Christadelphians
Main article
Literature
Bible Companion | Elpis Israel | Christendom Astray
Magazines
Glad Tidings | The Christadelphian | The Testimony | Milestones | Give and Take | The Tidings | The Caribbean Pioneer
Christadelphian beliefs mentioned in other articles
Jesus | the Holy Spirit | ( nontrinitarian) | devil / satan
Organizations
Christadelphian Isolation League (CIL) | Meal-a-Day Fund
Biographies
John Thomas | Robert Roberts | Samuel Ealy Johnson, Sr. | More ...
Part of a series of articles on Christadelphians
Christadelphian Portal

Christadelphians (from the Greek for Brothers of Christ / Christ's Brethren: Christou Adelphoi; cf. The Bible Companion (or Bible Reading Planner) is a guide developed by the Christadelphians to aid reading the Bible. Elpis Israel - An Exposition of the Kingdom of God (commonly called Elpis Israel (English Transliteration of Greek for "the hope of Israel" taken Christendom Astray From the Bible (commonly Christendom Astray) is a polemic work by the Christadelphian Robert Roberts that claims to demonstrate that Glad Tidings (full title Glad Tidings of the Kingdom of God) is a free Bible Magazine published monthly by the Christadelphians (Brethren The Christadelphian is a Bible Magazine published monthly by the Christadelphians. The Testimony is a Bible Magazine published monthly by the Christadelphians (Brethren in Christ Milestones (or Milestones to the Kingdom) is a Non-commercial, Bible Magazine published annually by Give and Take is a Bible Magazine aimed at 7-11 year old Sunday School children The Christadelphian Tidings of the Kingdom of God ( The Tidings) is a Bible Magazine published monthly by the Christadelphians The Caribbean Pioneer was a Bible Magazine published monthly in North America by the Christadelphians (Brethren in Christ Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one of the three entities of the Holy Trinity which make up the single substance Nontrinitarianism includes all Christian belief systems that reject as non-scriptural wholly or partly the doctrine of the Trinity; the Doctrine mainstream Christianity, the Devil is named Satan, sometimes Lucifer. The Christadelphian Isolation League (CIL is a non-profit organisation run by the Christadelphians. The Christadelphian Meal-a-Day Fund is a registered charity set up and run by the Christadelphians. Dr John Thomas ( April 12, 1805 - March 5, 1871) was the founder of the Christadelphian movement a Restorationist religion with Robert Roberts ( April 18, 1839 – September 23, 1898) is the man generally considered to have continued the work of organising and establishing Samuel Ealy Johnson Sr, ( November 12, 1838 Alabama - February 25, 1915 Stonewall Texas) was a cattleman and Greek of Colossians 1:2 - "brethren in Christ")^[1] are a Christian group that developed in the United Kingdom and North America in the 19th century. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The name was coined by John Thomas, who was the group's founder. Dr John Thomas ( April 12, 1805 - March 5, 1871) was the founder of the Christadelphian movement a Restorationist religion with There are an estimated 50,000 Christadelphians^[2] in 120 countries. ^[3]

Contents 1 Beliefs 1.1 Practices 1.2 Worship 2 History 2.1 Origins 2.2 Early years: 1865-1914 2.3 The World Wars: 1914-1945 2.4 The Post-War period: 1945-present 3 Organization 3.1 Location and statistics 3.2 Schisms and reunion efforts 4 References and footnotes 5 Further reading

Beliefs

Christadelphians state that their beliefs^[4] are based wholly on the Bible,^[5] and they accept no other texts as inspired by God. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. ^[6] They believe that God is the creator of all things and the father of true believers,^[7] that he is a separate being from his son, Jesus Christ,^[8][9] and that the Holy Spirit is the power of God used in creation and for salvation. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one of the three entities of the Holy Trinity which make up the single substance In Theology, salvation can mean three related things being saved from or Liberation from something such as Suffering or the punishment of ^[10] They also believe that the phrase Holy Spirit sometimes refers to God's character/mind, depending on the context in which the phrase appears. ^[11]

Christadelphians assent that Jesus is the promised Messiah, in whom the prophecies and promises of the Old Testament find their fulfilment. This article is about the concept of a Messiah in religion notably in the Christian Islamic and Jewish traditions In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. ^[9][12][13] They believe he is the Son of Man, in that he inherited sin-prone human nature from his mother, and the Son of God by virtue of his miraculous conception by the power of God. The phrase son of man is a primarily Semitic Idiom that originated in Ancient Mesopotamia, used to denote humanity or self Sin is a term used mainly in a religious context to describe an act that violates a moral Rule, or the state of having committed such a violation Son of God is a phrase found in the Hebrew Bible, various other Jewish texts and the New Testament. ^[9][12][14] Although he was tempted, Jesus committed no sin, and was therefore a perfect representative sacrifice to bring salvation to sinful humankind. A temptation is an act that looks appealing to an individual It is usually used to describe acts with negative connotations and as such tends to lead a person to Regret ^[9][12][14] They believe that God raised Jesus to immortality, and he ascended to Heaven, God's dwelling place. Immortality (or eternal life) is the concept of living in physical or spiritual form for an Infinite length of Time. Heaven may refer to the physical heavens the sky or the seemingly endless expanse of the Universe beyond ^[12] Christadelphians believe that he will return to the earth in person to set up the Kingdom of God in fulfilment of the promises made to Abraham and David. Abraham ( Ashkenazi   Avrohom or Avruhom; ابراهيم, {{Unicode|Ibrāhīm}}; Ge'ez: David, Arabic: داوود or داود dawud, "beloved" was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible ^[15][16] This includes the belief that the coming Kingdom will be the restoration of God's first Kingdom of Israel that was under David and Solomon. ^[17][18][19] For Christadelphians, this is the focal point of the gospel taught by Jesus and the apostles. This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament The Twelve Apostles (Greek apostolos, "someone sent out" e

Christadelphians believe that people are separated from God because of their sins, but can be reconciled to him by becoming disciples of Jesus Christ. ^[20][21] This is by belief in his teachings, through repentance, and through baptism by total immersion in water. Repentance is a change of thought and action to correct a wrong and gain Forgiveness from the one wronged In Christianity, baptism ( Greek, "immersing" "performing Ablutions " is the ritual act with the use of water by which one is admitted ^[21][22] Believers are saved by faith in God's grace, and are expected to live a life, out of thankfulness to God for salvation, that is consistent with Bible teaching. ^[21][23] After death, believers are in a state of non-existence, knowing nothing until the Resurrection at the return of Christ. See also Intermediate state In Christian theology, soul sleep is a belief that the Soul sleeps unconsciously between the Death of the This article concerns itself with Jesus Christ Christian, Islamic and other religious interpretations of resurrection in general ^[24] Following the judgement at that time, the accepted receive the gift of immortality, and live with Christ on a restored Earth, assisting him to establish the Kingdom of God and to rule over the mortal population for a thousand years (the Millennium). Immortality (or eternal life) is the concept of living in physical or spiritual form for an Infinite length of Time. This is an article on sociological Millennialism You may be looking for the article on Christian Premillennialism. ^[25][26] Christadelphians believe that the Kingdom will be centred upon Israel but Jesus Christ will also reign over all the other nations on the earth. ^[27] Some believe that the Kingdom itself is not worldwide but limited to the land of Israel promised to Abraham and ruled over in the past by David, with a worldwide empire. ^[28]

Christadelphians reject a number of doctrines held by many other Christians, notably the immortality of the soul, trinitarianism,^[8][11] the pre-existence of Jesus Christ,^[9][11] the baptism of infants,^[22] the personhood of the Holy Spirit^{[10][11][8][9]} and the present-day possession of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The soul, according to many religious and philosophical beliefs is the self-awareness, or Consciousness, unique to a particular living SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных ^[10][12][11] They believe that the words devil and satan are references to sin and human nature in opposition to God. The Devil is the Satan, ( Standard Hebrew Satan'el, English accuser) is a term that originates from the Abrahamic faiths, being traditionally According to Christadelphians, these terms are used in reference to specific political systems or individuals in opposition or conflict. Hell is understood to refer to death and the grave, rather than being a place of eternal torment. Hell, according to many Religious beliefs, is a location in the Afterlife, which may be described as a place of suffering ^[29] Christadelphians believe the doctrines they reject were introduced into Christendom after the 1st century,^[30] and cannot be demonstrated from the Bible. Christendom usually refers to Christianity as a territorial phenomenon ^[8][11][9]

Marriage and family life are important. Sexual relationships are limited to heterosexual marriage between baptised believers. ^[31][32] A recent challenge to Christadelphian views on homosexuality was strongly opposed by the community. ^[33]

Practices

Christadelphians are organised into local congregations, that commonly call themselves ecclesias. ^[5] Congregational worship, which usually takes place on Sunday, centres on the remembrance of the death and celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ by the taking part in the "memorial service". Additional meetings are often organised for worship, prayer, evangelism and Bible study. Evangelism is the Christian practice of proselytisation. The intention of most evangelism is to effect Eternal salvation to those who do not follow the

Most ecclesias are involved in evangelism in the form of public lectures on Bible teaching,^[34] college-style seminars on reading the Bible,^[35] and Bible Reading Groups. Correspondence courses^[36] are also used widely, particularly in areas where there is no established Christadelphian presence. Some ecclesias, organisations or individuals also preach through other media like video,^[37] podcasts^[38] and internet forums. ^[39]

Only baptised believers are considered members of the ecclesia. However, the children of members are encouraged to attend Christadelphian Sunday Schools and youth groups. " Sunday school " is the generic name for many different types of Religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations Interaction between youth from different ecclesias is encouraged through regional and national youth gatherings.

Christadelphians understand the Bible to teach that male and female believers are equal in God's sight, and also that there is a distinction between the roles of male and female members. In most ecclesias, women are not eligible to teach in formal gatherings of the ecclesia when male believers are present, and do not sit on ecclesial arranging committees. They do, however, participate in other ecclesial and inter-ecclesial committees, participate in discussions, teach children, other sisters and non-members, perform music, discuss and vote on business matters, and engage in most other activities.

There are ecclesially-accountable committees for co-ordinated evangelism, youth and Sunday School work, military service issues, care of the elderly, and humanitarian work. Military service in its simplest sense is service by an individual or group in an Army or other military organization whether as a chosen job or as a result of an involuntary These do not have any legislative authority, and are wholly dependent upon ecclesial support. Ecclesias in an area may regularly hold joint activities combining youth groups, fellowship, preaching, and Bible study.

Christadelphians are conscientious objectors. A conscientious objector (CO is an individual who on religious moral or ethical grounds refuses to participate as a combatant in war or in some cases to take any role that would support ^[40][41][42]

There is a strong emphasis on personal Bible reading (most Christadelphians use the Bible Companion to help them systematically read the Bible each year), Bible study, prayer, and morality. The Bible Companion (or Bible Reading Planner) is a guide developed by the Christadelphians to aid reading the Bible.

Worship

Christadelphians are a non-liturgical denomination. A liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group according to their particular traditions Christadelphian ecclesias are autonomous and free to adopt whatever pattern of worship they choose. However, in the English-speaking world, there tends to be a great deal of uniformity in order of service and hymnody. A hymn is a type of Song, usually religious specifically written for the purpose of praise adoration or Prayer, and typically addressed to a deity/deities

Christadelphian hymnody makes considerable use of the hymns of the Anglican and British Protestant traditions (even in North American ecclesias the hymnody is typically more British than American). In many Christadelphian hymn books a sizeable proportion of hymns are drawn from the Scottish Psalter and non-Christadelphian hymn-writers including Isaac Watts, Charles Wesley, William Cowper and John Newton. A Psalter is a volume containing the Book of Psalms and which often contains other devotional material Isaac Watts ( July 17, 1674 – November 25, 1748) is recognised as the "Father of English Hymnody" as he was the first prolific and Biography Charles Wesley was the son of Susanna Wesley and Samuel Wesley. William Cowper (pronounced " Cooper " ˈkuːpɚ (26 November 1731 – 25 April 1800was an English Poet and Hymnodist. John Henry Newton ( July 24, 1725 &ndash December 21, 1807) was an Englishman Anglican clergyman and former slave-ship captain The first hymn book published specifically for the use of Baptised Believers in the Kingdom of God (an early name for Christadelphians^[43]) was published by George Dowie in Edinburgh in 1864. ^[44] In 1865 Robert Roberts published a collection of Scottish psalms and hymns called The Golden Harp (which was subtitled "Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, compiled for the use of Immersed Believers in 'The Things concerning the Kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus Christ'"). Robert Roberts ( April 18, 1839 – September 23, 1898) is the man generally considered to have continued the work of organising and establishing ^[45] This was replaced only five years later by the first "Christadelphian Hymn Book" (1869), and this was revised and expanded in 1874, 1932 and 1964. A thorough revision by the Christadelphian Magazine and Publishing Association resulted in the latest (2002) edition^[46] which is almost universally used by English-speaking Christadelphian ecclesias. In addition some Christadelphian fellowships have published their own hymn books.

A more contemporary worship style is now popular in some quarters. The Praise the Lord songbook^[47] was produced with the aim of making contemporary songs which are consistent with Christadelphian theology more widely available.

In the English-speaking world, worship is typically accompanied by organ or piano, though in recent years a few ecclesias have promoted the use of other instruments and the involvement of worship leaders. This trend has also seen the emergence of some Christadelphian bands^[48] and the establishment of the Christadelphian Arts Trust^[49] to support performing, visual and dramatic arts within the Christadelphian community.

In other countries, hymnbooks have been produced in local languages, sometimes resulting in styles of worship which reflect the local culture.

History

Origins

Many beliefs now held by Christadelphians emerged during the Radical Reformation, particularly among the Socinians and other early Unitarians. The Radical Reformation was a 16th century response to what was believed to be both the corruption in the Roman Catholic Church and the expanding Magisterial Socinianism is a form of Antitrinitarianism, named for Laelius Socinus (died 1562 in Zürich) and of his nephew Faustus Socinus Unitarianism as a theology is the belief in the single personality of God in contrast to the doctrine of the Trinity (three persons in one God The Restoration movement and Adventist movements in the mid-19th century resulted in small groups in many parts of the United Kingdom and North America which held the beliefs outlined above, and who were loosely associated with one another. For other usages see Restoration (general disambiguation Apokatastasis (universal restoration Christian Zionism (restoration of Israel and The term Adventist generally refers to someone who believes in the Second Advent of Jesus (popularly known as the Second coming) in the tradition of the Millerites One example is the Church of the Blessed Hope. The Church of the Blessed Hope (or Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith) is a small first-day Adventist Christian body The beginning of the Christadelphians as a distinct group can be dated to the publication in 1849 (a decade and a half before the name Christadelphian was conceived) of John Thomas' work, Elpis Israel^[50] in which he laid out his understanding of the main doctrines of the Bible. Dr John Thomas ( April 12, 1805 - March 5, 1871) was the founder of the Christadelphian movement a Restorationist religion with Elpis Israel - An Exposition of the Kingdom of God (commonly called Elpis Israel (English Transliteration of Greek for "the hope of Israel" taken

Groups associated with him met under various names, including Believers, Baptised Believers, the Royal Association of Believers, Baptised Believers in the Kingdom of God, Nazarines (or Nazarenes) and The Antipas^[43] until the time of the American Civil War. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South At that time, church affiliation was required to register for conscientious objector status and in 1865 Thomas chose for registration purposes the name Christadelphian. ^[51]

The following history is arbitrarily divided into three sections for ease of navigation.

Early years: 1865-1914

The diverse groups that had associated themselves with Thomas' views were consolidated into a community as a degree of uniformity in belief and practice was established, largely due to the organisation of Robert Roberts. Robert Roberts ( April 18, 1839 – September 23, 1898) is the man generally considered to have continued the work of organising and establishing The denomination grew in the English-speaking world, particularly in the English Midlands and parts of North America. This article is mainly about the English Midlands For other uses see Midlands (disambiguation.

A number left in 1873 and became known as the Nazarene Fellowship, a small, separate religious denomination still in existence. Year 1873 ( MDCCCLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Nazarene fellowship is a small and widely scattered offshoot from Christadelphians, being founded in 1873 by Edward Turney (1820-1879 of Nottingham ^[52]

In 1884-5 a dispute arose concerning the inspiration of the Bible. Biblical inspiration is the doctrine in Christian theology concerned with the divine origin of the Bible and what the Bible teaches about itself Robert Ashcroft, a leading member, wrote an article which challenged commonly held views about inspiration which led to a division in the main body. One group formed a new ecclesia which later met in Suffolk Street, Birmingham. Other ecclesias throughout the world which supported them became known as the Suffolk Street Fellowship to distinguish itself from the group they were separated from, which became known as the Temperance Hall fellowship.

Another division occurred in 1898 in what had now become known as the Temperance Hall fellowship, and centred on whether the Judgement at the return of Christ would be limited to baptised believers, or would apply to anyone who had "heard" the Gospel message. Year 1898 ( MDCCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The majority, who held the latter view, amended their Statement of Faith to clarify this, and became known as Amended Christadelphians. Those who associated on the basis of the unamended Statement of Faith became known as the Unamended Fellowship. The Unamended Christadelphians are a fellowship within the broader Christadelphian movement located primarily in the United States and Canada.

The World Wars: 1914-1945

The Christadelphian position on conscientious objection came to the fore with the introduction of conscription during the First World War. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Varying degrees of exemption from military service were granted to Christadelphians in the United Kingdom, Canada, 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. Military service was one of several issues which led to a further schism in the Temperance Hall Fellowship in 1923. This resulted in the formation of the Berean Fellowship, which subsequently divided over divorce and remarriage, the majority becoming known as the Dawn Fellowship. The Berean Christadelphians are a Christian denomination that separated from the main Christadelphian denomination in the 1920s withdrawing congregational fellowship During the second world war the Christadelphians in England assisted in the Kindertransport, helping to relocate a number of Jewish children away from Nazi persecution. Kindertransport (also Refugee Children Movement) is the name given to the rescue mission that took place nine months prior to the outbreak of World War II. ^[53][54]

The Post-War period: 1945-present

In the early 1950s the majority of the Berean Fellowship re-joined the Temperance Hall Fellowship, with the remainder continuing as a separate community. In 1957-1958, there was further reunion with the Suffolk Street Fellowship, which had already incorporated many of the Unamended Fellowship outside North America. This re-united group, which now included a large majority of Christadelphians, became known as the Central Fellowship^[55] named after the Birmingham Central ecclesia. Those who held that the reasons for separation from the Suffolk Street Fellowship remained, opposed the re-union and formed the Old Paths Fellowship. ^[56][57]

The post-war period 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^[58] (for preaching) and the Christadelphian Meal-A-Day Fund (for pastoral and humanitarian work). International or internationally most often describes interaction between Nations or encompassing two or more nations constituting a group or association having The Christadelphian Meal-a-Day Fund is a registered charity set up and run by the Christadelphians. This was accompanied by expansion in the developing world, which now accounts for around 40% of Christadelphians. ^[59]

Organization

There is no central Christadelphian organization or hierarchy. Ecclesias are autonomous and co-operation between most of them is based on a common acceptance of a statement of faith. Christadelphians do not have paid ministers. In Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform clergy functions such as teaching of beliefs Most male members are eligible to teach and perform other duties, and these are usually assigned on a rotation basis, rather than having a designated preacher. Governance typically follows a democratic model, with an elected arranging committee for each individual ecclesia. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system This unpaid committee is responsible for the day-to-day running of the ecclesia and is answerable to the rest of the ecclesia's members. The relative uniformity of organization structures is undoubtedly due to the influence of a booklet, written early in Christadelphian history, called A Guide to the Formation and Conduct of Christadelphian Ecclesias. ^[60]

The majority of Christadelphians co-operate on the basis of Birmingham Amended Statement of Faith (BASF)^[61] and are known as the Central Fellowship. Anyone who publicly assents to the doctrines described in this statement and is in good standing in their "home ecclesia" is generally welcome to participate in the activities of any other ecclesia.

Inter-ecclesial organizations co-ordinate the running of, among other things, Christadelphian schools^[62] and elderly care homes, the Christadelphian Isolation League (which cares for those prevented by distance or infirmity from attending an ecclesia regularly) and the publication of Christadelphian magazines. The Christadelphian Isolation League (CIL is a non-profit organisation run by the Christadelphians.

Location and statistics

There are established Christadelphian ecclesias in many countries throughout the world,^[63] along with isolated members. No official membership figures are published, although there is an estimated number, given in the Columbian Encyclopedia, of 50,000 Christadelphians^[2] worldwide (i. e. in approximately 120 countries). ^[3] Census statistics are available for some countries. A census is the procedure of acquiring information about every member of a given population Estimates for the main centres of Christadelphian population are as follows: United Kingdom (18,000),^[64] Australia (9,987),^[65] Malawi (7,000), United States (6,500),^[66] Canada (3,375),^[67] Mozambique (2,500), New Zealand (1,782),^[68] Kenya (1,700), India (1,300) and Tanzania (1,000). The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Republic of Malawi (məˈlɑːwi or; formerly Nyasaland) is in southern Africa. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique (Moçambique or República de Moçambique, ʁɛ'publikɐ d musɐ̃'bik is a country in southeastern Africa New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north Somalia to the northeast Tanzania to the south India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Tanzania ˌtænzəˈniːə officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya ^[69]

Schisms and reunion efforts

Other Christadelphian groups which are separated to a greater or lesser degree from the main body of Christadelphians use statements of faith which differ in some regard from the BASF and from each other. A statement of faith is a statement of the core beliefs of a Religious group The Unamended Fellowship, for example, uses the Unamended Statement of Faith (BUSF),^[70] while the Dawn Fellowship^[71] use a statement of faith which is based on the original 1886 statement of faith, but has four additions addressing issues that have arisen since that time. Despite success in reuniting large sections of the wider Christadelphian community (e. g. see The Post-War period: 1945-present above) and periodic efforts at reuniting smaller offshoots, there are still a number of groups who remain separate from other bodies of Christadelphians. Christadelphians (from the Greek for Brothers of Christ / Christ's Brethren: Christou Adelphoi; cf These include the Berean Fellowship,^[72] the Dawn Fellowship, the Old Paths Fellowship, the Companion Fellowship^[73] and the Maranatha Fellowship. ^[74] However, Dawn Christadelphians and Lightstand Christadelphian Fellowships united in November 2007.

Most of the divisions still in existence within the Christadelphian community today stem from further divisions of the Berean fellowship. ^[75] These differences are, to some degree, localised; for example, the Unamended Fellowship exists only in North America, and some of the others are confined to the English-speaking world. ^[76] The number of aderents to these smaller groups of Christadelphians varies from approximately 1,850 members (the Unamended Christadelphians as of 2006)^[77] to groups made up of little more than one or two immediate families^[78] - resulting in a very localised difference from the majority of the Christadelphian community. The term nuclear family developed in the Western world to distinguish the Family group consisting of parents most commonly a Father and Mother On average, each of the smaller divisions number less than approximately 50 members.

References and footnotes

Further reading

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