Steve M. Irvin, Ph.D.
C&MA-US International Worker
Madrid, Spain
Losirvin@gmail.com
As officially announced at the 2019 Council of The Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) in the US, the Alliance has entered a “season of change” where, among other things, certain points of the Statement of Faith[1] are under review. Among these is the last point of the Statement of Faith:
The second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is imminent and will be personal, visible, and premillennial. This is the believer's blessed hope and is a vital truth which is an incentive to holy living and faithful service. [emphasis added]
While presently there does not appear to be support for eliminating the reference to the imminent, personal, and visible return of Christ; the question of maintaining premillennialism in the Statement of Faith has been raised at the district and national levels. For some, it is eschatological minutia that does not belong in the Statement of Faith. Others argue that Bible-believing theologians and pastors hold other views regarding the millennium and should not, on that basis, be excluded from serving as official Alliance workers. Some see premillennialism as an “unessential” doctrine that, while undoubtedly the conviction of the founders of the C&MA, should not be considered part of our foundational beliefs today. The question before the US Alliance is, in essence, “does the doctrine of premillennialism really matter for us as a denomination?”
The Roots of Alliance Identity
For Dr. A.B. Simpson and the founders of the Alliance, premillennialism definitely did matter and was essential to the distinctiveness of the C&MA. They defined the crowning element of the Four-Fold Gospel in terms of the premillennial second coming of the Lord Jesus, our Coming King. Rather than a peripheral eschatological doctrine, premillennialism is woven into the fabric of the C&MA and its identity.
The foundational documents of the C&MA testify to the essential place of premillennialism in the defining distinctives of the Alliance. For example, the prologue of the 1887 Constitution of the Christian Alliance[2] explains that the Alliance was “designed to be a simple and fraternal union of all who hold in common the fullness of Jesus in His present grace and His coming glory,” embracing “Evangelical Christians of every name who hold this common faith and life.” It was founded with a “big tent” philosophy that allowed for members from different evangelical backgrounds.
However, the founders conceived of the Alliance as a big tent with firm stakes—deeply embedded stakes—that defined doctrinal convictions that would give identity and purpose to the newly-formed organization. The 1887 Constitution makes clear that, while holding to a “big tent” orientation, “At the same time there are special truths which need to be doubly emphasized [emphasis added], and there are chords of spiritual unity more deep and dear than any denominational affinities. And these truths the Alliance is called to witness to and these ties to cherish and deepen.”
Among these doubly-emphasized special truths are the Second Coming of Christ and the doctrine of premillennialism. According to the objectives outlined in the founding constitution, The C&MA was established, “To bear united testimony to these four great essential truths of the Gospel of Christ, viz.: A. Salvation through Christ for all who believe. B. Complete Sanctification through Christ for all who fully yield themselves to Him. C. Divine Healing through the name of Jesus for those who believe and obey Him. D. Christ's Personal and Pre-millennial coming.” [emphasis added]
The Story of the Christian and Missionary Alliance[3], published in 1900, describes the incredible growth of the C&MA, reviewing its brief history up until that time, and focusing on the different ministries that had arisen through the Alliance, particularly the missionary work. While the emphasis of the volume is not doctrinal, the section titled “The Distinctive Principles of our Missionary Work” highlights premillennialism in its first principle.
The work is projected from the pre-millennial standpoint. We believe in the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ and that the evangelization of the world is the best way to hasten His coming. . . . We believe that the Gospel is to be preached "in all the world as a witness unto all nations and then shall the end come." So far from paralyzing missionary effort this blessed hope has been found to be a most powerful and practical incentive to it. (p. 11)
From its inception, the Alliance has understood the thread of premillennialism to run through the Four-Fold Gospel. The founders proclamation of Christ as Coming King was based on a premillennial understanding of His Second Coming. It is not surprising, therefore, that the US Alliance includes premillennialism in its current Statement of Faith, and that the Alliance World Fellowship (AWF), made up of over 50 C&MA national churches and organizations throughout the world, chose in 2016 to maintain premillennialism in its own Statement of Faith,[4] even though some C&MA national churches have eliminated any reference to the millennium in their respective statements of faith.[5]
Defining terms
This paper is written from the perspective that premillennialism is a recognized theological and biblical position that dates from the period of the early church. It does not debate the validity of other positions held by some evangelicals, such as amillennialism and postmillennialism. Rather it focuses on the importance of premillennialism to the fundamental identity and mission of the C&MA.
Millennium refers to the period of 1,000 years found mentioned in Revelation 20:1-10 six times (20: 2,3,4,5,6,7), when Satan is bound “so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended” (20:3, ESV).
Amillennialism (literally, “no millennium”) believes that the thousand-year period of Revelation 20 is symbolical of this present age that will end with the Second Coming of Christ, the resurrection of the just and the unjust, the final judgment (20:11-15), and the ushering in of the new heaven and new earth (21:1-22:5).
Postmillennialism holds that the thousand-year period of Revelation 20 symbolizes a long, indefinite period of time in this present age during which the gospel will permeate the nations, causing them to live in peace and justice. They will joyously receive their King, the Lord Jesus, at His second coming. There will, at that time, be a general resurrection of all the dead, the final judgment, and the ushering in of the new heaven and new earth.
Premillennialism understands the prima facie reading of Revelation 20 to refer to a physical thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth, and that He will come in glory before (pre-) the millennium. Satan will be bound during the millennium. There is a “first resurrection” of the blessed and holy in Christ who will reign with Christ for a thousand years (20:6), after which Satan is released, leading a last rebellion against King Jesus, who will utterly defeat Satan and throw him into the lake of fire (20:7-10) wherein ensues the resurrection of the rest of humanity and the final judgment, followed by the new heaven and new earth.
Historic premillennialism dates from the early history of the church. Evidence from the church fathers suggests that premillennialism was the general belief of the church during its first three centuries.[6] It is to be distinguished from dispensational premillennialism that gained popularity in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and holds that Christ’s coming will be both premillennial and pretribulational (i.e., that He will rapture His church prior to the final period of suffering and persecution on the earth). From its origins, the C&MA has advocated historic premillennialism, but has left open convictions regarding the relation of the Second Coming to the final great tribulation.[7]
Why Premillennialism Matters in the Alliance
Because evangelicals hold different views of the Second Coming and its relation to the thousandyear reign of Christ in Revelation 20—with each view presenting biblical evidence for its position— some voices in the Alliance would treat premillennialism as a non-essential doctrine in regard to membership in C&MA churches and in regard to the granting of credentials to official workers. However, this indifference to the millennial question does not take into account the essential place of premillennialism in the history, the identity, and the very passion of the C&MA.
1. Historically, members of the C&MA have been convinced that God raised up the C&MA as a distinctly premillennial movement with a clear mission of proclaiming Christ as Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and Coming King; and of taking that message to the nations in completion of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). If the historic distinctives are blurred, even in the name of accommodating the indifference of some to these distinctives, there is the danger that it will lead to a blurring, or a dulling, of the mission, of our raison d’être. The history of mainline denominations in the West suggests that this blurring of the mission is inevitable when founding distinctives are overlooked. Without its distinctives, the Alliance would be left with a shared historical tradition as a Christ-centered, Acts 1:8 family, without the doctrinal basis that motivated its coming into existence in the first place.
If God did raise up the C&MA for a specific purpose within the Body of Christ, then it behooves us to remain faithful to the distinctives that gave birth to the Alliance, including the doctrinal emphasis on the premillennial coming of Christ. It has been reported that many workers seek to join the Alliance because of its emphasis on missions. But by ignoring the premillennial doctrinal distinctive of the C&MA, they are left clueless as to how we, indeed, became a missionary denomination. It would seem naïve to assume that ignoring a historic doctrinal distinctive would not lead to a loss of historic identity and mission.
2. Premillennialism in the C&MA has been inseparable from its passion for missions. Matthew 24:14, though not explicitly mentioning the millennium, has perhaps been the key verse for the Alliance in defining the relationship between eschatology and the missionary mandate: And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come (ESV). The C&MA has understood the taking of Christ to the nations as a way to hasten the premillennial Second Coming of Christ.[8]
More and more people think that the Alliance emphasis on the soon return of Jesus to reign personally on this earth is not really part of the gospel, but simply one of several possible interpretations of obscure biblical texts. However, this was not the case for A.B. Simpson. For him, eschatology was the fountain from which was to issue the work of the church in his day.[9]
The divorce of eschatology and missiology in the Alliance is not only detrimental to the fulfillment of the Great Commission, it also ignores the foundations of the passion in the C&MA for fulfilling the Great Commission. To argue that the millennial position is irrelevant to the C&MA’s mission simply ignores the doctrinal underpinnings of the C&MA’s calling.
Bible students understand that the kingdom of God is “now,” but “not yet.” Christ rules today and for all eternity. He is the great King over all the earth. At the same time, the King Himself will return to consummate the fullness of that kingdom when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11). Some doctrinal positions emphasize the “nowness” of the kingdom; confident in the consummation in the eternal state, yet focused on the present. This view tends to lead to an emphasis on manifesting the present kingdom through works of justice and compassion that, perhaps unintentionally at first, easily erode the priority of gospel proclamation and the making of disciples. The Great Commission can too-easily be re-framed in terms of demonstrating love for others through social action, as opposed to demonstrating love through the forthright sharing of the Good News of Christ. While some find this dichotomy distasteful and unnecessary, without the doctrinal convictions of premillennialism, the Alliance will struggle to maintain the historic missionary priority to preach Christ to the nations, disciple converts, and establish churches; even as it ministers to human suffering.[10]
Premillennialism emphasizes the “not-yet-ness” of the kingdom of God. It recognizes that though Christ reigns in the present, the physical manifestation of His reign on the earth is yet to come. The “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13) of Christ our Coming King fuels the passion for Christ and His Coming, longing for a breaking-in of His rule and reign when the King Himself comes to set things straight in a world gone awry. It seeks to “bring back the King” through the completion of the Great Commission. This is not simply a case of maintaining organizational identity and a historical doctrinal position, but of being faithful to Him who called us to world evangelization through the specific truths of the Four-Fold Gospel.
3. In response, some might ask, “What difference does one’s eschatological position make in the C&MA? Isn’t this a non-essential where we can give members liberty, and still maintain our passion for the Coming of the Lord Jesus?” Does premillennialism really matter for us as a denomination?
Premillennialism is not essential to being born again. It is not even essential to being evangelical. But it has been essential for the C&MA in its doctrine and mission. It’s part of DNA of the Alliance. To take premillennialism away, to lessen its emphasis, or to make it a non-issue in order to include others who do not consider it of any great importance or who outrightly deny it; is to challenge the DNA of the C&MA. Premillennialism so permeates the C&MA’s doctrine and passion that to remove it is to change something of its distinctiveness, with the corresponding loss of identity and purpose. To change a part of the Four-Fold Gospel, however minimal one may consider that part, is ultimately to change the whole.
As mentioned above (see the section, “Historical Identity”), there is a “big tent” philosophy in the C&MA; but it is not a tent without some distinctive stakes. It has an identity beyond historical evangelical affirmations. While the C&MA has labored with other organizations that do not share all its doctrinal distinctives in order to advance the gospel among the nations; it has done that best not by compromising its belief in premillennialism, but by remaining faithful to its understanding of the Lord’s return.
The Way Forward
As set forth in this paper, the C&MA emerged out of a premillennial doctrinal context.
Premillennialism provided the eschatological basis for world missions, and the hastening of Christ’s second coming. The Four-Fold Gospel, crowned by Christ our Coming King, is theologically based on the premillennial view of the Second Coming. To strike premillennialism from our statement of faith in the C&MA, is to change the essence of the C&MA and to water down one of its driving passions for completing the Great Commission.
Removing any mention of premillennialism from the Statement of Faith in order to promote unity and reciprocity with churches, even Alliance national churches within the AWF, misses the point. To do so in order to open the doors to potential laborers who do not affirm the articles of the Statement of Faith is both perilous and unnecessary. It is perilous because once one begins to tinker with historical statements of faith, it opens the door for further changes that not only distance the Alliance from its historic identity, but also potentially could lead the C&MA away from both the doctrinal basis and the missionary zeal that is inextricably bound together in its DNA.
The removal of premillennialism from the Statement of Faith is also unnecessary. Some have pointed to the decreased emphasis on premillennialism in Alliance teaching as an indication that it is time to remove any reference to it in the Statement of Faith.[11] However, the founders of the C&MA understood that some individuals coming into the movement might not initially accept the doctrine of premillennialism. They made provision for such individuals in the Constitution of the Christian Alliance in 1887, offering a principle that can guide the Alliance at this time.
Its membership shall consist of all professing Christians who shall subscribe to these principles and enroll their names as regular members, and who are approved by the local
Association where they reside. Inasmuch as many persons who desire to become members of this Alliance and are in full accord with its principles in other points, cannot yet fully accept the doctrine of Christ's Pre-millennial Coming[emphasis added], it is agreed that such persons may be received into full membership, provided they receive the first three points of testimony [i.e., the first three points of the Four-Fold Gospel: Christ as Savior, Sanctifier, and Healer], and are willing to give this subject their candid and prayerful consideration.12
What about those who want to be a part of the Alliance while rejecting premillennialism? Historically, the founders were willing to labor together with such individuals, but they were not willing to compromise their doctrinal convictions regarding premillennialism to accommodate them. Rather, they embraced those individuals, asking them to willingly give the subject of premillennialism their prayerful consideration. In the present case, those holding to other views of the millennium should be encouraged to revisit their positions without attempting to change the Statement of Faith in order to reflect their opinions.
This matter, however, is not simply about a doctrine enshrined in the Statement of Faith. The central issue, as always in the C&MA, is Christ Himself. Are Alliance churches and individuals in danger of growing cold in their passion for Christ Himself and His glorious appearing? For even the most studied doctrinal position, premillennial or otherwise, can mask an indifference regarding Christ’s coming; an indifference that is inconsistent with a movement that claims to hasten His coming through proclaiming the gospel to all nations. Waning passion for Christ and His coming is our greatest threat.
One of the positive outcomes of the discussions of this point of the Statement of Faith should be the renewed study and teaching of Christ our Coming King. How long has it been since we have heard passionate preaching on the Second Coming of Christ coming from our Alliance pulpits? Let this debate call us to renewed passion to preach Christ, and to pray for His soon Coming.
In 1891, our founder expressed his passion for Christ’s return in such a way as to be a challenge that should be taken into account in every meeting and consultation of the C&MA at every level. In the context of his testimony of his conviction regarding the personal and premillennial Second Coming of Christ, Dr. Simpson declared, “I am sure the Master would be disappointed in this convention if it did not send up a deep cry for His coming.”13
Have we heard such a prayer in our recent gatherings? Will such a prayer be offered in the consultations held to consider the elimination of premillennialism from the Statement of Faith? Will we ever hear such a prayer again in a Sunday worship service or at a General Council? “‘Surely, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Even so come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).
[1] Statement of Faith. https://www.cmalliance.org/about/beliefs/doctrine
[2] Constitution of the Christian Alliance (1887). http://cmalliance.org/resources/archives/downloads/miscellaneous/1887-constitution-christian-alliance.pdf
[3] The Story of the Christian and Missionary Alliance (1900). http://cmalliance.org/resources/archives/downloads/miscellaneous/story-of-the-cma.pdf
[4] AWF Statement of Faith, http://awf.world/statement-of-faith/
[5] An example is the C&MA in Canada, http://www.cmacan.org/statement-of-faith
[6] King, Paul. (2002). Premillennialism and the Early Church. In K.N Foster & D.E. Fessenden (Eds.).
Essays on Premillennialism: A Modern Reaffirmation of an Ancient Doctrine. Chicago: Wingspread Publishers. This book is notable as it contains the work of C&MA pastors and leaders. See especially the chapter,
[7] “Liberty is accorded to our teachers in connection with the various opinions held about Anti-Christ, The Tribulation, the Last Week of Daniel, Rapture, etc., but with the understanding that any spirit of antagonism and strife toward those who may hold different opinions is discountenanced.” Conference For Prayer And Counsel: Respecting Uniformity in the Testimony and Teaching of The
Alliance (May 25-28, 1906). Found in Nienkirchen, Charles (1987), The Man, the Movement, & the Mission: A Documentary of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, p. 159, available at http://cmalliance.org/resources/archives/downloads/miscellaneous/man-movement-mission.pdf
[8] Sawin, John. (1986). The Fourfold Gospel. In D.F. Hartzfeld & C. Niernkirchen (Eds.). The Birth of a Vision: Essays on the Ministry and Thought of Albert B. Simpson. Alberta, Canada: Buena Book Services.
[9] Pyles, Franklin. (1986). The Fourfold Gospel. In D.F. Hartzfeld & C. Niernkirchen (Eds.). The Missionary Eschatology of A.B. Simpson. Alberta, Canada: Buena Book Services.
[10] Daniel Evearitt in Body and Soul: Evangelism and the Social Concern of A.B. Simpson (1994) [Published by Christian Publications], makes the case that Simpson held to a “relief-oriented premillennialism” that seeks to minister to human suffering without attempting to transform society; but to transform individuals through the preaching of the gospel.
[11] “Removing ‘and premillennial’ from the C&MA USA Statement of Faith, Article 11.” (April, 2018) A paper distributed to the Alliance Northwest District Conference as a basis for deciding a ballot question, “Shall the C&MA (USA) remove the words “and premillennial” from the 11th Article of Faith as the Canadian C&MA has similarly done.” Downloaded from, https://static1.squarespace.com/static/593ef9dad482e9888c052643/t/5a9708720852290b6c7765f9 /1519847539053/1000+Mutchler+-+January+2018+Final.pdf
[12] Constitution of the Christian Alliance (1887), http://cmalliance.org/resources/archives/downloads/miscellaneous/1887-constitution-christian-alliance.pdf
[13] A.B. Simpson (1891), “How I Was Led to Believe in Premillenarianism,” The Christian Alliance and
Missionary Weekly, 7 (Nov. 13, 1891), https://www.cmalliance.org/resources/archives/alifepdf/AW-1891-11-13.pdf#search=%22%22
“Premillennialism and Alliance Distinctives” by Joel Van Hoogen.
