Holiness - American Family Tree [Return to List of Trees]
Holiness churches emerged out of the Methodist churches in the United States as they sought to restore John Wesley's teachings of personal holiness and total sanctification (perfection). Holiness bodies include the Church of the Nazarene and the various Church of God denominations.
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Note: Groups that are colored blue are currently active. Groups that are colored gray are defunct.Included in this tree
| Religious Group | Founded | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Churches of God, General Conference | 1825 | The Churches of God, General Conference was founded in 1825 by John Winebrenner, formerly a minister with the German Reformed Church. It was known for much of its history as the General Eldership of the Churches of God in North America. |
| Church of God, Reformation Movement | 1881 | The Church of God, Reformation Movement was founded in 1881 by Daniel S. Warner as a Holiness church. In 1998 the Church of God, Reformation Movement reorganized as the Church of God Ministries, Inc. in Anderson, Indiana. This association is the same as the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana). |
| Salvation Army | 1865 | The Salvation Army was founded in 1865 (as the Christian Mission) in England by William Booth. Though best known for its social work and its military organization, it is also a Holiness denomination. |
| American Rescue Workers | 1884 | The American Rescue Workers is a socially active Holiness church founded in 1884 by Thomas E. Moore and former members of the Salvation Army. It originally took the name Salvation Army (the same name as the group it splintered from), but changed its name to American Salvation Army in 1890. In 1913, it took its present name. |
| Methodist Episcopal Church, North | 1844 | The Methodist Episcopal Church, originally formed in 1784, experienced a schism in 1844 over the issues of slavery and the power of the General Conference to discipline bishops. This schism resulted in two denominations: the Methodist Episcopal Church (northern branch), and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. It was not until 1939 that this division was healed in a merger that would create the Methodist Church (1939-1968). |
| First Church of the Nazarene | 1895 | The First Church of the Nazarene was founded in 1895 as a single congregation in Los Angeles, California, by Phineas Bresee. Bresee was a former Methodist pastor who had just left the Peniel Mission when he founded the church. After this group grew into a small denomination, it merged in 1907 with the Association of Pentecostal Churches in America to form the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene. |
| Volunteers of America | 1896 | The Volunteers of America movement was founded in 1896 by Ballington and Maud Booth, both former leaders in the Salvation Army. They practice baptism and communion as well as broadcast worship services. |
| Methodist Episcopal Church, South | 1844 | The Methodist Episcopal Church, originally formed in 1784, experienced a schism in 1844 over the issues of slavery and the power of the General Conference to discipline bishops. This schism resulted in two denominations: the Methodist Episcopal Church (northern branch), and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. It was not until 1939 that this division was healed in a merger that would create the Methodist Church (1939-1968). |
| Lumber River Conference of the Holiness Methodist Church | 1900 | The Lumber River Conference was founded in 1900 by members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South who admired the Holiness movement and had a strong desire to minister to Lumbee and Tuscarora peoples. Due to the participants' particular focus on the Holiness tradition scorned by some Methodists, they officially formed an association apart from the Methodist Episcopal Church. The small conference changed its name seven times since 1900, taking its current name in 1980. |
| Church of God in Christ | 1894 | The Church of God in Christ, the largest of the several predominantly black Pentecostal churches, was founded in 1894 by Charles H. Mason. In 1907, Mason took most of the body into Pentecostalism. Those who remained were organized by Elder Charles Prince Jones as the Church of Christ (Holiness) U.S.A. |
| Church of Christ (Holiness) U.S.A | 1907 | In 1894, C. P. Jones and Charles H. Mason formed the Church of God in Christ as a Holiness body, following their exclusion from fellowship with black Baptists in Arkansas. Mason took most of the body into Pentecostalism in 1907. Those who remained were organized by Jones as the Church of Christ (Holiness) U.S.A. |
| Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene | 1907 | The Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene formed in 1907 as the result of the merger between the Association of Pentecostal Churches in America and the First Church of the Nazarene. In 1908, the Holiness Church of Christ also merged into this body in Pilot Point, Texas. In 1919, this group dropped the term "Pentecostal" from its name, becoming the Church of the Nazarene, though the Church of the Nazarene treats 1908 as its official founding. |
| Association of Pentecostal Churches in America | 1896 | The Association of Pentecostal Churches in America was formed in 1896 in New York, shortly afterward uniting with the Central Evangelical Holiness Assocation. In 1907, this group merged with the Church of the Nazarene to form the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene. |
| Holiness Church of Christ | c. 1894 | The Holiness Church of Christ was formed in the late 1800s in the southwestern United States. In 1908, it merged into the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene at an assembly at Pilot Point, Texas; the merged body retained the name Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene. |
| Congregational Holiness Church | 1921 | The Congregational Holiness Church is a Holiness Pentecostal church founded in 1921 by the Rev. Watson Sorrow and Hugh Bowling. |
| Christian Union | 1864 | The Christian Union is an evangelical Protestant body organized in 1864. |
| Churches of Christ in Christian Union | 1909 | The Churches of Christ in Christian Union is a Holiness church founded in 1909 by former members of the Christian Union. |
| Advent Christian Church | 1860 | The Advent Christian Church, originally named the Advent Christian Association, was organized in 1860 and grew out of the Adventist movement initiated by William Miller in the 1840s. The Church adheres to Sunday (rather than Saturday) worship. Another prominent Adventist group, the Life and Advent Union, merged into it in 1964. |
| Church of the Gospel | 1912 | The Church of the Gospel was formed in 1911 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts by the Rev. and Mrs. C. T. Spike and members of the Advent Christian Church. In 1912, the group incorporated as the Church of God but adopted its present name in 1930 to avoid confusion with other groups. In 1971, there was only a single congregation in Virginia and remnants in the New England area. |
| Wesleyan Methodist Church of America | 1843 | The Wesleyan Methodist Church of America arose in 1843 as an abolitionist denomination. Led by Orange Scott, this new group of Wesleyan Methodists called for an end to slavery, planted anti-slavery churches in the south, and were active in the Underground Railroad. They were also among the earliest proponents of the ordination of women. In 1968, this group merged with the Pilgrim Holiness Church, which was very similar in both theology and governance, to form the Wesleyan Church. |
| Missionary Methodist Church of America | 1913 | The Missionary Methodist Church of America was founded in 1913 in Forest City, North Carolina, by Reverend Henry Clay Sisk and four other members of the Wesleyan Methodist Church. They left the church over disagreement with the church's rules and regulations. |
| Associated Churches of Christ (Holiness) | 1915 | The Associated Churches of Christ (Holiness) began in 1915 as a west coast branch of the Church of Christ (Holiness) U.S.A, under the leadership of Bishop William Washington. The new church existed cooperatively with the parent church until 1947, when administrative problems prompted the Associated Churches of Christ (Holiness) to withdraw from the Church of Christ (Holiness) U.S.A. Their doctrine and polity, however, remained the same as the parent group. |
| Church of the Nazarene | 1908 | The Church of the Nazarene is a Holiness church founded in 1908 by Phineas Bresee, a former superintendent in the Methodist Episcopal Church. It was founded as the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene, and the word "Pentecostal" was dropped in 1919 to avoid confusion with the "speaking in tongues" sects. |
| Churches of God, Holiness | 1920 | The Churches of God, Holiness is a predominantly black Holiness church founded in 1920 by Bishop King Hezekiah Burruss, formerly with the Church of Christ (Holiness). |
| Gospel Spreading Church | 1922 | The Gospel Spreading Church was founded in 1922 by Lightfoot Solomon Michaux, a minister in the Church of Christ (Holiness). The origins of the church date back a few years prior, to 1919, when Michaux organized a series of tent meetings in Newport News, Virginia, and ultimately saw 150 people accept Christ. This group became the foundation for the Gospel Spreading Church, which broke ties with the Church of Christ (Holiness) after Michaux came into conflict with their founder, C. P. Jones. |
| Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) | 1881 | The Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) is a holiness church founded in 1881 by Daniel S. Warner who was expelled from the Churches of God in North America (now the Church of God, General Council). It has since founded congregations in 89 countries with about 8,000 churches worldwide. The Church of God Ministries, Inc. is the legal entity of the General Assembly of the Church of God in the USA and Canada and is synonymous with the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana). |
| Association of Fundamental Ministers and Churches | 1931 | The Association of Fundamental Ministers and Churches was founded in 1931 by former members of the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana). These included Rev. Fred Bruffett, who had been disfellowshiped from the church because of fellowshipping with other churches, and his wife, Hallie Bruffett. Additional founding members included Rev. Paul Bennett, Rev. George Fisher, and six other members from the Church of God. Doctrinally, they are similar to the Church of God, but allow for doctrinal disagreement, and they believe that the experience of new birth is necessary for fellowhip. |
| Mennonite Brethren in Christ | 1883 | The Mennonite Brethren in Christ formed in 1883 as a merger between the United Evangelical Mennonites and and a small group of River Brethren in Pennsylvania and Ohio. In 1947, this group changed its name to United Missionary Church to reflect its move away from its Mennonite background. |
| United Missionary Church | 1947 | The United Missionary Church began as the Mennonite Brethren in Christ, which was formed in 1883 by a merger between the United Evangelical Mennonites and a small group of River Brethren in Pennsylvania and Ohio. In 1947, the present name was assumed to reflect a movement away from its Mennonite Background. In 1969, it merged with the Missionary Church Association to form the Missionary Church, Inc. (U.S.). |
| Bible Fellowship Church | 1947 | The Bible Fellowship Church was formed in 1947 by churches withdrawing from the Mennonite Brethren in Christ when the Brethren changed their name to the United Missionary Church and dropped all Mennonite connections. Members see themselves as continuing the tradition of the Mennonite Brethren of Christ. After the split in 1947, the church was allowed to operate under its former name, but it officially adopted the name Bible Fellowship Church in 1959. |
| Hephzibah Faith Missionary Association | 1893 | The Hephzibah Faith Missionary Association was founded in 1893 and focused particularly on missions and a Wesleyan theology of piety. The majority of the Association was absorbed into the Church of the Nazarene in 1950. |
| Reformed Methodist Church | 1914 | The Reformed Methodist Church was founded in Readsborough, Vermont, by a group of Methodists led by Pliny Brett, a local preacher. It joined the Churches of Christ in Christian Union in 1952. |
| Bible Missionary Church | 1956 | The Bible Missionary Church is a Holiness church founded in 1956. The church formed from the Bible Missionary Union started by the Rev. Glenn Griffith and other former members of the Church of the Nazarene after a revival. The Bible Missionary Church remained distinct from the Church of the Nazarene by adhering to strict holiness standards. |
| Free Methodist Church – USA | 1860 | The Free Methodist Church – USA, previously called the Free Methodist Church of North America, was founded in 1860 as the result of a split in the Genesee Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. |
| Evangelical Wesleyan Church of North America | 1958 | The Evangelical Wesleyan Church of North America was founded in 1958 near Centerville, Pennsylvania, by former members of the Free Methodist Church who desired a stricter interpretation of personal moral codes (e.g., women's hairstyles and the length of dresses). In 1963, this group would merge with the Midwest Holiness Association to form the Evangelical Wesleyan Church. |
| Wesleyan Holiness Association of Churches | 1959 | The Wesleyan Holiness Association of Churches is a conservative Holiness denomination founded in 1959 by Reverend Glenn Griffith, previously the founder of the Bible Missionary Church. |
| Midwest Holiness Association | 1962 | The Midwest Holiness Association was formed in 1962 in Ansley, Nebraska, as a protest against worldliness and apostasy within the Free Methodist Church. In 1963, this group would merge with the Evangelical Wesleyan Church of North America to form the Evangelical Wesleyan Church. |
| Evangelical Wesleyan Church | 1963 | The Evangelical Wesleyan Church was formed in 1963 as the merger of the Evangelical Wesleyan Church of North America and the Midwest Holiness Association. The group follows Free Methodism and is opposed to compromising on doctrines or standards. |
| Pilgrim Holiness Church | 1922 | The Pilgrim Holiness church began in 1922 when the Pentecostal Rescue Mission affiliated as an autonomous district within the International Holiness Church. It merged with Wesleyan Methodist Church in 1968 to create the Wesleyan Church. |
| Wesleyan Church | 1968 | The Wesleyan Church is a Holiness church that continues the tradition of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, which was founded in the 1820s by former members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1968, the Wesleyan Methodist Church merged with the Pilgrim Holiness Church to form the Wesleyan Church. |
| Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection (Original Allegheny Conference) | 1968 | The Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection was founded in 1968 by H. C. Van Wormer, T. A. Robertson, J. N. Markey, F. E. Mansell, and former members of the Wesleyan Methodist Church who rejected its merger with the Pilgrim Holiness Church to form the Wesleyan Church. |
| Evangelical United Brethren | 1946 | The Evangelical United Brethren Church was the result of a merger between the United Brethren in Christ Church and the Evangelical Church in 1946. In 1968, this group merged with the Methodist Church to form the United Methodist Church. |
| Evangelical Church of North America | 1968 | The Evangelical Church of North America was founded in 1968 by former members of the Evangelical United Brethren who rejected that church's merger into the United Methodist Church. |
| Holiness Methodist Church | 1920 | The Holiness Methodist Church was a result of the "holiness" revival movement that swept the United States in general and Methodism in particular during the late 1800s. The group began as the Northwestern Holiness Association in 1909, but changed its name to the Holiness Methodist Church when the organization realized it played the role of a denomination. In 1969, it joined the Evangelical Church of North America as its North Central Conference. |
| Missionary Church Association | 1898 | The Missionary Church Association was formed in 1898 at Berne, Indiana, under the leadership of J. E. Ramseyer. In 1969, it merged with the United Missionary Church to form the Missionary Church, Inc. (U.S.). |
| Missionary Church, The | 1969 | The Missionary Church is a Holiness church out of the Mennonite tradition. It was founded in 1969 as a merger of the United Missionary Church and the Missionary Church Association. |
| Bible Methodist Connection of Churches | 1970 | The Bible Methodist Connection of Churches formed in 1970 as the merger of the Ohio Wesleyan Connection of Churches and the Alabama Bible Methodists. This merger started at the time of larger merger between the Pilgrim Holiness Church and the Wesleyan Methodist Church, which would create the Wesleyan Church in 1968. The group bases its doctrine on the Twenty-five Articles of Religion provided by John Wesley, which derive from the Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England. |
| Gospel Mission Corps | 1962 | The Gospel Mission Corps is a Holiness church founded in 1962 by Robert S. Turton III, a graduate of the Pillar of Fire Bible Seminary. It merged with the American Rescue Workers in 1980 due to similar doctrine and membership. |
| Fire Baptized Holiness Church (Wesleyan) | 1890 | The Fire Baptized Holiness Church (Wesleyan) was established in 1890 by members of the Methodist Episcopal Church of southeastern Kansas. Originally the Southeast Kansas Fire Baptized Holiness Association, the group renamed itself to the Fire Baptized Holiness Church (Wesleyan) in 1945, taking its present title, Bible Holiness Church, in 1995. |
| Bible Holiness Church | 1995 | The Bible Holiness Church, previously the Fire Baptized Holiness Church (Wesleyan), gained its current name in 1995. The association is still active to this day. |
