Missionary Church
The Missionary Church is an evangelical denomination committed to church planting and world mission. Their focus is on the fulfillment of the Great Commission. They are committed to preaching only that which is written in the Bible and to evangelize it to the world.
Their theological movement is dedicated to aggressive outreach. Their method of communication for the outreach of every culture for Christ has changed; their message from the Bible has remained unchanged. The Missionary Church has a commitment to the Scriptures which is the source of their doctrine and their life.
The Missionary Church recognize the contribution of John Wesley and the fourfold emphasis of A.B. Simpson, which was that Jesus Christ was Savior, Sanctifier, Healer and Coming King. They recognized the Anabaptist concepts of community and brotherhood and the evangelical emphasis of the lost estate of mankind and the redemption through Jesus Christ.
The Missionary Church strives to multiply congregations and Disciples of Christ by following the ways of Jesus Christ. Their goal is to be obedient to Jesus Christ and committed to be the holy people of God in the world. They work to build the Church of Jesus Christ through worldwide evangelism, discipleship and multiplying growing churches for the glory of God.
Their national office is in Fort Wayne, Indiana. They support the Bethel College, a Christian liberal arts college also in Fort Wayne, Indiana. They are a member of the National Association of Evangelicals.
History
The Missionary Church adopted their name after the merger of the Missionary Church Association and the United Missionary Church in 1969.
They were known as the Mennonite Brethren in Christ before changing their name in 1947. They began in 1850 after a number of Mennonite ministers were dismissed from their churches because they had prayer meetings, revivals and public testimonies which went against their churches ways. The leadership and organization came from Daniel Brenneman and Solomon Eby. Solomon Eby was the founder of the United Missionary Church movement.
Solomon Eby was born in 1834 and died in 1931. He was ordained in 1858 at Port Elgin, Canada. The spiritual awakening of Solomon Eby occurred in 1869. He called his unusual spiritual awakening his “conversion”. He began prayer meetings to promote conversion among his church members. His conversion practices were unacceptable with the Ontario Mennonite Conference and he was excommunicated in May of 1874.
Daniel Brenneman was expelled from the Indiana Mennonite Conference in 1874. Eby and Brenneman officially joined together May 1874 and called themselves Reformed Mennonites. This group adopted the Dordrecht Confession of Faith as their doctrine. The churches then divided into two conferences in Canada and the United State. Solomon Eby was the Presiding Elder for Canada and Brenneman was the Presiding Elder for the United States. They merged with the Evangelical United Mennonite Church in 1833 who became the Mennonite Brethren in Christ. They changed their name to The United Missionary Church in 1947.
The Missionary Church Association was founded by Joseph Eicher Ramseyer in Berne, Indiana in 1898. Joseph Eicher Ramseyer was dismissed from the Egly Amish because he had been re-baptized by immersion as a born again believer in Christ during a revival meeting. There were many who shared the convictions of Joseph E. Ramseyer and they adopted the Missionary Church Association in 1898. They choose that name because of their yearning to evangelize to the world.
Joseph Eicher Ramseyer was born February 7, 1869, at New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada. Joseph was twelve years old when he finished reading the Bible through. He was quiet and had a meditative spirit. He was converted at the age of sixteen while he was plowing the field on his grandfather’s farm which was near Zurich, Ontario, Canada.
Ramseyer experienced the gift of the Holy Spirit, which became known as the Willow Bush Experience. He was living in Elkton, Michigan when he experienced the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Joseph began preaching the Word even though he did not have a formal education he relied totally on the Holy Spirit. He was ordained to the gospel ministry by Bishop Joseph Redinger of Gridley, Illinois in the Defenseless Mennonite Church.
Ramseyer emphasized being filled with the Holy Spirit and divine healing. His continuing study of the Bible introduced him to the glorious truth of the second Coming of Christ and Baptism by immersion. The Defenseless Mennonite disagreed with these new ideas and considered them fanatical. He was cautioned to restrain his preaching and sharing his beliefs. Joseph Eicher Ramseyer was baptized by immersion in Lake Erie August 11, 1896. He was expelled from his church December 8, 1896.
Ramseyer established the Bethany Bible Institute in Bluffton, Ohio, in November 1895. The Bethany Bible Institute was moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1911. He was one the founders of the Missionary church Association in 1898. Joseph had a threefold vision for the Church. First and most important was the Great commission, next he believed the church must establish a way to respond to emergencies, and last he believed there must be a school where workers for the churches could be trained.
Joseph Eicher Ramseyer died January 25, 1944 at the age of 75 years old at Fort Wayne Indiana.
The Missionary Church Association and the United Missionary Church merged in 1969 to form the Missionary church.
Belief
The Missionary Church believes the Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God and is authoritative in all matters. They believe the Scripture is their authority.
The Missionary Church believe God is one eternal, all powerful, all knowing Triune God. They believe God is present in the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. They believe God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things.
The Missionary Church believe Jesus Christ is God incarnate and is yet human. They believe Jesus lived a sinless life, and died to make atonement for the sins of all mankind. They believe Christ was bodily resurrected and is now the mediator at the right hand of the Father. They believe Jesus will be coming in power and glory for His believing followers and that Jesus Christ is the only Savior of men.
The Missionary Church believe the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. They believe the Holy Spirit will regenerate all those who repent of their sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. They believe the Holy Spirit sanctifies, empowers, teaches, guides and comforts the believers.
The Missionary Church believe salvation is the result of the repentance of sin and faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ. Salvation is believed to bring forgiveness to the penitent and makes the remorseful a partaker of the divine nature and gives peace with God. They call this the new birth.
The Missionary Church believe in the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. They believe they are appointed by Jesus Christ and believe they are to be administered in each church. They do not believe they are the means of salvation. They believe the Ordinances are the Sign and the Seal of the reality of Christ.
The Missionary Church believe in the invisible and universal Church. They believe the church is made up of all believers in the Lord Jesus who have been united by faith in Christ. They believe Jesus Christ is the living Head and the sovereign Lord.
Cite Article Source
MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “Missionary Church:.” Becker Bible Studies Library Jan 2006.<https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2741,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2006, January) “Missionary Church:.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2741,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2006) “Missionary Church:.” Becker Bible Studies Library (January), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2741, (accessed).
