Religions in Canada - Christian and Missionary Alliance
DESCRIPTION
The Christian and Missionary Alliance was born at a convention in Old Orchard Beach, Maine in 1887 under the leadership of Canadian-born preacher and former Presbyterian, Albert Simpson. Albert Simpson began preaching in Canada in 1865, at the age of 21. Working later in New York City, he shunned richer church parishes in favour of the poor and the neglected. Simpson met John Salmon, who had his own desire to reach the “least, last, and lost,” in 1885. They became fast friends and, when the Alliance was founded, Salmon became its “father” in Canada.
In 1887, the Alliance's first missionary preacher was ordained and sent to spread the Word of God in China. He died of smallpox en route, but his death served to spur the Alliance on in its work. It soon established missions in Africa. By the 1920s, the Alliance was spreading its message across Canada, with preachers visiting homesteads in the west and leading campaigns in the east. The Church continued to grow through the 1930s, and in 1941, a Bible school opened in Saskatchewan to meet the need for more missionaries in the Canadian west. In 1961, the first Chinese Alliance church was built in Regina, to meet the needs of Chinese Canadians. There are now more than 50 Chinese Alliance churches in Canada. In 1980, the first Canadian General Assembly took place in Winnipeg, and the first president was elected. In 1981, the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada became autonomous.
The Alliance's doctrine is historically evangelical and believes that there is one God in three Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Humans inherit original sin because of the fall from grace of Adam and Eve. We can only be forgiven by the work of Jesus Christ.
The Christian and Missionary Alliance teaches that the only way to salvation is through Jesus Christ, whose return is “imminent”, heralding the beginning of His reign on Earth. The Church considers those who have not heard the Word of God in the Gospels as being lost, just like those who have heard it and rejected it.
RELIGIOUS ELEMENTS
Scriptural and Doctrinal Sources
- Old and New Testaments of the Bible.
Sacraments
- The Alliance is not sacramental in the strict sense. Communion, Baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper (received at least monthly) are ordinances. Marriage is not an ordinance as not all members are instructed (though permitted) to marry.
Moral Code
- Observe the Ten Commandments.
- Serve with humility and compassion.
- Minister to the poor and oppressed.
- Encourage strength in families and marriages.
- Emphasize stewardship (all possessions belong to God and should be treated with respect and used appropriately).
Houses of Worship
- Generally, permanent structures in style ranging from early 20th-century wood structures typical of rural areas and small villages, to larger buildings of brick or stone construction. Interior layouts are essentially designed as meeting halls, with raised platforms for the Communion table and pulpit. A structure's size reflects the size of the congregation. Rented multipurpose buildings or church buildings of other denominations are commonly used where congregations are too small to manage construction of permanent facilities.Houses of Worship
- Generally, permanent structures in style ranging from early 20th-century wood structures typical of rural areas and small villages, to larger buildings of brick or stone construction. Interior layouts are essentially designed as meeting halls, with raised platforms for the Communion table and pulpit. A structure's size reflects the size of the congregation. Rented multipurpose buildings or church buildings of other denominations are commonly used where congregations are too small to manage construction of permanent facilities.
Devotional Practices and Services
- Elements include prayer, songs and sermon.
- Church Education Ministry provides leadership and coordination of all national church programs.
- Alliance women's and men's ministries address the particular needs of men and women and engage in evangelism and missionary.
- Global evangelism is conducted by missionaries who have been recruited and have agreed to a contract with a mandatory minimum period.
Clergy, Organization and Government
- A church becomes a member of the Christian and Missionary Alliance by adopting the Local Church Constitution, which is written by the General Assembly.
- The pastor of the church is appointed by the district superintendent.
- Only men may be ordained to serve as pastors. Women may be consecrated to perform other ministries in the church, including preaching the Gospel and service in missions.
- Representatives (elders) may be elected from the lay members of congregations to perform administrative duties.
- The senior pastor is the chair of the governing authority.
- Churches are organized into regional districts that help to encourage church growth. Districts oversee licensing, ordination and supervision of the workers.
- There are six regional districts in Canada.
Propagation of the Faith
- Evangelism is central to the propagation of the faith.
- Worldwide evangelism is given precedence, especially among those who are least likely to have heard the Gospel.
- Canadian congregations of the Christian and Missionary Alliance finance the work of more than 200 missionary workers abroad, part of a global team of more than 1000 missionaries in 80 countries. Missionaries are involved in evangelism, teaching, aid project work and health services.
MAJOR CELEBRATIONS AND OBSERVANCES
Dates on which events are celebrated may vary from year to year according to variations in the liturgical calendar.
Days of Regular Observance
The Christian and Missionary Alliance observes the general holy days of the Christian calendar, though it does not set out a specific list.
- Every Sunday (day of rest and worship).
- Advent (preparation for Christmas).
- Christmas Day: 25 December.
- Epiphany: 6 January.
- Ash Wednesday (beginning of Lent).
- Lent (period of fasting).
- Palm Sunday (Jesus enters Jerusalem).
- Easter: from Good Friday to Easter Monday.
- Ascension Day (Jesus' ascension): 40 days after Easter.
- Pentecost (birth of the Christian Church).
DRESS REQUIREMENTS
- None.
DIETARY REQUIREMENTS
- None.
MEDICAL AND HEALTH REQUIREMENTS
- The Church is opposed to induced abortion.
- Homosexuality is considered immoral.
DEATH AND BURIAL
- The Church follows common practices for Christian funerals and burials.
- Funeral are conducted by pastors.
OTHER
- The Canadian Bible College and the Canadian Theological Seminary, Regina, Saskatchewan, are the official schools of the Christian and Missionary Alliance.
- The Christian and Missionary Alliance opposes marriage of members to non-Christians. The Church opposes divorce except in cases of adultery and cases where a non-Christian spouse leaves the marriage. Remarriage is permissible for members formerly married to non-Christians and for the aggrieved spouses in cases of divorce on the grounds of adultery.
SOURCES OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
http://www.cmalliance.org/ — official US website of the Christian and Missionary Alliance.
http://www.cmacan.org/ — official website of the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada.
The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada
30 Carrier Drive
Suite 100
Toronto, ON M9W 5T7
Phone: (416) 674-7878
