| Missionary Church | |
|---|---|
.png) Missionary Church Logo | |
| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | Evangelical,Anabaptists,Pietism,Wesleyanism,Higher Life movement |
| Associations | National Association of Evangelicals |
| Headquarters | Fort Wayne,Indiana |
| Origin | 1969[1] Detroit,Michigan |
| Merger of | United Missionary Church and theMissionary Church Association |
| Separations | Bible Fellowship Church |
| Congregations | 463 in the United States[2] |
| Members | 57,638 in the United States[2] |
| Official website | www.mcusa.org |
TheMissionary Church is an evangelicalChristian denomination ofAnabaptist origins withWesleyan andPietist influences.[3]
The Missionary Church is aTrinitarian body which believes theBible is theinspired Word of God and authoritative in all matters of faith; that "salvation is the result of genuine repentance of sin and faith in the atoning work of Christ"; and that the "church is composed of all believers in the Lord Jesus who have been vitally united by faith to Christ". They hold two Christian ordinances,baptism by immersion andthe Lord's Supper, as outward signs, not a means ofsalvation.[4]
The Missionary Church has diverse roots, especially in Anabaptism (directly through theMennonites), GermanPietism, theholiness movement, and American evangelicalism, (and to a smaller degree fundamentalism andPentecostalism). The preamble to their Constitution references this by stating:
In the late 19th century, several Mennonite preachers embraced pietism and revivalism, and were excluded from their conferences. Among the leaders wereSolomon Eby (1834–1929) of Ontario,William Gehman (1827–1917) of Pennsylvania,Daniel Brenneman (1834–1919) of Indiana, andJoseph E. Ramseyer (1869–1944). These brethren gradually found one another and their movements merged. Daniel Brenneman and Solomon Eby established the Reformed Mennonites in 1874. TheReformed Mennonites joined with some other expelled Mennonite members (called theNew Mennonites) and formed theUnited Mennonites. In 1879 the followers of William Gehman (calledEvangelical Mennonites) merged with the United Mennonites, creating theEvangelical United Mennonites.[5] In 1883 a group from Ohio (called Brethren in Christ orSwankites) joined the movement. The denomination became theMennonite Brethren in Christ on December 29, 1883, inEnglewood, Ohio.[6] The Mennonite Brethren in Christ changed their name to theUnited Missionary Church in 1947.[7] TheMennonite Brethren in Christ Pennsylvania Conference disliked the name change and received permission to maintain their existing name.[8] In 1952, the Pennsylvania Conference voted to secede from the United Missionary Church, and, in 1959, it would rename itself theBible Fellowship Church.
The Missionary Church Association was founded inBerne, Indiana, in 1898. In that year, Joseph E. Ramseyer was excluded from theÉgly Amish because he was rebaptized at a revival meeting. The Égly Amish rejected both the nature of the baptism (immersion) and its non-Amish and Mennonite connections (he had already been baptized by the Égly Amish).[9] The Missionary Church Association and the United Missionary Church (formerly the Mennonite Brethren in Christ) carried on fraternal relations for many years, and then merged in 1969 to form the Missionary Church.[10]
The Missionary Church (and the movements that formed it) has experienced three divisions — the withdrawal of several leaders from the Missionary Church Association in 1923 over disagreements concerning the Holy Spirit; in 1947 the Pennsylvania Conference of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ withdrew over issues of doctrine and polity, and in 1959 became theBible Fellowship Church; and the Missionary Church of Canada withdrew from the Missionary Church in 1987 (and merged with the Evangelical Church of Canada in 1993 to form theEvangelical Missionary Church). The first two divisions occurred because of doctrinal differences, while the third was a friendly separation in response to legal issues pertaining to the church existing in two nations, the United States and Canada.[11]
As of 2020, in the United States there were 463 congregations.[2] Indiana remains the geographic center of the denomination, with nearly half of its members.[12] Ohio and Michigan also contain sizable numbers of members.[12]
The organization of the church is divided into 11 regions or districts (and 5 mission regions). Offices are located inFort Wayne, Indiana. Its ministries include World Partners USA, the Missionary Church Investment Foundation, U.S. Ministries, thePastoral leadership institute (PLI), and Bethel University.[13]Bethel University (Indiana), located inMishawaka, Indiana, currently has about 1,350 students.[14]
Also, the Missionary Church Historical Society (founded in 1979) located at Bethel University was established to maintain and keep historical records.
"The archives of the Missionary Church, as the memory center for records of historical significance, is a collection of the official papers of the denomination as well as materials relating to its origin and development. Its task is to organize and preserve these materials so they may be a valuable resource for reference and research."
In recent years, the Missionary Church has sought a closer return to its Mennonite roots. In 2003, theChurch of the United Brethren in Christ, another body with Mennonite and Pietist heritage, began pursuing an attempt to join their 200-some churches in the United States with the Missionary Church. The leadership of both denominations were firmly behind this. However, United Brethren members in the United States voted against the idea 56% to 44%, thereby halting the discussions.[15]
The Missionary Church is a member of theNational Association of Evangelicals.