Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonites)

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The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertoniten) is a Mormon religious community based in Monongahela in the US state Pennsylvania . Sometimes it was called "Bickertonite Church " or " Rigdonite Organization ". These terms, which are not used by the Church itself, refer to the two founders of the Church, William Bickerton and Sidney Rigdon .

The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonites) emerged after 1844 from the movement surrounding the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is not affiliated with any other church, organization or religious association today. It has a total of 12,136 members in North America , South America , Europe , Asia and Africa . This makes it the fourth largest of the Mormon denominations, but the Church of Christ with the Elijah message has only a slightly larger number of 12,500 members.

The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonites) sees itself as the successor to the Church founded on April 6, 1830 by Joseph Smith Jr. She alleges that Sidney Rigdon was the rightful successor to Joseph Smith Jr. after his death, since he was the first counselor of the first presidency.

Historic church building of the Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonites) in Monongahela, Pennsylvania

history

The historical development of the Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonites) is identical to the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the fellowship of Christ until 1844 .

After Joseph Smith Jr. was killed in 1844, great controversy arose over who should succeed him in governing the Church. At the time of his death, many of the Church leaders were serving missions or traveling to help Joseph Smith campaign for President of the United States, not in Nauvoo. Sidney Rigdon, who, by Joseph Smith " prophet, seer and revelator " ( Prophet, Seer and Revelator had been ordained), was talking in Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) that when he learned of the death of Smith, and hurried to Nauvoo. There he arrived as one of the first leaders of the Church and immediately announced that as the Guardian - but not the Council of Twelve - he had the right to lead the Church until the next President of the Church was decided .

The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonites) contends that prior to Smith's death, the First Presidency made almost all of the major decisions and directed the Church, and that Rigdon, as its first counselor after Smith's death, must of course have been the Church leader.

Rigdon's followers broke up with church members who followed Brigham Young and settled in Pittsburgh. On April 6, 1845, Rigdon presided over a conference of the Church of Christ which he proclaimed the rightful successor to the Church Joseph Smith organized. One of the converts based on Rigdon's sermons was William Bickerton, who was baptized in Pittsburgh in 1845 and ordained an elder that year, shortly thereafter becoming an evangelist of the Church. A little later the organization founded by Rigdon disbanded.

Bickerton continued to preach, and in May 1851 a church was organized under Bickerton's direction in West Elizabeth, Pennsylvania. It is reported that at a conference held on July 9, 1861, twelve of the members were chosen by the Holy Spirit and called to be apostles. The church in Pittsburgh was registered in June 1865 under the name "Church of Jesus Christ of Green Oak, Pennsylvania". On April 5, 1941, the Pennsylvania Church adopted the name The Church of Jesus Christ. Under this name the Church is now registered as a corporation in the state of Pennsylvania.

Organization and membership

In the opinion of the Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonites) the office of prophecy is not limited to a “prophet” or the “president” of a church, but rather relates to the Council of the Twelve Apostles ( Quorum of Twelve Apostles ). In addition, every member of the Church could receive a revelation. The President of the Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonites) and his two advisors are selected by the priesthood from the Council of the Twelve Apostles at a conference. The President of the Church, an ordained apostle, leads the Church and oversees all of its activities. The Council of the Twelve Apostles has its own leader and leaders who are elected from among its own ranks regardless of the common priesthood. The Council of the Twelve Apostles is primarily responsible for directing spiritual growth and the development of the Church in general. He acts as an advisor to the relevant committees. The other leadership levels of the Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonites) include the Council of Seventy Evangelists ( Quorum of Seventy Evangelists ).

The Church records revelations that are believed to be valid by the apostles and publishes them where it is deemed appropriate. However, the disclosures are not published in a single volume. These revelations can come from a single apostle or from all members of the Council of the Twelve Apostles. They can also come from individual members of the Church, but will not be published unless approved by the Council of the Twelve Apostles.

Today the Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonites) has 12,136 members worldwide (as of 2007), of which about 3,000 live in the USA. In Europe it is mainly active in Italy, where it has three parishes. Membership continues to grow compared to other smaller Mormon churches. Over the past decade, the Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite) has constructed new church buildings across the United States in Michigan , Ohio , Pennsylvania, Florida , California, and Arizona , as well as in other countries.

Teaching

The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonites) is independent of the other Mormon denominations. From the beginning she refused u. a. the polygamy from, as well as the sealing celestial marriages, setting up two different types of the priesthood and many other teachings and practices of the from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints emerged organizations. The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonites) teaches that many of the doctrines and revelations preached by Joseph Smith were non-God and contradict the Bible and the Book of Mormon , and that many of the Mormon organizations have succumbed to error when they followed them. The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonites) is convinced that the nature of God is explained in the Book of Mormon and the Bible and represents this image of God, which contradicts the image proclaimed by the Utah Church.

Fonts

The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonites) believes that the New Testament scriptures contain a truthful description of the Church as it was established by Jesus. She believes that the church thus established preserves early Christianity and is destined for the life and salvation of all humanity.

Both the Bible and the Book of Mormon are viewed as the inspired word of God. All doctrine and belief are evidenced by these two books. The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonites) believes that the other books associated with the Mormon denomination - such as B. Doctrine and Covenants and The Pearl of Great Price  - contain many false revelations and does not accept them. She believes in the continued revelation of God, but only when the revelation is confirmed by the Bible and the Book of Mormon.

priesthood

The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonites) teaches that the structures of the early Church and the council of the Twelve Apostles, Evangelists, elders, teachers, and deacons should continue to guide the Church today. The most important calling within the church is membership. The leadership is not viewed as a hierarchy - the higher the calling, the higher the office.

During services, priesthood members do not give pre-prepared sermons. Instead, they strive to speak through the inspiration of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, for the Holy Spirit guides their words.

Integration of races

Since its founding in 1862, the Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonites) has advocated the full integration of all races into all areas of the Church. While civil rights were being fought for in the United States through the American Civil Rights Movement (1896–1954), it already taught that its message was for all races. In 1905 an elder was suspended in the Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonites) because he had opposed the full integration of all races.

Historian Dale Morgan (1914–1971) wrote in 1949: “One interesting detail about the teaching of the Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonites) is the fact that it does not discriminate in any way against members of other races, all of whom enjoy priesthood rights completely open. The church has taken a clear position on human rights and, for example, was uncompromising towards the Ku Klux Klan when it experienced a strong boom after the First World War . "

At the time when racial segregation and discrimination was common in most institutions across the United States - including Latter-day Saints of Jesus Christ - two of the most distinguished Church of Jesus Christ leaders (Bickertonites) were African American: Apostle John Penn , 1910–1955 member of the Council of the Twelve Apostles, was active in missionary work with many Italian-Americans, and was often called " The Italians' Doctor ". Matthew Miller, an evangelist ordained in 1937, traveled through Canada and established missionary stations among the Native Americans.

Famous Church of Jesus Christ Members (Bickertonites)

  • The rock star Alice Cooper grew up in the Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonites).

More information

The members of the Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonites) call one another “brother” and “sister”. They are advised by the Church to exercise moderation in everything, including clothing and demeanor.

The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonites) believe that hymns are often revealed through divine inspiration for the building of the church. Various hymn books are used, but mainly The Saints Hymnal and The Songs of Zion .

The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite) is a publisher in Bridgewater, Michigan, and prints its own edition of the Book of Mormon. The Gospel News is published monthly .

literature

  • Gary R. Entz: The Bickertonites: Schism and Reunion in a Restoration Church, 1880-1905 ; in: Journal of Mormon History 32 (Fall 2006), pp. 1-44.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Registered corporate name in the Pennsylvania corporate registry.
  2. ↑ Jerry Valenti: Volume 56 . In: Welcome to The Church of Jesus Christ . Gospel News, Bridgewater, MI 1986, p. 9.
  3. ^ A b The Church of Jesus Christ General Business and Organization Conference Minutes . The Church of Jesus Christ, Bridgewater, MI 2007, p. 4399.
  4. ^ New President for Church of Jesus Christ (Bickerton) (PDF), The John Whitmer Historical Association, 2005, p. 13. Archived from the original on September 23, 2010 (Retrieved February 21, 2010).
  5. ↑ a b c M.F. McKiernan: Volume 56 . In: The Voice of One Crying in the Wilderness: Sidney Rigdon, Religious Reformer . Coronado Press, USA 1979, p. 9.
  6. ↑ a b c d The Church of Jesus Christ : A History of The Church of Jesus Christ, 2 . The Church of Jesus Christ, Monongahela, PA 2002.
  7. ^ Donald E. Pitzer: America's Communal Utopias ; Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Richard Press, 1997; P. 484. Howard: William E. McLellin, Mormonism's Stormy Petrel ; in: Roger D. Launius, Linda Thatcher (Eds.): Dissenters in Mormon History ; Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1998; Pp. 76-101.
  8. ^ William Bickerton : William Bickerton's Testimony . The Church of Jesus Christ, Monongahela, PA 1975.
  9. ^ A b William H. Cadman: A History of the Church of Jesus Christ . The Church of Jesus Christ, Monongahela, PA 1945.
  10. ↑ Apostle Calabrese
  11. ↑ V. James Lovalvo: Dissertation on the Faith and Doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ ( Memento of the original from July 3, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ; Monongahela, PA: The Church of Jesus Christ, 1986; Pp. 115–116 (pdf, 26.6 MB) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.thechurchofjesuschrist.com
  12. ↑ Idris Martin: Annotated History of The Church of Jesus Christ . Official minutes of meetings of The Church, USA 1858, pp. 157, 180, 375.
  13. ^ Dale L. Morgan: Volume 4, No. 1 . In: The Western Humanities . University of Utah, USA Winter 1949–1950, p. 4.
  14. ↑ Kaimi Wenger: Famous Mormons ; There answer from Justin of June 7, 2005 (number 34) . Pete Thunell: Column: Here's the skinny on LDS celebrity urban legends ; Brigham Young University: NewsNet, Nov. 28, 2000.