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The Missionary Church, Inc. is an evangelical Christian denomination of Anabaptist heritage. The term Christian means belonging to Christ and is derived from the Greek noun ΧÏιστός Khristós which means anointed one, which is itself a translation of the Hebrew word Moshiach (Hebrew: משיח, also written Messiah), (and in Arabic it is pronounced Maseeh مسيØ). Christian is primarily an adjective, describing an object associated...
Anabaptists (re-baptizers, from Greek ana and baptizo; in German: Wiedertäufer) are Christians of the so-called radical wing of the Protestant Reformation. ...
Faith and Practice
The Missionary Church is a Trinitarian body that believes the Bible is the inspired Word of God and authoritative in all matters of faith; that "salvation is the result of genuine repentance of sin and faith in the atoning work of Christ"; and that the "church is composed of all believers in the Lord Jesus who have been vitally united by faith to Christ". They hold two Christian ordinances: baptism (by immersion) and the Lord's Supper, which are outward signs, not a means of salvation. This article concerns the Holy Trinity of Christianity and related religious denominations. ...
The holy jewish scripture: The Torah. ...
Biblical inspiration is the doctrine in Christian theology concerned with the divine origin of the Bible and what the Bible teaches about itself. ...
Baptism is a water purification ritual practiced in certain religions such as Christianity, Mandaeanism, Sikhism, and some historic sects of Judaism. ...
The Lords Supper is a variation of the name and the service of The Last Supper or Eucharist. ...
Salvation means being saved from suffering of some kind. ...
History The Missionary Church has diverse roots, especially in Anabaptism (directly through the Mennonites), German Pietism, the holiness movement, and American evangelicalism, (and to a smaller degree fundamentalism and Pentecostalism). The preamble to their Constitution references this by stating: The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations based on the teachings and tradition of Menno Simons. ...
Pietism was a movement, in the Lutheran Church, lasting from the late-17th century to the mid-18th Century. ...
Holiness means the state of being holy, that is, set apart for the worship or service of God or gods. ...
The Pentecostal movement within Protestant Christianity places special emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. ...
- ...the Missionary Church will be better understood by the reader who recognizes that a singular commitment of our early leaders was to the position that the Scriptures were to be the primary source of doctrine and life. In addition to this commitment to be a biblical church, we recognize the contribution of John Wesley's emphasis on "the warmed heart"; A.B. Simpson's fourfold emphasis on Jesus Christ as Savior, Sanctifier, Healer and Coming King; the Anabaptist concepts of community and brotherhood; the evangelical emphases of the lost estate of mankind and redemption through Jesus Christ. The Missionary Church, then, is a unique blend of the thought and life of a people who have sought to build their church according to Scriptures and who have appreciated their historical roots.
In the late 19th century, several Mennonite preachers embraced pietism and revivalism, and were excluded from their conferences. Among the leaders were Solomon Eby (1834 -1929) of Ontario, William Gehman (1827-1917) of Pennsylvania, Daniel Brenneman (1834-1919) of Indiana, and Joseph E. Ramseyer (1869-1944). These brethren gradually found one another and their movements merged. Daniel Brenneman and Solomon Eby established the Reformed Mennonites in 1874. The Reformed Mennonites joined with some other expelled Mennonite members (called the New Mennonites) and formed the United Mennonites. In 1879 the followers of William Gehman (called Evangelical Mennonites) merged with the United Mennonites, creating the Evangelical United Mennonites. In 1883 a group from Ohio (called Brethren in Christ or Swankites) joined the movement. The denomination became the Mennonite Brethren in Christ on December 29, 1883 in Englewood, Ohio. The Mennonite Brethren in Christ changed their name to the United Missionary Church in 1947. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...
1874 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...
1879 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...
1883 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...
December 29 is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 2 days remaining. ...
1883 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...
Englewood is a city located in Montgomery County, Ohio. ...
1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...
The Missionary Church Association was founded in Berne, Indiana in 1898. In that year, Joseph E. Ramseyer was excluded from the Egly Amish because he was rebaptized at a revival meeting. The Egly Amish rejected both the nature of the baptism (immersion) and its non-Amish/Mennonite connections (he had already been baptized by the Egly Amish). The Missionary Church Association and the United Missionary Church (formerly the Mennonite Brethren in Christ) carried on fraternal relations for many years, and then merged in 1969 to form the Missionary Church. Berne is a city located in Adams County, Indiana, settled in 1852 by seventy devout Mennonite immigrants who came direct from Switzerland, and named for the capital of Switzerland. ...
1898 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...
1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ...
Branches The Missionary Church (and the movements that formed it) has experienced three divisions - the withdrawal of several leaders from the Missionary Church Association in 1923 over disagreements concerning the Holy Spirit; in 1947 the Pennsylvania Conference of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ withdrew over issues of doctrine and polity, and in 1959 became the Bible Fellowship Church; and the Missionary Church of Canada withdrew from the Missionary Church in 1987 (and merged with the Evangelical Church of Canada in 1993 to form the Evangelical Missionary Church). The first two divisions occurred because of doctrinal differences, while the third was a friendly separation in response to legal issues pertaining to the church existing in two nations, the United States and Canada. 1923 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...
1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...
1959 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
The Bible Fellowship Church is a conservative pietistic Christian denomination with Mennonite roots. ...
1987 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ...
Status The Missionary Church has a membership of over 180,000 people in more than 1,700 congregations in 34 countries. In United States there are over 400 congregations with almost 40,000 members. The organization of the church is divided into 11 districts (and 5 mission districts). Offices are located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Its ministries include World Partners USA, the Missionary Church Investment Foundation, U.S. Ministries and Bethel College. Bethel College (Indiana), located in Mishawaka, Indiana, currently has over 1700 students. City nickname: The Summit City Location in the state of Indiana County Allen Mayor Graham Richard (D) Area –Land –Water 127 km² 126. ...
Situated in the spralling metropolis of South Bend/Mishawaka, Bethel College has been the home to studious students since 1948 at its inception. ...
Mishawaka is a city located in St. ...
Also, the Missionary Church Historical Society (founded in 1979) located at Bethel college was establisted to maintain and keep historical records.
"The archives of the Missionary Church, as the memory center for records of historical significance, is a collection of the official papers of the denomination as well as materials relating to its origin and developement. Its task is to organize and preserve these materials so they may be a valuable resource for reference and research."
In recent years, the Missionary Church has sought a closer return to its Mennonite roots. The Church of the United Brethren in Christ, another body with Mennonite and Pietist heritage, are currently engaged in joining negotiations with the Missionary Church Denomination. The Church of the United Brethren in Christ is an evangelical Christian group based in Huntington, Indiana. ...
The Missionary Church is a member of the National Association of Evangelicals. The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) is an agency dedicated to coordinating cooperative ministry for evangelical denominations of Christians in the United States. ...
External links - Bethel College - official Web Site
- Missionary Church - official Web Site
- Missionary Church Historical Society - official Web Site
References - Encyclopedia of American Religions, J. Gordon Melton, editor
- Handbook of Denominations in the United States, by Frank S. Mead, Samuel S. Hill, and Craig D. Atwood
- Merging and Diverging Streams: The Colorful and Complex History of the Missionary Church, by Dennis D. Engbrecht
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