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Five major movements influenced Simpson's teachings and ultimately contributed to the rise of the C&MA.; These movements were Gospel Evangelism, The Holiness Movement, Divine Healing, Foreign Missions, and The Lord's Return (Pardington:14-17). Gospel Evangelism was the first effort to spread God's word to non-church-goers (Pardington:14). The Holiness Movement centered on the ideas of sanctification, or cleansing, and conversion (Bedford:6). It renewed faith and stimulated a desire for a deep spiritual life, emphasizing the importance of taking the Holy Ghost into your heart (Pardington:14-15).The Divine Healing movement maintained that Christ could heal illnesses that medicine and man could not (Pardington 15-16). Foreign Missions illuminated the necessity of delivering the Gospel to the rest of the world (Pardington:16-17).The Lord's Return predicted and prepared for the return of Jesus Christ to Earth (Pardington:17).
After his ordination, Simpson took on the role of pastor at Knox Church for eight years. During that time, church membership more than doubled, growing from three hundred to seven hundred (Pardington:19).
In 1974, Simpson moved to the Chestnut Street Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Under Simpson's leadership, the church began evangelical missions for the unsaved (Pardington:20).
By 1880, Simpson moved to the Thirteenth Street Presbyterian Church in New York City for the purpose of publishing a missionary journal (Pardington:21). He founded and published The Gospel in All Lands, the first missionary journal with pictures (Bedford:69),and soon after, passed the journal to Reverend Eugene Smith so that he could devote more time to preaching to non-church-goers (Pardington:22). However, shortly after turning The Gospel in All Lands over to Reverend Smith, Simpson founded and began publishing an illustrated magazine entitled The Word, Work, and World (Pardington:30). By 1911, this magazine became known as The Alliance Weekly. Simpson then decided to be baptized by immersion (Pardington:22), telling his congregation "he regarded his baptism as a matter of individual conscience" (Pardington:23).
In 1881, after one year at the Thirteenth Street Church, Simpson resigned to devote himself completely to preaching the gospel to non-church-goers (Pardington:24). He felt that churches neglected the poor, and he wanted to share the Gospel with them (Bedford:83). Simpson established the New York Tabernacle in New York City, which relocated frequently over a period of seven years (Pardington:25). The Gospel Tabernacle engaged in such activities as helping the middle class, establishing a home for fallen women (Pardington:29), and establishing an orphanage (Pardington:30). After a pre-existing illness of Simpson's healed, he began advocating spiritual healing (Melton, 1986:260-261). His congregation placed a heavy emphasis on healing missions (Melton, 1986:260-261).
In 1885, Simpson held the Old Orchard Convention in Maine (Bedford:102). It was at that time that the Christian Alliance was formed (Bedford:102). Simpson also conceived of an Evangelical Missionary Alliance at that time, which came to be the following year (Bedford:102). In 1887, the two groups merged, forming the Christian Alliance and Evangelical Missionary Alliance (Bedford:104). The Evangelical Missionary Alliance became known as the International Missionary Alliance in 1889 (Bedford:105). During the following decade, Simpson's word spread rapidly (Pardington:36). Local branches of the Christian Alliance grew to three hundred (Lewis:111). The Missionary Alliance, a strictly missionary group not intended to become a church, was supported by more than twenty-five religious denominations (Lewis:111). It grew to include two hundred missionaries in one hundred stations, including five Latin American countries, Palestine, China, Japan, Africa, and West Indies. In 1897, the group became known as the Christian and Missionary Alliance (Lewis:111-112).
The greatest challenge the C&MA; faced occurred during the first two decades of the twentieth century: an association with the revival of Pentecostalism beginning in 1906 (Bedford:149). The C&MA; and the Pentecostals believed in a similar doctrine, "baptism of Holy Spirit"(Bedford:156). Therefore, many Pentecostal pastors and missionaries received their training at Simpson's Missionary Training Institute (Burgess:163). Some pioneers of the Pentecostal revivalism were influenced by Simpson and the C&MA; (Burgess:163). Among them were Alice Belle Garrigus, founder of the Pentecostal Assembly of New Foundland; D. Wesley Myland, founder of the Gibeah Bible School outside of Indianapolis (Burgess:163); William I. Evans, Dean of Bethel Bible Training School in Newark, NJ; Frank M. Boyd, Dean of the Central Bible Institute in Springfield, MO; and R.E. Sternall, the first pastor of the Pentecostal Assembly in Kitchener, Ontario (Burgess: 164-5). The primary means of training Pentecostal leaders became Simpson's three-year Bible Institute (Burgess:164).
Because so many Pentecostal leaders were trained by Simpson, his ideas carried over to their work. For example, Aimee Semple McPherson presented the 'Foursquare Gospel,' which she claimed to have received through a divine revelation. The emblem closely resembled the already-existing C&MA; symbol (Burgess:164). Assemblies of God historian, Carl Brumback says the Pentecostal movement borrowed other ideas from the C&MA; (Burgess:164). Among the ideas he references are the need for international missionaries, C&MA; doctrine, Simpson's hymns and books, and the use of the term 'Gospel Tabernacle,' which evolved into Pentecostal churches being known as 'Full Gospel Tabernacles' (Burgess:163-4).
A significant point of difference between C&MA; and Pentecostal beliefs lies in the Pentecostal belief that speaking in tongues is a sign of the Holy Spirit inside of a person (Bedford:156). The C&MA; became severely divided over Pentecostalism (Burgess:166). Numerous members left the C&MA; for Pentecostalism, while others took on the use of tongues and opted to remain C&MA; members. Simpson supported the "orderly expression of supernatural gifts" such as speaking in tongues (Burgess:166). However, in order to protect the C&MA; in the event of further division, Simpson put all property in the name of the C&MA.; In the event of separation, all property would revert to C&MA; possession (Burgess:166).
The tension between Pentecostalism and the C&MA; caused the C&MA; to reorganize by 1912, shifting more authority to Council and becoming more ecclesiastical (Bedford:159). By 1930, most local branches functioned as churches, but they still refused to label themselves as such (Bedford:185).
Following Simpson's death, the C&MA; distanced itself from Pentecostalism, rejecting the premise that speaking in tongues indicates possession by the Holy Spirit and focusing on a deeper Christian life (Burgess:166). However, their momentum for growth was now stunted (Bedford:186).
By 1980, the United States and Canadian branches of the C&MA; became "nationally autonomous," each having its own General Council Assembly; however, they remained joint overseers of overseas ministries (Lewis:112).
As of 1998, Lewis cited two C&MA; graduate schools, four C&MA; colleges, and one C&MA; seminary accredited by the American Association of Theological Schools. They are Nyack College and Alliance Theological Seminary in Nyack, NY; Simpson College and Simpson Graduate School in Redding, CA; Toccoa Falls College and Toccoa Falls Graduate School in Toccoa Falls, GA; and Crown College and Crown Graduate School in St. Bonifacius, MN. Canada is home to Canadian Bible College and Canadian Theological Seminary School, both in Regina, Saskatchewan (Lewis:111-112).
The C&MA; center is in Nyack Heights, NY (Pardington:40), and the headquarters are currently located in Colorado Springs, CO (Melton, 1996:385).
The C&MA; was not intended to be a denomination; it did not consider itself an ecclesiastical or sectarian body (Bedford:107). Local branch meetings could not conflict with church activities, and C&MA; members were urged to stay in their congregations because the C&MA; was not in opposition to them (Bedford:107). However, independent churches began joining the C&MA; in the 1890s, and local branches eventually evolved into churches (Bedford:108). Simpson recognized that some people had been edged out of their churches because of their membership in the C&MA; so, he allowed church affiliation (Bedford:108). This was the beginning of a pattern of tension between the search for personal sanctification and a worldly evangelical mission (Bedford:343).
The purpose of the C&MA; was to spread the Four-Fold Gospel of salvation, sanctification, healing, and premillenialism in the U.S. and abroad (Bedford:106). Simpson accomplished this through evangelism (Bedford:ii). He designed an alternative educational system designed to prepare lay people for missions (Bedford:340).
However, the evangelical nature of the C&MA; drew criticism from many. The C&MA; was forced to defend itself against accusations of religious pluralism, Darwinism, and secularism (Bedford:3). That criticism continued when Simpson introduced divine healing into the Gospel. Simpson had been plagued with illness since childhood (Bedford:71), and when he was diagnosed with only a few months to live, the Lord cured him (Bedford:73). He accepted physical healing as a part of the Gospel (Bedford:74); however, divine healing was not widely accepted in Christianity. This isolated Simpson (Bedford:80). Isolation and criticism continued during the C&MA;'s association with Pentecostalism because most mainline churches did not accept Pentecostal beliefs (Bedford:24).
Simpson saw a significant role for women in the evangelical C&MA.; Female missionaries outnumbered male missionaries (Bedford:341). However, the New Testament does not allow women to hold positions of pastors, bishops, or elders (Bedford:143-4). Simpson also wanted to establish a black following (Bedford:147); however, the separate educational system he developed for them did not flourish (Bedford:149).
The C&MA; is an evangelical Christian group; however, that is not the only way they disseminate their message of holiness. The group uses radio and television broadcasting, journals, books, magazines, church planting, and theology education (Melton, 1993:107). Simpson's alternative to seminary school is Bible College (Bedford:98). Annual conventions feature healing the sick, preaching, praying, meetings for children and young adults, and missionary addresses (Bedford: 99-100).
The C&MA; adopted a formal statement of doctrine in 1965.
Christian and Missionary Alliance of Canada On Line
A reasonably well developed web site of the Canadian branch of C&MA; churches.
http://www.cmacan.org
Untitled
This is a Groupwatch page with information on the C&MA;, including
activities and funding.
http://www.pir.org/gw/cama.txt
C&MA; College Links:
Crown College home page
http://www.crown.edu/
Nyack College home page
http://www/nyackcollege.edu/
Simpson College home page
http://www.simpsonca.edu/
Toccoa Falls College home page
http://www.toccoafalls.edu/
Created by: Theresa K. Bowen
For: Soc 257: New Religious Movements
Spring Term, 1999
University of Virginia
Last modified: 07/17/01