Conservative holiness movement

The conservative holiness movement is a term that loosely defines a group of conservative Christian denominations that trace their origin back to Methodist roots and the teachings of John Wesley.

Doctrines and distinctives

The beliefs of the conservative holiness movement vary slightly from group to group. The common thread between them is the belief that the carnal nature (or the sinful nature) can be cleansed through faith by the power of the Holy Spirit by one who has received salvation from God through the confession of sins, repentance and faith. This belief is also called entire sanctification or a "second work of grace" that enables one to live a life set apart from the world.

Differences between conservative holiness churches and mainstream holiness churches include, but are not limited to, standards of dress, fashion, and entertainment. A distinctive of the CHM is what are called "standards." The term "standard" is a label that is applied to a large number of restrictions on activities, styles of dress and types of entertainment. Some of these restrictions that are typical of many, but not all, conservative holiness churches include prohibitions or restrictions on television, movies and popular music. Bible Missionary Churches, and some Bible Holiness Churches, in recent years, prohibited use of the internet inside their homes for all members. Some churches also have various standards for the way women dress and style their hair. Many conservative holiness churches also have restrictions on activities that can be performed on Sunday. Most of the standards maintained by the CHM are addressed directly in Scripture, while some are maintained out of an attitude of carefulness towards God.

During rapid cultural shifts in the United States, the conservative holiness movement has largely been successful at remaining unchanged, especially in regards to outward appearance. The movement holds to the belief that regardless of cultural shifts, its message of a conservative holiness lifestyle should not change or deviate from its original intent. The churches believe that the experience of "holiness of heart and life" will be the answer to holding to the doctrine and teachings of scripture. These churches teach that Christians who have experienced entire sanctification will withstand changes which are contrary to the word of God. Most people in the holiness movement still agree that to live a holy life one must be "separate" from the world.

Because of strict adherence to their beliefs, these members and churches have often been alienated from other mainstream holiness groups. Some efforts to bridge the gap still continue between the two groups.

Another distinction of the conservative holiness movement is the structure of worship. Worship services are often "led of the Spirit" and may not follow a systematic approach.

History

The conservative holiness movement is a part of the broader holiness movement and is often referred to as the same. During the early 1950s, there were significant cultural shifts taking place in United States. The Post-World War II era brought many changes to American culture, and as a result, the conservative element of the holiness movement sought to separate its people from the trend of "worldliness" they felt was becoming more prominent. Because of these societal changes, many conferences or districts took the initiative to adopt resolutions within their bodies to specifically list items of prohibition within their discipline. The list of prohibitions included the wearing of gold (which included a wedding ring), specific prohibitions against watching television, women cutting their hair and various fashion restrictions or following other pursuits that would identify itself with the current trends.

In 1963, the Pilgrim Holiness Church of New York seceded from the Pilgrim Holiness Church to become an independent organization. Meanwhile, in 1966, the Wesleyan Methodist Church and the Pilgrim Holiness Church proposed a merger to form the Wesleyan Church. This merger was finalized in 1968. After the merger, a group of conservative holiness Christians separated over issues of church polity, government and the growing concern over "worldliness". The Wesleyan Church aligns itself today with the mainstream holiness movement and is similar in doctrine and polity to the Church of the Nazarene.

After the merger, the Bible Methodist Connection of Churches, the Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection of Churches, the Bible Methodist Connection of Tennessee (Tennessee Bible Methodists), the Bible Methodist Connection of Alabama (Alabama Bible Methodists), Pilgrim Holiness Church (Midwest Conference), International Conservative Holiness Association, Pilgrim Nazarene, Wesleyan Nazarene, Emmanuel Missionary Church, Bible Missionary Church, Bible Holiness Church, Wesleyan Holiness Association were all organized. Many of these new churches seceded from much larger and established mainstream holiness churches.

Denominations

• Wesleyan Methodist Church (Allegheny Conference)
• Bible Holiness Church
• Bible Methodist Connection of Churches
• Bible Missionary Church
• Central Yearly Meeting of Friends
• Church of God (Holiness)
• Faith Missionary Association
• God's Missionary Church
• Independent Conservative Holiness Churches
• International Conservative Holiness Association
• Pilgrim Holiness Church (Midwest Conference)
• Pilgrim Holiness Church of New York
• Pilgrim Nazarene Church
• United Holiness Church (Southeast Indiana)
• Wesleyan Holiness Association of Churches
• Wesleyan Nazarene Church

Educational institutions

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Listed below are colleges and schools affiliated with the conservative holiness movement:

• Union Bible College (Westfield, IN)
• Allegheny Wesleyan College (Salem, OH)
• God's Bible School (Cincinnati, OH)
• Hobe Sound Bible College (Hobe Sound, FL)
• Bible Missionary Institute (Rock Island, IL)
• Penn View Bible Institute (Penns Creek, PA)
• Faith Bible School (Mitchell, SD)
• Northwest Indian Bible Institute (Alberton,MT)
• Free Gospel Bible Institute (Export, PA)

Missions

A number of mission endeavors exist within the conservative holiness movement with active mission fields in the Philippines, South Africa, Ukraine, Haiti, Peru, Mexico, Asia, Eastern Europe, India, and South Korea. Listed below are a few of the mission organizations affiliated with the conservative holiness movement. Most of the denominations listed above also maintain their own missions boards and departments for both Home and Foreign Missions.

• Bible Methodist Missions
• Evangelical Bible Mission
• Evangelistic Faith Missions
• Hope International Misions
• Worldwide Faith Missions
• Pilgrim Missions
• Society of Indian Missions
• ICHA Ministries

See also

• Central Yearly Meeting of Friends

References

• The Holiness Churches: A Significant Ethical Tradition, Donald W. Dayton
• The Holiness Heritage, by Dr. Brian Black
• A Social Science Perspective On The Conservative Holiness Movement, John Johnson
• The History And Development Of Bible Methodism, A. Philip Brown II
• The History And Organization Of The Wesleyan Church, Bayview Wesleyan Church
• Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection Discipline, Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection of Churches
• Constitution of the Bible Methodist Connection of Churches, Bible Methodist Connection of Churches
• Pilgrim Holiness Church of New York - Who We Are, Pilgrim Holiness Church of New York
• A Presentation Of Perfection, Dr. Mark Eckart (Mainline Wesleyan)
• Handbook of Denominations, by Frank S. Mead, Samuel S. Hill, & Craig D. Atwood

External links

• Holiness Online
• Holiness Web Directory
• Holiness Music
• InterChurch Holiness Convention
• Myholiness.com