Apostolic Christian Churches (Nazareen)
Introduction
The Apostolic Christian Church (Nazarene) is referred to as the ACC. They teach that the grace of GOD is accessible to all men through the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of GOD, and that He shed His blood at Calvary and paid the penalty for sin. They reject the concept that men can in any way do anything to pay for their own salvation.
The Apostolic Christian Church (Nazarene) was created around 1906 because of a split from the Apostolic Christian Church of America. The Church was formed by immigrants from several Slavic countries who had converted to the apostolic faith while they were still in Europe. The Slavic changed their name to the Apostolic Christian Church, Nazarene or simply Nazarene.
History
The Apostolic Christian Church came out of Switzerland as a small fellowship of believers keeping a tradition of worship. The founder was Samuel Heinrich Froehlich who preached the gospel of redemption through faith and the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ and the process of being born again.
Samuel Heinrich Froehlich was born in Brugg, Switzerland July 4, 1803. His father was a French Huguenot, which was a Calvinistic protestant movement that happened in France. Samuel Froehlich attended the University of Zurich. He was baptized in 1832 in the Protestant state church and was later excommunicated for refusing to submit to using the newer Catechism instead of the old Heidelberg Catechism.
Froehlich had strong disagreement with the issue of church and state. Froehlich held compassion for the Mennonite faith but felt it needed reformed. He had supporters from the Mennonite church and they broke away to follow him; they adopted the official name of Evangelical Baptist Church.
Samuel Heinrich Froehlich and his followers continued to hold worship services in private homes and in open fields. He was always in danger of being thrown in jail so he traveled from town to town at night. Froehlich married, however, because he had been excommunicated from the national church, his marriage was not recognized. His wife was thrown in jail for prostitution every time they had a baby. It was in 1844 when Samuel Heinrich Froehlich was banished to France.
The immigration of the Evangelical Baptist Church to the United States came after the American Civil War. The Evangelical Baptist Church was the first formed in New York in 1847. Froehlich sent Benedict Weyeneth to set up the church in New York. Soon after, in 1848, another church was formed in Sardis, Ohio. It was sometimes referred to as the New Amish, who called themselves Evangelical Baptist.
It was in 1917 the Apostolic Christian Church adopted its name. Samuel Heinrich Froehlich organized The Evangelical Baptist Church organized by Samuel Heinrich Froehlich in Western Europe ultimately became the Nazarenes in Eastern Europe and the Apostolic Christian Church in America.
A disagreement surfaced over the traditional practice of the Eastern European customs. The Apostolic Christian Church and the Apostolic Christian Church of America divided. The Slavic European did not merge with the native-born church members who received their roots from the Anabaptist. The Anabaptist mainly came from Germany, Switzerland and the South of France areas and converted from Mennonite or the Amish denominations that had immigrated to America. The Slavs did not share the long Anabaptist heritage. Most of the Slavic countries were Roman Catholic and initiated the persecution of the Protestant Anabaptists. The Slavs wore mustaches and had military associations which went against the Anabaptist belief.
The elders demanded all brothers of the church had to shave off their mustaches in order to encourage church unity. The Slavic men refused and threatened to split off from the Apostolic Christina Church. More pressure was put on the Slavic men to shave off their mustaches so they left the church.
The hardest congregations hit by the split were the churches in Oregon. The group that left adopted the name of the Apostolic Christian Church, Nazarene, and was mainly from the Slovic Europeans countries. The name Nazarene should not be confused with the church of the Nazarene which came out of the American Holiness movement around the same time the Apostolic Christian Church got its start.
The Apostolic Christian Church, Nazaren followed the doctrines and writings of Samuel Froehlich, where the Apostolic Christian Church did not follow his writings. The Apostolic Christian church, Nazarene, has been more traditional and more conservative than the Apostolic Christian Church.
Belief
The Apostolic Christian Church Nazarene obeys the Bible and believes it to be the inspired infallible word of God and that God is without beginning and without end. They believe in the Trinity of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.
Nazarenes believe salvation is by the Grace of God through Faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is God incarnate who was born of a virgin. Jesus Christ lived a sinless life. He died on the cross in the place of the sinners; His blood is shed for the atonement for sins. Nazarenes believe Jesus Christ was bodily resurrected and He ascended to the right hand of the LORD God. They believe Jesus Christ will return to earth in power and in glory. All sinners are waiting the judgment of God but they believe God does not want anyone to be lost forever. Everyone can be saved through faith and is regenerated by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Nazarenes believe both the saved and the lost will be resurrected; the saved will live eternal and the lost unto an eternal damnation.
Nazarene Baptism is by water immersion and baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the indwelling inside a believer that empowered them to live godly and spiritual lives in unity with Jesus Christ. All men are commanded by God to repent and be baptized. Only those who believe on Christ and have been converted by Him, have died to sin, and have experienced a spiritual rebirth may be baptized.
Nazarene communion is closed and served with bread and the fruit of the vine. They believe the communion symbolizes the body and blood of Christ. Communion is served only to members of the fellowship only after self-examination.
The Elders are chosen by the congregation and they perform all rites and other ministerial duties. Elders have deacons who assist them. They discipline the church to deal with the presence of sin in the lives of all their members. They believe it is their responsibility to proclaim the Gospel throughout the entire world and to every creature. They believe eternal life is a gift presented to every true disciple of Jesus Christ. No one can take it away.
The Apostolic Christian church believes the government is ordained of God in order to enforce law and order and to prevent evil works. The government’s laws should be observed and conformed to and respected as long as it does not violate the commandment of God. The members may affirm the truth in court but they may not swear an oath; it is forbidden. They allow their members to serve in the military but they may not carry arms. Nazarenes believe women, or Sisters in the Lord, should wear a veil or some kind of a head covering during public prayer and during worship. This is a symbol of their submission according to God and His order of creation.
Cite Article Source
MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “Apostolic Christian Churches (Nazareen):.” Becker Bible Studies Library Jan 2006.<https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2582,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2006, January) “Apostolic Christian Churches (Nazareen):.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2582,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2006) “Apostolic Christian Churches (Nazareen): .” Becker Bible Studies Library (January), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2582, (accessed).
