings if requested to do so.

Overseers

An overseer (in Australia "head worker") is a senior brother worker who is given an overall authority for a geographic region, such as a state or a country. Seniority, experience, and suitability usually determines who becomes an overseer; there is no formula of succession, although an overseer may appoint or suggest an appointment for his successor. An overseer's tasks include coordinating missionary efforts, assigning workers to fields, distributing monetary funds as needed, advising the workers under his supervision, and making decisions regarding church discipline. Also, senior brother workers are appointed as general overseers of larger regions, which may include several states or countries. Overseers (and workers in general) are generally expected to work in consultation with each other.

"Friends"

The term "friends" is the church's internal term for members. Members base this practice on a number of scriptural references to Jesus calling his followers "friends", in particular John 15:13-15, and John 21:5. They reason that because Jesus said "You are my friends if you do what I command" the term is applicable to them.

The church views the act of becoming a member as a conversion experience in its own right. The usual practice of conversion involves attendance at public gospel meetings and "professing" one's faith. At certain times through the yearly preaching cycle, the meeting will be "tested" (reportedly, twice a year in most places) and any wishing to "profess their faith in Christ" are given opportunity to do so. A comparable practice would be the "altar call" in some Protestant denominations. Making a profession entitles the individual to participate in church services, such as Sunday fellowship meetings. Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religious identity, or a change from one religious identity to another. ... An altar call is a practice in some evangelical churches in which those who wish to make a new spiritual commitment to Jesus Christ are invited to come forward publicly. ...

The overwhelming majority of new members are raised in the church, and profess between their early teens and late twenties.

Elders

An elder is a man who leads an individual congregation and is commissioned to this office by the workers. In Australia an elder is also known as the "bishop" of his church. Elder (religious) redirects here. ...

The criteria for choosing an elder is as follows:

• The elder must be in agreement with the teachings and practices of the church.
• The elder must have an excellent reputation among the church's members in the field.
• The elder's marriage must be reputable.

In cases where the elder is unable to attend a meeting over which he presides, a back up elder performs his duties. Most commonly this will be someone also appointed by the workers. Usually it is a man that is appointed, but when there are none available, this office is given to a woman who meets the same criteria.

Deacons and deaconnesses

Workers may appoint other friends, male or female, to perform various tasks, such as (unpaid) secretarial work. Such appointments may be temporary or on-going. While not generally addressed by an official title, such appointees are generally considered to hold the office of deacon or deacconness. The leader of a bible study meeting is sometimes referred to as a deacon. For other uses, see Deacon (disambiguation). ...

The role of women in the church

Women are accepted both in the church ministry and also to full participation in church worship. Female workers routinely hold public gospel meetings, and female members take part in prayers, testimonies, singing, and communion. Female workers or friends do not lead meetings when a male worker or friend is present who is qualified for the same role.

Meetings (Present order of worship)

Gospel meeting

The gospel meeting is an evangelical service. It is usually held in a rented public hall or school, but may also be held in a private home. A revival meeting is a series of Christian religious services held with an eye to encourage active members of a religious body and to provoke those outside of it to become part of it. ... Look up evangelist in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Gospel meetings are usually conducted by two workers. No religious ornamentation is used. Workers do not wear vestments or special garments during these services, and no collection of money is taken. The order of these services is usually as follows:

• One or two hymns is sung, often accompanied by keyboard.
• One of the workers prays.
• Another hymn is sung.
• One of the workers (the youngest usually speaks first) preaches to the congregation until close to the end of the first half hour of the service.
• Another hymn is sung. The audience is often invited to stand while singing, as a rest from sitting.
• The other worker preaches to the congregation until near the end of the meeting.
• Another hymn is sung.
• One of the workers closes the service with a prayer.
• Words of dismissal (in some places benedictions), thanking the audience for attending and inviting them to come again.

In places where the church is well-established, workers may conduct two or more gospel meetings a week in the same public building for an extended period of months. In other areas, workers may conduct gospel meetings for several nights of the week and move to new towns more frequently. This more mobile example of the church's evangelistic practices is the rule in countries like France, Germany, India, and the African and Asian countries. A benediction is a short invocation for divine help, blessing and guidance, usually at the end of church worship service. ...

Sunday fellowship meeting

The Sunday morning meeting, often called a "fellowship meeting," is usually held in the home of the elder, who guides the proceedings and performs sacramental duties.

The number of people in each meeting can be as few as two or as many as will comfortably fit in the meeting area of the house. This varies depending on the number of local members; however, twenty may be an average. The church group often consists of several individuals and families.

The order of the meeting is usually as follows:

• silence is observed before the meeting commences and while the members enter the meeting room
• the congregation sings one or two hymns
• prayer: in turn, all professing members make a short, spontaneous, audible prayer
• another hymn is sung
• testimony: in turn, all professing members speak about a Bible passage of their choosing that they have enjoyed, and its application to their daily living; or they may relate a personal experience, and a lesson they have learned thereby.
• communion: one member (male or female) makes a short prayer of consecration for the bread; the elder passes the bread around the room, and all baptized members partake. The cup is shared in the same manner. The communion meal in performed in silence in order to promote reflection.
• a final hymn is sung, usually with the theme of Christ's death, resurrection, and coming again
• the elder carries the bread and cup out of the room
• greetings: members generally greet each other (in Western countries, usually with a handshake) and brief conversation before departing the meeting house.

New members generally join a church or meeting nearest them, or one at which they know one or more members. Meeting membership is guided by the local workers in consultation with the elders of the meeting(s). The makeup of the fellowship meeting congregation is ordinarily formed on the basis of geographic proximity, although demographic mix is balanced as far as is reasonably attainable. Meetings which have grown too large, or where the elder has had to move house, may be split; meetings which have grown too small, usually due to attrition of older members, may be amalgamated. However the membership of a meeting may remain unchanged for years or decades.

Bible study meeting

Each local church holds Bible study meetings once or twice each week. (In Australia, usually Wednesday nights.) These also take place in private homes and are led by an elder or deacon. The topic of study may be a biblical passage, person, subject, or theme. The topic (also called "subject") may be taken from a scheduled list, or pre-agreed in a previous meeting. The order of the meeting is identical to that of the Sunday morning meeting, with the exception that the Lord's Supper is not kept. In turn, each professing member shares his or her thoughts, findings, and practical insights regarding the subject. Preparing for a meeting is usually preceded with meditation and prayer by each member in his or her private room at home.

Special meeting

Special meetings are larger, day-long worship events. In rural areas, they may include only one church; in urban centres they may include many churches from a large city or region.

Special meetings consist of two two-hour-long services, one held in the morning and the other early in the afternoon, and sometimes a third, hour-long meeting just before supper. These services include public preaching by a number of workers, some of whom are visitors from other regions. Congregants participate in prayer and testimony periods, and in the singing of hymns.

The time of year at which special meetings are held varies around the world and depends on local factors such as climate, public holidays, and availability of suitable facilities.

Convention

Conventions are usually held on rural properties owned by individual members. In some regions, convention centres or other facilities are rented for the purpose. In 2005, over 440 conventions were held in over 100 countries.

Attendance at a Convention gathering may range from twenty to over 2000. In North America, the members stay on location or in nearby hotels. In Europe accommodation may be similar, or may be in schools, church camps and other available boarding places. In Australia, many convention sites have space for dormitory and tent accommodation.

A Convention usually lasts for four days, starting on a Wednesday evening, and continuing through to the following Sunday afternoon. There are usually three scheduled meetings each day. Two-hour-long morning and afternoon meetings include personal prayer and testimony periods. In the first one-hour evening meeting, workers visiting from foreign countries relate their experiences. The remaining evening meetings are gospel services.

Often, a baptism is held during the Convention. Participants and witnesses gather at the nearest suitable river or lake. The baptism ceremony is led by a senior brother worker. A brief sermon is given, a prayer is offered on behalf of the baptismal candidates, and a hymn is sung. One or two workers perform the baptism. Before each candidate is immersed, the baptizer pronounces the baptismal formula from Matt. 28: "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost".

The bread and wine (communion) are taken at Convention in Australia, Congo, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and some other African countries.

In Australia Conventions have a major social component. Members are nominated or volunteer to help prepare and serve communal meals, which are taken together. A short hymn is sung before each meal, then eating commences. There is much conversation over these meals, and usually an hour or two is allowed before the next gospel service commences. Members' children play together, and members who played together as children renew old friendships. Among the young unmarried members, Conventions are very much considered an opportunity to seek out prospective spouses.

Sacraments

Baptism

Baptism is always done by immersion. It is most often held during a Convention but may be performed at any time. A brother worker usually does the baptizing. The formula "I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost" is recited before each candidate is immersed. This article is about the Christian religious act of Baptism. ...

The Lord's Supper

The Lord's Supper is held in the Sunday morning worship meeting (in homes) and, in some places, at Conventions on Sunday mornings. In most places ordinary bread (that is, leavened) is used; and grape juice is often used in place of wine. The Lords Supper is a variation of the name and the service of The Last Supper or Eucharist. ...

Hymnal

The first hymnal printed exclusively by and for the church was printed circa 1904 and entitled "The Go-Preacher's Hymn Book." It included 125 hymns, a few of which were written by members of the group, while most were inclusions from the Faith Mission hymnbook, "Songs of Victory." The present hymnal, entitled "Hymns Old and New," was first published in 1919 and has had subsequent editions in 1928, 1951, and 1987. It is published by R.L. Allan & Son, Glasgow, Scotland. R. L. Allen was the original publisher of the Faith Mission hymnal, "Songs of Victory" (original edition, 1898). The most recent edition of "Hymns Old and New" (1987) contains 412 hymns, 110 (26%) of which were written by outsiders. Most of the words were written by Workers or friends, while most of the melodies were written by outsiders. Many of the workers and friends have been prolific hymn writers, some of the most prolific being Sam Jones, Sandy Scott, James Jardine, Elma Wiebe Milton, Gladys Porteous, and Mabel Pryor. A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a god or other religiously significant figure. ...

Distinguishing doctrines and practices

The church holds a number of doctrines and practices by which it is distinguished from many other sects and denominations:

• The ministry is homeless, perpetually travelling, and unsalaried. The workers reject the commercialization of organized churches and instead prefer private, voluntary donations from members. They believe that Jesus' instructions to his apostles in Matthew 10 - such as going from village to village, preaching in pairs, taking minimal worldly possessions, and relying on the hospitality and generosity of the villagers - are still the best pattern for Christian ministry today.

• Church buildings are seen as an unnecessary addition to biblical Christianity. The group conducts their fellowship meetings in the homes of believers. Annual national or state-wide conventions (depending on the country) are held on privately-owned property whose owners make their buildings — often a farm - available for this purpose.

• The church, marked by conservative views in other areas of religious conviction and morality, appears among liberal "progressive" Christianity in regards to the role of women in the church. Women workers were first commissioned to preach in 1900, and have equal authority to male workers, including the authority to preach, teach, establish meetings, discipline members and organise gospel meetings. However, they can not rise to the position of overseer, and do not lead meetings when a male worker is present.

Living Witness doctrine

A controversial teaching, not universally held, but predominantly found in North America, was that of the Living Witness Doctrine (first recorded mention being in a convention sermon by Joseph Kerr in 1903). This was derived from a statement by a contemporary of Charles Darwin that "only something that is living can reproduce life". It was concluded that only through accepting the preaching of a preacher (a worker) of the church (a "living witness") could one be saved. As a consequence of this doctrine, there was a significant exodus from the church at this time, and the idea is generally rejected today as heresy. For other people of the same surname, and places and things named after Charles Darwin, see Darwin. ...

Doctrinal controversy, apart from the Living Witness doctrine controversy, is rare within the church because a large onus for understanding and interpreting the Bible falls upon the individual believer and his or her personal convictions. There is no syllabus of approved or required beliefs, no printed confession, and no published theological writings. Members say only that they "believe the Bible".

Church finances

The ministry does not take a collection at any meeting. This policy is based on the words of Jesus, "Freely you have received and freely give.." (Mat. 10). Workers do accept voluntary, generally unsolicited offerings from church members. These contributions are used for personal needs, travel expenses, rent and other costs for gospel and special meetings, construction and maintenance of Convention grounds, expenses for Conventions, and other purchases. The general policy is never to ask for money but to depend on God to move people to provide for the various needs of the ministry (see faith missions). The workers receive no salary. They have no pension fund, though those who retire because of health or other reasons are usually supported financially, at least for a time. In Australia, elderly workers claim the government age pension if they qualify, and also claim for concessions such as the medical discounts of a Health Care Card, or a Seniors Card for concessional travel. When starting in the work, workers close all personal bank accounts and lines of credit, and scatter the resources to "the poor" (via charity) and/or to the ministry. In earlier days, only overseers held bank accounts, for the purpose of pooling and transferring funds between regions. Today many workers who go to work "overseas" have bank accounts and credit cards, for the sake of safety and convenience. It is also convenient for workers in foreign countries to operate a bank account to receive money from wealthier nations to be dispensed as charity to locals in need. It is sometimes pointed out that Paul wrote to Timothy that it was the "love" of money, and not money itself, that "is the root of all kinds of evil." Faith mission is a term used most frequently among Evangelical Christians to refer to a missionary agency with an approach to evangelism that requires its missionaries to trust in God to provide the necessary resources and who are not financially supported by denominations with a fixed salary. ...

Membership and geographic spread

Some areas that have larger concentrations of church members include Northwestern and North Central USA, Western Canada, Northern Ireland, British Islands,Barbados, New Zealand, parts of Australia, Northern Peru, Nuevo León state in Mexico, South Africa and Río Grande do Sul state in Brazil. Some areas where the church has grown rapidly in recent years include the Ukraine and other parts of the former Soviet Union, Romania, Benin (West Africa), Madagascar, southern India, the Philippines, South Korea, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia.

One of the interesting aspects of the church is the spread and diversity of the social network. Today, the global congregation can't be easily classified into a socio-economic category, although this may be possible at the regional level, especially earlier in the history of the church. Many of the more wealthy members in Western countries travel frequently and visit members in other countries. As a result, there is a well developed social network amongst the members, which penetrates into some quite obscure (to a Western viewpoint) locations.

There are known to be at least one congregation of practising members residing in more than 100 countries, including the following (incomplete list): Antigua, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Curacao, Czech Rep., Cuba, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Falkland Islands, Finland, France, French Guiana, Greece, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Italy, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saint Helena, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe Curaçao and Bonaire are two Caribbean islands Curaçao [pronounced koo-rah-sow] (population 150,000) is an island in the southern part of the Caribbean Sea, one of the Windward Islands of the Netherlands Antilles, a self-governing part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. ... The Czech Republic (Czech: Česká republika) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. ... Not to be confused with Republika Srpska. ...

Since the 1970s (and possibly, long before this), missionaries of the church have been present at some point in many countries where Christianity or Protestantism is not common, even where proselytizing is not allowed. These include but are not limited to: Cambodia, China, Taiwan, Ecuador, India, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Mongolia, Pakistan, Peru, Russia, Romania, Ukraine. Underground or clandestine churches are known to operate in Islamic countries. The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ...

History

Members of the movement have been fairly explicit in not maintaining an official history, rejecting any form of liturgy, and in many cases, even destroying correspondence and written records. Partly this behaviour is an exigency of an itinerant lifestyle; partly a response to centring the movement on Biblical teaching with a strong bias to oral exposition. These characteristics make it difficult to form a history with any accuracy and certainly there exists no church sanctioned historical archive or records. For the interested reader, Cornelius Jaenen has documented the growth of the movement in Ireland in the late 1890s. The workers' efforts in Ireland are also documented in newspaper articles of the time, occasional written testimonies of early workers, photographs of workers and excerpts from the Bright Words monthly publication.

The present movement coalesced in Ireland in the late 1890s under the leadership of Scottish evangelist William Irvine (1863-1947), John Kelly, John Long and others. Irvine and Kelly had previously been associated with the Faith Mission. The 1890s were sometimes referred to as the Mauve Decade, because William Henry Perkins aniline dye allowed the widespread use of that colour in fashion, and also as the Gay Nineties, under the then-current usage of the word gay which referred simply to merriment and frivolity, with no... William Irvine was a Scottish Presbyterian evangelist (1863-1947). ... Year 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Faith Mission is a protestant evangelical Christian organization founded in Scotland in 1886 by John George Govan. ...

William Irvine left the movement in 1917. His literal views of eschatological prophecy and belief that the world was about to end following the First World War were considered by other leaders to be disruptive to the fellowship. Irvine and a small group of loyal followers become known as the Message People, The Witnesses (not to be confused with the unrelated Jehovah's Witnesses), or Irvinites (not to be confused with the unrelated Irvingites). Irvine declared himself a prophet and continued to urge his followers to prepare for the end of the world. The Catholic Apostolic Church is the title belonging to the entire community of Christians (cf Catholic). ... For the eschatological beliefs of various religions, see End Times. ...

Another division occurred in 1928 when the worker Edward Cooney (well-known for preaching on Hyde Park Corner) left the movement. Cooney believed strongly in the original itinerant ministry, in reviving the miracle powers of the Apostolic Age, and he rejected the appointment of overseers to geographic regions. A handful of Cooney's loyal supporters separated to join Cooney in his own sect. Because of Cooney's prominence in the early growth of the movement, some onlookers had labeled the entire group as Cooneyites. In later years this came to apply only to the small group that separated along with Cooney. Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Irish evangelist Edward Cooney was born on 11 February 1867 in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, and died in 1960. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Cooneyites are a...

Historical controversies

Most members believe that the church is the direct descendant of the very first Christians, through an Apostolic Succession outside of all other Christian groups, Catholic or Protestant. History records similar groups such as the Lollards who operated in a similar way prior to the Reformation in England, and also the Waldensians in mainland Europe. In Christianity, the doctrine of Apostolic Succession (or the belief that the Church is apostolic) maintains that the Christian Church today is the spiritual successor to the original body of believers in Christ, composed of the Apostles. ... Lollardy or Lollardry was the political and religious movement of the Lollards in late 14th century and early 15th century England. ... The Protestant Reformation was a movement which began in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church, but ended in division and the establishment of new institutions, most importantly Lutheranism, Reformed churches, and Anabaptists. ... The Waldensians, Waldenses or Vaudois are a Christian denomination believing in poverty and austerity, promoting true poverty, public preaching and the literal interpretation of the scriptures. ...

The opposing view is that the movement is a singularity beginning with William Irvine in 1897. In The Secret Sect Parker & Parker (1982), photographs and newspaper articles from Ireland in the 1890s are used to bolster their assertion of the 1890s beginnings. The lack of any hymnal published or hymn authorship before this date lends weight to this position. This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... The 1890s were sometimes referred to as the Mauve Decade, because William Henry Perkins aniline dye allowed the widespread use of that colour in fashion, and also as the Gay Nineties, under the then-current usage of the word gay which referred simply to merriment and frivolity, with no...

As a matter of historical fact the question of succession is still somewhat open. Interested readers may refer to Jaenen's extensive research on purely the historical question.^{[citation needed]}

George Walker's letter of 1942

In 1942, during the Second World War, George Walker, then the overseer in the Eastern United States, was asked by the Office of the Director of Selective Service in Washington, D.C. to submit a statement "outlining... certain facts regarding the foundation, belief and activities of the Church...for the purpose of enabling the Local Draft Boards to correctly classify Ministers of this Church throughout the United States who are subject to the Selective Service Laws." The statement, which was widely circulated among believers in the United States at that time, read in part: Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The Selective Service System is the means by which the United States administers military conscription. ...

...during the closing years of the last century and the first years of this century a number of people in the British Isles and in America were exercised in heart and mind, through their study of the Scriptures, in regard to the methods of preaching and worship in the several churches of which they were then members. They were deeply concerned about spiritual things, and became fully convinced that there should be a return to the methods and purposes taught and carried out by Christ and His first disciples. This conviction led to frequent earnest conversations and studies on the subject, which in turn led to religious meetings, and in due time a number of these people went forth to devote their lives to the preaching of the Gospel according to the teaching and example of Christ as given in the New Testament, i.e., "two by two" and without salary or making appeals for financial assistance, putting implicit trust in God and His promise that as they "sought first the Kingdom of God" their natural needs of food and raiment "would be added to them".

As a result of this step, many people expressed their desire to be in fellowship with such preachers and this led to regular gatherings together of small assemblies in homes for worship and study of God’s word. The reason for meeting in homes was primarily because it is scriptural, the Christians during the first centuries of the Christian era met regularly for worship in homes, which fact is also borne out and supported by church history. Thus after serious consideration, the leaders were confident that in their efforts to follow the early Christians they should form church gatherings in homes....

In the year 1903 Ministers of this Christian body began their labors in the United States and in the year 1904 in Canada. In these and subsequent years through the preaching of the Gospel, assemblies were formed in homes as already described. In the year 1906 the first annual conventions were held in North America, and from this beginning the number of Ministers in North America has grown to over nine hundred - about equally divided between men and women; the assemblies for regular worship to over three thousand; and the annual conventions to over one hundred.

Criticisms against the church

The church has been the subject of much controversy from its earliest days. Many posters, pamphlets, books and websites have been published criticizing various aspects of the church. This form of publication began in the earliest years of the movement and continues to this day.

During the early days in Ireland, most of the criticism was due to the strong preaching of the idea that all of the existing Christian denominations had corrupted Christianity in various ways; that the new sect was the restoration of the original Christian ideal or community; and that thus only those in the new group were spiritually "saved." This teaching was strongly opposed and rebutted by many.

Today, critics allege that since the founding of the group, the "real story" of the founding and subsequent history of the group has been ignored and misrepresented. It is alleged that the workers have for the most part allowed and encouraged their listeners to believe that the ministry that they represent has existed in a continuous line since the time of Christ. To what extent this "deception" has taken place, to what extent it has been deliberate, and to what extent it is valid is perhaps impossible to measure. The counterargument has been raised that, even were all members of a church that operated "according to the words of Christ" to have died out at a given point in history, if a new church that adhered to the same interpretation of the principles were later created, it could claim to be a successor of the first church, or the first church recreated. Members and workers believe they have little use for their church's history, beyond mere curiosity.

The matter of church discipline is also sometimes criticized.

Some members have been excommunicated as a result of the ministry's reluctance to discuss the disparity between positions on the history of the movement, or entertain any position other than the "official dogma". In these cases, such an experience is often the final motivation for leaving this faith. Questioning of doctrine is often construed as a lack of faith, often termed "falling out". In many parts of the world, however, there is considerable leeway afforded to differences in personal convictions regarding both doctrine and practice, and this seems to be a growing trend. The main stream beliefs and practice of worship remain however the same.

Some people – including many ex-members – allege that the church has continuously and actively silenced opposing or dissenting views in the church. It is claimed by these people that those with power within the church have practised excommunication to silence dissenting voices or questions about the church's doctrine and history and that there has been strong denial of any teaching that acknowledges preachers of any other faith or message. The existence of such controlling behaviour in the church is said to be supported by the group's teaching that the workers are the only true servants of God and the professing people are the only true saints. In this way, members are encouraged to believe they alone are the exclusive family of God (Rom 9).

The roles of men and women in the church are raised as an issue that troubles many ex-members. Women have restrictions in the way they dress and style their hair. Men are also asked to dress modestly, but have much more freedom in their appearance. Although there are male and female workers former members allege that female workers are not granted equal roles in the leadership at meetings, conventions, and other gatherings.

Some members disagree with this and claim that in some areas of the world excommunication is unheard of. They believe opponents like to unrealistically emphasize exclusivist tendencies, and they claim most present members recognize that exclusivist teaching is steadily diminishing. This is a matter so heavily clouded by opinion and subjective interpretation that it would be almost impossible to ascertain an objective truth.

A controversy in Alberta, Canada, in the late 1990s resulted in the excommunication of between 25 and 30 members in 1999 alone, according to "The Lying Truth" website. This is a very small number of dissenting people in comparison with the worldwide number of members (see also the numbers under the heading "Conventions").[1]. The full number of excommunicated members is not known. No register of members in good standing or members excommunicated is kept. For other uses, see Alberta (disambiguation). ...

In some areas colloquial terms used for excommunication are put out and stand down. In other areas, these terms would not be recognized at all. The former term means the members is blocked from congregational meetings and may be unwelcome at other services, whereas the latter means the member is temporarily requested to stay silent (not participate) at congregational meetings. These are not the same as lose out, which is attributed to those who no longer profess or attend meetings; they are said to have "lost out" because they have heard the word of God and rejected it.

An excommunicated member who sincerely wished to rejoin the church, having ceased the activity that led to his or her excommunication, may or may not be allowed to do so. Geographical distance and time from the original scandal may affect this. Without an example, the question is uncertain.

Bibliography

• Atlanta Journal (April 19, 1914). "Like Apostles of Old, Young Girl (Ida Hawkins) is Preaching in North Georgia". By Angus Perkerson (Atlantla Georgia).[2]
• Carroll, F. Notes of sermon given at Santee California, October 1964.[3]
• Carroll, J. Letters dated April 12 & 16, 1919.[4]
• Carroll, J. "The New Testament Ministry" (Notes of a sermon given at Bakersfield California Convention, 1934).[5]
• Eberstein, J. G. (president of the Faith Mission, Edinburgh), "Who Are the Cooneyites?" in Life of Faith (Elm House Christian Communications Volume 88, #3898, April 23 1964).[6]
• Faith Mission, Bright Words for Pilgrims Heavenwards: A Faith Mission Publication (Edinburgh: Faith Mission, Excerpts from August 15, 1895 to January 1904). [7]
• The Impartial Reporter and Farmers Journal (numerous articles from January 15, 1903 to June 23, 1960). Various authors (Enniskillen, Northern Ireland).[8]
• Irish Presbyterian (March, 1905). "A New Sect". By "Scrutator".[9]
• Jaenen, C. J., The Apostles' Doctrine and Fellowship: A documentary history of the early church and restorationist movements (Ottawa: Legas Publishing, 2003), IX, 14, The Contemporary [Irish] Restoration Movement, pp. 517-535.
• Jaenen, C. J. (2007). "Christians, Assemblies of", in the Canadian Encyclopedia, Historica Foundation. Online accessed 2 March 2007
• Kilsyth Chronicle (May 5, 1905). "Baptisms in Banton Loch." (Kilsyth, Scotland)[10]
• Kings County Chronicle (April 12, 19, 26, 1900). "Religious Intolerance in North Tipperary." [11]
• Motherwell Times (January 7, 1893). "Sabbath, 8th January Rev John M’Neill Will preach in the Parish Church (Rev D. Scott’s) At 11:30 FORENOON". [12]
• Motherwell Times (January 14, 1893). "Rev. John M’Neill in Motherwell".[13]
• Parker, D. & Parker, H., The Secret Sect (New South Wales: D. Parker, 1982) (ISBN 0-9593398-0-9).
• Pattison, G., Account of the Early Days or The Work of God in Ireland in 1898 (Ireland: Personal Memoir, 1925). [14]
• Pocock & Martin, Hymns Old and New (Glasgow: R. L. Allan & Son Publishers, 1987).
• Robinson, B.A. (2004). "The Church with No Name", Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Online accessed 20 August 2005
• Walker, G. March 24 1942 Statement to the United Stated Department of Selective Service.[15]

See also

• Cooneyites
• Early Christianity
• Edward Cooney
• Great Commission
• House church
• Kilsyth
• Mission (Christian)
• Nontrinitarianism
• The Diamond, Enniskillen
• William Irvine (Scottish evangelist)

Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Cooneyites are a... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      The term Early Christianity... Irish evangelist Edward Cooney was born on 11 February 1867 in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, and died in 1960. ... In Christian tradition, the Great Commission is the instruction of the resurrected Jesus Christ to his disciples, that they spread the faith to all the world. ... For other uses, see House church (disambiguation). ... Kilsyth is a town of 10,000 between Glasgow and Stirling in Scotland. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      A Christian... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Nontrinitarianism refers to Christian... The Diamond is the town square of Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. ... William Irvine was a Scottish Presbyterian evangelist (1863-1947). ...

External links

The church has no official website. The following are private sites that are supportive of the church.

• From the Beginning
• The First Christian Church
• The New Covenant
• Topics in Bible

The following websites appear to be owned and operated by former members of the church, which present opposing viewpoints on various aspects of the church.

• Hymns Old & New
• Pillar of Truth Online (PTO)
• Research & Information Services (RIS)
• Telling The Truth (TTT)
• The Church Without a Name by Kathleen Lewis
• The Lying Truth (TLT)
• Thoughts and comments regarding 2x2 doctrines... blog
• VOT (Veterans Of Truth)

• Die Wahrheit über die "Wahrheit" (The Truth about the "Truth") (Swiss German)/(English)
• Die Wahrheit über die Wahrheit (German)