Editing Christadelphians (section)

== History ==

=== Background ===

=== 19th century ===
The Christadelphian movement traces its origins to [[John Thomas (Christadelphian)|John Thomas]] (1805–1871). He initially associated with emerging [[Restoration Movement]] in the United States but later separated from them. The Christadelphian community in the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]] effectively dates from Thomas's first lecturing tour of Britain (May 1848 – October 1850). During this period, he wrote ''[[Elpis Israel]]''<ref>
John Thomas, ''Elpis Israel: an exposition of the Kingdom of God with reference to the time of the end and the age to come'' (London: 1849). Available [https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Elpis_Israel online]</ref> in which he laid out his understanding of the main doctrines of the Bible. Since his medium for bringing change was print and debate, it was natural for the origins of the Christadelphian body to be associated with books and journals, such as Thomas's ''Herald of the Kingdom''. His message was particularly welcomed in [[Scotland]], and [[Campbellite]], [[Unitarianism|Unitarian]] and [[Adventism|Adventist]] friends separated to form groups of "Baptised Believers".

[[Image:John Thomas.png|left|thumb|150px|John Thomas]]

{{wikisource|Elpis Israel}}

He was not alone in his desire to establish Biblical truth and test orthodox Christian beliefs through independent scriptural study. Among other churches, he had links with the [[Adventism|Adventist]] movement and with [[Benjamin Wilson (Biblical scholar)|Benjamin Wilson]] (who later set up the [[Church of the Blessed Hope|Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith]] in the 1860s). Although the Christadelphian movement originated through the activities of John Thomas, he never saw himself as making his own disciples. He believed rather that he had rediscovered 1st-century beliefs from the Bible alone,<ref>"The Lecturer [John Thomas] commenced by denying a statement which had appeared in many of the London and country newspapers, and amongst them, one made by a religious Editor in this town, to the effect that he assumed to himself the true, infallible, prophetic character, as one sent from God, ''verbatim''. He would appeal to his writings – and he had written a great deal in twelve years – and to his speeches, whether he had ever claimed to be such, in the remotest degree whatever. He believed truth as it was taught in the scriptures of truth&nbsp;..." {{cite news 
  | title = The Destinies of the Cities, Countries, and Empires
  | newspaper = Nottingham Mercury
  | location = Nottingham, UK
  | date = 13 July 1849
  }}
</ref> and sought to prove that through a process of challenge and debate and writing journals. Through that process a number of people became convinced and set up various fellowships that had sympathy with that position. Groups associated with John Thomas met under multiple names, including Believers, Baptised Believers, the Royal Association of Believers, Baptised Believers in the Kingdom of God, Nazarines (or Nazarenes), and The Antipas<ref name = "anrvrv"/> until the time of the [[American Civil War]] (1861–1865). At that time, church affiliation was required in the United States and the [[Confederate States of America]] in order to register for [[conscientious objector]] status, and in 1864, Thomas chose for registration purposes the name ''Christadelphian''.<ref name="BRWname"/><ref name="StrongName"/><ref name="ourname"/><ref name="LippyName"/>

Through the teaching of John Thomas and the need in the American Civil War for a name, the Christadelphians emerged as a denomination, but they were formed into a lasting structure through a passionate follower of Thomas's interpretation of the Bible, [[Robert Roberts (Christadelphian)|Robert Roberts]]. In 1864, he began to publish ''The Ambassador of the Coming Age'' magazine. John Thomas, out of concern that someone else might start a publication and call it ''The Christadelphian'', urged Robert Roberts to change the name of his magazine to ''[[The Christadelphian]]'',<ref>Bryan R. Wilson, ''Sects and Society'' (London: William Heinemann, 1961), p. 241</ref><ref>''The Christadelphian'' is published by The Christadelphian Magazine & Publishing Association Ltd (Birmingham, UK)
</ref> which he did in 1869. His editorship of the magazine continued with some assistance until his death in 1898. In church matters, Roberts was prominent in the period following the death of John Thomas in 1871 and helped craft the structures of the Christadelphian body.<ref>Andrew Wilson writes of Roberts, "The organising ability of Robert Roberts was very important: he gave the movement its rules, institutions and much of its literature". Andrew Wilson, ''History of the Christadelphians 1864–1885: the emergence of a denomination'' 1997 p.399.</ref>

Initially, the denomination grew in the English-speaking world, particularly in the [[English Midlands]] and parts of North America.{{which|date=October 2013}} Two-thirds of ecclesias and members in Britain before 1864 were in Scotland.<ref>Andrew Wilson, ''History of the Christadelphians 1864–1885: the emergence of a denomination'' 1997</ref><ref>Evans, Christmas. The Christadelphian 1956–63
</ref><ref>Norrie, William "Early History of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God in Britain" Earlston 1904. Available [https://aletheiacollege.net/norrie/norrie3.pdf online]</ref>  In the early days after the death of John Thomas, the group could have moved in a number of directions. Doctrinal issues arose, debates took place, and statements of faith were created and amended as other issues arose. These attempts were felt necessary by many{{according to whom|date=October 2013}} to both settle and define a doctrinal stance for the newly emerging denomination and to keep out error. As a result of these debates, several groups separated from the main body of Christadelphians, most notably the Suffolk Street fellowship in 1885 (with members believing that the whole of the Bible was not inspired) and the Unamended fellowship.

=== 20th century ===
The Christadelphian position on conscientious objection came to the fore with the introduction of conscription during the [[World War I|First World War]]. Varying degrees of exemption from military service were granted to Christadelphians in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, 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.

During the [[World War II|Second World War]], the Christadelphians in Britain assisted in the [[Kindertransport]], helping to relocate several hundred Jewish children away from Nazi persecution by founding a hostel, [[Elpis Lodge]], for that purpose.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kinderball piano score |publisher=Imperial War Museum |url=http://london.iwm.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.1463 |access-date=2008-02-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060127013116/http://london.iwm.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.1463 |archive-date=27 January 2006 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Morrell | first=Leslie | title=The Christadelphian Response to the Holocaust | url=http://lesliemorrell.com/papers/Response.pdf | access-date=2008-02-08 | url-status=usurped | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080227081848/http://lesliemorrell.com/papers/Response.pdf | archive-date=2008-02-27 }}</ref> In Germany, the small Christadelphian community founded by [[Albert Maier]] went underground from 1940 to 1945, and a leading brother, [[Albert Merz]], was imprisoned as a conscientious objector and later executed.<ref>April 1941 in Berlin.Bogner, Gustav. Geschichte der Christadelphians in Deutschland (2) http://www.projekt-glauben.de/?p=205{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

After the Second World War, moves were made to try to reunite various earlier divisions. By the end of the 1950s, most Christadelphians had united into one community, but a number of small groups remained separate.

=== Today ===
The post-war and post-reunions periods 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<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbm.org.uk/history/ |title=History |date=23 June 2017 |publisher=Christadelphian Bible Mission UK |access-date=2020-01-22}}</ref> (for preaching and pastoral support overseas), the Christadelphian Support Network<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chsn.org.uk/about|title=About |publisher=Christadelphian Support Network|access-date=2020-01-22}}</ref> (for counselling), and the [[Meal-a-Day Fund|Christadelphian Meal-A-Day Fund]] (for charity and humanitarian work).

The period following the reunions was accompanied by expansion in the developing world, which now accounts for around 40% of Christadelphians.<ref>Based on figures from ''CBM Worldwide Guide 2006'', Christadelphian Bible Mission (UK), 2006</ref>