Reader AHT 2009 - Alliance World Fellowship

240 Pages·2011·1.98 MB·English

by  Gerry Hall

Readings in Alliance History
and Thought

Compiled by

Kenneth L. Draper

2009

Table of Contents

Part 1 Alliance History

Preface
Kenneth L. Draper, Living Tradition ............................................................................ 1

1. Simpson: His Life
1.1 Emma Beere, Simpson Anecdotes ................................................................................. 4
1.2 A.B. Simpson, My Own Story ....................................................................................... 8
1.3 A.B. Simpson Chronology ............................................................................................ 14

2. Simpson: Spiritual Crises

2.1 A.B. Simpson, A Solemn Covenant ............................................................................... 17
2.2 A.B. Simpson, Personal Testimony - Sanctification ..................................................... 18
2.3 A.B. Simpson, A Larger Christian Life......................................................................... 20
2.4 A.B. Simpson, The Gospel of Healing .......................................................................... 21

3. Simpson’s Hymns and Alliance Hymnody

3.1 Gene Rivard, Rediscovering the Music of A.B. Simpson .............................................. 25

4. The Founding of the Alliance

4.1 A.B. Simpson, Story of Providence ............................................................................... 35
4.2 Constitution of Christian Alliance, 1887 ...................................................................... 41
4.3 Constitution of Evangelical Missionary Alliance, 1887 ............................................... 42

5. The Work of the Early Alliance

5.1 Excerpts from The Story of the Christian and Missionary Alliance ............................. 45
5.2 John Dahms, The Social Interest and Concern of A.B. Simpson .................................. 50
5.3 Leslie Andrews, A.B. Simpson’s Understanding of the Role of Women in
Ministry ......................................................................................................................... 60

6. The Alliance After Simpson

6.1 General Constitution and Principles .............................................................................. 70
6.2 Paul Rader, Annual Report of the President, 1920 ....................................................... 74
6.3 W.M. Turnbull and C.H. Chrisman, The Message of The Christian and
Missionary Alliance, 1927............................................................................................. 77

7. Alliance Missions

7.1 A.B. Simpson, Aggressive Christianity ......................................................................... 84
7.2 L.L. King, Indigenous Church Policy of the C&MA ..................................................... 87
7.3 David Moore, How the C&MA Relates to Overseas Churches .................................... 97
Part 2 Alliance Thought

8. The Fourfold Gospel

8.1 David Schroeder, The Centrality of Jesus Christ in the Fourfold Gospel ....................1 07

9. The Early Alliance View of Sanctification

9.1 A.B. Simpson, The Baptism of the Holy Spirit: A Crisis or an Evolution? .................1 12
9.2 George Pardington, The Crisis of the Deeper Life ....................................................... .1 16
9.4 A.B. Simpson, How to Abide.........................................................................................1 21

10. Developments in the Alliance View of Sanctification

10.1 Charles Nienkirchen, ‗Deep Calleth Unto Deep,’ Stillness in Early Alliance
Spirituality .....................................................................................................................1 25
10.3 Gordon T. Smith, Conversion and Sanctification in the Christian and
Missionary Alliance.......................................................................................................1 36
10.4 Bernie A. Van De Walle, “How High of a Christian Life?” A. B. Simpson
and the Classic Doctrine of Theosis ..............................................................................1 44

11. Healing

11.1 A.B. Simpson, Divine Healing in the Atonement ..........................................................1 53
11.2 A.B. Simpson, How to Receive Divine Healing ............................................................1 55
11.3 A.B. Simpson, Divine Healing and Medical Science ...................................................1 58
11.4 Excerpts from A Cloud of Witnesses Concerning Divine Healing ................................1 60

12. Developments in the Alliance View of Healing

12.1 Rev. David John Smith, The Psycho-Spiritual Dynamics of Physical Healing 165
in Alliance Spirituality ..................................................................................................
12.2 Andy M. Reimer, Healing: Biblical Basis and Procedure ..........................................1 82
12.3 Bernie A. Van De Walle, Cautious Co-belligerence? The Late Nineteenth-
Century American Divine Healing Movement and the Promise of Medical
Science ...........................................................................................................................1 88

13. The Coming King

13.1 A.B. Simpson, Practical Influence of the Blessed Hope ...............................................1 97
13.2 A.B. Simpson, The Lord’s Coming and Missions .........................................................1 99

14. Developments in Alliance Eschatology

14.1 Franklin Pyles, The Missionary Eschatology of A.B. Simpson .....................................2 04
14.2 Michael Tymchak, Ethics and the Coming King ..........................................................2 11

15. Toward a Doctrinal Statement

15.1 Scott Russell Borderud, Creeds and the Statement of Faith .........................................2 19
15.2 Conference for Prayer and Counsel, 1906 ....................................................................2 31
15.3 Doctrinal Statement for Alliance Bible Schools, 1928 .................................................2 32
15.4 Statement of Faith (1965) ..............................................................................................2 33
15.6 Statement of Faith (2000) .............................................................................................2 34

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Part 1

Alliance History

Binghamton Convention, 1921
Binghamton, New York

Preface
Living Tradition
Kenneth L. Draper

In an age when everything is new and improved, are popular. Students see the relevance of learning how
tradition seems to have taken a backseat. It is still to read and interpret Scripture well. Sociology,
evoked nostalgically; to create an illusion of stability in psychology and literature can help students understand
an otherwise chaotic world. Reference is made to the themselves and their world more clearly. But what is the
traditional turkey dinner or to that semi-mythical age point of denominational history? After all, this ―stuff‖
when things were simpler and children were better happened long ago and only serves to remind us that we
behaved. Tradition in this sense may generate some are pretty small fish in the big pond of church history.
good feelings but is not something to give direction to Would it not make more sense to spend time on things
our lives. that really matter?
In the business world and sometimes in churches, In asking these sorts of questions, my students were
―tradition‖ is commonly used to dismiss something as clearly in a broad stream of thinking flowing out of the
backward-looking and stodgy. This rejection of tradition Enlightenment which views particular traditions, like
grows directly out of an eagerness to distance ourselves denominational histories, as irrelevant. Worse still, such
from our own pasta central characteristic of western traditions are held to actually distort truth and thus must
culture since the Enlightenment of the eighteenth be abandoned. The Enlightenment approach is perhaps
century. best typified by the seventeenth century French thinker
Whether we like the feelings associated with René Descartes. Descartes regarded knowledge based on
tradition in the sense of the turkey dinner, or regard it as any tradition or authority as suspect. He decided he must
something which blinds us to current needs, it is perhaps discover a firm foundation for knowledge and so
time we reassessed the role of tradition in our society. resolved to disbelieve anything and everything that
Tradition has the potential to play a more powerful role could be disbelieved. This systematic process of doubt
by providing a clear identity for us as individuals and led to the speculation that God might be an evil joker
communities of faith. If tradition is to serve such a and thus nothing, not even Descartes‘ own existence,
purpose, we must understand it as a living part of us, could be sure. A this point Descartes discovered his
rather than something dead and past and commemorated foundation for all true knowledge, for even in doubting
on plaques. all, he was aware of the working of his own mind. His
An important part of my teaching role at Canadian famous conclusion cogito ergo sum (I think, therefore I
Bible College is to teach a course called Alliance am), was the beginning of the modern view of truth in
History and Thought. This course has developed a rather the western world.
unenviable reputation over the years. Believe it or not, it Now the free use of reason unencumbered by any
has been commonly referred to by students (in hushed preconception or tradition has become the sure guide to
voices and with furtive, over-the-shoulder glances to the truth. Descartes was convinced that this truth could
ensure the offending professor is out of earshot) as be found and with it the solution to all human problems
―Alliance Misery and Rot.‖ This was rather shocking to if we would just shed our traditional biases. This
a new teacher and enough to make one nostalgic for promise of salvation required that each individual be
whenever it was that students were better behaved. freed to think and act on the basis of reason alone. A
Reflecting on this, it seemed to be a significant thing rootedness in tradition and community was sacrificed in
that the least popular course at an Alliance Bible college the modern age to the right of the individual use of
was the one course on what it meant to be Alliance. reason.
After recovering from the blow to my self-esteem, the However, reason unbounded by tradition has not
clear message was that students didn't like this course proven to be the salvation of humanity. The cost of this
because they felt it had nothing to do with who they great modern experiment is still not fully calculated.
were or who they were hoping to become Theology One of these costs has been the neglect of the spiritual
students want to know who God is and what God is needs. A quest for a renewed spirituality seems to be
doing in the world. Biblical studies at the Bible college one of characteristics of our age. Recent cover stories in
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Preface

Canada‘s Macleans Magazine and the United States‘ insights of A.B. Simpson and other great Alliance
Newsweek reveal a sincere hunger for spiritual depth. leaders in their context; then to distil the spiritual,
People are willing to speak openly of their spiritual theological and pastoral resources from them and finally
quests that are taking a wide variety of directions. To discover ways to embody these in our lives and
many, Christianity lacks the spiritual vitality they are communities today.
seeking. At Canadian Bible College we have tried to fully
Beyond this spiritual poverty is a loss of community. integrate these aspects of our tradition into the life of an
The individualism, which accompanied the right of academic community. Our weekly schedule includes
individual choice, is far reaching in our culture. Rather times of pause for prayer and worship. This is not an
than being connected into significant networks of interruption of the academic agenda, but an essential
relationship, the experience of most North Americans is part of it. Worship reminds us who God is and who we
alienation from one another. As part of this modern are and this serves as a foundation for what we do as a
culture we are conditioned to protect our own interests learning, thinking community.
at all costs and resist the claims of community or Two days in each semester are specifically dedicated
commitments that would limit the exercise of our to prayer and the centerpiece of this day is a communion
personal freedom. At the same time, there is an urgent service at which we experience together the wonder of
human need to be connected and committed which is at God‘s love, the forgiveness in Christ‘s sacrifice and
odds with this. Rising unwanted pregnancy and divorce unity by the Holy Spirit‘s presence. A significant aspect
statistics probably have less to do with the ―joy of sex‖ of this service is an invitation to trust the Lord for
than an unshakeable sense of aloneness. healing. Many of our students, even those from Alliance
The kind of tradition that I have suggested we need backgrounds, have never participated in such a service
to consider, answers these cries of need. A tradition that before. Our tradition is made alive to them as we profess
is alive serves to orient us to what is ultimately of value together and for one another that Christ is indeed our
and to ground us in a wider community that shares these healer.
values. Once during each semester there is an opportunity
But this is rather abstract. Let‘s return to Alliance for reaffirming our tradition‘s distinctive connection
History and Thought. If my students are to feel this between a vital spiritual life and our mission to the
course is worthwhile they need to be able to see how it world. For three days our attention is turned from
connects with who they are and what they feel called to assignments and readings and classes to the wider
do. When understood as a living tradition, Alliance reason for our life together, that of being made more
history and thought is more than something to be read fully into the character of the indwelling Christ and
about in a textbook or studied for an exam. It is who we more fully committed to the task He has set for us.
are, what we teach and preach, and how we live our These are simple and perhaps obvious things, but they
commitments. We are Alliance because this tradition, provide a grounding for our work of bringing the
expressed by Albert B. Simpson as the Fourfold Gospel, spiritual resources of the Alliance to a new generation.
has continually witnessed to the fact that Christ‘s work Simpson himself may stand as a guide for how
has implications for us right now. It calls us to, and tradition may be given life. He inherited the rich
empowers us for holiness, it affirms God‘s interest in the resources of nineteenth century North American
physical as well as the spiritual and it points to the hope evangelicalism but was troubled by what he perceived as
of our calling. a lack of spiritual vitality. His solution was not some
What I have discovered is that these core values of new message. Simpson was not a theological innovator
the Alliance are tremendously attractive to students. but took the evangelical tradition and framed it in new
Alliance history and thought is now not some dead language and practices that were alive to his generation.
system they have to somehow fit themselves into, but an Tradition cannot live by our being content with
expression of who they want to become and the message precise doctrinal definitions and well-worn methods. It
they want to proclaim. In this tradition there is will come alive as we take the central insights of an
something which can provide focus for their ministry indwelling Christ who awakens us to the needs of our
and their lives no matter what the vocation to which God world and embody them in new ways. Simpson
has called them. connected with people by modeling how the Holy Spirit
The course has taken on new life as it ceased to be a works in lives to remake them into the character of
recounting of what is past and became a dialogue Christ by a daily, moment-by-moment abiding in Him.
between the tradition and those individuals and The measure of the Alliance as a living tradition will be
communities seriously committed to living this tradition. how well we are able to live this out in our generation.
It is essential in this process to understand the vision and
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Preface

To conclude this consideration of tradition it might Spirituality is too often seen as an entirely private
be useful to return to the needs of this generation for and individual pilgrimage. This I believe is the influence
spirituality and community mentioned above. Our of modern individualism. Community is essential to an
Christian tradition, and the message of the Alliance in authentic spirituality. The transforming power of the
particular, provide direction for addressing these needs. Holy Spirit and Christ‘s call to mission are experienced
The full salvation, which Simpson encapsulated in the in the community of Gods people. If there is one area in
Fourfold Gospel, was a clear call to the full experience our tradition that needs careful thought it is our
of Christ‘s work and the transforming grace of the Holy understanding of the Church. Let‘s call one another to a
Spirit in each Christian life. We need to model and to full experience of God‘s work in our churches so we can
teach a vibrant spirituality which a new generation of offer a true alternative to the false spiritualities and loss
spiritual seekers will see as the true alternative to the of community characteristic of the late twentieth
spiritual vacuity of the modern world. century.
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Section 1. Simpson: His Life

Reading 1.1
Simpson Anecdotes*
Compiled by Miss Emma Beere

When I was a child, I became intensely interested in a physician. I remember as I waited for him at the station,
luxuriant apple tree that was growing on my father's I walked up and down the platform under the cold
farm, and I asked to have this little tree given to me for winter sky as I looked up into the heavens, and shall
my own. I took great care in cultivating it. My brother never forget the thought that came to me; how can I let
also had an apple tree which he got from a nursery. It that spirit that has never gone from my reach, never been
was so small compared to mine that I scoffed at it. After trusted alone, how can I let him wander out into that vast
several years I saw the first blossom on my tree. But it immensity; how can he ever find his way, and those
did not amount to anything that year. But the next year heavens seem so cold and infinite? Oh, that I could go
there were one or two dozen blossoms, and three or four with him or keep him longer. Then it seemed to me, and
of them became apples. Oh, how I watched them, trying I never lost the vision, that two great arms of love
to keep the birds away and the boys from stealing them. reached down through the sky, and Jesus whispered to
My brother did not have any apples that year, and I me, "Suffer the little children and forbid them not to
laughed. Finally the time for my apples to ripen came. come unto me." And I saw Him there taking that little
They seemed to stay green and had no color. After the spirit from my arms and guarding and guiding better
cold weather began I harvested them. I was sure they than I.
would do better next year. There were a lot next year, I went back with a lightened heart and looked
but the same kind, however. They would not ripen. But upon his shining face as at last he passed through the
my brother had a few beautiful large apples, and you gates with one little message, as I asked him where he
should have seen the look of inexpressible triumph on was going--"To heaven, papa." And from that hour the
his face as he handed me one. I had the tree, all right, passing of these lambs has never been sad to me. I have
but he had the fruit. My tree could not bring forth good never had a regret or heart pang, because the Forerunner
fruit. I never forgot that lesson of my childhood--the is there to take care of them. You will have no trials of
wasted years, the wasted hopes upon the thing that was faith but will fit you to be a blessing if you are obedient.
worthless in its essential nature. I never had a deep trial, but as soon as I got out of the
When I was a young pastor, I had no river, I found some poor pilgrim on the bank whom I
acquaintance with sorrow. I was superficial and shallow was able to help by that very experience.
like all young men; and I used to go to sorrowing Never shall I forget, eighteen years ago, I was
mothers and friends with words of sympathy which were awakened one night from sleep, trembling with a strange
honestly meant, and yet which I felt did not touch one and solemn sense of God's overshadowing power, and
responsive chord. I tried to do my duty, but, oh how on my soul was burning the remembrance of a strange
empty and useless it was. But when sorrow came to my dream through which I had that moment come. It
own life, how it changed everything. I could go then seemed to me that I was sitting in a vast auditorium, and
with a full heart. I did not speak many words, but a millions of people were there sitting around me. All the
silent grasp of the hand expressed my heartfelt sympathy Christians in the world seemed to be there, and on the
and I knew there was comfort in it. platform was a great multitude of faces and forms. They
I shall never forget the first time death entered my seemed to be mostly Chinese. They were not speaking,
family circle. [Simpson's first son, Melville, died at the but in mute anguish were wringing their hands, and their
age of four.] I had held the little one in my arms for two faces wore an expression that I can never forget. I had
nights, his mother having fled in agony and collapse not been thinking of the Chinese or the heathen world;
from the room, choking with croup. I saw that little life but as I awoke with that vision on my mind, I did
panting in the arms of death and I felt myself helpless to tremble with the Holy Spirit, and I threw myself on my
hold him back or help him. It was our first bereavement. knees and every fiber of my being answered, "Yes,
At last we summoned from a distant city our old family Lord, I will go."

* from C. Donald McKaig ed. "Simpson Scrapbook," (CBC/CTS archives), pp. 229 - 241.
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