The Christadelphians () are a restorationist and Unitarian Christian denomination. The name means 'brothers in Christ',"The Christadelphians, or brethren in Christ ... The very name 'Christadelphian' was coined by the founder of the movement, John Thomas, at the time of the American Civil War principally to provide a distinctive nomenclature for the use of the civil authorities [...] At the time of the American Civil War, Thomas coined a name for his followers: Christadelphian – brethren in Christ. The exigencies of the situation in which the civil authorities had sought to impress men into the armed forces had accelerated the tendency for those religious bodies objecting to military service to become more definite in their teaching and conditions of membership." Bryan R. Wilson, Sects and Society (London: William Heinemann, 1961), p. 219, 238"Christadelphians (or Brethren in Christ) ... Congress had exempted from war service the members of any religious body which was conscientiously opposed to bearing arms. In order to go upon record in a manner that would secure this exemption, the name [Christadelphian] was adopted and certified to by Dr. Thomas, in August or September, 1864." 'Christadelphians' in John McClintock and James Strong, Cyclopedia of Biblical, theological, and ecclesiastical literature Supplement, Volume 1 (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1889), p. 937 from the Greek words for Christ (Christos) and brothers (adelphoi).Thomas preferred the name Brethren in Christ, but settled on Christadelphian. He once wrote in a letter, "I did not know a better denomination that would be given to such a class of believers, than Brethren in Christ. This declares their true status; and, as officials prefer words to phrases, the same fact expressed in another form by the word Christadelphians, or Christou Adelphoi, Christ's Brethren. This matter settled to their [i.e., the civil authorities'] satisfaction ... " ()."... conscientious objectors had to demonstrate membership in a recognized religious group that prohibited participation in war activity ... Hence in 1864, Thomas settled on the name 'Christadelphian' (from the Greek for "Brethren in Christ") in order that his adherents might provide the necessary credentials for exemption from military service." Charles H. Lippy, The Christadelphians in North America (Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 1989), p. 52Vincent L. Milner, Hannah Adams Religious denominations of the world 1875 "CHRISTADELPHIANS. (BRETHREN OF CHRIST.) The distinctive name Christadelphian is derived from two Greek words — Christos (Christ) and Adelphos (brother) — and has been chosen as a fit representation of the intimate spiritual connection ....2, "To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ."
Christadelphians believe in the inspiration of the Bible, the Virgin Birth, the status of Jesus as the son of God, believer's baptism, the resurrection of the dead, the second coming of Christ, and the future kingdom of God on earth. However, they reject a number of mainstream Christian doctrines, for example the Trinity and the immortality of the soul, believing these to be corruptions of original Christian teaching.
The movement developed in the United Kingdom and North America in the 19th century around the teachings of John Thomas and they were initially found predominantly in the developed English-speaking world, expanding in developing countries after the Second World War. In 2009, the BBC estimated there were approximately 50,000 Christadelphians in around 120 countries. Congregations are traditionally referred to as "ecclesias".
History
Background
19th century The Christadelphian movement traces its origins to John Thomas (1805–1871). He initially associated with emerging Restoration Movement in the United States but later separated from them. The Christadelphian community in the United Kingdom effectively dates from Thomas's first lecturing tour of Britain (May 1848 – October 1850). During this period, he wrote Elpis IsraelJohn Thomas, Elpis Israel: an exposition of the Kingdom of God with reference to the time of the end and the age to come (London: 1849). Available online in which he laid out his understanding of the main doctrines of the Bible. Since his medium for bringing change was print and debate, it was natural for the origins of the Christadelphian body to be associated with books and journals, such as Thomas's Herald of the Kingdom. His message was particularly welcomed in Scotland, and Campbellite, Unitarian and Adventist friends separated to form groups of "Baptised Believers".
He was not alone in his desire to establish Biblical truth and test orthodox Christian beliefs through independent scriptural study. Among other churches, he had links with the Adventist movement and with Benjamin Wilson (who later set up the Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith in the 1860s). Although the Christadelphian movement originated through the activities of John Thomas, he never saw himself as making his own disciples. He believed rather that he had rediscovered 1st-century beliefs from the Bible alone,"The Lecturer [John Thomas] commenced by denying a statement which had appeared in many of the London and country newspapers, and amongst them, one made by a religious Editor in this town, to the effect that he assumed to himself the true, infallible, prophetic character, as one sent from God, verbatim. He would appeal to his writings – and he had written a great deal in twelve years – and to his speeches, whether he had ever claimed to be such, in the remotest degree whatever. He believed truth as it was taught in the scriptures of truth ..." and sought to prove that through a process of challenge and debate and writing journals. Through that process a number of people became convinced and set up various fellowships that had sympathy with that position. Groups associated with John Thomas met under multiple names, including Believers, Baptised Believers, the Royal Association of Believers, Baptised Believers in the Kingdom of God, Nazarines (or Nazarenes), and The Antipas until the time of the American Civil War (1861–1865). At that time, church affiliation was required in the United States and the Confederate States of America in order to register for conscientious objector status, and in 1864, Thomas chose for registration purposes the name Christadelphian.
Through the teaching of John Thomas and the need in the American Civil War for a name, the Christadelphians emerged as a denomination, but they were formed into a lasting structure through a passionate follower of Thomas's interpretation of the Bible, Robert Roberts. In 1864, he began to publish The Ambassador of the Coming Age magazine. John Thomas, out of concern that someone else might start a publication and call it The Christadelphian, urged Robert Roberts to change the name of his magazine to The Christadelphian,Bryan R. Wilson, Sects and Society (London: William Heinemann, 1961), p. 241The Christadelphian is published by The Christadelphian Magazine & Publishing Association Ltd (Birmingham, UK) which he did in 1869. His editorship of the magazine continued with some assistance until his death in 1898. In church matters, Roberts was prominent in the period following the death of John Thomas in 1871 and helped craft the structures of the Christadelphian body.Andrew Wilson writes of Roberts, "The organising ability of Robert Roberts was very important: he gave the movement its rules, institutions and much of its literature". Andrew Wilson, History of the Christadelphians 1864–1885: the emergence of a denomination 1997 p.399.
Initially, the denomination grew in the English-speaking world, particularly in the English Midlands and parts of North America. Two-thirds of ecclesias and members in Britain before 1864 were in Scotland.Andrew Wilson, History of the Christadelphians 1864–1885: the emergence of a denomination 1997Evans, Christmas. The Christadelphian 1956–63Norrie, William "Early History of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God in Britain" Earlston 1904. Available online In the early days after the death of John Thomas, the group could have moved in a number of directions. Doctrinal issues arose, debates took place, and statements of faith were created and amended as other issues arose. These attempts were felt necessary by many to both settle and define a doctrinal stance for the newly emerging denomination and to keep out error. As a result of these debates, several groups separated from the main body of Christadelphians, most notably the Suffolk Street fellowship in 1885 (with members believing that the whole of the Bible was not inspired) and the Unamended fellowship.
20th century The Christadelphian position on conscientious objection came to the fore with the introduction of conscription during the First World War. Varying degrees of exemption from military service were granted to Christadelphians in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. In the Second World War, this frequently required the person seeking exemption to undertake civilian work under the direction of the authorities.
During the Second World War, the Christadelphians in Britain assisted in the Kindertransport, helping to relocate several hundred Jewish children away from Nazi persecution by founding a hostel, Elpis Lodge, for that purpose. In Germany, the small Christadelphian community founded by Albert Maier went underground from 1940 to 1945, and a leading brother, Albert Merz, was imprisoned as a conscientious objector and later executed.April 1941 in Berlin.Bogner, Gustav. Geschichte der Christadelphians in Deutschland (2) http://www.projekt-glauben.de/?p=205
After the Second World War, moves were made to try to reunite various earlier divisions. By the end of the 1950s, most Christadelphians had united into one community, but a number of small groups remained separate.
Today The post-war and post-reunions periods saw an increase in co-operation and interaction between ecclesias, resulting in the establishment of a number of week-long Bible schools and the formation of national and international organisations such as the Christadelphian Bible Mission (for preaching and pastoral support overseas), the Christadelphian Support Network (for counselling), and the Christadelphian Meal-A-Day Fund (for charity and humanitarian work).
The period following the reunions was accompanied by expansion in the developing world, which now accounts for around 40% of Christadelphians.Based on figures from CBM Worldwide Guide 2006, Christadelphian Bible Mission (UK), 2006
Beliefs The Christadelphian body has no central authority or co-ordinating organisation to establish and maintain a standardised set of beliefs, but there are core doctrines accepted by most Christadelphians. In the formal statements of faith a more complete list is found; for instance, the Birmingham Amended Statement of Faith has 30 doctrines to be accepted and 35 to be rejected.
The Bible Christadelphians state that their beliefs are based wholly on the Bible, and they do not see other works as inspired by God. They regard the Bible as inspired by God and, therefore, believe that in its original form, it is error-free apart from errors in later copies due to errors of transcription or translation.
God Christadelphians believe that God, Yahweh, is the creator of all things and the father of true believers, and that he is a separate being from his son, Jesus (who is subordinate to him). They reject the doctrine of the Trinity.
Jesus