A Review of the Christian Missionary Alliance "Statement of Faith":
The Christian Missionary Alliance is a denomination unique to Canada for the most part. It is very similar to Baptist with Wesleyan mix. They are classed among the "conservative Protestant" churches. Our examination reveals that only 6 of the 11 articles in the statement of Faith are true from the Bible, the other 5 are false doctrine.
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Article #1: correctly states the nature of God where Jesus is not a creature and the Holy Spirit is a person. They are Trinitarian and this is correct. |
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Article #2: correctly states the nature of Christ being both uncreated God and man and the virgin birth and the second coming. |
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Article #3: teaches false doctrine about the work of the Holy Spirit. It says, "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" (Christian Missionary Alliance Statement of Faith, Article 3). The error is in applying these functions to believers today, when the original context of the functions was a supernatural empowering to the apostles and other first century Christians who were empowered through the laying on of the apostles hands, with supernatural power. When the Christian Missionary Alliance church applies this to believers today, it is equal to claiming direct inspiration. It also destructive to truth, because individuals in the Christian Missionary Alliance church conclude that their faith and doctrine must be without error, because the Holy Spirit directly taught it to them. This is also known as the error of "irresistible grace", one of the tenets of Calvinism. It is false doctrine. |
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Article #4: The Christian Missionary Alliance church is one of the few remaining churches that actually believe in the word for word inspiration of the Bible and that it is error free and as they say in article #4: is "the divine and only rule of Christian faith and practice" (Christian Missionary Alliance Statement of Faith, Article 4). We applaud this rare quality of believing in error free inspiration of the Bible. However the big problem is that what they say and what they do are two different things. Their members, ministers churches and seminaries are required to "pledge allegiance" to the Alliance Creed (Statement of Faith). This means that the creed has precedence over the Bible itself and actually competes with the Bible as a sole standard of authority. As you will plainly see, the Bible is NOT the sole standard of faith, but a human origin creed is. Although the Christian Missionary Alliance church would argue that the creed merely teaches the Bible, in fact all church creeds make the same claim, yet they contain contradictory doctrines both between themselves and the Bible. All doctrine determined from central point like Roman Catholic faith: "The General Assembly," [world headquarters] "is the ultimate authority under God of The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada." (The Manual, Ordination of ministers section, Christian Missionary Alliance church) Members required to adhere to creed: "Qualifications for Local Church Membership: (1) A credible testimony of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (2) A commitment to the principles expressed in the Statement of Faith of The Christian and Missionary Alliance." (The Manual, Christian Missionary Alliance church) Ministers required to adhere to creed even where it contradicts the Bible: Ordination of ministers: "Only a person who is in genuine agreement with the doctrines and teachings of The Christian and Missionary Alliance, may be approved by The Christian and Missionary Alliance as a minister of the Gospel." (The Manual, Christian Missionary Alliance church) "A candidate shall state on the provided forms, knowledge of Bible doctrine and acceptance of doctrinal distinctives of The Christian and Missionary Alliance. Willingness to accept the constituted authority of The Christian and Missionary Alliance must also be expressed." (The Manual, Ordination of ministers section, Christian Missionary Alliance church) Ministers fired if they deviate from church creed even if they learn it teaches things that contradict the Bible: "Expulsion: Where the accused minister has been found guilty of teaching doctrines contrary to the Statement of Faith." (The Manual, Ordination of ministers section, Christian Missionary Alliance church) Seminaries that ordain ministers are controlled by Headquarters who demand the creed be followed even if it teaches false doctrine: "The doctrinal statement of The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada, as found in the General Constitution, will be binding on the colleges and/or seminaries." (The Manual, Ordination of ministers section, Christian Missionary Alliance church) Local church assets will be seized if they don't follow the creed: "This church operates in accordance with its Statement of Faith. Should this church cease to be subject to the doctrines and teachings of The Christian and Missionary Alliance, all of its property shall become the property of the district corporation." (The Manual, Ordination of ministers section, Christian Missionary Alliance church) |
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Article #5: They correctly teach eternal conscious torment in hell as the punishment of the wicked, but teach the false doctrine of total inherited depravity, the first of 5 tenants of the system of doctrine known as Calvinism. "All men are born with a sinful nature" (Christian Missionary Alliance Statement of Faith, Article 5) |
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Article #6: Their creed on how a sinner should be saved is both incomplete and false. "those who repent and believe in Him are born again" (Christian Missionary Alliance Statement of Faith, Article 6) They teach the modern false doctrine of salvation by faith only even though it contradicts James 2:24. They reject that baptism is for the remission of sins and falsely teach that a sinner attains remission of sins before and without water baptism by immersion as per Mk 16:16, Acts 2:38; 22:16 and 1 Peter 3:21. A sinner must believe, repent, confess, be baptized in order to get the initial forgiveness of sins. Thereafter forgiveness is granted to the child of God, by repentance and prayer. See interactive study on baptism. |
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Article #7: They teach the false doctrine known in some theological circles as "entire sanctification". This is where the Christian, after being saved, is worked on directly by the Holy Spirit to be both purify and make sinless in walk of life. "each believer should be filled with the Holy Spirit and be sanctified wholly, being separated from sin" (Christian Missionary Alliance Statement of Faith, Article 7) The unusual thing about this doctrine is that it is distinct from the sinners initial sanctification and saving and the Alliance describes it as a "progressive experience wrought in the life of the believer subsequent to conversion" (Christian Missionary Alliance Statement of Faith, Article 7) This strange and modern doctrine is peculiar to a small number of denominations. |
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Article #8 is taught in the Bible. It correctly teaches that we can engage in "Prayer for the sick" ... "for the healing of the mortal body" (Christian Missionary Alliance Statement of Faith, Article 8). This of course emphasizes the Alliance Churches correct opposition to the modern Pentecostal faith healing movement. The Alliance church correctly teaches that tongues ceased in the first century and are a phenomenon of isolated to the apostolic age. |
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Article #9: correctly speaks of the relationship of the local church with one another and Christ. "The local church is a body of believers in Christ who are joined together for the worship of God". (Christian Missionary Alliance Statement of Faith, Article 9) |
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Article #10: correctly teaches about the resurrection, "bodily resurrection of the just and of the unjust" (Christian Missionary Alliance Statement of Faith, Article 10) and the duration of heaven and hell. However, given that the teach the false doctrine "premillennialism" (see article #11) they reject Jesus own works that the resurrection of the wicked and the righteous happens at precisely the same time when Christ next appears. They teach that there will be a period of at least 1000 years separating the resurrection of the righteous and the wicked. |
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Article #11: The Alliance church is caught up in the modern doctrine known as premillennialism. "The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is imminent and will be personal, visible and premillennial" (Christian Missionary Alliance Statement of Faith, Article 11). The scriptures do not teach that divine Jesus Christ will ever set foot on the earth again, but that at His second coming, the dead will be raised imperishable, the physical universe that came into being at Gen 1:1 will be destroyed, we will stand before God in judgement, the wicked will be cast into hell, God will create new, Christians will enter into their reward in the presence of God. |
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