２０２５年６月１日～約１年間を通し、キリスト教入門・神学コースで学んでいきたいと思います。只毎回集いたいのに集えない学びたいけど１年間を通すとなれば～？？？と思う方朗報です！この度HPから見て学ぶ、ことが可能になりました。数年後あ！こんな話してたよねって振り返えり誰かの力になることもあると思います。

39. The Bible Missionary Church

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History and roots

Our church traces its roots back to the movement created by John and Charles Wesley in the 1700s. Though there have been many Christians throughout history that have emphasized the way of holiness taught in the Bible, John Wesley created an organized holiness church that considered “the world as its parish” and became a powerful vessel to proclaim the message of full salvation. The early Methodists were fervent in their worship and were known for their hearty praying and singing. Charles Wesley wrote thousands of hymns...some of which we still sing today. The legacy of the Wesleys can be seen in the many books that he wrote and the influence he has had on holiness denominations to this day.

In the late 1800s the Methodist church began to distance itself from the doctrine and beliefs of its founders and so some Methodist preachers and laymen began to start camp meetings, colleges, missions and independent churches that would continue to propagate the doctrine of entire sanctification. Many of these independent works longed to be a part of one great holiness denomination that would not be ashamed to preach and live old-fashioned holiness. Out of this desire the Nazarene church was brought into being in 1908. Its members came mostly from Methodist and Quaker backgrounds and there was great rejoicing as many different groups came together for the cause of God and holiness. 

Editor of their church paper “Herald of Holiness” and was also served as General Superintendent for 18 years. He wrote almost 30 books on holiness and other topics and his books are still well loved by holiness people today. Other wonderful leaders and preachers that could be mentioned are...Bud Robinson who memorized 6000 verses of Scripture, traveled 2 million miles preaching holiness for 60 years to people in over 70 denominations. He wrote 20 books and saw over 100,000 souls saved under his ministry. T.M Anderson was an anointed preacher who was a man of deep prayer. God would often give him a vision of the exact sin that a person was hiding in their heart. R. T. Williams was a godly man and a wonderful leader of the Nazarenes for 30 years.

These early Nazarenes were the men that the group that would become Bible Missionary would pattern after and follow. These were men that preached against sin and worldliness and were anointed with the Spirit of God.

In the 1930s and 40s the Nazarene church began to drift from its beginning days and began to compromise with sin and worldliness. Women were allowed to cut their hair and wear makeup and jewelry. Men and women would go on swimming parties together. The TV was allowed into the home. The clear line between the church and the world began to blur and godly church members were concerned. Nazarene colleges one by one began to produce worldly pastors that were more interested in church dinners and Sunday school plays than in having old fashioned camp meeting or revival. Gymnasiums and church kitchens began to be added on to church buildings as churches focused more on getting people to church by fun events instead of through prayer and the work of the Holy Spirit.

Meanwhile there were thousands of Nazarenes who had grown up in the church and had heard the old-fashioned truth preached in years gone by but were now seeing a great swing in the direction the church was taking. They noticed that God's presence was not as evident as it had been in the church services. They noticed the lack of soul burden and their hearts began to cry out to God for help and leading. 

A new church is born

children. They were determined to save the souls of their children no matter what the cost. Soon after, in January of 1955, five other Nazarene men began meeting one night a week for prayer on the Idaho side of the river. They prayed for 7 months and then called Glenn Griffith, a well-known Nazarene evangelist to hold an old-fashioned tent meeting for them. Rev. Griffith agreed to come because God had been dealing with him for 2 years about his responsibility to maintain the standards of holiness in heart and life and to stand up against the drift towards worldliness. He felt so clearly that this call was from God that he turned in his Nazarene credentials before flying out to Idaho. The five men who met him at the airport also turned their membership in and together they launched out into the unknown with God.

On September 8, 1955, at a place called Midway Idaho, about 150 people gathered under a tent to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. From the very first service God's wonderful presence was manifested and the saints were thrilled to be able to worship God like they had in the old days. Word began to spread and hundreds more came each night. Only 3 weeks after the meetings started Rev. Griffith called a special meeting on September 27 for those that were interested in joining the new movement. A membership list was opened and people began to add their names to the list. A few weeks later the charter closed with 129 charter church members.

First church in the movement - Midway Holiness Tabernacle, Caldwell, Idaho Oct 3, 1955

First edition of church paper     “Missionary Revivalist”   June 1956 inaugural issue

First Manual adopted at the first General Conference

First General Moderators

(These ladies were sent out through Victor Glenn's group “Evangelistic Faith Missions” with money given by Bible Missionary people)

First Bible college  

Rapid growth in the early days

8 months after starting...23 churches, 700 members and 40 elders and preachers.

2.5 years after starting… April 1958.... 135 churches and 300 preachers.

The BMC in the present

Churches - There are 166 churches and missions in the United States and Canada. Each church selects its own pastor and elects its own officers/advisory board which include: treasurer, trustees, stewards, Sunday school superintendent, missions president and youth president.

Districts -   The US and Canada are split into twelve regional districts. Each district has its own campground where it hosts a yearly conference (to elect officers, conduct business, etc.) and conducts a ten-day summer camp meeting. The summer camps are revival seasons with strong evangelistic emphasis where saints are strengthened, sinners are converted, and believers are sanctified wholly.

    English BMI     Rock Island, Illinois          approx. 100 students

    Spanish BMI   Mount Houston, Texas    approx. 15 students

    BMCA – A Christian boarding school for at risk children – 215 acre farm in Kentucky.

Foreign missions outreach program

     508 churches and preaching points in 15 foreign countries with a total Sunday morning attendance of 17,500. Presently, there are 350 pastors and teachers (American and nationals) laboring on these foreign fields. Bible schools for the training of Christian workers are located in eight different countries including: Ghana, Nigeria, Venezuela, Guyana, Mexico, Nepal, New Guinea, and the Philippines.

Closing remarks

The Bible Missionary church is doing its best to stay on the straight and narrow path that was laid out by Jesus and by so many godly predecessors. As Christians we are in the world but not of the world. The world is constantly changing and sin abounds on every side. The world and its lust will pass away but those who do the will of God will abide forever.  I John 2:17 We will lose our souls in sin if allow ourselves to get caught up in the trends and fashions of this sinful world but if we will abide in Christ and make Him our all in all, we can keep the fire of holy love burning hot in our souls! Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to purify our hearts and fill us with His power! We can be true to God in this generation!