C&MA History

A Brief History
The Christian and Missionary Alliance began as a deeper life and missionary movement initiated by Dr. Albert B. Simpson in 1887 to mobilize the underutilized lay forces and resources of the churches to "take the whole Bible to the whole world." He believed that a life completely yielded to Christ was one in which service to Christ would be of paramount importance. A person controlled by the Holy Spirit has no choice but to be involved in bringing the Good News to others, either as an overseas missionary or as a missionary at home.

The founder was reluctant to establish churches, preferring to call together Christians with a vision to evangelize the world but who remained in their local churches. However, the Christ-centered emphasis in teaching and the priority on missions made many people unwelcome in their denominations, causing them to form groups that for years were called "branches," not churches. By the mid-1970s, it became clear that The Alliance was a denomination in all but name, so with revised bylaws and constitution that reality was formalized in 1974.

What Is The Alliance Doing Overseas?
Beginning in 1884, the C&MA gradually expanded from a five-member team in Congo to more than 800 missionaries in 58 nations and churches in 81 countries and territories. With emphasis on establishing churches among unreached people groups and responsive populations worldwide, the C&MA is involved also in many types of specialized missions such as communications, medical work, translation, and relief and development aid. While most workers come from the United States, others are supported by churches in Canada and other nation. Many of the overseas national churches belong to The Alliance World Fellowship, a fraternal group with 3 million members in more than 40 nations.

What Is The Alliance Doing in the U.S.?
With churches in every state of the Union, the denomination totals about 429,000 believers in 2,004 churches (statistics as of December 31, 2005). One quarter of these congregations are intercultural, attracting immigrants and minority groups with strong cultural heritages. Services are conducted each Sunday in 19 languages. Affiliated institutions include four colleges, a seminary, four retirement centers, and two development/investment organizations.