(Many Christadelphians have heard of the Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith. Some time ago, we met the editor of their publication and agreed to an exchange of articles in our respective magazines. Following is his submission to acquaint Tidings readers with the history and beliefs of a community that began in the mid-19th century with close links to the Christadelphians.)
The Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith (CGAF) is a small group of believers in the gospel found in the United States. Six congregations are current members of the group: Miami, Florida; Roll, Indiana; Perryville, Kentucky; Cleveland, Ohio [known as the Church of the Blessed Hope]; Salem, Ohio; and Unionville, Ohio. Though not yet established as full churches, additional study groups are found in Gainesville and Hager Beach, Florida and Nile’s, Ohio. The CGAF holds an annual Gathering of its members each year in August. The 1992 Gathering was held at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio from August 4 to 9.
These churches represent a remarkable reference point for the Christadelphians. That is because the CGAF had its roots in the same mid-19th century Biblical renaissance that gave rise to John Thomas and other early founders of the Christadelphians. In fact, the early founder of the CGAF, Benjamin Wilson, was an Illinois neighbor of John Thomas, and they shared in many Bible studies together.
Unfortunately, the two decided to part company, and the rest is history. The Christadelphians developed their own statement of faith, which was then codified by Robert Roberts. The CGAF, lacking either a codifier like Robert Roberts or one unifying statement of faith, developed as a looser confederation of congregations, each maintaining its own statement of faith. Although there were perhaps hundreds of congregations in the late 1800’s, those numbers have been tragically whittled down throughout the twentieth century due to division and apathy. Nevertheless, through the efforts of many able brethren who would follow, including Robert Huggins of Cleveland, the six congregations listed above remain as the bearers of the gospel truths that Benjamin Wilson proclaimed so heartily.
Thus, the CGAF and the Christadelphians resemble two siblings that were separated at birth and only in recent years have rediscovered one another. Through more than 125 years of development, we naturally have acquired some different ways, just as two separated siblings might. But the remarkable thing is that both groups still preserve the roots that are so strikingly similar.
Early history
Early history of the CGAF centers around Benjamin Wilson. He spent much of his early life in Halifax, England. Beginning in about 1839, Benjamin began to question the teaching of the Baptist Church that his family attended in Halifax. As a result of that questioning, he became involved with a Bible class that included his brothers–Joseph, John, and James. Among other discoveries, these people became convinced that the promises to Abraham were central to salvation.
In 1844, Benjamin and James left Halifax with their families for Geneva, Illinois. The reasons for this emigration are unknown. Once in Geneva, Benjamin practiced his printing trade by opening his own shop. John and Joseph Wilson, and other members of the original Halifax Bible class, followed in about 1849.
These Englishmen started a church in Geneva that appears to have been called, “The First Congregation of Disciples of Christ of Geneva.” In the 1850’s, several groups of believers developed in the Geneva, Illinois area. These brethren called themselves “Churches of God.” During the Civil War (1864), when the groups wanted a more distinctive name due to their stand against military service, the name “Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith” was suggested by Benjamin Wilson. When the rust church was formed in Geneva, they proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom as we know it today. A record of the church’s statement of faith still exists, and the writings of Benjamin Wilson from the period confirm that this group believed in the kingdom of God on earth.
About the time that the Wilson’s moved to Geneva and started their church, Dr. John Thomas also lived near Geneva. I do not know how long the two men shared in Bible study, but they clearly engaged in thorough studies together (their writings suggest that each knew the other very well). Both Benjamin and his brother Joseph were baptized by Dr. Thomas, according to the record of W.H. Wilson, Joseph’s son (The Restitution, November 28, 1906). Ironically, in the very same year that Benjamin Wilson created the name “Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith,” Dr. Thomas created the name “Christadelphian” in Ogle County, Illinois, some 60 miles west of Geneva.
Sometime in the early 1860’s, the two Englishmen came to disagree on the nature of the judgment seat and the resurrection. Bro. Wilson maintained that the righteous saints are raised immortal; Bro. Thomas maintained that the righteous saints are raised mortal, then changed to immortality.
This controversy sent the two groups in separate directions. Bro. Thomas moved on to Virginia and then New Jersey, solidifying the collection of beliefs that would become the Christadelphian statement of faith. Bro. Wilson stayed in Geneva, which became a hub of activity for proclaiming the gospel in western states. That activity, however, never led to one clearly defined group of believers. Instead, it was always a rather loose confederation of congregations scattered from Ohio to California. (Benjamin Wilson later migrated to California, resulting in the establishment of churches there.)
Bro. Wilson gave most of his energies to proclaiming the gospel through the printed word. He published the Gospel Banner, a bi-weekly publication. He also used his excellent knowledge of Greek to publish the Emphatic Diaglott, a work that most Christadelphians use today.
Benjamin Wilson issued the first edition of the Emphatic Diaglott over a period of seven years, ending in 1863. The second edition (which was actually the first edition issued in complete form) was published by Fowler & Wells, New York, in 1865. In 1902, the copyright and plates of the Emphatic Diaglott were purchased from Fowler and Wells by an anonymous buyer and then presented as a gift to the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. Benjamin Wilson was decidedly not a Russellite [forerunners to the Jehovah Witnesses], as some Christadelphians have maintained.
A decisive turning point
The CGAF prospered in the late 1800’s, with perhaps a couple hundred congregations scattered across more than a dozen states. Many congregations, if not most, had adopted the name Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith, to distinguish themselves from the numerous other “churches of God” and to proclaim loudly the central importance of the promises made to Abraham.
Despite the general air of prosperity, in the early twentieth century a cancer set in that nearly proved fatal. A few years before World War I, a challenge arose to the beliefs first set out by Bro. Wilson and others. At that time, there were two things that bound together the loosely confederated congregations. First, there were a series of state conferences; 26 states were represented at one conference held at Waterloo, Iowa. Second, The Restitution was the established publication of the CGAF. Of these two, The Restitution was the more critical.
In 1911, the editor of The Restitution (Bro. A.R. Underwood, originally from Geneva, Illinois but then living in Plymouth, Indiana) was viciously accused of financial misconduct. The false accusers were five brethren who called themselves the Ministerial Association. The misconduct charges were a subterfuge; their real aim was to wrest control of The Restitution and the CGAF for their own purposes. The group of five was led by L.E. Connor, an attorney and minister from Cleveland (he was associated with another CGAF in Cleveland, not the Church of the Blessed Hope mentioned above). Lacking evidence to back their claims, they lobbied the state association meetings vigorously and were able to undermine Bro. Underwood’ s position.
Bro. Underwood refused to be intimidated by the demands of the self-appointed Ministerial Association. Instead of turning over the venerable publication’s charter to them, he passed his editorial pen to his associate editor, Bro. Robert G. Huggins of Cleveland, Ohio. In July, 1911 the printing equipment and other materials were sold to the Church of God Publishing Co. in Cleveland. (The irony of The Restitution moving to Cleveland, but not into L.E. Connors control must have been evident to the wily attorney.) The Restitution was published in Cleveland until 1925, when it ceased due to weak finances.
In The Restitution and his many other efforts, Bro. Huggins proved a stalwart in the work of the truth. He wrote many articles and books that were staunch defenses of the apostolic doctrines. His works remain CGAF study mainstays today. Interestingly, he was baptized a Christadelphian in 1895, and had a number of contacts with Christadelphians during his life.
Foiled in their attempt to wrest the Restitution from Bro. Underwood, the Ministerial Association did the next best thing–they started their own publication. The group founded a headquarters in Oregon, Illinois and began to publish The Restitution Herald. The first issue was released in 1911, a few short months after The Restitution had found its new home base in Cleveland. Today, The Restitution Herald continues as the official organ of the Church of God General Conference. The Restitution, on the other hand, was never resurrected.
Though they failed to acquire The Restitution, the Ministerial Association did succeed in attracting a large following from the many churches scattered across the country. Such “success” seems incredulous to those who contemplate the history of the time, but the efforts of the Ministerial Association had as much human appeal as they lacked Biblical foundations. The real aim of the Ministerial Association was to add two doctrines to the CGAF statement of faith: universal resurrection and open communion. Even though such doctrines lack biblical evidence, they do appeal to strong human emotions and thus were found attractive to many.
The attack by the Ministerial Association proved a decisive turning point in the history of the CGAF. The vast majority of congregations lined up behind the new flag of universal resurrection and open communion. But a select number did not. Notably, the Lee Avenue church in Cleveland, the Salem and Unionville churches in Ohio, the Roll church in Indiana, and the Perryville church in Kentucky would not support these newfound doctrines. (The Miami church had not yet been founded.)
Under the leadership of the Ministerial Association, the majority formed a new organization in Oregon, Illinois called the Church of God General Conference. Many of the individual churches still called themselves “Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith.” But the new doctrines started most of them on a slippery path. Since the time of the Ministerial Association, the General Conference has endorsed many false doctrines, including a belief in a personal devil. Today the General Conference has over 200 churches across the nation. The conference headquarters recently moved from Oregon, Illinois to Atlanta.
The distinction between the General Conference and the six CGAF congregations cited in the opening paragraph cannot be overemphasized. The existence of the two groups has created much confusion for Christadelphians trying to identify and evaluate the CGAF. Because the General Conference is a large organization, many Christadelphians have come into contact with their church members. Once contact is made, Christadelphians naturally recoil at some of the doctrines they uncover. So do we! There is no fellowship between the General Conference and the CGAF.
Modern history
The handful of congregations that stood apart from the rush to universal resurrection hunkered down. For more than 50 years they continued steadfastly and quietly. In most cases, there were only occasional ties between the six congregations. The ties that did continue were mostly family ones. But the Bible roots of these groups were strong, and they defended the statement of faith that was first developed in Geneva, Illinois.
Beginning in 1954, dialogue was begun under the guidance of Brother Howard F. Ross from Miami to unify the CGAF statement of faith. In 1966, those efforts resulted in a unified statement that is used by the Miami, Perryville, Roll, and Salem Churches. (The Cleveland and Unionville statements are nearly the same, and all six churches recognize the statements of the others.)
Beginning in 1976, the six groups assembled together for the first time at Earlham College (Richmond, Indiana) for a fraternal Gathering. Today, that annual Gathering is a five-day Bible school held at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. As many as 350 people have attended to hear Bible classes and share fellowship.
Members of the CGAF have had increasing association with the Christadelphians over the past 15 to 20 years. Many of our members attend Christadelphian Bible Schools and Bible study weekends. Most of our members use Christadelphian books and Sunday School materials. Most of the six congregations use the Christadelphian hymn book in their worship services.
For us, the renewed association with Christadelphians has been beneficial on several counts. We have gained Bible insight from hearing Christadelphian speakers. Seeing others who have discovered and now proclaim the gospel of the kingdom–quite independently from ourselves–has been reassuring and a source of comfort, especially for congregations that for many decades have lived in relative isolation. Many of us have formed personal friendships with Christadelphians, which has been a source of inspiration and strength.
CGAF beliefs
Unfortunately, the groups remain separated by lines of fellowship drawn more than 125 years ago. Ironically, neither Benjamin Wilson nor John Thomas saw fit to include the doctrine of the one body in their statements of faith, despite the prominence it receives from the apostle Paul and the Lord Jesus.
But there is a big field of agreement between the two groups. To emphasize that, here is a summary of the principal tenets of the CGAF statement of faith.
- The Bible is the revealed word of God, written by human men moved by the Holy Spirit. It contains the only foundation for our salvation.
- The God of the Bible is one God, not three. The Holy Spirit is the power of God.
- The Lord Jesus Christ is the son of God, designated such at his baptism, at his transfiguration, and by his resurrection from the dead. He was born of Mary, and thus was also son of man–the seed of the woman that was promised to crush the head of the serpent.
- Jesus shared our flesh and blood, being tempted in all points like as we, yet committed no sin.
- Jesus submitted himself to death on the cross in obedience to his Father, and thus provided a propitiation for our sins.
- Jesus was resurrected from the dead, the firstfruits of them that sleep.
- Jesus now serves as our advocate and high priest.
- Jesus will return to earth physically to establish the kingdom of God, so fulfilling the promises God made with Abraham and David.
- At his appearing, Jesus will raise the responsible dead. Those who are not responsible will remain in the congregation of the dead.
- Jesus is the judge of the living and the dead; he will give eternal life to the just and the second death to the unjust.
- Man is mortal; he returns finally to dust and remains there unless associated with Jesus and the power of his resurrection.
- The gospel consists of the things concerning the kingdom of God and name of Jesus Christ.
- * Confession of faith in the true gospel followed by baptism—immersion in water—into the name of Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation.
- * The devil described in the Bible is not an immortal spirit, but the carnal mind in the individual.
After more than a century of separation, the CGAF and the Christadelphians have each grown up with their own unique traits and habits. Even so, it is remarkable how similar our beliefs and worship services are. We do retain an important difference: how the judgment process will be carried out at the return of Jesus. Yet there is a vast number of doctrines on which we agree. Two siblings that have lived apart for so long naturally have some suspicions about the other. But there appear to be compelling reasons for seeking new avenues of cooperation. Though our statement of faith (like the BASF) failed to include the doctrine of the one body as one of its tenets, we believe strongly that it is the duty of Christ’s brethren to strive after unity, just as Jesus prayed that we might be one.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One