An evangelical denomination founded by A.B. Simpson, emphasizing Christ as Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and Coming King, with a strong commitment to global missions.
The Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) was founded in 1887 by Albert Benjamin Simpson, a Canadian-born Presbyterian minister who became convinced that the church was neglecting both the deeper life of sanctification and the urgent task of world evangelization. Simpson's 'Fourfold Gospel' — Christ as Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and Coming King — became the theological center of the movement and remains the C&MA's defining framework today.
The C&MA occupies a distinctive theological position: it is Wesleyan in its emphasis on a deeper work of grace, Reformed in its high view of Scripture, and Pentecostal-adjacent in its openness to divine healing and the gifts of the Spirit (though it does not require tongues as evidence of Spirit baptism). This irenic, 'big tent' evangelicalism has made the C&MA a home for Christians from many backgrounds.
The C&MA is known above all for its missionary commitment. Despite its relatively small size in North America (about 2,000 churches), it supports one of the largest missionary forces per capita of any Protestant denomination.
The C&MA is distinguished by its Fourfold Gospel, its strong missions emphasis, and its theological irenic — drawing from Wesleyan, Reformed, and Pentecostal streams without fully identifying with any one. It is one of the most missions-focused denominations in North America relative to its size.
Evangelical and contemporary — praise and worship music, expository preaching, and an emphasis on the deeper Christian life. C&MA churches tend to be warm, missions-minded, and open to the work of the Holy Spirit.
New York City, 1887, by A.B. Simpson.
Its Fourfold Gospel, its disproportionately large missionary force, and A.B. Simpson's influence on the broader evangelical and Pentecostal movements.