Spiritual Roots

The last half of the nineteenth century produced an unparalleled religious ferment in the United States. The same could be said of Great Britain and Europe. This dynamic period of history saw the birth of modern technology and its attendant social changes.

The revival of 1859 poured vitality into the churches and thousands were won to Christ. Five trans denominational movements were born during that period. The first was a breakthrough in mass evangelism.

The second was a widespread movement to promote Scriptural holiness. The third movement, closely related to the holiness movement, restored the Biblical practice of anointing with oil for physical healing. The fourth movement advocated the personal, immanent premillennial coming of Christ.
The fifth movement recalled the church to its Christ-given task of world evangelism.

Something of all of these movements seemed to converge in the new-born Christian and Missionary Alliance. Dr. George Pardington opened his account of thefirst quarter century of Alliance history with this comment,

“The Christian and Missionary Alliance is not an isolated movement. It has spiritual kinships and historic origins.”  –Dr. George Pardington

The Alliance was not a split from another denomination nor the product of a leadership conflict. The Christian and Missionary Alliance was brought into being by the new wine” of revival blessing. It is the combination of the renewal of the deeper life with sacrifice, selfdenial and service in preaching the gospel to the whole world.
These are the principals of our heritage that must be carried into the second century of Alliance history.

Source of Information: Spiritual Roots