alliance church?

[heal103]

Is anyone familiar with the Alliance church and what is their position on infant/believers baptism?? Which do they practice?

[Tsadde]

believer's baptism

[bbbbbbb]

The Christian and Missionary Alliance Church initially developed as a movement within the Presbyterian Church to foster support and interest in foreign missions. In time a rift developed, leading to its separation as another denomination early in the twentieth century. Probably as a reaction to the Calvinistic postion of the Presbyterians, the CMA developed a strongly Arminian theology. Probably its finest preacher and theolgian was A. W. Tozer who authored a number of excellent books, many of which are still in print today.

[Tsadde]

I don't believe The Alliance takes any official stand on the Calvinist/Arminian debate. You will find professors at various points on the continuum of this discussion in Alliance seminaries. I have heard that congregations in the eastern U.S. do tend to be more Arminian than the western churches.

The Alliance, which has several mega-churches in western Canada, is pretty mainstream middle/upper middle class evangelical there and still maintains a strong missions emphasis. A.B. Simpson, the charismatic founder who preached divine healing and had such a desire to reach the poor that he left his middle/upper middle class Presbyterian church, would probably not recognize it a hundred years later. He intended it to be a missions movement, not a denomination, and certainly not as, if not more, comfy than the denomination he left.

I'm re-reading A.W. Tozer's "Pursuit of God" at the moment. Excellent writer.

[cajunhillbilly]

I attended the CMA church in Morgantown, WV while attending WVU. It was a strongly evangelical congregation with a strong missions emphasis. The pastor was Arminian in theology, but preached such strong sermons on the sovereignty of God that I jokingly told him if he didn't watch out, some would think he was a Calvinist (I am a Calvinist). They practice believers baptism.

[efduncan]

The Christian and Missionary Alliance Church initially developed as a movement within the Presbyterian Church to foster support and interest in foreign missions. In time a rift developed, leading to its separation as another denomination early in the twentieth century. Probably as a reaction to the Calvinistic postion of the Presbyterians, the CMA developed a strongly Arminian theology. Probably its finest preacher and theolgian was A. W. Tozer who authored a number of excellent books, many of which are still in print today.
this is incorrect A.B. Simpson the founder of the CMA was a Presbyterian Pastor at a chruch not to far froms hells kitchen in new york city in the late 1800's he left due a few things Pew taxes and the rich not willing to acctually even set next to someone "lower" then they so he left and started the Alliance which was never intended on being a denomination it was an organization to bring all denominations together to who truly wanted to work as Jesus did. Not until after he died did it become a denomination whin I personly think he'd not be happy about. But as a denomination the alliance has almost the same Doctrine as the southern Baptist church. They are very hevily involved with overseas missions but not soo much in the USA which is what im trying to change. why do I know this you might ask Im a pastoral major at one the CMA's 3 colleges in Toccoa, Ga called Toccoa falls college. hope this has been helpful