Church, Christian & Missionary Alliance

CHRISTIAN & MISSIONARY ALLIANCE CHURCH -  The Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) is an evangelical Protestant denomination within Christianity.

Founded by Rev. Albert Benjamin Simpson, an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, in 1887, the C&MA did not start off as a denomination, but rather began as two distinct parachurch organizations: the Christian Alliance, which focused on the pursuit and promotion of the Higher Christian life, and the Evangelical Missionary Alliance, which focused on mobilizing "consecrated" Christians in the work of foreign missionary efforts. These two groups amalgamated in 1897 to form the C&MA.  It was only much later, around mid-20th century, that an official denomination was formed.

In 2006 there were 2,010 C&MA churches and approximately 417,000 members in the United States.  Approximately 600 of those churches were described as intercultural.  In Canada there were 440 churches, 59 of which multicultural, and approximately 120,000 members.  In the C&MA 2004 annual report estimated that outside North America C&MA membership exceeded 3 million.  

The C&MA's Statement of Faith defines it as an evangelical Protestant denomination. The following is a summary of the Statement of Faith for the U.S. Church:

• One God who exists as a Trinity.
• Jesus Christ is both God and man who died as a substitutionary sacrifice, was resurrected, ascended to heaven, and will return to establish his kingdom.
• The Holy Spirit indwells, teaches, and empowers believers; he convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.
• The Bible, in its original languages, is inerrant, divinely inspired, and the complete revelation of God's will for the salvation of men. It is the only rule for Christian faith and practice.
• Man was created in the image of God, but through disobedience is born with a sinful nature.  Mankind can only be saved through Christ's "atoning work".
• Those who repent and believe in Christ are born again of the Holy Spirit, becoming children of God.
• The will of God is for each believer to be filled with the Holy Spirit and "sanctified wholly" to receive "power for holy living and effective service". This is both a "crisis" and "progressive" experience occurring after conversion.  Sanctification is "Separation from sin" and "Separation to God". The believer must, through faith, surrender, accept Christ as sanctifier, and continue to abide in relationship with Christ through obedience to his Word.
• Within the "redemptive work" of Christ provision is made for bodily healing.  Prayer for the sick and anointing with oil are scriptural and the privilege of the Church.
• The Church is all who believe in Christ, are redeemed through his blood, and are born again of the Holy Spirit. It has been called to fulfill the Great Commission. The local church is a body of believers joined together for worship, edification through God's Word, prayer, fellowship, proclaiming the gospel, and observing the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper.
• The just shall be resurrected unto life and the unjust unto judgment.
• The imminent second coming of Christ will be personal, visible, and pre millennial.