Missionary Church

The Missionary Church is an evangelical Christian denomination

Missionary Church
of Anabaptist origins with Wesleyan and Pietist influences.[3]

Faith and practice

The Missionary Church is a Trinitarian body which believes the Missionary Church Logo
Bible is the inspired Word of God and authoritative in all matters Classification Protestant
of faith; that "salvation is the result of genuine repentance of sin
Orientation Evangelical,
and faith in the atoning work of Christ"; and that the "church is
Anabaptists,
composed of all believers in the Lord Jesus who have been vitally
united by faith to Christ". They hold two Christian ordinances, Pietism,
baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper, as outward signs, not Wesleyanism,
a means of salvation.[4] Higher Life
movement

History Associations National

Association of
The Missionary Church has diverse roots, especially in Evangelicals
Anabaptism (directly through the Mennonites), German Pietism, Headquarters Fort Wayne,
the holiness movement, and American evangelicalism, (and to a Indiana
smaller degree fundamentalism and Pentecostalism). The preamble
to their Constitution references this by stating: Origin 1969[1]
Detroit, Michigan
...the Missionary Church will be better understood by Merger of United
the reader who recognizes that a singular commitment
Missionary
of our early leaders was to the position that the
Scriptures were to be the primary source of doctrine Church (https://g
and life. In addition to this commitment to be a biblical ameo.org/index.p
church, we recognize the contribution of John hp?title=United%
Wesley's emphasis on "the warmed heart"; A.B. 20Missionary%20
Simpson's fourfold emphasis on Jesus Christ as Church) and the
Savior, Sanctifier, Healer and Coming King; the
Missionary
Anabaptist concepts of community and brotherhood;
the evangelical emphases of the lost estate of Church
mankind and redemption through Jesus Christ. The Association (http
Missionary Church, then, is a unique blend of the s://gameo.org/ind
thought and life of a people who have sought to build ex.php?title=Miss
their church according to Scriptures and who have ionary%20Churc
appreciated their historical roots.[4]
h)
In the late 19th century, several Mennonite preachers embraced Separations Bible Fellowship
pietism and revivalism, and were excluded from their conferences. Church
Among the leaders were Solomon Eby (https://gameo.org/index.ph
Congregations 463 in the United
p?title=Eby,%20Solomon%20(1834-1931)) (1834–1929) of
States [2]
Ontario, William Gehman (https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Geh
man,%20William%20(1827-1918)) (1827–1917) of Pennsylvania, Members 57,638 in the
Daniel Brenneman (1834–1919) of Indiana, and Joseph E. United States[2]
Ramseyer (https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Ramseyer,%20Josep Official website www.mcusa.org
h%20Eicher%20(1869-1944)) (1869–1944). These brethren (http://www.mcus
gradually found one another and their movements merged. Daniel a.org/)
Brenneman and Solomon Eby established the Reformed
Mennonites in 1874. The Reformed Mennonites joined with some other expelled Mennonite members
(called the New Mennonites (https://gameo.org/index.php?title=New%20mennonites)) and formed the
United Mennonites. In 1879 the followers of William Gehman (called Evangelical Mennonites (https://gam
eo.org/index.php?title=Evangelical%20Mennonite%20Society)) merged with the United Mennonites,
creating the Evangelical United Mennonites (https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Evangelical%20United%20
Mennonites).[5] In 1883 a group from Ohio (called Brethren in Christ or Swankites) joined the movement.
The denomination became the Mennonite Brethren in Christ on December 29, 1883, in Englewood,
Ohio.[6] The Mennonite Brethren in Christ changed their name to the United Missionary Church (https://ga
meo.org/index.php?title=United%20missionary%20church) in 1947. [7] The Mennonite 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 the Bible Fellowship Church.

The Missionary Church Association was founded in Berne, Indiana, in 1898. In that year, Joseph E.
Ramseyer was excluded from the Égly 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]

Branches
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 the Bible 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 the Evangelical 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]

Status
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 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Its ministries include World Partners USA, the Missionary Church
Investment Foundation, U.S. Ministries, the Pastoral leadership institute (http://www.plionline.org/) (PLI),
and Bethel University.[13] Bethel University (Indiana), located in Mishawaka, 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, the
Church 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 the National Association of Evangelicals.

References
1. "History of the Missionary Church" (https://web.archive.org/web/20150101215744/http://ww
w.mcusa.org/AboutMC/History.aspx). Archived from the original (http://www.mcusa.org/About
MC/History.aspx) on 1 January 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
2. "U.S. Membership Report (2020)" (https://www.thearda.com/us-religion/census/congregation
al-membership?t=4&y=2020). The ARDA. The Association of Religion Data Archives.
Retrieved 8 March 2023.
3. Engbrecht, Dennis. "Merging and Diverging Streams: The Colorful Complex History of the
Missionary Church" (https://mcusa.org/s/MergingDiverging1.pdf) (PDF). Missionary Church
USA. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
4. "Constitution of the Missionary Church" (https://mcusa.org/constitution). Missionary Church
USA. Missionary Church, Inc. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
5. Jasper, Huffman (1920). History of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ Church. New Carlisle,
Ohio: Bethel Publishing. p. 59.
6. Jasper, Huffman (1920). History of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ Church. New Carlisle,
Ohio: Bethel Publishing. p. 88.
7. Everek, Storms (1958). History of the United Missionary Church. Bethel Publishing.
8. Taylor, Dick. "A Brief History of the Bible Fellowship Church" (http://www.bfchistory.org/briefh
ist.htm). Bible Fellowship Church Online History Center. Archived (https://web.archive.org/w
eb/20230710192515/http://www.bfchistory.org/) from the original on 2023-07-10. Retrieved
2023-08-04.
9. Lugibihl, Walter (1951). The Missionary Church Association: Historical Account of its Origin
and Development. Berne, IN: Economy Printing Concern.
10. Eileen, Lageer (1979). Merging streams : Story of the Missionary Church. Elkhart, IN: Bethel
Publishing.
11. Lageer, Eileen (2004). Common bonds: the Story of the Evangelical Missionary Church of
Canada. Calgary, AB: Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada. ISBN 9780973250008.
12. "2000 Religious Congregations and Membership Study" (http://www.thearda.com/Denoms/D
_1351_d.asp). Glenmary Research Center. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
13. "Bethel Becomes University - Bethel University" (https://www.betheluniversity.edu/about/pre
sidents-office/history/bethel-becomes-university).
14. "National Center for Education Statistics. College Navigator. Bethel University" (https://nces.
ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=bethel+college&s=all&id=150145#enrolmt). Retrieved
2023-03-07.
15. "The United Brethren Decade in Review" (https://ubcentral.org/2009/12/31/the-united-brethr
en-decade-in-review/). UBCentral. Church of the United Brethren in Christ, USA. Retrieved
8 March 2023.

1883-1983:One Hundred Years of Historical Distinctives (https://mcusa.org/s/OneHundredY

ears.pdf), by Dennis D. Engbrecht
Encyclopedia of American Religions, J. Gordon Melton, editor
Handbook of Denominations in the United States, by Frank S. Mead, Samuel S. Hill, and
Craig D. Atwood
Marriage, Memory, and Mission: Reflections on the 25th Anniversary of the MCA/UMC
Merger (https://mcusa.org/s/MarriageMemoryMission.pdf), by Timothy P. Erdel & Dennis D.
Engbrecht
Merging and Diverging Streams: The Colorful and Complex History of the Missionary
Church (https://mcusa.org/s/MergingDiverging1.pdf), by Dennis D. Engbrecht
The Missionary Church: From Radical Outcasts to the Wild Child of Anabaptism (https://mcu
sa.org/s/FROM-RADICAL-OUTCASTS-TO-THE-WILD-CHILD-OF-ANABAPTISM.pdf), by
Timothy P. Erdel

External links
Official website (http://www.mcusa.org/)
Profile of the Missionary Church on the Association of Religion Data Archives website (http://
www.thearda.com/Denoms/D_1351.asp)

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Missionary_Church&oldid=1171970315"