Question: What do you know about the C & MA?

GENERAL

 History
   This 'Alliance' of believers traces its roots to the ministry and vision of Dr. Albert B. Simpson in 1887. 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, Dr. Simpson launched a vibrant ministry of evangelism and Bible teaching.
   He was joined by people from a variety of denominational backgrounds who also desired to  proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. They were compelled by a sense of urgency to take this  message to all nations because of Jesus' statement in Matthew 24:14, 'The gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."

  -Christian Alliance: Home missions work
  -Evangelical Missionary Alliance: Foreign Mission work.
  -These two groups merged in 1897 to become the C& MA

  -This new 'mission society' soon became a major evangelical movement. Today it is a rapidly growing denomination committed to world evangelism.

  -The Christian and Missionary Alliance is an alliance of evangelical believers, joined together in local churches, committed to fulfilling the Great Commission given by our Lord Jesus Christ.

 Their Name: C & MA
  -They are Christian because they believe and follow Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
  -They are missionary because they are committed to reaching lost people with the good news of Jesus Christ.

 Their Mission
  -'The Christian and Missionary Alliance is committed to world missions stressing the fullness of  Christ and preaching the gospel to the ends of the earth.'

 Their size
  -Since it's beginning in 1887 the Alliance has grown to 1785 churches in the United States  with  244,296 membership in the US. (about 136 per church ave.)

 Missions
  -They have ministries in 54 countries around the world.
  -1245 missionaries and 12,409 national pastors worldwide in 11,425 church plants.
  -Over 2.4 million members in 53 countries giving them more in foreign mission church plants than in their home churches in the US.
  -VERY strongly missions oriented
  -The Christian and Missionary Alliance is a missionary denomination committed to worldwide evangelism and discipleship.
  -This is reflected in their commitment to plant churches around the  world, to concentrate on  evangelism and to train and send into service only those who are sound in faith, filled with the Spirit of God and have a passion for reaching those without Christ.
  -Missionaries are paid allowances. This enables them, without having to worry about their financial support, to preach the gospel overseas and, while on furlough, to challenge Alliance churches to greater missionary involvement.
  -The annual missions conference held in each church brings Alliance ministries from the four   corners of the globe into the four walls of a local church. Everyone is encouraged to participate  in the support of Alliance ministries overseas and in Canada through a Faith Promise -- a promise to give a certain amount to missions in dependence on God. This enables national leadership to  foresee future income and plan a budget that provides the financial base for advancing ministries.

 Their Locations
  -All over the US. Closest one in Princeton (Princeton Alliance Church)  and  south of Toms River (Sonrise Community Church)

DOCTRINE

 Question: What does it mean to be Evangelical....to be pre-mellienial?

  -Evangelical
  -Pre-mellienial

 What do Alliance people believe?
  -The Alliance emphasizes the need for genuine spiritual conversion to Christ, a Spirit-filled life  (varying degrees of charismatic meaning attached to this besides the natural reading)  and effective service.

  -The doctrinal statement of The Christian and Missionary Alliance was adopted in 1965.

  -They teach the centrality of Christ expressed as "Jesus Christ our Savior, sanctifier, Healer and  Coming King. "

Doctrinal Statement

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

Question:What can we deduce about their general doctrinal slant from these words?(armenian)

    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,

 Question: What can we deduce about their general doctrinal slant from these words? (Armenian)

    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.

 Question: W/O reading the rest of the statement, what theological school of thought does this sound  like? (Pentecostal/Charismatic/Holiness)

    This is both a crisis and a progressive experience wrought in the life of the believer subsequent to conversion.

 Question: Can you see how they try to keep their connection with the Pentecostals and at the same time  distance themselves from them?

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 the Scriptures and are privileges for the Church in this present  age.
 Note: Once again they connect with the Pentecostal/Holiness school of thought yet stop short of   complete adherence to it.

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 gospel 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.

WORSHIP
  -2 Sacraments observed (Baptistic in style of both)
  -Generally  the worship service is more traditionally structured
  -May be formal and traditional or informal and contemporary in style.
  -open communion
  -Very much like our own style  and order of worship.

GOVERNMENT
  -congregational government
  -The National Office of the Alliance is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It includes the president; four vice presidents who oversee Church Ministries, Overseas Ministries, General Services and Finance; and a number of directors who administer the Alliance work.

  -Each year pastors, administrators and lay delegates from their local churches gather for the annual General Council, the highest legislative body in the Alliance, to formulate policies for coming years. The program is administered by a 28-member Board of Managers and carried out by the staff of the National Office and the district offices.

  -The local church is governed by the 'Constitution for Churches" found in the Manual of The Christian and Missionary Alliance.

  -Each church holds an annual missions conference and receives faith promises, which are the basis for funding the worldwide work of The Christian and Missionary Alliance.

  -To date only men are pastors.