Comparative Theology

Assemblies of God

2007-12-28T23:02:05Z

The following links consist of files discussing the doctrines of the Assemblies of God Pentecostal Church. If you have any comments on any of the material, please do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail by clicking on my name at the bottom of this web page. Updated information will be added as it becomes available.

NB: Even though some of their 16 beliefs are quite sound (except numbers 1, 8, 12 & 14), please note that they make no mention of Sabbath observance. Also, note their special emphasis on the gift of tongues. This is a minor gift and is not necessary to "prove" that you have the Holy Spirit working in your life. Obedience to everything that you know God has said is the acid test of whether you have the Holy Spirit or not.

Also note that there are two types of emphasis in each descriptive file in this section. False doctrines are underlined while important points are in bold. Please remember this as you read the information!

Preamble

The Bible is our all-sufficient rule for faith and practice. This Statement of Fundamental Truths is intended simply as a basis of fellowship among us (i.e., that we all speak the same thing, 1 Corinthians 1:10 [KJV/NIV]; Acts 2:42 [KJV/NIV]). The phraseology employed in this Statement is not inspired nor contended for, but the truth set forth is held to be essential to a full-gospel ministry. No claim is made that it covers all Biblical truth, only that it covers our need as to these fundamental doctrines.

The Scriptures Inspired

The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct.

2 Timothy 3:15-17 [KJV/NIV]

1 Thessalonians 2:13 [KJV/NIV]

2 Peter 1:21 [KJV/NIV]

The One True God

The one true God has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent "I AM," the Creator of heaven and earth and the Redeemer of mankind. He has further revealed Himself as embodying the principles of relationship and association as Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Deuteronomy 6:4 [KJV/NIV]

Isaiah 43:10,11 [KJV/NIV]

Matthew 28:19 [KJV/NIV]

Luke 3:22 [KJV/NIV]

The One True God: The Adorable Godhead (Continued)

Terms Defined

The terms "Trinity" and "persons" as related to the Godhead, while not found in the Scriptures, are words in harmony with Scripture, whereby we may convey to others our immediate understanding of the doctrine of Christ respecting the Being of God, as distinguished from "gods many and lords many." We therefore may speak with propriety of the Lord our God who is One Lord, as a trinity or as one Being of three persons, and still be absolutely scriptural.

Matthew 28:19 [KJV/NIV]

2 Corinthians 13:14 [KJV/NIV]

John 14:16-17 [KJV/NIV]

The One True God: The Adorable Godhead (Continued)

Distinction and Relationship in the Godhead

Christ taught a distinction of Persons in the Godhead which He expressed in specific terms of relationship, as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, but that this distinction and relationship, as to its mode is inscrutable and incomprehensible, because unexplained.

Luke 1:35 [KJV/NIV]
1 Corinthians 1:24 [KJV/NIV]
Matthew 11:25-27 [KJV/NIV]
Matthew 28:19 [KJV/NIV]
2 Corinthians 13:14 [KJV/NIV]
1 John 1:3-4 [KJV/NIV])

The One True God: The Adorable Godhead (Continued)

Unity of the One Being of Father, Son and Holy Ghost

Accordingly, therefore, there is that in the Son which constitutes Him the Son and not the Father; and there is that in the Holy Ghost which constitutes Him the Holy Ghost and not either the Father or the Son. Wherefore the Father is the Begetter, the Son is the Begotten, and the Holy Ghost is the one proceeding from the Father and the Son. Therefore, because these three persons in the Godhead are in a state of unity, there is but one Lord God Almighty and His name one.

John 1:18 [KJV/NIV]

John 15:26 [KJV/NIV]

John 17:11 [KJV/NIV]

John 17:21 [KJV/NIV]

Zechariah 14:9 [KJV/NIV]

Bahai Theology

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Religion founded in Iran in the mid-19th century by Mirza Hoseyn 'Ali Nuri, who is known as Baha` Ullah (Arabic: "Glory of God"). The cornerstone of Baha`i belief is the conviction that Baha` Ullah and his forerunner, who was known as the Bab, were manifestations of God, who in his essence is unknowable. The principal Baha`i tenets are the essential unity of all religions and the unity of humanity. Baha`is believe that all the founders of the world's great religions have been manifestations of God and agents of a progressive divine plan for the education of the human race. Despite their apparent differences, the world's great religions, according to the Baha`is, teach an identical truth. Baha` Ullah's peculiar function was to overcome the disunity of religions and establish a universal faith. Baha`is believe in the oneness of humanity and devote themselves to the abolition of racial, class, and religious prejudices. The great bulk of Baha`i teachings is concerned with social ethics; the faith has no priesthood and does not observe ritual forms in its worship.

The Baha`i religion originally grew out of the Babi faith, or sect, which was founded in 1844 by Mirza 'Ali Mohammad of Shiraz in Iran. He proclaimed a spiritual doctrine emphasising the forthcoming appearance of a new prophet or messenger of God who would overturn old beliefs and customs and usher in a new era. Though new, Mirza's beliefs originated in Shi`ite Islam, which believed in the forthcoming return of the 12th imam (successor of Muhammad), who would renew religion and guide the faithful. Mirza 'Ali Mohammad first proclaimed his beliefs in 1844 and assumed the title of the Bab (Persian: "Gateway"). Soon the Bab's teachings spread throughout Iran, provoking strong opposition from both the Shi'ite Muslim clergy and the government. The Bab was arrested and, after several years of incarceration, was executed in 1850. Large-scale persecutions of his adherents, the Babis, followed and ultimately cost 20,000 people their lives.

One of the Bab's earliest disciples and strongest exponents was Mirza Hoseyn 'Ali Nuri, who had assumed the name of Baha` Ullah when he renounced his social standing and joined the Babis. Baha` Ullah was arrested in 1852 and jailed in Tehran, where he became aware that he was the prophet and messenger of God whose coming had been predicted by the Bab. He was released in 1853 and exiled to Baghdad, where his leadership revived the Babi community. In 1863, shortly before being moved by the Ottoman government to Constantinople, Baha` Ullah declared to his fellow Babis that he was the messenger of God foretold by the Bab. An overwhelming majority of Babis acknowledged his claim and thenceforth became known as Baha`is. Baha` Ullah was subsequently confined by the Ottomans in Adrianople (now Edirne, Tur.) and then in Acre in Palestine (now 'Akko, Israel). Before Baha` Ullah died in 1892, he appointed his eldest son, 'Abd ol-Baha (1844-1921), to be the leader of the Baha`i community and the authorised interpreter of his teachings. 'Abd ol-Baha actively administered the movement's affairs and spread the faith to North America, Europe, and other continents. He appointed his eldest grandson, Shoghi Effendi Rabbani (1897-1957), as his successor. The Baha`i faith underwent a rapid expansion beginning in the 1960s, and by the late 20th century it had more than 150 national spiritual assemblies (national governing bodies) and about 20,000 local spiritual assemblies. After Islamic fundamentalists came to power in Iran in 1979, the 300,000 Baha`is there were persecuted by the government.

The writings and spoken words of the Bab, Baha` Ullah, and 'Abd ol-Baha form the sacred literature of the Baha`i faith. Membership in the Baha`i community is open to all who profess faith in Baha` Ullah and accept his teachings. There are no initiation ceremonies, no sacraments, and no clergy. Every Baha`i, however, is under the spiritual obligation to pray daily; to fast 19 days a year, going without food or drink from sunrise to sunset; to abstain totally from narcotics, alcohol, or any substances that affect the mind; to practice monogamy; to obtain the consent of parents to marriage; and to attend the Nineteen Day Feast on the first day of each month of the Baha`i calendar. The Nineteen Day Feast, originally instituted by the Bab, brings together the Baha`is of a given locality for prayer, the reading of scriptures, the discussion of community activities, and for the enjoyment of one another's company. The feasts are designed to ensure universal participation in the affairs of the community and the cultivation of the spirit of brotherhood and fellowship. Baha`i houses of worship exist in Wilmette, Ill., U.S.; Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Kampala, Uganda; Sydney, Australia; and Panama City, Panama. In the temples there is no preaching; services consist of recitation of the scriptures of all religions. (see also Index: fasting)

The Baha`is use a calendar established by the Bab and confirmed by Baha` Ullah, in which the year is divided into 19 months of 19 days each, with the addition of 4 intercalary days (5 in leap years). The year begins on the first day of spring, March 21, which is one of several holy days in the Baha`i calendar.

The Baha`i community is governed according to general principles proclaimed by Baha` Ullah and through institutions created by him that were elaborated and expanded by 'Abd ol-Baha. The governance of the Baha`i community begins on the local level with the election of a local spiritual assembly. The electoral process excludes parties or factions, nominations, and campaigning for office. The local spiritual assembly has jurisdiction over all local affairs of the Baha`i community. On the national scale, each year Baha`is elect delegates to a national convention that elects a national spiritual assembly with jurisdiction over Baha`i's throughout an entire country. All national spiritual assemblies of the world periodically constitute themselves an international convention and elect a supreme governing body known as the Universal House of Justice. This body applies the laws promulgated by Baha` Ullah and legislates on matters not covered in the sacred texts. The seat of the Universal House of Justice is in Haifa, Israel, in the immediate vicinity of the shrines of the Bab and 'Abd ol-Baha, and near the Shrine of Baha` Ullah at Bahji near 'Akko. The members of the Hands of the Cause of God and the continental counsellors are appointed by the Universal House of Justice to propagate the Baha`i faith and protect the community.

When and How Did Your Church Begin?

2007-12-28T18:06:36Z

Introduction

One day a traveller came to see the famous well and to drink of its water. When he stopped to ask for directions to the well, the man of whom he inquired looked down in embarrassment. "We have dug so many wells," he said, "that we have lost track of the original one."

And, you know, it is somewhat like that when we begin looking for the original church of Jesus Christ. There are so many denominations that many of us have lost track of the original church, and we are not quite sure how to find it.

When and how did your church begin? If you're not a member of any religious body, you've probably never been asked that question. But perhaps, as you became aware of how many denominations there are, you wondered, How did they all get started? If you are a member of a church, it's quite possible that someone has asked you, When and how did your church begin? Are you prepared with an answer in case the question should be asked of you?

We'd all agree that the fairest procedure when we want information about any church is to go to some official spokesman for that religious body. Experience has repeatedly proved that observers who are not themselves members, while they may be very sincere, are likely to have a faulty opinion of the views of another group. It's easy to misjudge when you're looking in from the outside.

Let's look at a specific illustration of this. In the earliest days of Christianity, the Lord's Supper was celebrated following the evening meal, because the Passover supper when Jesus instituted the Communion service was an evening event. But the enemies of the Christians accused them of immoral conduct in connection with these evening feasts. The rumour spread that they killed little children and drank their blood and ate their flesh. Inasmuch as the Lord had not specified any definite time for celebrating the Lord's Supper, the early Christians began having Communion in conjunction with their morning services.

Every religious movement has had members become disgruntled for various causes. Dissident members are, for obvious reasons, not a reliable source of information about a church. The brief r6sumds of the origin of various Christian faiths contained in this book are based on statements from official sources of the respective denominations.

As you know, some churches have come into being as the result of a split in an existing denomination, as a result of rivalry for leadership, perhaps, or from doctrinal disputes. Some churches point to recent dates as their time of origin, while more than one denomination claims to reach back to the time of Christ and the apostles.

The division of Christianity into many denominations could be discouraging were it not for the fact that the Bible predicted this development. Paul in his counsel to the elders of the church at Ephesus spoke of those who would arise within the church "to draw away disciples after them" (Acts 20:30). That's the bad news, but the good news is that Jesus spoke of a time when "there shall be one fold, and one shepherd" (John 10:16).

The Roman Catholic Church

From sources available in any library we learn that Roman Catholic authorities claim to trace their origin to the apostle Peter. The word Catholic simply means "universal." So far as we know, Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, who was martyred around A.D. 115, was the first Christian leader to apply the word Catholic to the church.

We often speak of the church during the time when the original apostles were still alive as the apostolic church. What the church of that period believed and taught is revealed in the New Testament Scriptures: a universal, spiritual priesthood of all believers with Christ as the only Mediator; direct access to the Father through faith in Jesus; salvation by grace through faith based on a personal relationship with Christ.

During the early centuries the bishop of the church in Rome came to have more authority than the leaders of the churches in other cities. There were several reasons for this development. At first the emperors of Rome fiercely persecuted the early Christians, until in the early part of the fourth century the Emperor Constantine took the attitude, 'If you can't lick them, join them."

Some 200 years later, in A.D. 533, the Emperor Justinian I made a decree designating the Bishop of Rome as the head over all churches, the definer of doctrine, and the corrector of heretics. This act established the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome, which had been developing over a period of many years. With the friendship of the emperors in the capital city of the empire, it was natural for the religious leader of that city to gain pre-eminence over his counterparts in other cities. And so it was through the influence of the Bishop of Rome that the church became the Roman Catholic Church.

The sacrifice of the mass is the heart of Roman Catholic worship. According to the well-known Catholic priest and author John A. O'Brien, writing in his book The Faith of Millions, in this unbloody renewal of the sacrifice of Calvary, Jesus Christ "comes down upon our altar."

The chief commandments of the Roman Catholic Church are to hear mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation; to fast and abstain from meat on the days appointed; to confess at least once a year; to receive the holy eucharist during Easter time; to contribute toward the support of pastors, and to observe the regulations in regard to marriage. Since Vatican II some of these requirements have been relaxed.

The evolution of events which gave rise to the Roman Catholic Church continues even in our time. The dogma of the immaculate conception, defined in 1854, teaches that the Virgin Mary was free from original sin from the moment of her conception in her mother's womb. The expressions 'immaculate conception" and "virgin birth" are frequently confused. Belief in the virgin birth involves only the teaching that the conception of the Christ child was miraculous and that it was the work of God and not of man.

In 1870 the Vatican Council defined as a dogma of faith the infallibility of the pope. This doctrine states that the pope is infallible, that is, that he cannot make a mistake when he teaches in his official capacity with all the fullness and finality of his supreme apostolic authority in matters binding upon the whole church.

The doctrine of the assumption of the Virgin Mary was decreed an article of faith in 1950. This teaching states that Mary was taken up body and soul into heaven.

There are various orders and many rites or divisions of the Catholic Church. In Eastern Europe and the Near East, there are some rites where clergy are permitted to marry, but in the Roman rite the clergy do not marry.

The Eastern Orthodox Churches

The Eastern Orthodox (Catholic) churches, of which there are close to twenty autonomous entities, include the Greek Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church. The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople (Istanbul) is recognised as the supreme authority over all of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the official name of which is "The Holy Orthodox Catholic Apostolic Eastern Church." In 1054 the Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople denounced each other. This marked the beginning of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

One of the earliest controversies between the church in the West and the church in the East arose over the time for celebrating Easter. The first known record of the observance of Easter is on the occasion of a visit Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, made to the Bishop of Rome around A.D. 155.

Among the churches in Asia Minor the practice was to observe the crucifixion with a vigil culminating in the celebration of the Lord's Supper on the evening of the fourteenth of Nisan at the time when the Jewish Passover was observed. The resurrection was commemorated on the sixteenth of Nisan, regardless of the day of the week on which it fell. In this way Easter, like other anniversaries, was tied to a date and not to a particular day of the week. The Roman custom was to observe Easter always on Sunday.

The word Easter is not found in the original Greek Scriptures. It comes from Eostre, the name of the Teutonic goddess of spring. Easter occurs in many English versions as a translation of the Greek word pascha meaning "Passover." Most modern translations correctly translate this word in Acts 12:4 as Passover rather than Easter.

The Easter controversy was an issue from about A.D. 190 until in A.D. 325 at the Council of Nicea it was decided that Easter should be observed on the first Sunday after the full moon on or after the first day of spring, or if the full moon occurred on Sunday, Easter would come on the following Sunday. This rule is still in effect. The final break between East and West in 1054 came over the fact that the Eastern Church maintained that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone, while the Western Church took the position that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both Father and Son. There were, of course, other underlying causes of the split with both political and religious implications.

Both the Eastern Orthodox Churches and the Roman Catholic Church claim apostolic succession. That is, they claim, through ordination, to be the continuation of the original apostles, teaching what they taught. The Bible provides us a record of the teachings of Christ and the apostles, enabling us to test the validity of such a claim.

Fundamental to the differences between the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches is the role of the pope as the infallible head of the church. The Orthodox Churches do not define as dogma the doctrine of the immaculate conception. They do believe in the virgin birth of Christ. They reject the doctrine of the surplus merits of the saints and the doctrine of indulgences.

Baptism is by threefold immersion of both infants and adults in the Orthodox Churches. The doctrine of purgatory is rejected, but there is a belief in the beneficial effect of prayer for the dead and by the dead. Priests in the Orthodox Churches are allowed to marry, but bishops are not.

In common with the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Churches believe that in the Eucharist, or Lord's Supper, the bread and wine are miraculously transformed into the substance of Christ's body and blood.

The Lutheran Church

Lutherans trace their origin to Martin Luther. Martin Luther's parents were hard working and God-fearing, but severe in discipline. When Martin was eighteen years old, his father sent him to the University of Erfurt to become a lawyer. In the mind of this brilliant young student there was an earnest desire for light and a deep concern about spiritual matters. In the university library where he spent most of his time, Luther found the first Bible he had ever seen. A deepening sense of his sinfulness developed as he studied the Word of God. Believing that shutting himself away from the world would solve his sin problem, Luther decided to become a monk.

In the monastery he was assigned the menial tasks of cleaning, sweeping, and begging for food in the nearby town. As he wrestled with the problem of sin, he realised his inability to atone for his own sins, but he seemed unable to grasp the gospel's provision for forgiveness and pardon as a gift without price.

Two years after entering the monastery Luther was ordained a Catholic priest. A year later he left Erfurt to become a professor at the University of Wittenberg. Luther's study of the Bible introduced another mental conflict, because he saw so many discrepancies between the teachings of the Bible and the practice of the church in his day.

It was the sale of indulgences that brought Luther's convictions to the point of crisis. John Tetzel, the chief of the indulgence merchants, came to Wittenberg. From the pulpit he cried, "Come, come, and I will give you letters by which the very sins you intend to commit shall be pardoned.... There is no sin, however great, a man may commit, but let a man pay well and he shall be forgiven."

Luther attempted to bring about reforms in certain practices of the church in his day. It was not his original plan to give rise to a religious movement apart from the Roman Catholic Church. However, his reforms, summarised in ninety-five theses in 1517, sparked the rise of the Lutheran Church. Those who accepted the principles set forth by Luther were designated 'Protestants" because they joined Luther in his protest against the practices of the established church. Luther's core concerns were that salvation is by grace as a gift from God without need for any mediator apart from Christ, and that the Bible is the authority for our faith.

The Presbyterian Church

About the same time the Lutheran Reformation began in Germany, the Presbyterian and Reformed Churches emerged in Switzerland under the leadership of John Calvin and Ulrich Zwingli. These men, like Luther, were reared in the Roman Catholic Church. Like Luther, Calvin found himself driven to a deeper sense of sin and guilt with no clear teaching of an adequate remedy.

One day Calvin's cousin, who had joined the Reformers, said, "There are but two religions in the world. The one class of religions are those which men have invented, in all of which man saves himself by ceremonies and good works; the other is that one religion which is revealed in the Bible, and which teaches man to look for salvation solely from the free grace of God."

Calvin's immediate response to his cousin was, "I will have none of your new doctrines; think you that I have lived in error all my days?" But alone in his chamber Calvin pondered his cousin's words. From his own study of Scripture he learned that "only one haven of salvation is left for our souls, and that is the mercy of God in Christ. We are saved by grace-not by our merits, not by our works."

The designation "Presbyterian" stems from the plan of church government adopted by Calvin. The system is based upon administration by a series of representative courts composed of elders or presbyters. This type of church government falls midway between the Episcopal and Congregational systems. Presbyterianism was introduced into Scotland by John Knox.

The Episcopal Church

King Henry the VIII withdrew allegiance from the Pope about the middle of the sixteenth century. He declared that the king of England should stand at the head of the church. In 1534 the Act of Supremacy declared the king 'the only supreme head on earth of the Church of England." This was the beginning of the Episcopal Church, or the Church of England. Leading up to these developments were several factors.

William of Occam, who died in 1349, was the most influential theologian of his time. His writings exerted a strong influence upon both John Wycliffe and Martin Luther. According to Occam, the pope was not infallible, and the Holy Scripture was the only infallible source in matters of faith and life.

John Wycliffe is known as the "morning star of the Reformation." He completed his translation of the Bible into English in 1382 and organised groups of travelling lay preachers called Lollards, who explained the Bible to the people. Tyndale's English New Testament, published in 1526 in Worms, Germany, was smuggled into the British Isles by English merchants.

King Henry the VIII had fallen in love with Ann Boleyn, one of the ladies of the court. In order to marry her, he needed a divorce from his wife, Catherine of Aragon. This the pope would not grant, so Henry renounced Rome's jurisdiction over England and proclaimed himself head of the Church of England. Henry got his divorce and remarried. He had no intention of introducing Protestant doctrine into England. The issue with him was not doctrine, but jurisdiction and authority.

In the Episcopal form of church government, one order of the clergy is superior to another-in distinction to Presbyterianism, where elders are of equal rank, and the presiding officer is the first among equals.

The Reformation in England developed along three lines. Anglicanism was almost identical with the Catholic Church, except that it was independent from the Roman papacy. Puritanism urged the need for reforming or purifying the church from within. Separatism held that the established church was too far gone to be reformed and that the only thing to do was to separate or withdraw.

Congregationalism

It was about the year 1604 that the development of the Separatists into Congregationalists began. Robert Browne, who was one of the first Separatists to write about the principles and theoretical beliefs of Congregationalism, has been called the founder of English Congregationalism.

Browne and his followers felt that the Church of England had compromised the faith through its alliance with the state. Browne asserted that many members of the established church were Christians in name only. It was his desire to form a church made up of those who gave evidence of a transformed life. He asserted that Communion should be withheld from members of the state church. His strong position brought on persecution, and in 1581 Browne and his little company emigrated to Holland. In 1620 the Mayflower brought the first Congregationalists to America. This faith flourished in the new world, and in those first few decades Congregationalism was virtually the state religion in New England.

Congregationalists founded many well-known educational institutions including Harvard, Yale, Amherst, and Oberlin. Congregationalism is characterised by the independence of the local church, which is supreme in matters of faith and practice. There is no authoritative creed, because each congregation is independent. A number of creedal statements have been formulated over the years, but none have been formally adopted. These statements have reflected the general beliefs of orthodox, mainline Protestantism. Acceptance of specific doctrinal positions does not figure largely into admission to church membership in Congregationalism.

The Mennonite and Baptist Churches

John Smythe, who lived in England in the early 1600s, has often been called the first Baptist, though prior to his time there were Anabaptists. The Anabaptists, or rebaptisers, were so called because they insisted that persons who had lapsed from the faith and were returning, as well as those baptised in infancy, must, upon profession of conversion, be baptised again in order to be admitted into church fellowship. Among the Anabaptists was a radical element that resorted to force and created a lot of havoc. Menno Simons restored stability to the movement in 1536. It is from him that Mennonites get their name. Before his conversion to the Anabaptist belief, Simons was a Catholic priest in Friesland. He was a wise, peace-loving leader who soon purged Anabaptism of its revolutionary and radical elements.

The Mennonites emphasised the need of personal conversion and of adult baptism. They practised footwashing in accordance with the thirteenth chapter of John, and they denied the guilt of original or transmitted sin, and therefore rejected infant baptism.

Groups of Mennonites crossed over into England, carrying with them their belief in baptism by immersion. This Mennonite influence was responsible for the early Baptist churches in England being Arminian rather than Calvinistic. The Arminian belief is that all persons have a chance to be saved, while Calvinistic theology teaches that only the elect who were predestined for salvation can be saved.

The history of Baptists in America begins with Roger Williams, who studied at Oxford and was ordained in the Church of England. In 1631 he landed in Boston, where he became a Separatist. He settled in Salem until he was banished from the colony because of his views on complete separation of church and state.

Roger Williams was the founder of Rhode Island, where he established the city of Providence. There, in 1639, Williams and Ezekiel Holliman, who had been a member of his church in Salem, immersed each other. Williams then immersed ten others. These twelve formed the first Baptist Church in America.

Baptists get their name from their insistence upon baptism by immersion, stating that the Greek word translated "baptism" can only mean burial under the water. Baptists believe that conversion and evidence of a transformed life must precede baptism. They do not believe in baptismal regeneration, that is that the rite of baptism imparts regeneration or spiritual change. As they understand it, baptism is an outward sign of a change that has already taken place as an inner work of grace.

The 1987 edition of Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches lists twenty-three separate Baptist bodies, including such groups as Primitive Baptists, Free-will Baptists, and General Baptists.

Seventh Day Baptists

The first Protestant book on the subject of the seventh-day Sabbath, or Lord's Day, was Nicholas Bounde's book published in 1595. What was perhaps the first Seventh Day Baptist Church to be formally organised in the British Isles was organised in London in 1617. Among its members were such prominent citizens as Dr. Peter Chamberlain, royal physician to three kings and queens in England; John James, the martyr; Nathaniel Bailey, the compiler of Baileye's Dictionary (upon which Samuel Johson based his famous dictionary); John Trask and his wife, who were both school teachers; William Tempest, barrister and poet; William Henry Blake, archaeologist; and others. This roster of names from the membership roll points up the fact that Sabbatarians are frequently people with above-average education who have carefully researched their beliefs.

In 1664 Stephen Mumford, a Seventh Day Baptist, came from London to Newport, Rhode Island, where the first Seventh Day Baptist Church in America was organised in 1671. Except for the Sabbath, Seventh Day Baptists are in harmony with other Baptist beliefs, including the immortality of the soul and eternal torment of the wicked.

The Unitarian Church

Unitarianism of today can be traced to the first half century of the Protestant Reformation. Unitarians, as the name implies, believe in the unity of the personality of God. They reject the trinitarian concept of one God manifested in three divine persons. Rather, they believe that God is one person. They do not accept Jesus as equal with the Father. Those holding this position have also been called Anti-trinitarians, Arians, Socinians, and Racovians.

Theophilus Lindsey, a former Anglican, was the founder of the Unitarian Church in England, where he established a congregation in London in 1774. Almost half of the Unitarian Churches in England were once Presbyterian, the denomination from which English Unitarianism attracted more members than from any other. During the early part of the nineteenth century, Unitarian doctrine spread through many Congregational Churches. In New England, Unitarianism developed out of the liberal wing of Congregationalism.

Unitarians have no creed. There are no doctrinal requirements for membership. Each person is free to believe as he or she chooses. There are certain beliefs upon which there is a general consensus among Unitarians, including that Jesus was entirely human and not divine, the perfectibility of human nature, the natural character of the Bible, and the hope for the ultimate salvation of everyone. The Unitarian Church has a congregational form of government. Each congregation is entirely independent. Like the Congregational Church, Unitarians voluntarily unite in local conferences and have a General Conference to provide open communication and the promotion of common objectives.

The Quakers

The Society of Friends, also known as the Quakers, was started in Nottingham, England, by George Fox. He was the son of a Presbyterian weaver. When Fox was nineteen he was invited to a drinking party by some nominal Christians. He was disgusted by the contrast between their practice and their profession, and turned against their organised church. A spiritual search led him in 1646 to a transforming experience which he described as "inner light." Fox came to believe that God speaks directly to His followers and that revelation is not confined to the Scriptures. A lack of organisation and discipline led to extremes in the early history of the Quakers. Fox started his work as an itinerant preacher in 1647. For forty years he travelled in leather clothes, spreading his views by preaching and writing. He was in prison several times on charges of causing public disturbances in religious meetings. By 1661 there were more than 4,200 Quakers in English prisons.

The name 'Quaker" goes back to the year 1650 when a member of the Society of Friends told an English judge before whom he stood, "thou shalt quake at the last judgement." The judge is said to have replied, "No, thou shalt be the quaker." This name, spoken at first in derision, later became a name of honour.

Quaker missionaries made their way to the new world. Influential William Penn, the son of British Admiral William Penn, joined the Quakers in 1666. He aided some 800 in coming to New Jersey. He obtained from Charles II the grant of colonial territory that became the state which bears his name, Pennsylvania.

The Society of Friends experienced a split in 1827, resulting in the 'Orthodox" or Evangelical Friends and the more liberal Hicksite Quakers named for Elias Hicks.

The conservative Quakers have an extremely informal manner of worship. There is no observance of baptism or the Lord's Supper. There is no paid ministry and no music or singing. The members assemble in a room with chairs on all four sides. There is silent meditation until someone is prompted by the Spirit to speak, pray, or exhort. There are times when they separate without anyone having broken the silence, but this is unusual.

The Church of the Brethren

The Church of the Brethren, also known as Brethren, German Baptists, or Dunkers (from their practice of baptism by immersion) began in Germany in 1708. The movement grew out of Pietism, which emphasised the inner life above creed and dogma. They were not protesting against the doctrines of Catholicism, but rather against what they considered to be a lack of spirituality among Protestants.

Among the leaders of the Pietists were Philip Jacob Spener and August Herman Francke, whose objective was to promote spiritual renewal among the existing churches. The first Brethren to come to America settled in Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1719.

Baptism in this group is by forward immersion. The candidate is lowered face down into the water three times in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Confirmation follows immediately, with the person baptised kneeling in the water. The communion service is always in the evening, preceded by foot washing and the love feast or agape. The wearing of jewellery for adornment is discouraged. Church government resembles the Presbyterian form.

The Moravians or United Brethren

The Moravians also grew out of Pietism, which combined the mystical and the practical elements of the Lutheran and the Reformed Churches. It was a reaction against a heavy stress on purity of doctrine and formalism. This movement, which first appeared in Holland around 1660, emphasised heart religion above head religion.

Count Nicholas von Zinzendorf invited Moravian and Bohemian Protestants driven from their homes by the Roman Catholic Church to settle on his estate in Saxony. Zinzendorf, who was a Lutheran, had no plan of starting a new denomination. He intended that his group should attend regular Lutheran services and look to the Lutheran clergy for ministerial functions. However, contrary to his wishes, an independent church was organised in 1742. "Unity of the Brethren" was the original name of this new denomination, which is also known as United Brethren, and also as the Moravians. This group was one of several Reformation churches that adopted the apostolic practice of foot washing before partaking of the Communion. Some Moravian congregations celebrated the Lord's Supper on Saturday evening because Paul broke bread with his disciples on at least one occasion on a Saturday night (see Acts 20:7, NEB). The Moravians became the connecting link between German Pietism and English Methodism.

The Methodist Church

John and Charles Wesley started a movement in Oxford, England, in 1729, among ordained clergymen of the Church of England. They emphasised the conduct of life and religion by rule and method." From this practice they were designated as ""Methodists"-a name that was first used by way of derision.

The Wesley brothers remained members of the Church of England throughout their lives and had no intention of starting a new denomination. They intended Methodism to be merely a movement. Methodist societies were organised for Christian fellowship and the development of a deeper spiritual life. Wesley's itinerant lay preachers ministered to these groups. These lay preachers were not ordained, so the early Methodists depended on the Church of England to baptise, officiate at Communion, and perform marriages.

It was not until after the death of John Wesley that the Methodists in England became formally separated from the Church of England. The Methodist Church retained the Episcopal form of church government. There was disagreement between George Whitefield and the Wesley brothers, who taught that salvation was offered to everyone. Those who followed Whitefield in the belief that only those predestined for salvation could be saved were known as the Calvinistic Methodists.

The Disciples of Christ

Next we come to the Disciples of Christ, the Christian Church, and the Church of Christ. Some use these names interchangeably, but others make serious distinctions between them. The Christian Church developed in Kentucky and Ohio under the leadership of Barton W. Stone.

The Disciples of Christ developed in western Pennsylvania and West Virginia under the leadership of Thomas Campbell, his son, Alexander Campbell, and Walter Scott. All four of these men had Presbyterian backgrounds. They did not intend to start a new denomination, but groups of their followers established a church in 1811. From that beginning have come several denominations claiming the Bible as their only basis of belief but differing on points of doctrine. One group, calling itself the Church of Christ, will not permit the use of any musical instruments in their places of worship, taking the position that only vocal music is authorised by the New Testament.

The Mormons

Joseph Smith was the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Fayette, New York, in 1930. Beginning at about the age of fourteen, he claimed to have had visions in which he said he received instruction from angels. He was told to visit a certain hill each year on the same date. In 1827, on the visit that followed his twenty-first birthday, he received some plates from which he claimed to have translated The Book of Mormon. This translation project was completed in 1829. In that same year, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery stated that an angel appeared to them, conferred upon them the Aaronic priesthood, and instructed them to baptise each other by immersion. Later they said that Peter, James, and John conferred on them the Melchizedek priesthood and the keys of apostleship.

Mormons regard both the Bible ("so far as it is translated correctly") and The Book of Mormon as the Word of God. Polygamy was advocated in the early days of Mormonism, including plural marriages which were to be valid throughout eternity. The United States government stepped in to control polygamy, and the Mormons launched a strong emphasis on the home and family, which has earned for them the reputation of being a church with a wholesome family emphasis.

Mormons believe that "as man is, God once was; as God is, man may become." They also believe that members can make possible the salvation of a person who has died by being baptised by proxy for that person.

A split occurred in the Mormon Church when Brigham Young was chosen as president of the church upon the death of Joseph Smith. The dissidents claimed it was the right of the oldest son of Joseph Smith to succeed his father. In 1860 Joseph Smith, Jr., was installed as president of a new organisation later incorporated as the Reorganised Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints with headquarters in Independence, Missouri.

The Holiness Churches

Methodism has given birth to many daughter denominations, among them the Salvation Army and the Holiness churches. The Salvation Army was started by William Booth in 1865 and was formally organised in 1878. It was in that c year that Booth, serving as general superintendent of a string of London missions, was composing his report to the conference. His report started, "The Christian Mission is a volunteer army." The word volunteer was replaced by the word salvation, and ever since we have had the Salvation Army. William Booth was a Wesleyan Methodist pastor, and, like many religious leaders before him, he did not plan to start an independent denomination.

As Methodism became institutionalised, many complained that it was becoming too formal and that emphasis on "heart religion" was being neglected. Between 1880 and 1900 there was a move to restore emphasis on entire sanctification, or the second work of grace. Holiness bodies include the Wesleyan Methodist Connection, the Free Methodist Church, the Pilgrim Holiness Church, and the Church of God. There are more than thirty separate groups calling themselves the Church of God, each differing from the other on some points of doctrine. The Church of God, Anderson, Indiana, began in 1880. The Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee, began in 1886. The World-wide Church of God began in 1934, and already there have been several splinter groups started, one calling itself the Universal Church of God.

The Church of the Nazarene

In 1895 the First Church of the Nazarene was formed in Los Angeles, California, under the leadership of Phineas F. Bresee, D.D., and J. P. Widney, LL.D. In 1907 this body united with the Association of Pentecostal Churches of America, a group which had its origin in New England. The Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene was the name agreed upon by the new united body in 1907.

In 1915 the Pentecostal Church of Scotland dating from 1906 united with the Nazarenes. The name Church of the Nazarene was adopted in 1919. Their doctrine is basically in accord with historic Methodism with emphasis on holiness, or a second work of grace. This church has a representative form of church government.

The Christian and Missionary Alliance

The Christian and Missionary Alliance dates from 1897. It had its origin in a movement started by A. B. Simpson, D.D., a Presbyterian pastor in New York City. He left the pastorate and the presbytery to conduct mass evangelistic meetings. In 1887 two societies were organised, one dedicated to home mission work, known as the Christian Alliance, and the other dedicated to missions, especially in neglected areas of the world, known as the International Missionary Alliance.

The uniting of these two societies in 1897 formed the Christian and Missionary Alliance. No strict creed is held by the Christian and Missionary Alliance. The movement is in fraternal union with Christians of all evangelical denominations. Church organisation is a fairly loose-knit fellowship. An annual council meets to deal with administrative matters of the movement.

Advent Christian Church

The Advent Christian Church was organised at Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1861. It grew out of the movement led by William Miller. Distinguishing beliefs include conditional immortality and the unconscious state of man in death. The form of church government is congregational.

The Church of Christ, Scientist

The Church of Christ, Scientist, or Christian Science Church, was founded by Mary Baker Eddy in Boston, in 1879. The textbook of Christian Science is Science and Health With Key to the Scriptures, written by Mrs. Eddy in 1875. The book sets forth a metaphysical teaching of the Bible according to which God is not a personal being, but a "principle." It claims that man is not evil, and therefore it is within his own power to save himself Disease, illness, and pain are delusions of the human mind.

Uniform sermons prepared by a committee connected with the mother church in Boston are read by two readers reading alternately from Science and Health With Key to the Scriptures and the Bible.

The Jehovah's Witnesses

The group known as Jehovah's Witnesses began in Pennsylvania. Its founder, Charles Taze Russell, began publishing the Watchtower magazine in 1879. In 1884 the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society was granted a legal charter in Pennsylvania. The name Jehovah's Witnesses was adopted in 1931.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus Christ was a created being and consequently not "the God," but "a God."

Charles Russell taught that Christ returned invisibly to this earth in 1874, and that in 1878 the righteous were resurrected as spirit beings. He predicted that Christ's kingdom would be fully established in 1914.

When 1914 passed without the things predicted coming to pass, the date was moved to 1915. The current teaching of Jehovah's Witnesses is that Christ came invisibly in 1914. According to Jehovah's Witnesses, salvation is gained by believing their interpretation of the Bible doctrines and actively teaching these doctrines to others, an activity they designate as "witnessing," which accounts for their name.

The Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches

The name "Pentecostal" is derived from the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was bestowed upon the early church. It is a term associated with religious excitement and a manifestation of spiritual gifts. The modem 'Pentecostal" movement can be traced back to a revival which broke forth in Kansas in 1901. The revival spread to Texas, Los Angeles, and around the world.

Pentecostal bodies, of which there are many, differ somewhat in doctrine, but there is general emphasis on speaking in tongues and miraculous healing. Most of these groups believe in the unending punishment of the wicked in an eternally burning hell.

Pentecostal groups include the Assemblies of God, formed in 1914, the Pentecostal Church of God, the United Pentecostal Church, the Pentecostal Holiness Church, the Apostolic Faith Church, the Foursquare Gospel Church, and many independent "full-gospel" and charismatic churches. Some of these groups teach that if you have not spoken in tongues, you have not been baptised by the Holy Spirit.

The Assemblies of God

The Assemblies of God were founded in 1914 by a group of pastors of independent churches who came together in Hot Springs, Arkansas, for the purpose of exploring the possibilities of voluntary unity. They believe in the baptism in the Holy Ghost accompanied by speaking in other tongues. In common with most evangelicals, they believe in the everlasting punishment of the wicked. Their church government is a combination of the Congregational and Presbyterian systems.

Reading about the many denominations can be disillusioning and confusing, but it can also be a beautiful demonstration of the patience of God in dealing with stubborn humanity. Even many of the Reformers reveal in their lives a mixture of noble purpose and intolerance. Perhaps we see similar disappointing inconsistencies in our own lives. God was patient with them, and He is patient with us.

It is when we willingly walk in the light God graciously gives us that we enjoy fellowship and cleansing. 'If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (I John 1:7). Just as the apostasy was gradual, so the Reformation was gradual. When existing movements would not accept new light from God's Word, the Lord had to raise up new movements. Man is stubborn and reluctant to change. We would do well to pray for the insight and attitude of Pastor John Robinson. The Mayflower Pilgrims of 1620 were members of his congregation.

John Robinson was a Separatist who had been ordained in the Church of England. In his farewell to the Pilgrim fathers as they left Holland for America, Robinson said: 'I charge you before God and His blessed angels, to follow me no further than I have followed Christ; and if God should reveal anything to you by any other instrument of His, be as ready to receive it as ever you were to receive any truth of my ministry; for I am very confident the Lord has more truth and light yet to break forth out of His Holy Word."

He bewailed the condition of the reformed churches, stating, for example, that "the Lutherans could not be drawn to go beyond what Luther saw. For whatever part of God's will He had further imparted and revealed to Calvin, they would rather die than embrace it."

Of the Calvinists he said, "They stick where he left them; a misery much to be lamented; for though they were precious shining lights in their times, yet God had not revealed His whole will to them; and were they now living, they would be as ready and willing to embrace further light as that they had received."

Robinson said, "It is not possible the Christian world should come so lately out of such thick anti-Christian darkness, and that full perfection of knowledge break forth at once" (Alexander Young, Chronicles of the Pilgrim Fathers [Boston: Little and Brown, 18411, pp. 396, 397). These words, spoken by John Robinson more than 350 years ago, give us an important clue as to why there are so many denominations -- The Message Behind the Movement, pp. 7-28.