Charis Alliance
Charis Alliance | |
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Orientation | Anabaptist |
Theology | Schwarzenau Brethren |
Origin | 2015 |
Official website | charisalliance |
Part of a series on the |
Schwarzenau Brethren (the German Baptists or Dunkers) |
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Background |
Doctrinal tenets |
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People |
Groups |
Defunct groups |
Related movements |
Charis Alliance is a Christian denomination in the Schwarzenau Brethren tradition. The word charis is Greek in origin, meaning "grace."[1]
History
For the early history see Church of the Brethren.
The Great Schism
The Brethren (at the time called German Baptist Brethren) suffered a three-way division early in the 1880s, and the more progressive group organized the
Fundamentalism rising
But, also in the early 1900s, two different viewpoints began to emerge. As
Division from the Brethren Church
This tension finally erupted in 1936โ37 with a growing controversy at
In the next two years two groups emerged in the Brethren Church: those sympathetic with Ashland College and those sympathetic with Grace Seminary. Traditional Brethren, in part because of their drawn out approach and in part due to their distaste for fundamentalist theology, sided with Ashland College, while the fundamentalists led by Bauman and McClain, sided with Grace Seminary. In 1939, the Grace Seminary group formed the National Fellowship of Brethren Churches.[4][5][6] The Fellowship incorporated in 1987 as the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches.[7]
Departure of the Conservative Grace Brethren
Another division occurred in 1992, involving a coalition of fundamentalist pastors who were troubled by the continuing "neo-evangelical" drift that they perceived taking root within the larger body of the FGBC, ultimately resulting in the formation of the Conservative Grace Brethren Churches, International (CGBCI). The immediate issue of dissension concerned the question of open membership in regard to individuals who had not been baptized by trine immersion (the historic Brethren standard, which the Brethren traditionally believe is taught in the language of Matt. 28:19). The Conservative pastors (so called because they desired to "conserve" Biblical truth) ultimately saw the broader issue as one involving Biblical Fundamentalism vs. an unduly pragmatic neo-evangelicalism, and ultimately withdrew from the larger body as a matter of conviction.
Charis Alliance
In 2015, delegates from ministries in all the countries who associate with the Grace Brethren gathered in Bangkok, Thailand and formed the Charis Alliance. The Global Charis alliance adopted the Charis Commitment to Common Identity. [8]
Beliefs
The denomination has a
Statistics
According to a denomination census released in 2023, it claimed 200 churches in the United States and Canada.[10]
References
- ^ Fellowship, Charis (2018-07-23), the Charis Fellowship (in one minute), retrieved 2018-09-18
- OCLC 45189112.
- ^ Homer A. Kent, Sr., Conquering Frontiers: A History of the Brethren Church. Winona Lake: BMH Books, 1972.[page needed]
- ^ Donald B. Kraybill, Concise Encyclopedia of Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites, JHU Press, USA, 2010, p. 92
- ^ Todd Scoles, "A Household Divided", in Restoring the Household: The Quest of the Grace Brethren Church. Winona Lake, BMH Books, 2008[page needed]
- ^ Martin, Dennis. "What Has Divided the Brethren Church". Brethren Life and Thought. 21 (2): 107โ19.
- ^ George Thomas Kurian, Mark A. Lamport, Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States, Volume 5, Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2016, p. 875
- ^ Charis Alliance, What is the Charis Alliance?, charisalliance.org, USA, retrieved June 5, 2023
- ^ Charis Alliance, Charis Commitment to a Common Identity?, charisalliance.org, USA, retrieved June 5, 2023
- ^ Charis Fellowship, We are the Charis Fellowship, charisfellowship.com, USA, retrieved June 5, 2023
Literature
- David R. Plaster: Finding our Focus: A History of the Grace Brethren Church, Winona Lake, IN: BMH Books, 2003.
- Todd S. Scoles: Restoring the Household: The Quest of the Grace Brethren Church, Winona Lake, IN: BMH Books, 2008.
- Frank S. Mead, Samuel S. Hill, & Craig D. Atwood: Handbook of Denominations
- Norman B. Rohrer: A Saint in Glory Stands: The Story of Alva J. McClain, Founder of Grace Theological Seminary, Winona Lake, IN: BMH Books, 1986.