CHRISTENDOM Series: Holiness

HOLINESS

(Evangelical / Holiness)

Now reform your ways and your actions
and obey the LORD your God.
Jeremiah 26:13 NIV

The Holiness movement of the late 1800's came out of Methodism with a focus on Sanctification (changing your ways as you draw closer to God) as the "2nd work of Grace". This, as opposed to the staleness of the sacramentalism of Catholic & Mainline Protestants, or the Calvinistic predestination or it's watered down form of once-saved-always-saved with it's focus only on Justification. It became filled with many evangelicals who flocked to the movement. They were also big on camp meetings at one time (some still are).
It was also opposed to the liberal modernism movement at the turn of the last century.

---Big 3---

 Wesleyan Church - 1843, split from wider Methodism over slavery. Later became a hardcore Holiness Church in the late 1800's. Also, opposed to gay marriage & evolution. It is

Arminian & strongly opposed to both Calvinism & Mariology. World headquarters is in Fishers, Indiana. It operates Indiana Wesleyan University headquartered in Marion, Indiana. About 230,000 members.
Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) - 1881, began as a Holiness movement that taught that any church that had a set of creeds, other than the Bible, was spiritual Babylon. They

preached for people to come out of Babylon and live a holy life. Hardcore pacifism until WW1. baptism is by immersion & a foot washing ceremony is observed. About 250,000 members.
Church of the Nazarene - 1908, was formed by the merger of several Holiness Churches. hey are Arminian, but have been battling Calvinism among some of their colleges. Today, they oppose the use of alcohol & gay marriage, but have begun to embrace evolution (though not all Nazarenes reject Biblical Creation) & allow women ordiantion. Unlike most evangelical churches, they allow for either infant or adult baptism. Their polity is both a mix of congregational & episcopal. About 630,000 members.

---others---
 Brethren in Christ Church - 1778, began with both Mennonite (Anabaptist) & Methodist (Wesleyan) through Bible study together. Stressed a holy lifestyle, foot washing & baptism by immersion. About 20,000 members.
Congregational Methodist Church - 1852, began as a movement among southern Methodist to switch from an episcopal polity to a congregational polity. During the Holiness movement they were caught up into it.
Salvation Army - 1865, started in London, England by William Booth, a former Methodist

minister. Purpose was to evangelize the world through charity programs. it was set up modeled after the military to be God's army on earth. They were preaching the 3 S's-Soup, Soap & Salvation. Originally they lived in citadels and stressed a holy lifestyle. They are strongly against gay marriage, abortion & the death penalty but allow women ordination. About 130,000 members here.
Church of Daniel's Band - 1893, stressed Wesleyan holiness but supported divine healing. About 200 members.
Pillar of Fire International - 1901, founded by those in the heat of the Holiness movement stressing entire Sanctification. Heavy

emphasis on the health work as a denomination, although the denomination has shrunk in recent years to only 6 congregations left. Also, they believe strongly in the immortality of the soul and pre-millennial dispensational in eschatology. Although they were called "holy rollers" like the Pentecostals because of their frenzied state during worship - they rejected tongues. Their founder also had ties to the KKK but they had women ordination from the beginning. Their founder, Alma White, wanted to use both feminism & the Klan to "liberate" white women.
The Churches of Christ in Christian Union - 1909, broke away from a Methodist group that had formed in Ohio during the Civil War as an anti-war movement. Over time, while mixing with others, they had drifted toward Calvinism. The hardcore Arminian Wesleyan wing thus broke away.

Evangelical Church in North America - 1967, formed by those who were opposed to the coming formation of the United Methodist Church. They also stressed Wesleyan holiness for a lifestyle. About 12,000 members.
Bethel Methodist Church - 1989, tiny breakaway in Texas from the Evangelical Methodist Church for it's perceived backsliding from strict Wesleyan Sanctification.
National Association of Wesleyan Evangelicals - 2010, small splinter group from the Evangelical Methodist Church in the south. The focus is to get back to a holy lifestyle.

CHRISTENDOM Series Outline Link:
http://master1844-dc.blogspot.com/2015/06/christendom-series-outline.html