Christian and Missionary Alliance History

Founded by Rev. Albert Benjamin Simpson in 1887, the Christian and Missionary Alliance was not initially a denomination. It started as two distinct organizations: The Christian Alliance and The Evangelical Missionary Alliance. The Christian Alliance focused on the pursuit and promotion of the Higher Christian life while The Evangelical Missionary Alliance was dedicated to calling up Christians in the work of foreign missionary efforts.

Both groups merged in 1897 to form The Christian and Missionary Alliance. It was only much later during the mid-twentieth century that an official denomination was formed.

Rev. A.B. Simpson was a Presbyterian spiritual leader who was motivated by the spiritual needs of the metropolitan populations in USA and un-evangelized people in other parts of the world. He had a sense of urgency to take Jesus' message to all nations.

Initially, Simpson was closely associated with the growing Pentecostal and it was common for Pentecostal ministers and missionaries to join the Missionary Training Institute founded by Simpson. The result of this was that the evangelical emphasis, C&MA doctrine, Simpson's hymns and books had a significant influence on Pentecostalism, especially in Assemblies of God and International Church of Foursquare Gospel.

However, issues surrounding Pentecostalism led to serious differences within the C&MA, which served as a catalyst for the emergence of C&MA as a Protestant denomination in 1912. For the sake of the institution's survival Simpson transferred title of all property in the name of C&MA and if there was to be a separation the property was to revert to C&MA.

Simpson died in 1919. His death saw a total rejection of C&MA, with the premise that speaking in tongues is a necessary indicator for being filled with the Holy Spirit. Thereon, C&MA dedicated itself to deeper Christian life. By 1930, although most C&MA branches functioned as churches, they did not view themselves as such.

In 1965, C&MA churches formally established a statement of faith and adopted a denominational function. C&MA is today growing as a Protestant denomination dedicated to evangelism.

 


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