Bible Missionary Church
Bible Missionary Church, founded in 1955, is an evangelical, holiness Christian denomination headquartered in the United States.
| Bible Missionary Church | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Holiness |
| Orientation | Evangelical, Holiness |
| Origin | September 1955 Caldwell, Idaho |
| Separated from | Church of the Nazarene |
| Members | 18,000 roughly worldwide[1] |
History
The following is to clarify the purpose of our existence as a church:
1. WHY ITS EXISTENCE? The Bible Missionary Church came into existence through those holiness people who desired to continue in the old-fashioned lines of faith, fellowship, and personal holiness from which present-day holiness churches have so largely departed.
2. We abhor and warn against modernism and formality.
3. Our church is definitely Arminian,and does not tolerate Calvinism among our preachers or in our churches.
4. We believe that the same truth and the same kind of singing and praying by the same kind of Christians will bring the same kind of results that the early holiness people experienced.
5. We are concerned about reaching this lost generation for Christ, gathering the scattered sheep of the House of Israel, and keeping them ready for the Rapture.
6. We are old-fashioned people. If you are one,join us,or if you want to be one, come with us, and we will try to help you become one.
7. The world is our parish. We believe God has called us,and that we have a God-given right to preach in every place. We make no apology for entering any field.
Beliefs
The Bible Missionary Church holds a monotheistic, Trinitarian theology in the Wesleyan tradition.
The BMC teaches that believers are cleansed from inbred sin and rebellion to God by a second definite experience referred to as entire sanctification, as taught by the historic Methodist Church and the Church of the Nazarene. In conjunction with entire sanctification, the BMC teaches that believers are to live godly lives, manifesting this by compliance to an outward standard of holiness. Many of these standards are codified in the rules contained in the church manual. They believe that complete obedience to God is a joy and delight.[2]
In 1999, the Bible Missionary Church adopted a resolution against same-sex marriage, forbidding its ministers to perform the wedding ceremonies of same-sex couples.[3] Unlike many other conservative churches, however, the Bible Missionary Church allows women to fill leadership positions on church boards, although it is not widely practiced. Observance of Christian Sabbath, Sunday, is also expected by abstaining from unnecessary work or commerce and setting the day aside for worship and service to humanity.[4]
The Bible Missionary Church holds a strong premillennialism view of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, but its adherents hold a variety of views on the timing of the Rapture of the Church.[5]
The Bible Missionary Church believes in aggressive evangelism[6] and in addition to its worldwide missionary efforts is currently expanding in North America with several new churches in the United States and Canada.
Church government
The Bible Missionary Church government is patterned on the Church of the Nazarene. Its form of government is republican in nature giving equal representation to local churches, lay members, and elders.
The church holds a general conference every four years at which major policy issues for the denomination as a whole are addressed. The most recent general conference took place in 2019. The general conference elects general officers, including two general moderators, and a general board. The current General Moderators are Rev. Roger Moyer and Rev. John Kinnaman. The general conference also governs additions and deletions to the manual (termed "memorials"). General conference business follows Parliamentary Procedure and Robert's Rules of Order.
In addition, the American church is composed of the following self-governing districts:[7]
Arkansas District (Arkansas), California-Arizona-Nevada District, Intermountain District (Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Alaska, West Kansas), Iowa-Illinois District, Louisiana-South Texas District, Great Lakes District (Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ontario) Midwest District (Missouri, East Kansas) Northeast District (New England, Pennsylvania, and Eastern seaboard), Northwest District (Idaho, Montana, East Oregon), North Pacific District (Washington, West Oregon), Southeast District (Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida), Southwest District (Oklahoma, Texas),
Although most foreign churches come under the jurisdiction of the foreign missions committee (appointed by the general board), the churches in Mexico, Japan, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines are self-governing, organized districts of the Bible Missionary Church, while the churches in Canada are included with American districts.
Educational Institutions
The Bible Missionary Church's schools include Bible Missionary Institute, a 4-year Bible college in Rock Island, Illinois. Bible Missionary Institute offers four-year degrees in Theology, Missions, Religious Education, Music, and General Studies, as well as associate degrees. The Bible Missionary Church also operates a Spanish Bible college in Houston, Texas as well as Beulah Mountain Christian Academy in Whitley City, Kentucky, a K-12 boarding school for at-risk children.
In addition, the denomination maintains schools in Mexico, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Ghana, Guyana, and Nigeria.
References
- Although the most relevant information is contained in the 2007 General Conference Journal of the Bible Missionary Church, not all churches report; therefore, accurate information is not available.
- For an introduction to this doctrine, https://www.classicholinesssermons.com/ is invaluable.
- General Conference Journal, 1999
- King, Lucille: Remember the Sabbath http://wesley.nnu.edu/wesleyctr/books/1901-2000/HDM1972.pdf
- Manual of the Bible Missionary Church
- The Missionary Revivalist, November 2007, page 3
- Bible Missionary Church Manual