The Missionary Church is a Trinitarian body which believes the Bible is the inspiredWord of God and authoritative in all matters of faith; that "salvation is the result of genuine repentance of sin and faith in the atoning work of Christ"; and that the "church is composed of all believers in the Lord Jesus who have been vitally united by faith to Christ". They hold two Christian ordinances, baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper, as outward signs, not a means of salvation.
History
The Missionary Church has diverse roots, especially in Anabaptism, German Pietism, the holiness movement, and American evangelicalism,. The preamble to their Constitution references this by stating: In the late 19th century, several Mennonite preachers embraced pietism and revivalism, and were excluded from their conferences. Among the leaders were Solomon Eby of Ontario, William Gehman of Pennsylvania, Daniel Brenneman of Indiana, and Joseph E. Ramseyer. These brethren gradually found one another and their movements merged. Daniel Brenneman and Solomon Eby established the Reformed Mennonites in 1874. The Reformed Mennonites joined with some other expelled Mennonite members and formed the United Mennonites. In 1879 the followers of William Gehman merged with the United Mennonites, creating the Evangelical United Mennonites. In 1883 a group from Ohio joined the movement. The denomination became the Mennonite Brethren in Christ on December 29, 1883 in Englewood, Ohio. The Mennonite Brethren in Christ changed their name to the United Missionary Church in 1947. The Missionary Church Association was founded in Berne, Indiana, in 1898. In that year, Joseph E. Ramseyer was excluded from the Égly Amish because he was rebaptized at a revival meeting. The Égly Amish rejected both the nature of the baptism and its non-Amish and Mennonite connections. The Missionary Church Association and the United Missionary Church carried on fraternal relations for many years, and then merged in 1969 to form the Missionary Church.
Branches
The Missionary Church has experienced three divisions — the withdrawal of several leaders from the Missionary Church Association in 1923 over disagreements concerning the Holy Spirit; in 1947 the Pennsylvania Conference of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ withdrew over issues of doctrine and polity, and in 1959 became the Bible Fellowship Church; and the Missionary Church of Canada withdrew from the Missionary Church in 1987. The first two divisions occurred because of doctrinal differences, while the third was a friendly separation in response to legal issues pertaining to the church existing in two nations, the United States and Canada.
Status
The Missionary Church has a membership of over 206,000 people in more than 1,800 congregations in 35 countries. As of 2009, in the United States there were over 400 congregations. Indiana remains the geographic center of the denomination, with nearly half of its members. Ohio and Michigan also contain sizable numbers of members. The organization of the church is divided into 11 regions or districts. Offices are located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Its ministries include World Partners USA, the Missionary Church Investment Foundation, U.S. Ministries, the , and Bethel College. Bethel College, located in Mishawaka, Indiana, currently has over 2000 students. Also, the Missionary Church Historical Society located at Bethel College was established to maintain and keep historical records. "The archives of the Missionary Church, as the memory center for records of historical significance, is a collection of the official papers of the denomination as well as materials relating to its origin and development. Its task is to organize and preserve these materials so they may be a valuable resource for reference and research." In recent years, the Missionary Church has sought a closer return to its Mennonite roots. In 2003, the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, another body with Mennonite and Pietist heritage, began pursuing an attempt to join their 200-some churches in the United States with the Missionary Church. The leadership of both denominations were firmly behind this. However, United Brethren members in the United States voted against the idea 56% to 44%, thereby halting the discussions. The Missionary Church is a member of the National Association of Evangelicals.
