The Holiness Methodist Church now has been absorbed by the Evangelical Church of North America. The Holiness Church, with 1,000 members in twenty-seven congregations, had its greatest strength in Minnesota, with churches also in Oregon, Washington, and Montana.
The Evangelical Church was formed a little over a year ago when a group of churches—mainly in Oregon, Washington, and Montana—opted out of the Methodist—Evangelical United Brethren merger. Forty-six congregations then broke away and paid the United Methodist Church about $700,000 for church property.
The Evangelical Church now has three conferences—Portland, Montana, and Central—with plans for a fourth in Pennsylvania. A spokesman says there are 106 churches and a nationwide membership of about 10,000. The Evangelical Church received the Holiness Methodist Church at a meeting of the former’s conference superintendents.
Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here.
Our digital archives are a work in progress. Let us know if corrections need to be made.
Annual & Monthly subscriptions available.
- Print & Digital Issues of CT magazine
- Complete access to every article on ChristianityToday.com
- Unlimited access to 65+ years of CT’s online archives
- Member-only special issues
- Learn more
More from this Issue
Read These Next
- From the MagazineIs Sexuality a Matter of First Importance?The apostle Paul’s discussion of same-sex sexuality in 1 Corinthians 6 is a clear, compassionate, and proportionate model for church leaders.Português
- Editor's PickN.T. Wright: What Jesus Would Say to the ‘Empire’ TodayHow Jesus and the Powers, cowritten with Michael F. Bird, calls Christians into the political sphere.