Christadelphians facts for kids
The Christadelphians are a Christian group that started in the 1800s. Their name means 'brothers and sisters in Christ' in Greek. They believe the Bible is God's word and follow its teachings closely.
Christadelphians believe in the Virgin Birth of Jesus and his return to Earth. They also believe in the resurrection of the dead and God's future kingdom on Earth. However, they have different beliefs from many other Christian groups. For example, they do not believe in the Trinity (God as three persons) or that humans have an immortal soul. They think these ideas changed from the original Christian teachings.
The group began in the United Kingdom and North America in the 19th century. It grew from the teachings of John Thomas. Today, there are about 50,000 Christadelphians in around 120 countries. Their local groups are called "ecclesias."
Contents
History of Christadelphians
How the Group Started
Many ideas that Christadelphians believe in today began to appear during a time called the Radical Reformation. For example, some groups rejected the idea of the Trinity. In Britain, laws changed in 1813, making it legal to deny the Trinity.
In the United States, a religious movement called the Second Great Awakening led to new ideas. People focused on the Second Coming of Christ. Some also wanted to bring Christianity back to its earliest forms.
The 19th Century
The Christadelphian movement began with John Thomas (1805–1871). He first joined a group in the United States but later left them. The Christadelphian community in the United Kingdom started when Thomas visited there from 1848 to 1850. During this time, he wrote a book called Elpis Israel. It explained his understanding of the Bible's main teachings.
John Thomas shared his ideas through books and debates. Many people in Scotland liked his message. Groups of "Baptised Believers" formed. Thomas believed he had rediscovered the true beliefs from the Bible. He thought these were the same beliefs as in the first century.
Before 1864, groups who followed John Thomas used different names. These included Believers, Baptised Believers, and Nazarines. During the American Civil War (1861–1865), people needed to register their church group to avoid fighting. In 1864, Thomas chose the name Christadelphian for this purpose.
After John Thomas died in 1871, Robert Roberts helped shape the Christadelphian group. In 1864, Roberts started a magazine. Thomas asked him to change its name to The Christadelphian in 1869. Roberts continued to lead the magazine until he died in 1898.
At first, the group grew mainly in English-speaking countries. This included the English Midlands and parts of North America. Many early members in Britain were in Scotland. As the group grew, they created statements of faith to define their beliefs. This helped keep their teachings consistent.
The 20th Century
During the First World War, Christadelphians were known for being conscientious objectors. This means they refused to join the military. They were often given other civilian jobs instead.
During the Second World War, Christadelphians in Britain helped Jewish children escape Nazi persecution. They set up a hostel called Elpis Lodge for this purpose. In Germany, a Christadelphian named Albert Merz was executed for refusing to fight.
After the Second World War, many Christadelphian groups that had split apart came back together. By the late 1950s, most Christadelphians were part of one community again. However, some smaller groups still remain separate today.
Christadelphians Today
After the groups reunited, Christadelphians started working together more. They created Bible schools and national organizations. These include the Christadelphian Bible Mission, which helps with preaching and support overseas. The Christadelphian Meal-A-Day Fund helps with charity work.
The group has grown a lot in developing countries. About 40% of Christadelphians now live in these areas.
What Christadelphians Believe
Christadelphians say their beliefs come only from the Bible. They do not believe other books are inspired by God. They see the Bible as God's word and believe it is perfect in its original form.
God and Jesus
Christadelphians believe that God, Jehovah, created everything. They see him as the father of true believers. They believe Jesus is God's son but is separate from God. They do not believe in the Trinity.
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They believe Jesus is the promised Jewish Messiah. His coming fulfilled prophecies from the Old Testament. They teach that Jesus was human, like his mother, but was also the Son of God because God miraculously conceived him. Christadelphians do not believe Jesus existed before his birth on Earth. Even though he was tempted, Jesus never sinned. This made him a perfect sacrifice to save people from their sins.
They believe God raised Jesus from the dead and gave him immortality. Jesus is now in Heaven, waiting to return to Earth. When he returns, he will set up the Kingdom of God.
The Holy Spirit
Christadelphians believe the Holy Spirit is God's power. God used this power to create the world and to save people. They also believe the term "Holy Spirit" can mean God's character or mind. They do not believe the Holy Spirit is a separate person. They also do not believe people receive special gifts or power from the Holy Spirit today. Instead, they believe believers develop God's character by reading the Bible and trying to live by its teachings.
The Kingdom of God
Christadelphians believe Jesus Christ will return to Earth in person. He will set up the Kingdom of God, just as God promised Abraham and David. They believe this kingdom will bring back God's first Kingdom of Israel, which was ruled by David and Solomon. This is a very important part of the gospel message for Christadelphians. They believe the Kingdom will be based in Israel, but Jesus will rule over all nations on Earth.
The Devil and Hell
Christadelphians believe the word devil in the Bible refers to sin and human nature that goes against God. The word satan means an opponent or adversary. They believe these words refer to people or systems, not a spiritual being or fallen angel. Because of this, they do not believe Hell is a place of eternal torment. Instead, they believe it means eternal death and not existing anymore.
Salvation and Life After Death
Christadelphians believe people are separated from God because of their sins. But they can be reunited with God by becoming followers of Jesus Christ. This happens by believing the gospel, repenting (turning away from sin), and being baptized by full immersion in water.
They do not believe that salvation is guaranteed. They think salvation comes from staying "in Christ." After death, believers are in a state of not existing and know nothing. They remain this way until the Resurrection when Christ returns. After judgment, those who are accepted receive the gift of immortality. They will live with Christ on a restored Earth. They will help him establish the Kingdom of God and rule over people for a thousand years. Christadelphians do not believe in the immortality of the soul.
Living a Christian Life
Christadelphians follow the "Commandments of Christ" from the Bible. Marriage and family life are very important to them. Most Christadelphians believe that relationships should be only between a man and a woman who are married. Ideally, both should be baptized believers.
How Christadelphians Are Organized
General Organization
Christadelphians do not have a central leader or organization. Each local group, called an 'ecclesia', runs itself. They usually follow common practices that have not changed much since the 1800s. Many avoid the word "church" because it often refers to a building, not the people.
Most ecclesias have a 'Statement of Faith'. This lists the beliefs they accept and reject. Since there is no central authority, each group makes sure its members follow the correct beliefs and practices. The statement of faith helps them decide who can be a member and how groups can work together. If someone has different beliefs, they might be disfellowshipped, which is like being removed from the group.
The way groups are organized is largely due to a book by Robert Roberts. It suggests a democratic system. Members elect "brothers" to handle duties. Christadelphians do not have paid ministers. Male members (and sometimes female members in some places) are chosen to teach and perform other duties. These duties are usually rotated. An elected committee runs the day-to-day activities of each ecclesia.
Organizations that work across different ecclesias help run Christadelphian schools and care homes for the elderly. They also publish Christadelphian magazines.
Members
No official membership numbers are published. However, it is estimated that there are about 50,000 Christadelphians in around 120 countries. The largest groups are in Mozambique (17,800), Australia (9,734), and the United Kingdom (8,200).
Different Groups (Fellowships)
The Christadelphian community has several "fellowships." These are groups of ecclesias that work together. They are sometimes named after the places or magazines that led to their formation.
Most Christadelphians today belong to the Central Fellowship. This group reunited with others in 1957–1958.
The Unamended Fellowship has about 1,850 members, mainly in North America. This group separated in 1898 due to different views on who would be raised from the dead at Christ's return.
The Berean Fellowship formed in 1923. It had different views on military service and other teachings.
The Dawn Fellowship started in 1942 over issues of divorce and remarriage. The Old Paths Fellowship formed in 1957 because they disagreed with the reunion of other groups.
Even with their differences, most Christadelphian fellowships use a similar 'Statement of Faith'. This helps them keep their core beliefs consistent. If someone agrees with the beliefs and is a good member of their home ecclesia, they are usually welcome in other ecclesias.
Historical Connections
Some people have wondered if Christadelphian beliefs are truly new. John Thomas and Robert Roberts believed they had "rediscovered" Bible truths. However, they also thought that true believers had always existed throughout history.
A Christadelphian geographer named Alan Eyre wrote books showing that many Christadelphian beliefs were held by people before. He looked at groups like the Radical Reformation and early Unitarians. He showed that many individual Christadelphian teachings and practices had been believed before.
For example, the idea that people are unconscious until resurrection (instead of having an immortal soul) has been held by some Jewish and Christian groups throughout history. The Christadelphian belief that Jesus did not exist before his birth has also been found in some early Christian groups.
Also, some Christadelphian ideas about the devil and demons are similar to those held by people like Isaac Newton. He also rejected the Trinity, immortal souls, and a personal devil.
Organized worship for groups with similar beliefs became easier in England after 1779. Laws changed to allow people to deny the Trinity. This was just before John Thomas's lectures in Britain, which attracted many people who already had similar beliefs.
Practices and Worship
Christadelphians meet in local groups called ecclesias. These meetings usually happen on Sunday. The main part of their worship is remembering Jesus Christ's death and celebrating his resurrection. They do this by taking part in a "memorial service." They also have other meetings for prayer, preaching, and Bible study.
Ecclesias often preach the gospel to others. They do this through public talks about the Bible, seminars, and Bible reading groups. They also offer Bible courses by mail, especially where there are no Christadelphians nearby. Some groups use videos and online forums to share their message.
Only baptized believers are considered full members. Baptism happens by full immersion in water. Before baptism, a person must show they understand the main beliefs of the group. Children of members are encouraged to go to Christadelphian Sunday schools and youth groups. Young people from different ecclesias meet at regional and national events.
Christadelphians believe that men and women are equal in God's eyes. However, they also believe men and women have different roles in the ecclesia. Women usually do not teach in formal meetings when men are present. They also cover their heads during services. They do not sit on the main organizing committees. However, women do teach children, other women, and non-members. They also participate in discussions, music, and vote on group matters.
Committees help with preaching, youth work, and care for the elderly. They also help with humanitarian work. These committees depend on the support of the ecclesias. Local ecclesias often have joint activities for youth, fellowship, and Bible study.
Christadelphians refuse to join the military or police. They are conscientious objectors.
They strongly encourage personal Bible reading and study. Many use a "Bible Companion" to help them read the whole Bible each year.
Hymns and Music
Christadelphians use many hymns from English Protestant traditions. Their hymn books include songs by writers like Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley. However, Christadelphian hymns always keep the core teachings of their community.
The first Christadelphian hymn book was published in 1860. The most recent English version came out in 2002. It is used by almost all English-speaking Christadelphian ecclesias. Some groups also use other songbooks with more modern songs.
In English-speaking areas, worship is usually accompanied by an organ or piano. Recently, some groups have started using other instruments like strings or wind instruments. This has led to some Christadelphian bands forming.
In other countries, hymn books are made in local languages. This means worship styles can reflect the local culture. Hymns are very important to the Christadelphian community.
Images for kids
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Gate of the Christadelphian Cemetery near Hye, Texas.
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See also
In Spanish: Cristadelfianos para niños
