Christian and Missionary Alliance: Encyclopedia - Christian and Missionary Alliance

Christian and Missionary Alliance

The Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) is an Evangelical Protestant denomination within Christianity.

It was founded by Dr. Albert Benjamin Simpson in 1887, not as a denomination, but merely an alliance to unite Christians in foreign missionary efforts. An actual denomination from this alliance emerged in the mid 1900's.

The US has nearly 2,000 C&MA churches and over 300,000 members. 400 of those churches are described as intercultural. In Canada, there are 378 churches, 59 of which are multicultural, and more than 93,000 members. Outside of the U.S. and Canada, it is estimated that C&MA membership exceeds 2 million. ^[1]

The C&MA center is in Nyack Heights, NY, and the headquarters are currently located in Colorado Springs, CO. Dr. Gary Benedict is the current elected President.

Christian and Missionary Alliance - What makes C&MA different?

The C&MA has most everything in common with other evangelical protestant denominations. Two things distinguish it: (1) a greater emphasis on missions and missionaries (especially foreign missionaries), and (2) a greater emphasis on Jesus's role as a physical healer.

This second distinction is laid out as such in their statements of belief:

8. Provision is made in the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ for the healing of the mortal body. Prayer for the sick and anointing with oil are taught in Scriptures and are privileges for the Church in this present age.

Christian and Missionary Alliance - History of the denomination

Initially, the Christian and Missionary Alliance was not founded as a denomination. Dr. Albert B. Simpson was a Presbyterian clergyman motivated by the spiritual needs of the metropolitan multitudes in North America, as well as by those of the unevangelized peoples in other lands. He was compelled by a sense of urgency to take this message to all nations because of Jesus's statement in Matthew 24:14: This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (NIV translation)

During the beginning of the twentieth century, Simpson became closely involved with the growing Pentecostal movement, an offshoot of the Holiness movement. It became common for Pentecostal pastors and missionaries to receive their training at the Missionary Training Institute that Simpson founded. Consequently, Simpson and the C&MA had a great influence on Pentecostalism, in particular the Assemblies of God and the FourSquare Church. This influence included evangelical emphasis, C&MA doctrine, Simpson's hymns and books, and the use of the term 'Gospel Tabernacle,' which led to Pentecostal churches being known as 'Full Gospel Tabernacles.' Since Simpson was plagued by illness for much of his life, he added a very strong emphasis on divine healing.

Eventually, there developed severe division within the C&MA over issues surrounding Pentecostalism (such as speaking in tongues and charismatic worship styles). By 1912, this crisis was a catalyst for the emergence of the C&MA as an organized denomination, shifting more authority to the council and becoming more ecclesiastical. To ensure the survival of the C&MA in the face of division, Simpson put all property in the name of the C&MA. In the event of separation, all property would revert to C&MA ^[2]

After Simpson's death in 1919, the C&MA distanced itself from Pentecostalism, rejecting the premise that speaking in tongues necessarily indicates possession by the Holy Spirit, and instead focused on the deeper Christian life. ^[3]. By 1930, most local branches of the C&MA functioned as churches, but still did not view themselves as churches.

By 1965, the churches adopted a denominational function and established a formal statement of faith. This new mission society soon became a major evangelical movement. Today it is a growing missionary denomination committed to evangelism around the world through church planting.

Christian and Missionary Alliance - The FourFold Gospel

Simpson's teaching stresses four roles of Christ which are represented as emblems in the church's logo. It can be summed up as "Christ Our Savior, Christ Our Sanctifier, Christ Our Healer, and Christ Our Coming King." (1) The Cross stands for salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God's Son. (2) The Laver represents sanctification, a daily cleansing from sin and power for service through the indwelling Christ. (3) The Pitcher speaks of oil, a symbol of divine life and physical healing that comes from Jesus. (4) The Crown symbolizes the return to earth of the Lord Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This formulation has an affinity with the teachings of John Wesley and the Holiness movement.

Christian and Missionary Alliance - CAMA Services

Associated with the denomination is CAMA Services. “CAMA” stands for “Compassion and Mercy Associates.”

Services include a variety of relief and development efforts providing food, clothing, medical care, and job training to people in crisis situations around the globe. CAMA also maintains a strong evangelistic thrust.

Begun in 1974 as an outreach to refugees fleeing the Indochina conflict, CAMA now works in refugee camps in Thailand, and has worked with refugees in Hong Kong, Lebanon, Jordan, and Guinea, and famine victims in Burkina Faso and Mali. CAMA Services worked together with local C&MA churches in 2005 to provide hurricane Katrina relief in the USA.

Christian and Missionary Alliance - Prominent Members

Important evangelists and authors such as Aiden Wilson Tozer and Ravi Zacharias have been associated with this denomination. As well, the current Canadian Leader of the Opposition, Stephen Harper, is a member.

Christian and Missionary Alliance - Complete Statement of Faith

1. There is one God, who is infinitely perfect, existing eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

2. Jesus Christ is true God and true man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He died upon the cross, the Just for the unjust, as a substitutional sacrifice, and all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood. He arose from the dead according to the Scriptures. He is now at the right hand of the Majesty on high as our great High Priest. He will come again to establish His Kingdom of righteousness and peace.

3. The Holy Spirit is a divine person, sent to indwell, guide, teach and empower the believer, and to convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.

4. The Old and New Testaments, inerrant as originally given, were verbally inspired by God and are a complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men. They constitute the divine and only rule of Christian faith and practice.

5. Man was originally created in the image and likeness of God. He fell through disobedience, incurring thereby both physical and spiritual death. All men are born with a sinful nature, are separated from the life of God, and can be saved only through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The prospect of the impenitent and unbelieving person is existence forever in conscious torment, and that of the believer in Christ is everlasting joy and bliss.

6. Salvation has been provided through Jesus Christ for all men, and those who repent and believe in Him are born again of the Holy Spirit, receive the gift of eternal life, and become the children of God.

7. It is the will of God that each believer should be filled with the Holy Spirit and be sanctified wholly, being separated from sin and the world and fully dedicated to the will of God, thereby receiving power for holy living and effective service. This is both a crisis and a progressive experience wrought in the life of the believer subsequent to conversion.

8. Provision is made in the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ for the healing of the mortal body. Prayer for the sick and anointing with oil are taught in Scriptures and are privileges for the Church in this present age.

9. The Church consists of all those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, are redeemed through His blood, and are born again of the Holy Spirit. Christ is the Head of the Body, the Church, which has been commissioned by Him to go into all the world as a witness, preaching the gospels to all nations.

The local church is a body of believers in Christ who are joined together for the worship of God, edification through the Word of God, prayer, fellowship, the proclamation of the gospel, and observance of the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper.

10. There shall be a bodily resurrection of the just and of the unjust; for the former, a resurrection unto life; for the latter, a resurrection unto judgment.

11. The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is imminent and will be personal, visible, and premillennial. This is the believer's hope and is a vital truth that is an incentive to holy living and faithful service. ^[4]

Christian and Missionary Alliance - C&MA seminaries and colleges

As of 1998, there are two C&MA graduate schools, four C&MA colleges, and one C&MA seminary accredited by the American Association of Theological Schools.

In Australia

• Alliance College of Australia (formerly the Canberra College of Theology), in Canberra

In Canada:

• Alliance University College (Canadian Bible College and Canadian Theological Seminary, both in Calgary, Alberta)
• Institut Biblique VIE (French Ministry training for the province of Quebec)

In the United States:

• Nyack College and Alliance Theological Seminary in Nyack, New York
• Simpson University and Simpson Graduate School in Redding, California
• Toccoa Falls College and Toccoa Falls College in Toccoa, Georgia
• Crown College and Crown Graduate School in St. Bonifacius, Minnesota

Christian and Missionary Alliance - American C&MA college links

• Crown College home page
• Nyack College home page
• Simpson University home page
• Toccoa Falls College home page

Christian and Missionary Alliance - Canadian C&MA college links

• Alliance University College, Nazarene University College, Canadian Bible College and Canadian Theological Seminary

Christian and Missionary Alliance - Notes

1. ^  "Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religions," James Lewis (1998)
2. ^  Burgess, Stanley, et al. 1993. "Dictionary of Pentecostal Charismatic Movements." Grand Rapids: Zondervan. p.166
3. ^  ibid. p.166
4. ^  General councils: 1965, 1966, 1974, 1994. Taken verbatim from "What is the Christian and Missionary Alliance?" - a brochure put out by the C&MA office, and distributed through congregations. (2005)

Categories: Christian and Missionary Alliance | Christian denominations | Christian evangelicalism | Protestantism

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