The Community of Christ (movement)

The the Community of Christ , in the past called Church Reorganized of Jesus-Christ of the Saints of the Last Days, is a Christian Church resulting from the Église of Jesus-Christ of the Saints of the Last Days. She was given for mission “of promoting communities of joy, hope, love and peace”. She gathers 250.000 members in 50 countries. Its seat is located at Independence in the Missouri.

History

With died of Joseph Smith (1844), founder of the mormonism, a crisis of succession leads to the birth of Mouvements resulting from the mormonism. One of them, after one period of disorganization (1844-1860), gives rise to the Église Reorganized of Jesus-Christ of the Saints of the Last Days (officially founded in 1860 in Amboy in Illinois). This one is distinguished from the Church of Jesus-Christ of the Saints of the Last Days by, in particular, of the doctrinal differences.

Thus, the Église Reorganized of Jesus-Christ of the Saints of the Last Days recognizes the Bible as having an authority higher than the Livre of Mormon, and evolves to a certain opening by authorizing the ordination of the women, as a practitioner the open communion and redefining its role like a Church of peace and justice. In April 2001, it changes its name into Communauté of Christ , term which - according to it - corresponds better to its new mission.

Organization

The Communauté of Christ is directed by a prophet-president, assisted by two advisers and a college of twelve apostles. The authority accepts a broad participation of the members: every two years, of delegated whole world meet these leaders and come to a conclusion, by vote, about the evolutions of the movement.

The Church has two temples: the Temple of Kirtland (devoted in 1836, but regarded now as a historic site) and the recent Temple of Independence (dedicated in 1994, devoted to the work of peace). The Church also directs the University of Graceland having of the campuses in Lamoni and Independance (Missouri).

The Church is established in many countries but the majority of its members is in the United States and in South America. With share in Great Britain, it is relatively unknown in Europe. It gathers 4.000 members in French Polynesia, that is to say 2% of the population. In Metropolitan France, an attempt at evangelization did not lead and the movement recently dismissed its Pasteur.

A member on 10 holds the priesthood. The priests are not paid except for the leaders and of the pastors.

Doctrines

The Communauté of Christ considers that the perception of the truth differs according to the people and thus did not adopt official creed. Nevertheless, the members of the movement share a certain number of beliefs, qualified beliefs generally accepted within the Church . Moreover, the Community of Christ is detached little by little from the definition of a Church in a strict sense and, having taken rather the form of an ONG, prefers to see itself like an organization working with world peace between the men.

Principal beliefs

God, Jesus-Christ and Holy Spirit

The Community of Christ believes in the traditional of the Trinité, namely “God eternal and alive Christian doctrines, who is God in three people”. Jesus is at the same time the Saver and the alive expression of God. He lived, died and is ressuscity. He is “the Verb made flesh, at the same time fully human and fully divine”. The Holy Spirit is the “continuous presence of God in this world”}} The temple of Independence is devoted to the education and the promotion of peace among the men. The movement considers “that because of our fidelity to Christ and our belief in the value of each person (...) we dedicate our lives to the continuation of peace and justice for all”}}

Continuous revelation

The Community of Christ believes in the principle of the Révélation continues, namely that “God continues to appear as it did in the past. God appears with us through the Writings, of the community of the faith, the prayer, nature and the human history”:

the Baptism
the Confirmation
the Blessing of the children
the Holy-Cène
the Marriage
the Blessing of the patients
the Ordination
the patriarchal Blessing

Writings

The Community of Christ recognizes three canonical works: the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Doctrines and Alliances.

Bible

In communion with the remainder of the Christianisme, the movement recognizes the Bible like Scriptures, as well the Ancien as the New Testament. Although Joseph Smith produced his own version of the work (published under the name of Version Inspired), the Church currently uses the New Revised Standard Version common to many Christian movements. She does not believe however in the infallibility of the book. The members are encouraged to take account of the historical and cultural context biblical passages and not to interpret them in a too literal way.

Deliver of Mormon

The Livre of Mormon is recognized by the Community of Christ like a canonical work. It is similar to that published by the Église of Jesus-Christ of the Saints of the Last Days although versification of it is different.

Its use was prone to debate because “of questions about its historicity and partly because of theological elements perceived like inadequate, inter alia about the race and of the ethnic questions”. The continuous motion however to regard the book as inspired, although the majority of the members reject historicity of it. For Stephen Mr. Veazey, current president, “although the Church recognizes the Book of Mormon like writing and places it at the disposal for study in many languages, we do not try to impose a degree of belief or use. This position is in agreement with our long tradition which the belief in the Book of Mormon should not be used to define the fidelity or the membership in the Church”.

Doctrines and Alliances

The Community of Christ also uses the Doctrine and Alliances: it is about a book gathering the divine revelations granted to the leaders of the Church since Joseph Smith. The work is an open gun because all new revelation is likely to be recognized by the community of the members and added to the preceding ones.

The version of the Doctrines and Alliances is not identical to that used by the Église of Jesus-Christ of the Saints of the Last Days since the two movements followed a advance different since death from Joseph Smith.

Doctrinal differences with the mormonism

Exit of the Mormonisme founded by Joseph Smith, the Community of Christ inevitably shares some theological concepts with the Église of Jesus-Christ of the Saints of the Last Days (see Théologie of the mormonism). However, the movement also rejected certain aspects and followed another way since then. In a general way, the Community of Christ is of “liberal” gasoline more and nearer of the Protestant doctrines than the traditional mormonism. The principal differences between the two movements are:

Successive leaders

The Community of Christ considers that its first true leader is Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormonisme. Only the leaders specific to the Community of Christ are however taken again below, starting from the reorganization of the Church in 1860.

Joseph Smith III

Frederick Mr. Smith

Frederick Madison Smith, born on January 21st, 1874 and dead on March 20th, 1946, was the president of the movement of 1915 until its death. It is one of the nine children of Joseph Smith III and his second wife, Bertha Madison Smith. He is baptized on July 20th, 1883 and marries Alice Lyman Cobb on August 3rd, 1897.

At the time of died of his/her father, Joseph Smith III, on December 10th, 1914, the Church is found without leader. Nevertheless the authority of Frederick Mr. Smith is accepted little time afterwards and he becomes the new prophet-president in 1915.

Frederick Mr. Smith pushes with the incorporation of modern social ideas within the concept of Sion. It also tries to exert a more thorough authority on the movement, especially during the periods between two General conferences. This concept, known under the name of supreme directional control ( supreme directional control ), causes a sharp polemic which will result in the defection from a third from the members from the movement, refusing to subject itself to this reinforced supervision. The prophet gives up finally his claims and the majority of the dissidents will regain the Church thereafter. It is at that time that Otto Fetting leaves the movement to join the Église of Christ (Temple Batch): this one will found later its own movement, the Église of Christ “with the message of Élias”.

Frederick Mr. Smith also chairs the movement at the time of the Grande depression. The Church must face important debts, which stops the construction of the Auditorium, a building intended to receive the General conferences (construction will be completed only in 1962).

Arrived at a advanced age, Frederick Mr. Smith wishes to resign of his office but the General conference decides to refuse its application. He dies in 1946 and his/her brother Israel Alexander Smith will succeed to him.

Israel A. Smith

Israel Alexander Smith, born on February 2nd, 1876 and dead on June 14th, 1958, was the president of the movement of 1946 until its death. It is the third wire of Joseph Smith III and his second wife, Bertha Madison Smith. It obtains a license in right and is appointed republican for Iowa of 1911 to 1913.

Within the Church, he becomes adviser of the Bishop-President in 1920. He is opposed to the concept of supreme directional control advanced by his brother, then president of the movement. He regards this idea as opposite with the lesson of their father, Joseph Smith III. In 1925, it is raised of its call.

From 1929 to 1940, he is general secretary of the Church and in 1940, he is finally called like First Adviser of his brother. This one then designates it as its successor. In 1946, when Frederick dies, it succeeds to him the head of the movement.

The end of the Second world war allows an international expansion of the Church. Israel A. Smith visits into 1950 the members of the Church in Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand and Tahiti. In 1952, he visits the Europe.

He dies brutally in an car accident in 1958, leaving the direction of the Church to the hands of his two advisers.

W. Wallace Smith

William Wallace Smith, born on November 18th, 1900 and died in 1989, was the president of the movement of 1958 until her resignation in 1978. It is one of wire of Joseph Smith III. It is a question of the third of his children to be reached the presidency of the Church following the death of his brothers Frederick Mr. Smith and Israel A. Smith.

Under its presidency, the Church knows a considerable growth in Africa, Latin America and the Far East. Internationalization imposes doctrinary and practical evolutions on the movement, which approaches Protestant mobility slowly.

In 1976, it designates his son, Wallace B. Smith, like his successor, and decides to resign of its functions in 1978. In order to ensure a transition without clashes, it publicly reads a resignation letter right before his/her son is not ordered.

Wallace B. Smith

Wallace Bunnell Smith, born in 1929, was the president of the movement of 1978 until his resignation in 1996. He is the son of W. Wallace Smith which designates it as its successor in 1976. He reaches the presidency of the movement when this last resigns in 1978.

It is with in the chair Wallace B. Smith that the Church builds the Temple of Independence and that the priesthood is opened to the women. He proposes since 1994 the modification of the name of the movement, still known under the name of Église Reorganized of Jesus-Christ of the Saints of the Last Days, in Communauté of Christ . Its proposal however will be adopted only in 2001, after its resignation.

In 1995, Wallace B. Smith indicates W. Grant McMurray like his successor and resigns in 1996.

W. Grant McMurray

William Grant McMurray, born on July 12th, 1947, was the president of the movement of 1996 until her resignation in 2004. He is the first president of the movement not to be downward of Joseph Smith. He will mark the Church deeply.

W. Grant McMurray exerts several functions within the movement until becoming First Adviser of the prophet. It is designated as successor by Wallace B. Smith in 1995 and reaches the office of president when this last resigns in 1996.

In 1997, W. Grant McMurray invites the Church to change in order to center itself on the Christian theology of peace. In 2001, the movement adopts its new official name, the Communauté of Christ , reaffirming the central role of Jesus-Christ within the movement.

It orders the first woman apostle and pushes the movement to be liberalized. He however encourages a closer cooperation with the Église of Jesus-Christ of the Saints of the Last Days in several fields, like that of the historical research.

In 2004, it decides to resign and asks to be raised of its priesthood because of personal difficulties and health issues which prevent it from continuing to direct the Church. It breaks with the tradition by not designating a successor. It is a group of leaders of the Church, carried out by the Council of the Twelve Apostles, which will appoint the new president, Stephen Mr. Veazey.

Stephen Mr. Veazey

Stephen Veazey Mark, born on May 3rd, 1957, is the current president of the Community of Christ.

Stephen Mr. Veazey becomes in 1983 a member of the clergy to full-time within the movement. It is called as apostle in 1992. In 2005, following the resignation of W. Grant McMurray, its name is submitted by the leaders of the Church to the assembly of the members which accepts it like new president. Stephen Mr. Veazey is ordered at this station on June 3rd, 2005.

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