The Christian Evangelistic Assemblies is an umbrella organization for non-denominational Christianity.

History

• 1933 - Oscar C. (O. C.) Harms founded what would later become Colonial Tabernacle.
• 1934 - The California Evangelistic Association (CEA) was chartered by the State of California, led by O. C. Harms.
• 1939 - CEA-affiliated churches have spread through Southern California and the Pacific Northwest.
• 1979 - CEA changes its name to "Christian Evangelistic Assemblies".
• 2006 - CEA-affiliated churches total roughly 89,000 members, 1300 churches, in 27 countries.
• 2008 - CEA changes its name to "Grace International"

CEA headquarters are currently in Houston, Texas

Houston, Texas

Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...

. Steve Riggle

Steve Riggle

Steve Riggle is the founding pastor and current Senior Pastor of Grace Community Church, a megachurch in Houston, Texas. He is also the President of Grace International which was formerly known as Christian Evangelistic Assemblies. Mr...

, Senior Pastor at Grace Community Church

Grace Community Church (Texas)

Grace Community Church is a non-denominational megachurch located in Houston, Texas.The church currently has three services on Sunday at their main facility : two English-speaking and one Spanish-speaking....

, is the current CEA President.

Doctrine

Conservatively Christian and evangelical

Evangelicalism

Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...

. Belief in the present-day manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...

. The CEA Statement of Faith explicitly includes strong opposition to same-sex marriage

Same-sex marriage

Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....

and a belief that human life begins at conception.

External links

• Grace International
• Grace Community Church (probably the largest CEA-affiliated church at roughly 11,000 members)