Alliance World Fellowship facts for kids

The Alliance World Fellowship (also known as The Alliance or C&MA) is a Christian group that believes in the evangelical teachings of the Bible. It has about 6.2 million members in 88 countries. There are 22,000 churches that are part of this fellowship around the world.

The Alliance: A Brief History

The Alliance started with two groups created by Albert Benjamin Simpson in 1887. These groups were formed in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, in the United States. One group, The Christian Alliance, focused on helping people within the country. The other, The Evangelical Missionary Alliance, worked on missions overseas. In 1897, these two groups joined together to become the Christian and Missionary Alliance.

The Fourfold Gospel: Simpson's Core Teaching

In 1887, Albert Benjamin Simpson gave a series of talks in New York. He called these talks The Fourfold Gospel. In these talks, he explained his main beliefs about Jesus Christ. He taught that Jesus is our Savior, our Sanctifier (meaning He makes us holy), our Healer, and the King who will return soon. These four ideas became central to the Alliance's teachings.

Training Future Leaders: Alliance University

Simpson also started a school in 1882 called the Missionary Training Institute. This school was in Nyack, near New York. It helped train people to become missionaries and church leaders. Later, this school became Alliance Theological Seminary and then Alliance University. The university moved to New York City. However, in 2023, Alliance University closed down. Its student records were moved to Houghton College.

Influence on Other Christian Groups

A.B. Simpson's ideas about becoming holy were shaped by another Christian leader, W.E. Boardman. In the early 1900s, Simpson also became involved with the growing Pentecostal movement. Many Pentecostal pastors and missionaries trained at Simpson's institute. Because of this, Simpson and the Alliance had a big impact on Pentecostal groups. This included groups like the Assemblies of God. The Alliance shared its focus on evangelism, its beliefs, Simpson's hymns, and even the name 'Gospel Tabernacle' for churches.

Changes and Growth of the Alliance

Over time, there were disagreements within the Alliance about Pentecostal practices. These included things like speaking in tongues and certain worship styles. By 1912, these differences led the Alliance to become a more organized Christian denomination. To protect the Alliance, Simpson made sure all its property belonged to the organization. This helped the Alliance stay together even when people disagreed.

After Simpson passed away in 1919, the C&MA moved away from some Pentecostal ideas. They focused more on what they called the "deeper Christian life". By 1930, most local Alliance groups were working like churches, even if they didn't officially call themselves churches yet. In 1965, they officially became a denomination and wrote down their beliefs. The Alliance World Fellowship (AWF) was officially formed in 1975. By 2010, it was active in 50 countries.

Alliance World Fellowship: Facts and Figures

A report from 2022 shows that the Alliance World Fellowship has grown quite a bit. It now includes 22,000 churches. These churches serve 6,200,000 members in 88 different countries around the world.

What the Alliance Believes

The Alliance World Fellowship follows evangelical theology. Their beliefs are closely related to the Higher Life movement. A.B. Simpson explained the main beliefs of the Alliance through his "Fourfold Gospel". This teaching says that Jesus Christ is our Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and Soon Coming King.

Symbols of Belief: The Alliance Logo

The Alliance's logo shows these four beliefs with different symbols. A cross represents Jesus as Savior. A laver (a basin for washing) represents Jesus as Sanctifier. An oil pitcher represents Jesus as Healer. And a crown represents Jesus as the Soon Coming King.

The Deeper Christian Life

The idea of "sanctification" is sometimes called "the deeper Christian life" within the Alliance. This teaching is similar to what other churches in the Higher Life movement believe. A well-known writer who explained these ideas was A. W. Tozer. The Alliance also strongly believes in missionary work. They feel that their main purpose is to share their faith with people everywhere.

Helping Others: Alliance Ministries

The Alliance has different ways of helping people. One important part of their work is through CAMA Services.

CAMA Services: Compassion and Mercy

"CAMA" stands for "Compassion and Mercy Associates". This group helps people in need around the world. They provide food, clothes, medical care, and job training. They do this to help people who are in difficult situations, like those affected by wars or natural disasters.

CAMA Services started in 1974. It began by helping refugees who were fleeing the Indochina conflict. Since then, CAMA has worked in refugee camps in places like Thailand, Hong Kong, and Lebanon. They have also helped people affected by famine in countries like Burkina Faso and Mali. In 2005, CAMA Services worked with local Alliance churches to help people after Hurricane Katrina in the United States.

Training and Education: Seminaries and Colleges

Grace Chapel and Performing Arts Center, Toccoa Falls College in Toccoa Falls, Georgia, United States

The Alliance World Fellowship has many schools for training its leaders. It has 90 theological colleges around the world. These schools help prepare people for ministry and service.

See also

• Bible
• Born again
• Worship service (evangelicalism)
• Jesus Christ
• Believers' Church
• Full Gospel