Evangelical Methodist Church
Encyclopedia
The Evangelical Methodist Church (EMC) is a Christian
denomination
headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana
. The denomination currently has churches in the United States
, Mexico
, Burma/Myanmar, Canada, Europe, and Africa. Congregations are located in 23 U.S. states, and they have a presence in 20 other countries through various missions organizations. The EMC has 222 total churches worldwide. The North American Conference (Canada, Mexico and the United States) has 149 churches, 112 of those in the United States. Current United States membership is approximately 8,600 people.
The EMC split from The Methodist Church in 1946. In 2005, there were 108 churches and 7,348 members in the United States,
The EMC describes itself as a culturally conservative
, evangelical
church that is "fundamental in belief, missionary
in outlook, evangelistic
in endeavor, cooperative in spirit, and Wesleyan
in doctrine." Theologically, the EMC teaches a moderate holiness
belief in the inerrancy of the Holy Bible and the power of the Holy Spirit
to cleanse a Christian from sin
and to keep him or her from falling back into a sinful lifestyle. The EMC believes in salvation through faith by grace. The prevenient grace of God allows every person to make a choice in response to the gospel. Man apart from grace cannot freely choose Christ. The Christian will grow in Christ-likeness throughout life in progressive sanctification. There is also the experience of entire sanctification where the believer's heart is cleansed of self-centered ambition replaced by a single minded love for God and people. A holy lifestyle that reflects the character of Christ is lived out in the world.
The Evangelical Methodist Church was established in 1946 as the result of a prayer meeting where clergy and lay-people gathered in Memphis, Tennessee
. Dr. J.H. Hamblen was elected chairman of the meeting in Memphis and as the first General Superintendent at the organizational conference in November of that year.
and humanistic
organization, specifically with its denial of the accuracy, authority and all-sufficiency of the Bible
. As a result of these theological changes in the Methodist Church, the EMC was formed in order to revive what it considered the original principles of the founders of Methodism
.
The EMC Book of Discipline's 1966–70 edition reads: "With a firm conviction that the gulf that separates conservative
and liberal thought in the church is an ever-widening chasm which can never be healed, the Evangelical Methodist Church came into being to preserve the distinctive Biblical doctrines of primitive methodism."
Both the EMC and the denomination from which it sprung (now the United Methodist Church
) share roots in the 18th century English Methodist movement pioneered by John Wesley
. They also trace their lineage to the missions of Francis Asbury
, Thomas Coke
and the tireless circuit riders
of the 1800s. The "old fashioned" Methodism that they preached grew rapidly largely because of their Bible-based emphasis on free will and on individual personal responsibility before God. Through their local congregations and missions, they inspired other adherents to share their faith with those they considered lost.
At the first EMC conference in 1948, delegates wholeheartedly approved a plan presented by circuit-riding preacher Dr. Ezequiel B. Vargas, superintendent of the Mexican Evangelistic Mission, that his missions group become a part of the Evangelical Methodist Church. Dr. Vargas and Dr. Hamblen maintained a strong friendship and working relationship. A Bible institute in Torreón, Mexico
, Instituto Bíblico Vida y Verdadhttp://ibvv.memar.org, is the result of this work.
A mention was made at the 2006 General Conference of talks with the Evangelical Church
regarding a possible merger.http://www.emchurch.org/exponent/index.php?section=144
The Churches of Christ in Christian Union
http://www.cccuhq.org is referred to as a "sister denomination" to the EMC and sends an observer to its general conferences. That denomination is itself a fusion of several denominations including the Christian Union and the holiness Churches of Christ, and later the Reformed Methodist Church's Northeast District.
A small denomination, the Bethel Methodist Churchhttp://www.bethelmethodist.com, sprung from a theological disagreement in the Mid-States District regarding district ministers' stand on holiness and free will on March 24, 1989. The group claims four congregations.
.
Dr. Edward W. Williamson is the General Superintendent of the EMC. The General Superintendent is elected by a quadrennial international general conference.
Offices
The denomination recognizes the terms General Superintendent and Bishop as titles to the same biblical office. Multicultural churches and Mission Conferences may use either title that aligns with their traditions. The EMC as of 2010 General Conference adopted a North America Conference with Mexico as a Mission Conference, USA and Canada as districts. The churches are gathered into regions in the North America Conference.
Denominationally licensed orders of ministry include: Local Preachers
, Elders
(ordination as such is required to become a pastor), Deacon
s and Deaconess
es. Historically, the EMC has recognized Song Evangelists and Lay Exhorters as orders appointed by the local church.
Departments include: Prayer, Stewardship, Pensions, Publications and Multicultural Ministries. Auxiliaries of the denomination include Men, Women and Youth organizations.
Local church administrative structures vary, but the Book of Discipline calls for a board of Stewards and a board of Trustees to work in conjunction with a pastor. The pastor is responsible for oversight of the local church's ministries and other ministers.
Reorganization plan
In September 2007, the General Council unamiously proposed that the districts be changed into regions and merged into a single conference. This plan, called the "One Conference Model" and part of the CSP (Comprehensive Strategic Plan), was proposed to delegates at the Special General Conference in July 2008. According to the plan, The General Conference would be held every three or four years and in-between General Conference years, two annual convocations would be held on the east and west coasts. The General Council pointed to the current level of independence of the various districts and departation from the denomination's "Methodist moorings" of connectionalism. The motion to adopt the reorganization plan failed to gain the two-thirds support necessary, with 157-100 delegate votes (61.1 to 39.9%). The District Conferences, 5 of 6 in the following Spring 2008 supported the presentation of the one conference model to the 2010 General Conference.http://www.emchurch.org/main/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/nac-discipline-revisions-2010.pdf
In March 2010 the 30th General Conference adopted the one conference model called the North America Conference which included Mexico and Canada. The model called for two districts, USA and Canada. The USA district has four Conference Superintendents and Canada has one Conference Superintendent. By December 2010 the North America Conference grew 30% in the number of churches. The streamlined conference structure reduced the number of identical boards from 27 to 7, reducing financial overhead and uniting the denomination with a single focus, strategy, and mission. There were no changes made in local church structure or doctrinal standards.
doctrine of sanctification
. Though many local, independent congregations with a similar heritage retain the name "Evangelical Methodist Church," there are at least two major "other EMCs:"
Evangelical (Independent) Methodist Churches
A faction led by W.W. Breckbill, a founder from the earliest days of the EMChttp://www.imarc.cc/br/breckbill.html, later became known as the Evangelical (Independent) Methodist Church, or the Fellowship of Evangelical Methodist Churches http://www.evangelicalmethodist.com. They operate Breckbill Bible College http://www.breckbillbiblecollege.org in Max Meadows, Virginia
. This smaller EMC group is more into cultural separatism than the original denomination and does not teach the doctrine of Entire, Instantaneous Sanctification
. They are distinctly more congregationalist
in polity.
Evangelical Methodist Church of America
Several independent local churches which go by the name "Evangelical Methodist Church" are affiliated with the national Evangelical Methodist Church of America conference, established in 1953 by dissenting members of the EMC – some of which consider themselves "heirs to the rich theological heritage as embraced by Charles Spurgeon
and George Whitefield
" rather than Wesley http://www.emc-hcs.org. These churches, too, have a more distinct attitude of cultural separatism than the larger EMC, and place a greater emphasis on congregationalism. They have more in common with the Conservative Holiness Movement
than does the larger EMC.
According to an observer, the two schisms mirror a trend among many denominations:
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
denomination
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. The denomination currently has churches in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Burma/Myanmar, Canada, Europe, and Africa. Congregations are located in 23 U.S. states, and they have a presence in 20 other countries through various missions organizations. The EMC has 222 total churches worldwide. The North American Conference (Canada, Mexico and the United States) has 149 churches, 112 of those in the United States. Current United States membership is approximately 8,600 people.
The EMC split from The Methodist Church in 1946. In 2005, there were 108 churches and 7,348 members in the United States,
The EMC describes itself as a culturally conservative
Cultural conservatism
Cultural conservatism is described as the preservation of the heritage of one nation, or of a shared culture that is not defined by national boundaries. Other variants of cultural conservatism are concerned with culture attached to a given language such as Arabic.The shared culture may be as...
, 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:...
church that is "fundamental in belief, missionary
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
in outlook, evangelistic
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
in endeavor, cooperative in spirit, and Wesleyan
Wesleyanism
Wesleyanism or Wesleyan theology refers, respectively, to either the eponymous movement of Protestant Christians who have historically sought to follow the methods or theology of the eighteenth-century evangelical reformers, John Wesley and his brother Charles Wesley, or to the likewise eponymous...
in doctrine." Theologically, the EMC teaches a moderate holiness
Holiness movement
The holiness movement refers to a set of beliefs and practices emerging from the Methodist Christian church in the mid 19th century. The movement is distinguished by its emphasis on John Wesley's doctrine of "Christian perfection" - the belief that it is possible to live free of voluntary sin - and...
belief in the inerrancy of the Holy Bible and the power 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...
to cleanse a Christian from sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
and to keep him or her from falling back into a sinful lifestyle. The EMC believes in salvation through faith by grace. The prevenient grace of God allows every person to make a choice in response to the gospel. Man apart from grace cannot freely choose Christ. The Christian will grow in Christ-likeness throughout life in progressive sanctification. There is also the experience of entire sanctification where the believer's heart is cleansed of self-centered ambition replaced by a single minded love for God and people. A holy lifestyle that reflects the character of Christ is lived out in the world.
History
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. Dr. J.H. Hamblen was elected chairman of the meeting in Memphis and as the first General Superintendent at the organizational conference in November of that year.
Reaction to liberalism
The EMC came into being during a time when many began to believe that The Methodist Church, from which most of the original members came, was becoming a more liberalLiberal Christianity
Liberal Christianity, sometimes called liberal theology, is an umbrella term covering diverse, philosophically and biblically informed religious movements and ideas within Christianity from the late 18th century and onward...
and humanistic
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
organization, specifically with its denial of the accuracy, authority and all-sufficiency of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. As a result of these theological changes in the Methodist Church, the EMC was formed in order to revive what it considered the original principles of the founders of Methodism
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
.
The EMC Book of Discipline's 1966–70 edition reads: "With a firm conviction that the gulf that separates conservative
Conservative Christianity
Conservative Christianity is a term applied to a number of groups or movements seen as giving priority to traditional Christian beliefs and practices...
and liberal thought in the church is an ever-widening chasm which can never be healed, the Evangelical Methodist Church came into being to preserve the distinctive Biblical doctrines of primitive methodism."
Both the EMC and the denomination from which it sprung (now the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
) share roots in the 18th century English Methodist movement pioneered by John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
. They also trace their lineage to the missions of Francis Asbury
Francis Asbury
Bishop Francis Asbury was one of the first two bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church, now The United Methodist Church in the United States...
, Thomas Coke
Thomas Coke
Thomas Coke *Thomas Coke of Melbourne Hall, Derbyshire, created Privy Counsellor]in 1708*Thomas Coke , early Methodist*Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester...
and the tireless circuit riders
Circuit rider (Religious)
Circuit rider is a popular term referring to clergy in the earliest years of the United States who were assigned to travel around specific geographic territories to minister to settlers and organize congregations...
of the 1800s. The "old fashioned" Methodism that they preached grew rapidly largely because of their Bible-based emphasis on free will and on individual personal responsibility before God. Through their local congregations and missions, they inspired other adherents to share their faith with those they considered lost.
Divisions and mergers
In its second decade, the EMC merged with two denominations which shared its belief in entire sanctification and the importance of evangelism.- On June 4, 1960, the Evangel Church, Inc., in session at its annual conference, voted to unite with the Evangelical Methodist Church and thus become a part of the California District. Formerly known as the Evangelistic Tabernacles and founded by Dr. William Kirby and Dr. Cornelius P. Haggard, the group dates back to March 27, 1933. At the time of merger there were 8 churches and about 675 enrolled in Sunday school, with Rev. R. Lloyd Wilson serving as president of the organization. This merger was approved by the Western Annual Conference of the Evangelical Methodist Church on June 22, 1960.http://www.emchurch.org/discipline/history.htm
- On July 3, 1962, the General Conference of the Evangelical Methodist Church voted to merge with the People's Methodist Church, formerly known as the People's Christian Movement, which came into being on January 1, 1938, with Rev. Jim H. Green as the first General Superintendent. The merger was finalized by vote of the People's Methodist Church at a subsequent conference in the summer of 1962. Rev. J. Neal Anderson, General Superintendent at the time of the merger, was elected Superintendent of the Virginia-North Carolina District.http://www.emchurch.org/discipline/history.htm
At the first EMC conference in 1948, delegates wholeheartedly approved a plan presented by circuit-riding preacher Dr. Ezequiel B. Vargas, superintendent of the Mexican Evangelistic Mission, that his missions group become a part of the Evangelical Methodist Church. Dr. Vargas and Dr. Hamblen maintained a strong friendship and working relationship. A Bible institute in Torreón, Mexico
Torreón
Torreón is a city and seat of the surrounding municipality of the same name in the Mexican state of Coahuila. As of 2010, the city's population was 608,836 with 639,629 in the municipality. The metropolitan population, including Matamoros, Coahuila, and Gómez Palacio and Lerdo in adjacent Durango,...
, Instituto Bíblico Vida y Verdadhttp://ibvv.memar.org, is the result of this work.
A mention was made at the 2006 General Conference of talks with the Evangelical Church
Evangelical Church (ECNA)
The Evangelical Church in North America is a national Protestant denomination in the United States. It is closely identified within the holiness movement with roots in Methodism and the teachings of John Wesley...
regarding a possible merger.http://www.emchurch.org/exponent/index.php?section=144
The Churches of Christ in Christian Union
Churches of Christ in Christian Union
The Churches of Christ in Christian Union is a Christian denomination with origins in the Wesleyan/Arminian doctrine . The hot political climate at the beginning of the War Between the States brought Methodists into conflict. In Ohio the church in general supported the war but there was a small...
http://www.cccuhq.org is referred to as a "sister denomination" to the EMC and sends an observer to its general conferences. That denomination is itself a fusion of several denominations including the Christian Union and the holiness Churches of Christ, and later the Reformed Methodist Church's Northeast District.
A small denomination, the Bethel Methodist Churchhttp://www.bethelmethodist.com, sprung from a theological disagreement in the Mid-States District regarding district ministers' stand on holiness and free will on March 24, 1989. The group claims four congregations.
Structure
The EMC is headquartered in the Hamblen-Bruner Headquarters Building in Indianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
.
Dr. Edward W. Williamson is the General Superintendent of the EMC. The General Superintendent is elected by a quadrennial international general conference.
The denomination recognizes the terms General Superintendent and Bishop as titles to the same biblical office. Multicultural churches and Mission Conferences may use either title that aligns with their traditions. The EMC as of 2010 General Conference adopted a North America Conference with Mexico as a Mission Conference, USA and Canada as districts. The churches are gathered into regions in the North America Conference.
Denominationally licensed orders of ministry include: Local Preachers
Methodist local preacher
A Methodist local preacher is a lay person who has been accredited by a Methodist church to lead worship on a regular basis. Local preachers play an important role in the Methodist Church of Great Britain and other churches historically linked to it, and have also been important in English social...
, Elders
Elder (Methodism)
An Elder in the Methodist Church — sometimes called a Presbyter or Minister — is someone who has been ordained by a Bishop to the ministry of Word, Sacrament, Order, and Service...
(ordination as such is required to become a pastor), Deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
s and Deaconess
Deaconess
Deaconess is a non-clerical order in some Christian denominations which sees to the care of women in the community. That word comes from a Greek word diakonos as well as deacon, which means a servant or helper and occurs frequently in the Christian New Testament of the Bible. Deaconesses trace...
es. Historically, the EMC has recognized Song Evangelists and Lay Exhorters as orders appointed by the local church.
Departments include: Prayer, Stewardship, Pensions, Publications and Multicultural Ministries. Auxiliaries of the denomination include Men, Women and Youth organizations.
Local church administrative structures vary, but the Book of Discipline calls for a board of Stewards and a board of Trustees to work in conjunction with a pastor. The pastor is responsible for oversight of the local church's ministries and other ministers.
Reorganization plan
In September 2007, the General Council unamiously proposed that the districts be changed into regions and merged into a single conference. This plan, called the "One Conference Model" and part of the CSP (Comprehensive Strategic Plan), was proposed to delegates at the Special General Conference in July 2008. According to the plan, The General Conference would be held every three or four years and in-between General Conference years, two annual convocations would be held on the east and west coasts. The General Council pointed to the current level of independence of the various districts and departation from the denomination's "Methodist moorings" of connectionalism. The motion to adopt the reorganization plan failed to gain the two-thirds support necessary, with 157-100 delegate votes (61.1 to 39.9%). The District Conferences, 5 of 6 in the following Spring 2008 supported the presentation of the one conference model to the 2010 General Conference.http://www.emchurch.org/main/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/nac-discipline-revisions-2010.pdf
In March 2010 the 30th General Conference adopted the one conference model called the North America Conference which included Mexico and Canada. The model called for two districts, USA and Canada. The USA district has four Conference Superintendents and Canada has one Conference Superintendent. By December 2010 the North America Conference grew 30% in the number of churches. The streamlined conference structure reduced the number of identical boards from 27 to 7, reducing financial overhead and uniting the denomination with a single focus, strategy, and mission. There were no changes made in local church structure or doctrinal standards.
Other EMCs
The EMC, though containing Holiness and non-Holiness Fundamentalists in the beginning, experienced a schism early in its history in regard to the WesleyanWesleyanism
Wesleyanism or Wesleyan theology refers, respectively, to either the eponymous movement of Protestant Christians who have historically sought to follow the methods or theology of the eighteenth-century evangelical reformers, John Wesley and his brother Charles Wesley, or to the likewise eponymous...
doctrine of sanctification
Sanctification
Sanctity is an ancient concept widespread among religions, a property of a thing or person sacred or set apart within the religion, from totem poles through temple vessels to days of the week, to a human believer who achieves this state. Sanctification is the act or process of acquiring sanctity,...
. Though many local, independent congregations with a similar heritage retain the name "Evangelical Methodist Church," there are at least two major "other EMCs:"
Evangelical (Independent) Methodist Churches
A faction led by W.W. Breckbill, a founder from the earliest days of the EMChttp://www.imarc.cc/br/breckbill.html, later became known as the Evangelical (Independent) Methodist Church, or the Fellowship of Evangelical Methodist Churches http://www.evangelicalmethodist.com. They operate Breckbill Bible College http://www.breckbillbiblecollege.org in Max Meadows, Virginia
Max Meadows, Virginia
Max Meadows is a census-designated place in Wythe County, Virginia, United States. The population was 562 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Max Meadows is located at ....
. This smaller EMC group is more into cultural separatism than the original denomination and does not teach the doctrine of Entire, Instantaneous Sanctification
Sanctification
Sanctity is an ancient concept widespread among religions, a property of a thing or person sacred or set apart within the religion, from totem poles through temple vessels to days of the week, to a human believer who achieves this state. Sanctification is the act or process of acquiring sanctity,...
. They are distinctly more congregationalist
Congregationalist polity
Congregationalist polity, often known as congregationalism, is a system of church governance in which every local church congregation is independent, ecclesiastically sovereign, or "autonomous"...
in polity.
Evangelical Methodist Church of America
Several independent local churches which go by the name "Evangelical Methodist Church" are affiliated with the national Evangelical Methodist Church of America conference, established in 1953 by dissenting members of the EMC – some of which consider themselves "heirs to the rich theological heritage as embraced by Charles Spurgeon
Charles Spurgeon
Charles Haddon Spurgeon was a large British Particular Baptist preacher who remains highly influential among Christians of different denominations, among whom he is still known as the "Prince of Preachers"...
and George Whitefield
George Whitefield
George Whitefield , also known as George Whitfield, was an English Anglican priest who helped spread the Great Awakening in Britain, and especially in the British North American colonies. He was one of the founders of Methodism and of the evangelical movement generally...
" rather than Wesley http://www.emc-hcs.org. These churches, too, have a more distinct attitude of cultural separatism than the larger EMC, and place a greater emphasis on congregationalism. They have more in common with the Conservative Holiness Movement
Conservative Holiness Movement
The conservative holiness movement is a term that loosely defines a group of conservative Christian denominations that trace their origin back to Methodist roots and the teachings of John Wesley.-Doctrines and distinctives:...
than does the larger EMC.
According to an observer, the two schisms mirror a trend among many denominations:
"The history of the Evangelical Methodist Church illustrates the tensions inherent in a Fundamentalist-Holiness relationship. Founded in 1946 as a protest against growing liberalism in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Methodist Church contained both Holiness and non-Holiness factions. Eventually, the tension grew too great, and in 1952 the denomination split over the issue of entire sanctification. The non-Holiness segment, led by W. W. (William Wallace) Breckbill, took the more ardently Fundamentalist position, aligning itself with the American Council of Churches of ChristAmerican Council of Christian ChurchesThe American Council of Christian Churches was founded in 1941 under the leadership of Carl McIntire. McIntire and others created a fundamentalist organization set up in opposition to the Federal Council of Churches...
(sic), a Fundamentalist alliance. In this case, mutual opposition to liberalism was not sufficient to make up for deep differences over the doctrine of sanctification. Once the split took place, those opposed to entire sanctification found themselves more comfortable in the Fundamentalist camp. This story reproduces in miniature the general outline of Fundamentalist-Holiness interaction.http://www.bju.edu/library/collections/fund_file/chm.html#sdendnote71sym