The Christian and Missionary Alliance is an alliance of evangelical believers, joined together in local churches, committed to fulfilling the Great Commission given by our Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 28:19 and 20 instruct us, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (NIV).
We are Christian because we believe and follow Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We are missionary because we are committed to reaching lost people with the good news of Jesus Christ.
Our mission statement reads, "The Christian and Missionary Alliance is committed to world missions stressing the fullness of Christ and preaching the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Since our beginning In 1887 the Alliance has grown to 2,100 churches in the United States and Canada. We have ministries in 54 countries around the world.
The Alliance emphasizes the need for genuine spiritual conversion to Christ, a Spirit-filled life and effective service.
The doctrinal statement of The Christian and Missionary Alliance was adopted in 1965. It has been reaffirmed in succeeding years and stands as an understandable statement of evangelical belief. We teach the centrality of Christ expressed as Jesus Christ-our Savior, Sanctifer, Healer and Coming King.
1 There is one God, who is infinitely perfect, existing eternally in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
2 Jesus Christ is true God and true man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He died upon the cross, the Just for the unjust, as a substitutional sacrifice, and all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood. He arose from the dead according to the Scriptures. He is now at the right hand of the Majesty on high as our great High Priest. He will come again to establish His Kingdom of righteousness and peace.
3 The Holy Spirit is a divine person, sent to indwell, guide, teach and empower the believer and to convince the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment.
4 The Old and New Testaments, inerrant as originally given, were verbally inspired by God and are a complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men. They constitute the divine and only rule of Christian faith and practice.
5 Man was originally created in the image and likeness of God. He fell through disobedience, incurring thereby both physical and spiritual death. All men are born with a sinful nature, are separated from the life of God and can be saved only through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The prospect of the impenitent and unbelieving person is existence forever in conscious torment, and that of the believer in Christ is everlasting joy and bliss.
6 Salvation has been provided through Jesus Christ for all men, and those who repent and believe in Him are born again of the Holy Spirit, receive the gift of eternal life and become the children of God.
7 It is the will of God that each believer should be filled with the Holy Spirit and be sanctified wholly, being separated from sin and the world and fully dedicated to the will of God, thereby receiving power for holy living and effective service. This is both a crisis and a progressive experience wrought in the life of the believer subsequent to conversion.
8 Provision is made in the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ for the healing of the mortal body. Prayer for the sick and anointing with oil are taught in the Scriptures and are privileges for the Church in this present age.
9 The Church consists of all those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, are redeemed through His blood and are born again of the Holy Spirit. Christ is the Head of the Body, the Church, which has been commissioned by Him to go into all the world as a witness, preaching the gospel to all nations. The local church is a body of believers in Christ who are joined together for the worship of God, edification through the Word of God, prayer, fellow ship, the proclamation of the gospel and observance of the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper.
10 There shall be a bodily resurrection of the just and of the unjust, for the former, a resurrection unto life; for the latter, a resurrection unto judgment.
11 The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is imminent and will be personal, visible and premillennial. This is the believer's hope and is a vital truth that is an incentive to holy living and faithful service. (General Councils 1965, 1966, 1974)
The Christian and Missionary Alliance is a missionary denomination committed to worldwide evangelism and discipleship. This is reflected in our commitment to plant churches around the world, to concentrate on evangelism and to train and send into service only those who are sound in faith, filled with the Spirit of God and have a passion for reaching those without Christ.
The Christian and Missionary Alliance is committed to good stewardship. In the use of missionary money, we practice economy consistent with efficiency. The Alliance message is that the Person of Jesus Christ is adequate to meet the needs of the whole man. He is exalted as:
Our emphasis on the Person of Jesus Christ grows out of an unswerving loyalty to the authority and inerrancy of Scripture. Our emphasis on holy living and the Holy Spirit's power for service grows out of the clear teaching in the New Testament epistles and the teaching of Jesus Christ Himself.
This "Alliance" of believers traces its roots to the ministry and vision of Dr. Albert B. Simpson. A Presbyterian clergyman, motivated by the spiritual needs of the metropolitan multitudes in North America as well as by those of the unevangelized peoples in other lands, Dr. Simpson launched a vibrant ministry of evangelism and Bible teaching.
He was joined by people from a variety of denominational backgrounds who also desired to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. They were compelled by a sense of urgency to take this message to all nations because of Jesus' statement in Matthew 24:14, "This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. "
This new "mission society" soon became a major evangelical movement. Today it is a rapidly growing denomination committed to world evangelism.
In the United States
The National Office of the Alliance is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The National Office administrative staff includes the president; four vice presidents who oversee Church Ministries, Overseas Ministries, General Services and Finance; and a number of directors who administer the Alliance work.
Each year pastors, administrators and lay delegates from our local churches gather for our annual General Council, the highest legislative body in the Alliance, to formulate policies for coming years. The program is administered by a 28-member Board of Managers and carried out by the staff of the National Office and the district offices. Each local church has a personal voice in national and district policy by sending its pastor and lay delegates to Council and district conferences. The local church is governed by the "Constitution for Churches" found in the Manual of The Christian and Missionary Alliance.
Each church holds an annual missions conference and receives faith promises, which are the basis for funding the worldwide work of The Christian and Missionary Alliance. Missionaries are paid allowances. This enables them, without having to worry about their financial support, to preach the gospel overseas and, while on furlough, to challenge Alliance churches to greater missionary involvement.
The Canadian National Office is located in Willowdale, Ontario. Pastors, administrators and lay delegates from local churches gather biennially for General Assembly, which is the highest legislative body of the Alliance in Canada. Policies approved by General Assembly are administered by a 14 member Board of Directors and carried out by the National Office staff and district offices. The national leader ship consists of the president and four vice presidents responsible for Canadian Ministries, Overseas Ministries, General Services and Finance.
Each local church has a voice in national Alliance policy as well as the policy of the district in which it is located. Each church sends its pastor and lay delegates to General Assembly and to district conferences. District conferences convene in the intervening years between General Assemblies. The district and local churches are governed by the "Constitution for Districts and Local Churches" found in the Manual of the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada.
The annual missions conference held in each church brings Alliance ministries from the four corners of the globe into the four walls of a local church. Everyone is encouraged to participate in the support of Alliance ministries overseas and in Canada through a Faith Promise-a promise to give a certain amount foresee future income and plan a budget that provides the financial base for advancing ministries.
Many observers over the years have attempted to analyze how The Christian and Missionary Alliance accomplishes so much and so effectively maximizes its resources. The answer is found in the loyalty and commitment to the New Testament principles of world evangelism and discipleship held by those who make up the Alliance. Alliance people function as worthy stewards of God's resources. Their generosity in giving and loyal support of Alliance ministries make the Alliance what it is.
Himself
Once it was the blessing, Now it is the Lord;
Once it was the feeling, Now it is His Word.
Once His gift I wanted, Now the Giver own;
Once I sought for healing, Now Himself alone.
Once 'twas painful trying, Now 'tis perfect trust;
Once a half salvation, Now the uttermost!
Once 'twas ceaseless holding, Now He holds me fast;
Once 'twas constant drifting, Now my anchor's cast.
Once 'twas busy planning, Now 'Us trustful prayer;
Once 'twas anxious caring, Now He has the care;
Once 'twas what I wanted, Now what Jesus says;
Once 'twas constant asking, Now 'tis ceaseless praise.
Once it was my working, His it hence shall be;
Once I tried to use Him, Now He uses me;
Once the power I wanted, Now the Mighty One;
Once for self I labored, Now for Him alone.
Once I hoped in Jesus, Now I know He's mine;
Once my lamps were dying, Now they brightly shine;
Once for death I waited, Now Him coming hail;
And my hopes are anchored Safe within the vail.
-Albert B. Simpson