"Stick to the Word of God. Do not listen to contrary voices."
Black Stockings - Black Socks - Walking Socks - Go-Preacher's - Faith Missioners - The Jesus Way - Church of New Zealand - Dippers - Irvinites - The Truth - The Carrollites - The Testimony of Jesus - The Christian Convention Church - Home Meetings - Two-by-Two's - The Secret Sect - The Only Way - The New Testament Church - The Tramps - Les Anonymes - Christian Conventions - Die Namenlosen - Cooneyite's - Chirstian Church of Australia - The Fellowship - The Church Without a Name - The No-Name Church - White Mice - No Secters - Pilgrims
From Marti Knight:
“Non-denominational” (or sometimes “undenominational”) is a big buzzword with the 2X2s. The 2X2s and some others demonize denominations or the idea of denominations, without defining what they mean by the word. Well, the 2X2s seem to think that all the other groups are denominations, and all are wrong. Some whom they consider denominations might not think they are. It depends on the definition each has in mind. From its derivation, we could say “denomination” means “name.” In discussions of churches, it usually has to do with whether a church is connectional. Obviously the 2X2 is connectional.: the local groups are not autonomous. The New Testament church was connectional. The 2X2 denies having a name, but it has names it uses internally, and names by which outsiders know it, and it has incorporated under the Christian Conventions name and some others. Yet it indignantly denies being a denomination.
I think a church can describe itself very well without using the term “denominational” or “non-denominational.” After all, those terms are used in different ways, and with non-connectional churches sometimes using the word “denominational” as a sort of epithet, perfectly fine churches might not care to define themselves in terms of a word that doesn’t really tell us a lot about a church. The Free Methodist Church is connectional, and therein lies much of its doctrinal solidity and the accountability that keeps abuses and demagoguery at bay. There are some good churches that are not as connectional, but many of them are affiliated with other Christians in one way or another."
Pictures of the EARLY DAYS:
(Click Each Picture to View in Gallery)
- In Ireland, just before the turn of the century, a man named William Irvine, a "Pilgrim" preacher for the Faith Mission, decided after reading Matthew 10, that all preachers should go forth as homeless, unpaid ministers. A few other of his contemporaries agreed with him. (Years later, he referred to this as an "experiment!") Early on, Irvine also enlisted Edward Cooney, a lay preacher, who had been preaching among various denominations.
- The Faith Mission disassociated itself with Irvine in 1900 but his experiment continued. Irvine's group insisted that they take no name. Seventy attended the first convention, which lasted three weeks, at Rathmolyn, Ireland. William Irvine was a dynamic speaker and easily captivated his audiences. At first, he preached that all should give up their possessions and go forth as "workers," men and women alike. Many took the challenge taking vows of poverty, celibacy, submission and self denial. They were taught that only by hearing the "gospel" through Irvine, or through one of his workers who had heard and seen the gospel being lived through Irvine or through one of his workers, could one be granted salvation.
- As more and more became workers, selling all and giving Irvine the proceeds, the organization grew quickly. Workers were sent to other countries including the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. By 1908, William Irvine changed the rule that all followers must become homeless ministers. Home meetings of the "friends" were instituted about this time.
- Next, Irvine appointed his trusted associates such as James Jardine, George Walker, and William Carroll as "overseers" of vast regions. So began the set-up of what the people who are in this nameless group today refer to as "The Truth."
- As time went on, various disagreements surfaced among the top leaders and in particular with William Irvine. In 1914, Irvine was excommunicated by his own fellow workers!! By 1928, Edward Cooney was also put out.
- Next, the cover-up began. The remaining workers agreed to never again admit Irvine was their founder. Today, there are MANY DIFFERENT EXPLANATIONS
for how "The Truth" began. Some say that it was founded by Jesus Christ and has existed "from the beginning." Then, the story line was that it lay dormant for a time until it was "restored" or "sprouted anew" through a revelation of God to some man or men. Another new explanation is that the history "doesn't matter!!!" Some say that William Irvine learned of "it" from another "just before his time." Also, it has been said that "God's Way" began in eternity; that it began when two and two became four! And, on a few occasions, the sect's true origins have actually been mentioned publicly.
PRIOR TO WRITING “THE SECRET SECT,” DOUG PARKER WROTE A PAPER OF APPROXIMATELY 12 PAGES TITLES, “A SPIRITUAL FRAUD EXPOSED.”
The Impartial Reporter and Farmers' Journal in Ireland had reported extensively on the “Tramp Preachers” during their early beginning years. What follows are a few quotes from that newspaper as written in Doug Parker's essay:
Huge Following in its Infancy: “Impartial Reporter” Enniskillen, 1908
“The great convention of the Tramp Preachers is still in progress at Crocnacrieve, and as anticipated, has surpassed in extent, all previous gatherings. There were some thousands of persons in attendance. The speakers at the meeting were the two leaders of the movement. Mr. William Irvine and Mr. Edward Cooney. Both speakers denounced the various churches and the clergy in no unmeasured terms. As usual, the call for volunteers for work in distant lands met with a response, a large number offering their services for America, South Africa, and Australia.
Money Pours in Through Conventions
“The Tramps say they have no collections. In strict parlance, this may be correct, but it is not the whole truth. They may not “collect,” but they receive donations. So that while Messrs. Irvine and Co. do not collect, they receive, and the receipts are sufficient to send the preachers to America, Scotland, anywhere else, and to take Mr. Irvine to South Africa and other places abroad. The regular clergy could not afford those trips. The TRAMPS can afford it, but they go another way about it. THEY OBTAIN THE MONEY.”
The Journal Regarding Hymns - - Old and New
“And while the TRAMPS denounce John and Charles Wesley as having gone to hell, they sing the very “Devilry,” written by Charles Wesley in some of his immortal hymns. On Sunday last, a new hymn book entitled “HYMNS - - OLD AND NEW, made its appearance. This book, compiled by Edward Cooney and William Carroll, consists entirely of hymns taken from such collections as “Songs of Victory,” “Redemption Songs,” and “Songs and Solos.” The Go-Preacher's Hymn book is no longer used.”
“Their One Constant Worry Was Their Past.”
“These men were overcome by their authority, position and place, but their one constant worry was their past. The fear that someone would ask their foundation, their beginning, their Spiritual Father, their genealogy, and OH, what a past.
He [Irvine] made them what they were, and except for him, they may be what and where they were when he discovered them. How would they explain to the young converts?
And so started a great sifting. Those that knew too much were gradually done away with, frozen out, persecuted until they went out.
People were forbidden to visit friends, and some had been ex-communicated on that miserable ground. Letters were being intercepted and destroyed, and the persons to whom they were addressed, never saw them. Pressure had been brought to bear on struggling souls to compel them to deny the truth that was in them, even bodily violence had been done, that through pressure or pain, they may be brought under their will.”
Decision to Bury the Past
In the year 1929, the Central Bible Truth organization published a pamphlet headed, “THE COONEYITES OR GO PREACHER'S AND THEIR DOCTRINE."
This really exposed this movement, and was circulated in every country where the “belief” had been active. An endeavour was made by both John Hardie, in Australia, and Jack Carroll, in the U.S.A., to have it put out of circulation. Hardie, in the company of another since ex-communicated preacher, approached the Sydney publishers at 302 Pitt Street, in an effort to have it stopped, but without success.
................Because of this difficulty and another involving a division between both George Walker and Jack Carroll, the two overseers in the U.S.A., as to who would be “Next Greatest Amongst Them,” it was decided that a world conference would be held at W. Haneys (England) on July 19, 20, 21, 1930. Amongst those that attended this meeting were John Hardie, Jim Jardine, Willie Gill, Willie Jamison, George Walker, John T. Carroll and several others. The most revealing resolution that was adopted at this meeting was: - -
“It was unanimously agreed by all present that “THE PAST SHOULD BE BURIED!”
Other matters dealt with, were: - -
“Traveling expenses that had to come from the “Saints,” how these huge expenses and disagreements had been hidden from the “Saints'.”
An extract from the report states: - -
(During the days we, the undersigned, were together, full opportunity was given to all to express their minds and to offer any suggestions that would be helpful.)
Guildford Meeting – 20 – 24 February, 1954
After the recent death of William Carroll, it was decided that a meeting would be held where the many differences amongst the preachers could be ironed out. In all, eleven attended the meeting which lasted 4 days.
This covered mainly the perplexities with troublesome borders and the questions of “saints” being put out of the fellowship.
It was decided: “We are agreed that anything which would cause contention should be avoided.”
TWO COMMENTS FROM “FRIENDS” WHO HAVE LEFT THE 2x2's:
I was over thirty before I heard the truth regarding the actual history of the fellowship. I had always firmly believed that we were a continuation of the first century church, established by Jesus and somehow preserved throughout the ages as had been reinforced often by the worker's preaching. I relied on this “fact” often when I was telling “outsiders” about “The Way.” In my mind, it was probably the single most important fact of all - - that Jesus established His Church while on earth, complete with instructions of how the church was to gather and how the ministers were to preach.
That I was a part of that continuing church was amazing!
I never challenged this concept anymore than I challenged the fact that the world is round versus square.
The workers either actually preached or subtly alluded to their belief of the church's origin and I simply accepted them at their word.
One wasn't to question the authority of the workers!!
When I discovered that the church is only approximately 100 years old and has an earthly founder by the name of William Irvine, I was at first shocked.
But that soon led to anger and a feeling of betrayal. After careful scrutiny, I could not find anywhere in the gospels where Jesus actually said, “this is the way in which you are to worship” or “this is the way I want ministers to go forth and preach form now until eternity.”
His sending forth the 12 in Matthew 10 was for a SPECIFIC reason, to SPECIFIC people for a SPECIFIC period of time.
I found more instances of the apostles going forth singly, or in three-somes and four-somes than two-by-two.
One also can read 1 Corinthians 9:5 and ascertain that many apostles were married and likely had families and homes of their own. I find it interesting to read about the beginnings of the “fellowship” and see how it has been patterned after a church in Scotland, the “Faith Mission,” which is still in existence today.”
“We were having doubts for several years about all that goes on in the “Truth” and reading about the background and beginning of it make me furious after being lied to about the history all those years that we professsed.
