MISCELLANEOUS RELIGIOUS BODIES.
1. Apostolic Christian Church: An organization started about 1850 by a Swiss preacher, S. H. Froelich, who came to the United States and gathered a small company of churches, chiefly among German Swiss immigrants, emphasizing especially the doctrine of entire sanctification. Under the general name of the Apostolic Christian Church, though with no definite ecclesiastical organization, they have grown in numbers until in 1906 there were reported 42 organizations in 11 states, 19 ministers and 69 licentiates, 4,558 members, 44 church edifices with a seating capacity of 11,475, and church property valued at $141,550.
2. Apostolic Faith Movement: A movement originated in the year 1900 by Charles F. Parham and other evangelists, who, after conducting revival services in Topeka, Kan., felt the need of some organization for the securing of the best results and organized the Apostolic Faith Movement. The headquarters are at Los Angeles, Cal., but there are a number of centers from which revival enterprises are started, among them being Houston, Tex., where there is a camp-meeting ground, and at Spo-
Miscellaneous Religious Bodies THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
kane, Wash. The object of the movement is " the restoration of the faith once delivered to the saints, the old-time religion, camp-meetings, revivals, missions, street and prison work, and Christian unity everywhere." Special attention is paid to " salvation and healing." There is no definite organization, but individuals, preachers, evangelists, and special workers devote their time to the work without salaries or collections of any kind. Foreign missionary work is carried on in Japan, Korea, China, the Philippines, India, Africa, and South America, and in some European countries, by individuals under the supervision of committees which have charge of distributing and forwarding such funds as are committed to them. Their figures are very incomplete. In only a few instances is there any regular membership reported, while no account of funds contributed or expended is given. The statistics of 1906 show 350 members in Washington, 48 in Texas, and 140 in Kansas; 1 church edifice, and property valued at $450.
3. The Armenian Church in the United States: Armenian immigration to the United States can scarcely be said to have commenced before the Russo-Turkish war of 1877 With the failure of the European powers to enforce the conditions of the treaty of Berlin, so far at least as the Armenians were concerned, they began to come in larger numbers, and by 1889 there were several small colonies, mostly in Massachusetts (see Armenia, III., § 9). These belonged for the most part to the National or Gregorian Church, as it is often called from the name of Gregory the Illuminator (see Armenia, III., § 2), although some identified themselves with the Congregational or Presbyterian churches. For the benefit of the Gregorian communities the patriarch in Constantinople in 1889 sent Rev. Hovsep Sarajian to Worcester, Mass., and a church was built which became the ecclesiastical headquarters for America. Other priests followed as the communities increased in number and size, and in 1906 the catholicos of Echmiadzin, the ecclesiastical head of the Armenian Church, made the United States a missionary diocese, and Father Sarajian was consecrated bishop. In 1902 a special constitution was granted, the bishop was invested with archiepiscopal authority, and seven pastorates were formed, the nuclei of future dioceses. For some time the question of provision for church services was a most difficult one. The Armenian communities were both small and poor, and unable to build church edifices. In 1906 there were three edifices, in Worcester, Mass., New York City, and Fresno, Cal., and plans were being made for other buildings. In other places services have been held in rented halls or private houses, except when churches of other bodies, particularly of the Protestant Episcopal Church, have been placed at the disposal of the priests.
In doctrine and polity the Armenian Church in the United States is in entire accord with the National Church. It accepts the Nicene Creed, without the " filioque," and the canons of the three councils of Nice, Constantinople, and Ephesus, and has a longer creed of its own, in which it makes it clear that while not accepting the formulas of the
Council of Chalcedon, as to the two natures of Christ, it believes that he was " perfect God " as well as " perfect man." Seven sacraments are accepted, as in the Greek and Roman Catholic churches. Baptism is by immersion, generally soon after birth, and is followed immediately by confirmation and the administering of the communion in both kinds. All baptized persons, including infants, are then registered as communicants. The Virgin and the saints are venerated.
The government of the Armenian Church centers in the catholicos of Echmiadzin, who is elected by the ecclesiastical and lay representatives of all the Armenian dioceses in the world. In America, besides the archbishop and the resident pastors, subordinate to the catholicos, there are missionary priests and deacons, who have no fixed appointments but care for numerous missionary stations. The principal service is the mass, performed on Sundays and holy days in the classical Armenian language, which differs somewhat in construction from the colloquial language, though so similar in its vocabulary as to be readily understood by educated persons. The church year follows the Julian rather than the Gregorian calendar.
According to the figures furnished at the close of 1906 there were 73 organizations, 19,889 communicants, 3 church edifices, and 60 halls or other buildings. The church edifices seat 1,300 persons, and are valued at $38,000, one of them reporting a debt of $4,000. One church has a parsonage valued at $2,500. Four organizations have Sunday-schools, with 9 officers and teachers and 340 scholars.
4. Christian Congregation: An organization formed in 1899, at Kokomo, Ind., by a company of Christian workers representing different bodies, but predominantly Methodists, for the purpose of securing a broader Christian fellowship and a better system of Christian charity. In general type of doctrine and church organization it is in accord with the Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1906 there were 9 organizations, 395 members, 5 church edifices with a seating capacity of 1,550, church property valued at $7,200, and 7 Sunday-schools with 73 officers and teachers and 332 scholars.
5. Christian Israelite Church: An organization whose principal object is the ingathering of the twelve tribes of Israel, started by John Wroe, of Bowling, Yorkshire, England, in 1822. He taught that the Hebrews of to-day constitute two tribes, that the other ten are scattered among all races, creeds, and nations, being found among the Methodists, Baptists, Lutherans, etc., and that they should all be gathered into one body. A branch was started in New York in 1844. The members believe that the law of Moses should be reestablished, and that by obeying this law men will be made immortal so that their mortal hodies will never see death. All mankind will be saved, but will attain to different degrees of blessedness. They subscribe to the " four books of Moses and the four books of the Gospel," observe the Jewish Sabbath as well as the Christian Sunday, and other Jewish festivals, do not cut either hair or beard, and are opposed to pictures and images. They have preach-
RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA Miscellaneous Religious Bodies
ers but no ordained ministry. In 1906 there were 5 organizations, with 78 members, of whom 45 were males; 1 church edifice in New York City valued at $30,000, 1 Sunday-school with 2 teachers and 12 scholars.
6. Church of Daniel's Band: An organization which includes 4 churches in Michigan and a few in Canada that lay special emphasis on evangelistic work, fellowship, abstinence from excesses, and liberty in the exercise of faith. Organized at Marine City, St. Clair county, Mich., in 1893, they reported, in 1906, 92 church members, 2 church edifices valued at $2,400, 15 ministers, and 1 Sunday-school with 3 teachers and 50 scholars.
7 Colored Primitive Baptists in America: With the reorganization manifest in all departments in the South after the Civil War, the colored Primitive Baptist churches were gathered in separate associations, retaining, however, the same general type of doctrine and church life. Toward the close of the last century a revival movement developed, which resulted in gathering these associations into the body named above, and in infusing into the churches a new life. The older opposition to an educated ministry, to Sunday-schools, missionary societies, state conventions, ministerial support, and the like was broken down, and the motto has been " union, peace, and progress." The doctrinal basis is the Philadelphia Confession of the northern Baptists. In polity also they are in accord with the northern Baptists rather than with the Primitive Baptists. The national convention is an administrative body, having special reference to the varied departments of church, educational, benevolent, and other activity. The young people are organized in the Primitive Baptist Young People's Volunteer Band, which conducts a Young People's and Sunday-school Congress. They have two weekly religious journals published at Huntsville, Ala., and Mexia, Tex., and a Sunday-school paper published at Jacksonville, Fla.
They report for 1906, 797 organizations with 35,076 members, of whom about 12,500 were males. Reports on church buildings, etc., were not complete, only 501 church edifices and 44 halls being given, with a value of $296,539, and indebtedness on 34 edifices to the amount of $6,968. There were 166 Sunday-schools with 911 officers and teachers and 6,224 scholars.
8. Duck River Association of Baptists: An organization arising from a division of the Elk River Association, founded in 1808 in Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, and Alabama, and strongly Calvinistic in character. As Methodism and the revival influences which resulted in the organization of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the Disciples of Christ spread through the same section, there developed a counter-movement for a stricter discipline and more rigid theology. In this controversy the Elk River Association divided and a minority more in sympathy with milder doctrine organized the Duck River Association. Subsequently other similar associations were formed, each with its own creed, yet so far recognizing their mutual fellowship as to send messengers to the annual meetings. The single churches call themselves Bap-
tist Churches of Christ, and in the report for 1890 a number of these associations were grouped under the head Baptist Church of Christ. As some of them expressed unwillingness to be classed under a definite denominational name, the heading Duck River and Kindred Associations of Baptists was adopted. The other associations are East Union, Ebenezer, Liberty, Mount Pleasant, Mount Zion, and Union. Attempts have been made to bring about union between these associations and the associations of Separate Baptists.
The total number of organizations reported in 1906 by the 7 associations was 93; of these, 92 reported 6,416 members; there were 86 church edifices besides 2 halls, and the seating capacity was 27,508; the total value of church property reported was $44,321, and 3 organizations showed a total debt of $107; there were 9 Sunday-schools with 37 officers and teachers and 402 scholars.
9. Evangelical Union of Bohemian and Moravian Brethren: A small body of churches, most of them in Texas, representing in the United States the Evangelical Union of Bohemian and Moravian Brethren in Austria, the lineal successor of the church of John Huss and Jerome of Prague (see Bohemian Brethren; Unity of the Brethren; Zinzendorf, Nikolaus Ltjdwig). Only scattered communities held the faith and the name; one of these founded the Unity of the Brethren. After the revolution of 1848 they began to look to America. Some from Bohemia and western Moravia settled in the northern and western states and identified themselves with other bodies. Those from eastern Moravia settled in Texas and preferred to retain the old name for its historic interest as well as because it helped them to preserve their identity. In 1906 there were 15 organizations, 771 members, under the general care of 3 ordained ministers, worshiping in 6 church edifices and 7 halls, church property valued at $13,750, 2 Sunday-schools with 6. officers and teachers and 97 scholars, and 2 parsonages valued at $700. The churches maintain friendly relations with the German Evangelical Synod (q.v.), especially in the use of the educational privileges of that body.