Christian Missionary Alliance

[jerkit]

Does anyone have any information about this denomination beyong Wikipedia/the official website? I did a FJ search and I found the following thread: viewtopic.php?f=81&t=252&p=4615&hilit=christian+missionary+alliance#p4615 where someone says FJ has discussed the denomination "extensively" but I'm not finding that discussion.

I am investigating a church that from the outside, appears to be a run of the mill evangelical Christian church (people wear jeans, live band with drums, expository preaching, etc). But I'm getting a wiff of distant fundie smell.

Anyone have information?

[louisa05]

Many evangelical churches take a literal approach to scripture. I worked at a daycare center in a CMA church when I was in college. It was very run of the mill evangelical and not at all fundie in terms of rules--no dress codes, no issues about swimming (we took the school age kids in the summers and as young female staff we wore whatever we pleased to swim with them), etc...

Some good friends of mine grew up in that denomination and remained in it for most of their adult lives (they remain evangelical). They are, and always have been, politically progressive, imposed no draconian rules on their four children regarding music, television, clothes, etc... and enjoy popular music, movies and television themselves.

I can't tell you much about the theology, but it has always seemed garden variety evangelical and I get the impression that, as is common in Protestantism, it can vary greatly from church to church.

[jerkit]

Many evangelical churches take a literal approach to scripture. I worked at a daycare center in a CMA church when I was in college. It was very run of the mill evangelical and not at all fundie in terms of rules--no dress codes, no issues about swimming (we took the school age kids in the summers and as young female staff we wore whatever we pleased to swim with them), etc...

Some good friends of mine grew up in that denomination and remained in it for most of their adult lives (they remain evangelical). They are, and always have been, politically progressive, imposed no draconian rules on their four children regarding music, television, clothes, etc... and enjoy popular music, movies and television themselves.

I can't tell you much about the theology, but it has always seemed garden variety evangelical and I get the impression that, as is common in Protestantism, it can vary greatly from church to church.

Okay, that is actually really helpful. Thank you.

I found this link: recoveringfundamentalists.com/my-story-drew-stedman.html and this guy is claiming C&MA is inherently fundie. But then later he said that Cedarville University is a fundamentalist college. CU is local to me and it absolutely is not a fundie college. Conservative Christian, but absolutely not fundie. So I didn’t really trust what he was saying on the denomination.

[busybee]

I attended a CMA church for a while. It was definitely very run-of-the-mill evangelical. Most people had 1-4 kids, who were in public school, though some were private school. Many women working outside the home, including those with children at home. Dress relatively mainstream though probably 2-piece swimsuits wouldn't have been allowed at church children's activities/camps. Etc. Of course, as with many denominations, there can be a range between churches, so it's possible there could be some that are more conservative in lifestyle.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

I attended this church for several years and my kids go to vbs there every year. There was nothing fundie about it at all. I don't know if it's because this is southern CA (I attended an assembly of God church before as well, also completely mainstream but I know in other parts of the U.S. it's more conservative). The pastor has two kids and I don't know of any homeschoolers. He surfs and drinks beer. No one ever preached politics although it's not a lgbt friendly church. Never heard anything about women's roles or clothes. Kids have Sunday school and youth groups. I always thought it was a typical mainstream church.

[jerkit]

I attended this church for several years and my kids go to vbs there every year. There was nothing fundie about it at all. I don't know if it's because this is southern CA (I attended an assembly of God church before as well, also completely mainstream but I know in other parts of the U.S. it's more conservative). The pastor has two kids and I don't know of any homeschoolers. He surfs and drinks beer. No one ever preached politics although it's not a lgbt friendly church. Never heard anything about women's roles or clothes. Kids have Sunday school and youth groups. I always thought it was a typical mainstream church.

Thank you for your perspective, this is really helpful.