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January 17, 2005

      Corrected URL for The Evangelical Christian Church Inc. and for the Ecumenical Anglican Catholic Church on the Protestant page. Deleted URL for the International Churches of Christ on the same page, as it seems to have stopped working.

      Added on the Anglican page The Free Episcopal Church. Updated the URL for the Evangelical Anglican Church of America.

      Corrected the entry for the Inclusive Orthodox Church by moving it to the Eastern Orthodox (Chalcedonian) Churches page, in the section on Eastern Orthodox-tradition independent churches. The change was based on a gracious e-mail from its presiding Bishop, Daniel del Monte Carmelo, Archbishop Primado and Apostolic President of the Inclusive Orthodox Church. My apologies to the Bishop that it has taken some tine to make the correction due to the Webmaster’s long work periods overseas.

January 9, 2005

      The Webmaster returns from extended overseas duty as part of the post-9/11 war on terrorism. Finally, more updates. My apologies for being in so many places without Net access.

      On the Protestant page: entered Website for the World Evangelical Congregational Fellowship; Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection; Evangelical Church of North America; and God’s Missionary Church. Deleted the Missionary Church of Canada. (It merged into the Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada, my error.) Added links for the Missionary Methodist Church of America; Mount Calvary Holy Church Of America; Congregational Methodist Church; and the General Assembly of the Korean Presbyterian Church in America.

January 5, 2003

      Completed update of Baptist churches page, and created a separate page for Baptist churches and bodies outside North America. Completed crosschecking with “Section 11, Baptist Family,” in the sixth edition of Melton (J. Gordon Melton, Encyclopedia of American Religions, Sixth Edition (Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Research, 1999). Many entries were revised or added.

      On the Protestant Churches page, added the Tioga River Christian Conference to the Christian Churches (Stone-Campbell Movement) section.

      On the Cults, Sects, and New Religious Movements page, broke the entry for Christadelphians into Amended Christadelphians and Unamended Christadelphians. Note that Melton lists these groupings as belonging to the Baptist family of churches. I have them listed on the Cults, Sects, and New Religious Movements page due to their strong differences with traditional Protestant beliefs.


January 3, 2003

      The Most Rev. D. Ceabron Williams, General Secretary of the Ecumenical Anglican Catholic Church, has been kind enough to bring to my attention the fact that my inclusion of the EACC in the “Inclusivist (non-Canterbury) Anglicans” section of the Anglican and Episcopal Churches page misrepresents the position of the EACC on human sexuality. As he writes, “In the sense that we are ecumenical, and in that we embrace fully our Anglican and Catholic roots, yes indeed, we are inclusive.  However, to suggest that we are ‘inclusive’ in the sense that we embrace, encourage or condone the homosexual life-style is an error and a serious mis-representation of the Biblical faith we cherish.” Accordingly, I have re-entered the EACC under the section heading "Traditionalist (non-Canterbury) Anglicans.” My thanks to Bishop Williams for the correction, and my apologies for my original error.

      Added the Council of Orthodox Catholic Churches — Fraternity of Priests of the Holy Spirit to the “Unclassified or mixed-stream apostolic churches” section of the Apostolic-succession independent churches page. My thanks to Bishop Kirk P. Mason, of the church’s Diocese of Transfiguration, for bringing the church to my attention.

      Made a separate page for Baptist churches. Began crosschecking it with “Section 11, Baptist Family,” in the sixth edition of Melton (J. Gordon Melton, Encyclopedia of American Religions, Sixth Edition (Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Research, 1999).

      Added the World Assemblies of Restoration to the “Other Pentecostal churches” section of the Pentecostal and Apostolic churches page.

      Finished revamping the entries on Amish, Brethren, Mennonite, and Quaker churches and cross-checking them with “Section 10, European-Free Church Family,” of Melton.

      Moved all “What’s New?” entries prior to 2003 to a separate page.

December 31, 2002

      Happy New Year!

      Finished cross-checking the Pentecostal and Apostolic churches page with “Section 9, Pentecostal Family,” of the sixth edition of Melton.

      Transferred the New Apostolic Church Canada and USA and its international headquarters from the Pentecostal and Apostolic churches page to the “Unclassified Protestant denominations” section of the Protestant Churches page.

      Added the Emmanuel Apostolic Church and the United Apostolic Church International to the “Apostolic and Pentecostal churches” section.

      Added the International Apostolic Fellowship, Inc., and Victory Unto Victory Revivals, Inc., to the “Oneness churches” section.

      Added the Apostolic Brotherhood International to the “Latter Rain’ section.

      Added the Apostolic Pentecostal Churches of Jesus Christ, Inc., to the “Traditionally-White, Holiness churches” section.

      Added the Word Wide Pentecostal Church of Christ to the “Traditionally-White, non-Holiness” section.

      Added Canadian Evangelical Christian Churches; International Circle of Faith; and, the UFM International (former Unevangelized Fields Mission) to the “Other Pentecostal churches” section.

      Began revamping the entries on Amish, Brethren, Mennonite, and Quaker churches per “Section 10, European-Free Church Family,” of Melton. These entries have now been moved to a separate page due to their length. Brethren churches were also moved to the new page, making Pietist churches now their own separate section. Quaker churches were moved to the new page as well.

      Made the Anglican and Episcopal churches list a separate page due to its length.


December 24, 2002

      Merry Christmas!

      Added the Church of the Living Word to the Cults, Sects, and New Religious Movements page.

      Added the Chaplaincy of Full Gospel Churches to the “Unclassified Protestant denominations and churches” section of the Protestant Churches page.

      Added the Maranatha Christian Fellowship Church to the “Fundamentalist/Bible churches” section of the Protestant Churches page.


December 16, 2002

      Crosscheck continues of Congregational, Reformed, and Presbyterian churches outside of North America with the membership list of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches.  Have crosschecked through countries starting with G (“Gabon”).

      Added the Ecuadorian Evangelical Church of the Christian and Missionary Alliance [Iglesia Evangelica Ecuatoriana Alianza Cristiana y Misionera] to the “Holiness churches outside North America” section of the Protestant Churches page.

      Added the Christian Reformed Church in El Salvador [Iglesia Cristiana Reformada en El Salvador]; Evangelical Church of Gabon [Eglise evangelique du Gabon]; Evangelical Covenant Church [Iglesia del Pacto Evangelico en el Ecuador]; National Union of Independent Reformed Evangelical Churches of France [Eglises Réformées Evangéliques Indépendantes, Union Nationale des]; Reformed Calvinist Church of El Salvador [Iglesia Reformada Calvinista de El Salvador]; Union of Free Evangelical Churches in France [Union des Eglises Evangéliques Libres]; and, the United Evangelical Church of Ecuador [Iglesia Evangelica Unida del Ecuador] to the “Reformed churches outside North America” section, both because of their WARC membership.

      Added the Evangelical Covenant Church [Iglesia del Pacto Evangelico en el Ecuador]; Evangeligal Free Church of Finland [Suomen Vapaakirkko] and the Free Mission Covenant Church (Finland) [Fria Missionsförbundet] to the “Pietist-tradition churches outside North America” section.


December 13, 2002

      Revised the “Holiness churches” section of the Protestant Churches page. Crosschecked entries with membership of the Christian Holiness Partnership; Interchurch Holiness Convention, and “Section 8: Holiness Family,” in Melton. Added the Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection; Association of Fundamental Ministers & Churches; Bible Holiness Church; Bible Holiness Movement; Bible Methodist Connection of Tennessee; Christian Nation Church, U.S.A.; Christ's Sanctified Holy Church; Church of God (Guthrie, OK); Church of God (Sanctified Church); Church of God (Which He Purchased with His Own Blood); Church of the Bible Covenant; Churches Of God (Holiness); Christ Holy Sanctified Church of America; Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada; Evangelical Wesleyan Church; God’s Missionary Church; Gospel Spreading Church; Immanuel General Mission [Japan]; Independent Holiness Churches of Canada; Kentucky Mountain Holiness Association; Lumber River Annual Conference of the Holiness Methodist Church; Metropolitan Church Association; Missionary Church of Canada; Missionary Methodist Church of America; Parkville Bible Church; Pilgrim Holiness Church of New York, Inc.; Pilgrim Holiness Church of the Midwest; Salvation Army, Canada and Bermuda; United Holiness Church of North America; Voice of the Nazarene Association of Independent Churches; Wesleyan Holiness Association of Churches; and, the Wesleyan Tabernacle Association. Moved the Bible Methodist Connection of Churches to the Holiness section based on its membership in the IHC. Moved Bible Fellowship Church Christian and Missionary Alliance; to the Holiness section based on its entry in Melton.

      Moved all of churches in the  “Salvation Army and service churches” section to the “Holiness section,” reflecting William Booth’s Methodist background and the fact that the other churches listed there were all Salvation Army daughter churches. Also moved Church of God (Anderson, Indiana); based on their self-description of Wesleyan derivation and listing in Melton. Moved Churches of God, General Conference to the “Reformed churches” section based on its founding by a German Reformed pastor. And moved the Free Methodist Church in Canada and Free Methodist Church of North America to the Holiness section based on their self-description of being part of the Holiness movement, membership in the CHA, and listing in Melton. Ditto for the Missionary Church, Triumph the Church and Kingdom of God in Christ, and for Pillar of Fire, Inc.

      Added the Free Methodist Church in Canada to the “Methodist churches” section.

      Moved all the “Apostolic” churches out of the “Holiness” section and into the “Pentecostal” section.

      Added the Evangelical Christian Church, Inc., to the “Christian Churches (Stone-Campbell Movement)” section.


December 11, 2002

      Added the United Orthodox Catholic Church to the “Eastern Orthodox-tradition independent churches” section of the Eastern Orthodox churches page. My thanks to the Most Reverend Theodore, Primate of the UOCC, for bringing the church to my attention.

      Crosschecked sections on “Pietist” and “Methodist” churches in the Protestant Churches page with “Section 7, Pietist-Methodist Family,” of the sixth edition of Melton. Note that my taxonomy differs somewhat from Melton’s. I list the Pietist churches in a meta-grouping with Brethren churches, and account for the Methodist tradition separately, which is consistent with Mead. As a result of the cross-checking, I added the African Union First Colored Methodist Protestant Church and Connection, Inc.; Association of Independent Methodists; British Methodist Episcopal Church of Canada; Evangelical Methodist Church (Kingsport, TN); Fellowship of Fundamental Bible Churches; Free Christian Zion Church of Christ; Methodist Protestant Church; New Congregational Methodist Church; Reformed Methodist Union Episcopal Church; Reformed Zion Union Apostolic Church; Southern Congregational Methodist Church; and, Union American Methodist Episcopal Church to the “Methodist churches” section.

      In the “Methodist Churches Outside of North America” section, added entries on the Methodist Church in Ireland and the Methodist Church in Wales.

      Added the United Christian Church (Cleona, PA) to the Pietist section of the Protestant Churches page. Also, moved the Church of the United Brethren in Christ to that section (out of the Brethren churches section).

      Crosscheck continues of Congregational, Reformed, and Presbyterian churches outside of North America with the membership list of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches.  Have crosschecked through countries starting with D (“Dominican Republic”).

      In the Presbyterian churches outside North America page, added entries for Cook Island Christian Church [Ekalesia Keresitiano ote Kuki Airani]; Evangelical Church of Christ in Mozambique [Igreja Evangelica de Cristo em Mocambique]; Fraternity of Costa Rican Evangelical Churches [Fraternidad de Iglesias Evangelicas Costarricenses]; Presbytery of Liberia in West Africa; Presbyterian Church of Mauritius [Eglise Presbytérienne de Maurice]; Presbyterian Church in Rwanda [Eglise presbyterienne au Rwanda]; Presbyterian Church of Mozambique [Igreja Presbiteriana de Mocambique]; and, Presbyterian Reformed Church in Cuba [Iglesia Presbiteriana - Reformada en Cuba.

      In the Reformed tradition churches outside North America page, added the Christian Reformed Church in Costa Rica [Iglesia Christiana Reformada en Costa Rica]; Christian Reformed Church in Cuba [Iglesia Cristiana Reformada en Cuba]; Church of Christ in Nigeria; Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar [Église de Jésus-Christ à Madagascar]; Evangelical Church in Morocco [Eglise évangélique du Maroc]; Evangelical Church of Good Shepherd [Igreja Evangelica do Bom Pastor] [Mozambique]; Evangelical Church of the Republic of Niger [Ekklisiyar Bishara Ta Kasar Nige]; Evangelical Church of West Afrika [Nigeria]; Evangelical Church Salama of Niger [Eglise evangelique Salama du Niger]; Nigerian Reformed Church in Iziland; Qua Iboe Church (Nigeria); Protestant Church of Reunion Island [Eglise Protestante de la Réunion]; Reformed Church of France [Église Réformée de France]; Reformed Church of Mozambique (Mphatso Synod) [Igreja Reformada em Mocambique (Mphatso Synod)]; Reformed Congregation in Fredericia (Denmark) [Den reformerte Meighed i Fredericia]; Reformed Synod of Denmark [Den reformerte Synode i Danmark]; and, the Union of Evangelical Protestant Churches of Niger [Union des eglises evangeliques protestantes].

      Created a separate page for Congregational and United churches outside North America, and added the Church of the Brethren (Czech Republic) [Církve bratrské]; Dominican Evangelical Church [Iglesia Evangelica Dominicana]; United Church of Christ in Mozambique [Igreja de Christo Unida em Mocambique] (Ex-Missao American Board); and, the United Church of Christ in Nigeria [Habaddiyar Ekklisiyar Kristi a Nigeria],.

      Added the RPF International Church [Rabat, Morocco] to the “Unclassified Protestant Denominations Outside North America” section of the Protestant Churches page.

      Added the Evangelical Church of the Congo [Eglise evangelique du Congo] to the “Pietist-tradition churches outside North America” section of the Protestant Churches page.


December 9, 2002

      Crosscheck of Congregational, Reformed, and Presbyterian churches outside of North America with the membership list of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches continues.  Have crosschecked through countries starting with L (“Lesotho”). In the Presbyterian churches outside North America page, corrected the entry for the Evangelical Church of Egypt, Synod of the Nile. Added the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana; Presbyterian Church of Ghana; Presbyterian Church of East Africa; and, the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Equatorial Guinea [Iglesia Reformada Presbiteriana de Guinea Ecuatorial]. In the Reformed tradition churches outside North America page, added the Lesotho Evangelical Church.

      Added many entries to the Spiritualist section of the Cults, sects, and new religious movements page.


October 22, 2002

      Completed update of North American “Congregationalist and United churches” section in the Protestant Churches page.

      Crosscheck continues of Congregational, Reformed, and Presbyterian churches outside of North America with the membership list of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches.  Have crosschecked through countries starting with C (“Congo, DR”).

      Presbyterian Churches have been completely updated insofar as North American denominations.

      A separate page was created for Reformed tradition churches outside North America, and the Remonstrant Brotherhood (Netherlands) [Remonstranten Broederschap] was added to it.

      Made a complete and substantial update to the Unitarian section of the Non-Christian Beliefs page.

      Added the Church of the Christian Alliance (Burkina Faso) [Eglise de l` Alliance chretienne], the Evangelical Church of Cameroon [Eglise evangelique du Cameroun], and the Evangelical Community in Congo [Communaute evangelique du Congo] to the “Fundamentalist/Bible churches” section of the Protestant Churches page.

      Added the Evangelical Community in Ubangi-Mongala (DR Congo) [Communaute evangelique en Ubangi-Mongala], Evangelical Community of Christ in Ubangui (DR Congo) [Communaute evangelique du Christ en Ubangui], Evangelical Congregational Church, and the Swedish Mission Covenant Church to the “Brethren and Pietist churches” section of the Protestant Churches page.

      Added the Community of Disciples of Christ (DR Congo) [Communaute de Disciples du Christ] to the Christian Churches (Stone-Campbell Movement) section of the Protestant Churches page.


October 21, 2002

      Calvin day! Crosschecked sections on Congregationalism, Reformed, and Presbyterian churches in the Protestant Churches page with “Section 6, Reformed-Presbyterian Family,” of the sixth edition of Melton. Note that my classification differs somewhat from Melton. He lists the Churches of God, General Conference with the Reformed Family. I feel that they are sufficiently distinct to warrant a listing under the section on Holiness and Apostolic tradition, which is consistent with Mead.

      In the Reformed Churches section, added, the Canadian and American Reformed Churches, Christian Reformed Churches of Australia, Free Reformed Church of North America, United Reformed Churches in North America, and a whole pot-full of Reformed churches outside of North America.

      In the Presbyterian Churches section, added the American Reformation Presbyterian Church, Free Presbyterian Church, Presbyterian Reformed Church, Reformed Presbyterian Church (Covenanted) [Steelite Covenanters], Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly, and a whole pot-full of Presbyterian churches outside of North America. There are still international Presbyterian churches to be added. I am slogging through the membership list of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches.

      Cleaned up the last bits of the Lutheran section on the Protestant Churches page. Added entries for independent, non-synodical Lutheran churches. And added the Augustana Orthodox and Evangelical Lutheran Synod, the Evangelical Community Church — Lutheran, and the Lutheran Confessional Synod.

      Added Church of the Golden Rule to the “Unclassified churches” section of the Protestant Churches page.

      Added the Church of England in South Africa to the Independent Anglican churches section.

      Added some entries to reference book page.

     

      October 18, 2002