The Missionary Church has roots in Anabaptism, particularly through the Mennonites, with Wesleyan, Pietist, and Holiness influences.
The denomination is a Trinitarian body that believes in one God, eternally existing in three divine persons, equal in power and glory: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is the creator and sustainer of all things.
The Missionary Church holds that the Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is the written Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, reliable and without error. The Bible is the ultimate authority for faith and living.
In concert with several other Christian denominations, the Missionary Church holds that Christ is the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world, and salvation is a divine gift to those who repent and believe. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, a sinner must turn away from sin and embrace God, thereby appropriating the benefits of Christ's life, death, and resurrection. Those who truly believe and receive Christ are fully justified, reconciled to God, born of His Spirit, adopted as His children, and united with Jesus in His death and resurrection.
The universal Church is a spiritual body made up of all believers, living and dead, over which Christ is Head and Lord.
The Missionary Church holds to two Christian ordinances, baptism and the Lord's Supper, both of which were instituted by Jesus Christ, not as a means of salvation, but as an outward sign of salvation that comes through faith. Water baptism symbolizes the spiritual union that every believer has with Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection. Baptism is administered by immersion whenever possible.
The denomination holds that a Spirit-filled life will be characterized by both the Fruit of the Spirit and the proper use of the Gifts of the Spirit, including speaking in tongues. While the Spirit-filled life has been a basic tenet of the Missionary Church from its inception, the Church holds that possessing Spiritual Gifts is not evidence of the Fullness of the Spirit.
The Missionary Church holds that human beings are created male and female, and affirms that God's intention for sex is within the institution of marriage, a sacred covenant between one man and one woman, and that all sex outside of the boundaries of marriage is sin, whether pre-marital or extra-marital, heterosexual or homosexual. Homosexuality is forbidden in the Scriptures and homosexual marriage is forbidden by God. Gender identity is biologically determined, and not a matter of self-perception.
In the late 19th century, Mennonite preachers who embraced pietism and revivalism were excluded from their conferences. Some of these, including Solomon Eby, William Gehman, Daniel Brenneman, and Joseph E. Ramseyer, eventually found one another and their individual movements merged.
Daniel Brenneman and Solomon Eby established the Reformed Mennonites in 1874. They joined with another group of expelled Mennonites, known as New Mennonites, and formed the United Mennonites. In 1879, the followers of William Gehman, who had formed the Evangelical Mennonites, merged with the United Mennonites to create the Evangelical United Mennonites. In 1883, an Ohio group known as the Brethren in Christ (Swankites) joined them to become the Mennonite Brethren in Christ in 1883, and, in 1947, the larger part of this group changed their name to United Missionary Church.
In Berne, Indiana, the Missionary Church Association was founded in 1898. That same year, Joseph E. Ramseyer was excluded from the Egly Amish for being rebaptized at a revival meeting. The Egly Amish objected to both the nature of the baptism (immersion) and the fact that he had already been baptized by the Egly Amish. He became a founder of the Missionary Church Association.
The Missionary Church Association and the United Missionary Church carried on fraternal relations for several years before merging to form the Missionary Church in 1969.
Currently, the Missionary Church has members in thirty-five countries, with more than four hundred congregations in the United States. Headquartered in Fort Wayne, nearly half of its membership is in Indiana, while a large membership exists also in Ohio and Michigan.
Organizationally, the denomination is divided into eleven regions or districts, as well as five mission regions. Affiliated ministries include World Partners USA, the Missionary Church Investment Foundation, U.S. Ministries, the Pastoral Leadership Institute, and Bethel College. The Missionary Church Historical Society is housed at Bethel University.
In recent years, the Missionary Church has taken steps to return to its Mennonite roots. The Missionary Church is a member of the National Association of Evangelicals.
Recommended Resources
Created to promote purity in the Missionary Church, the program is designed to equip church leaders to protect and restore the church from pornography. The extent of the problem is outlined, and its preventative services include seminars, discipleship programs, access to personal advocates, and to a digital library, while its restorative services include an anonymous helpline and counseling services. Testimonials are published, and instructions for pastors are offered.
https://beforeitbegins.org/
Affiliated with the Missionary Church denomination, Bethel University is a private Christian university in Mishawaka, Indiana. Established in 1947, the institution is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and organized into three academic areas: Division of Arts and Sciences, Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, and School of Nursing. Its location and contacts are posted, its academic programs are highlighted, and a virtual tour of the institution is available.
https://www.betheluniversity.edu/
Missionary Church Bible Quizzing
Begun in the early 1960s, this ministry of the Missionary Church encourages teens to study and memorize God's Word. Through competition that rivals any team sport, Bible quizzing teaches self-discipline, establishes a habit of studying God's Word, develops study habits, encourages rapid recall of information, and teaches teamwork and leadership skills. Regional quizzing directors are identified, schedules are posted, and necessary resources may be downloaded from the site.
https://mcbiblequiz.com/
Missionary Church Investment Foundation
Established in 1958, the MCIF is a non-profit financial ministry of the Missionary Church established to provide low-cost loans to churches and ministries, and to give Missionary Church people and churches the opportunity to invest and partner in the work of the Kingdom, while simultaneously early competitive rates. Information about borrowing, investing, and training is set forth, along with testimonials, a mailing address, phone and fax numbers, and email addresses.
https://mcifusa.org/
With its roots in the 1850s expulsion of several Mennonite ministers for conducting unsanctioned prayer meetings, attending and conducting revival services, and allowing women to share public testimonies, the denomination came together in its current form in 1969. Its history, core values, purpose, roots, beliefs, and relationships are outlined, and staff introductions, a church directory, and its leadership and oversight officers are identified, with a list of partners and events.
https://mcusa.org/
Missionary Church, East Central Region
Headquartered in Troy, the East Central Region shepherds Missionary Churches in Ohio. Featured is a ministry area profile, a list of member churches, and an overview of its services in church planting, crisis relief, prayer initiatives, spiritual formation assessment, pastor training, networking, and local and global missions, as well as its Ludlow Falls Camp, a 55-acre Christian camp. Its focus, its ministries, and a calendar of events are published on the site.
https://mcecr.org/
Missionary Church, North Central District
With its headquarters in Elkhart, Indiana, the North Central District is made up of Missionary Baptist churches in Northern Indiana and Southern Michigan. A directory of member churches lists church addresses, contacts, websites, service times, and ministerial contacts, and the district's ministries to children, students, women, and its Bible quizzing program are set forth. Other resources include a calendar of events, pastoral resources, and a list of ministry partners.
https://mcncd.org/
An international ministry of the Missionary Church, World Partners commissions professional missionaries who work alongside national workers to develop a ministry focused on making disciples around the world. Missionaries in the field and national partners are introduced, current projects are reported on, and a children's mission section features Bible activities, Bible worksheets, and other resources for children. Internships, career missionaries, and short-term missionary trips are outlined.
https://wpartners.org/
