Two by Twos

"Two by Twos" (also known as 2x2, The Truth and The Way) is an exonym used to describe an unnamed, international, home-based Christian primativist sect that was founded in 1897 in Ireland by William Irvine.Template:SfnTemplate:Pn The church identifies as Christian, professes to follow the teachings of Jesus, and bases doctrine on the New Testament.Template:SfnTemplate:Pn The church community is present internationally, with a roughly estimated membership of 1-4 million. The church is distinguished by its homeless itinerant Ministers and its practice of meeting in members' homes.Template:SfnTemplate:Pn The church is composed of a decentralized international network of house churches.Template:SfnTemplate:Pn Members are known as "friends", meeting hosts as "elders", and preachers as "workers".Template:SfnTemplate:Pn The church has a tradition of making no publications and no official doctrinal assertions beyond the truth of the New Testament.Template:SfnTemplate:Pn Two sacraments are practiced (Baptism and Communion).Template:SfnTemplate:Pn

Practices

Ministers are itinerant and work in pairs, hence the name "Two by Twos". Members hold regular twice-weekly worship gatherings in local homes on Sunday and midweek. The church also holds annual regional conventions for members and public Gospel meetings. Believer’s baptism by immersion is practiced. Emblems of bread and "the fruit of the vine" (ie wine or grape juice) are shared and personally taken at the fellowship gathering.

Oral tradition

Members have a tradition of direct person-to-person oral witness when communicating on spiritual life. The church does not have official headquarters or publications. It does not publish any doctrinal statements, or communicate beliefs through mass communication media (e.g. books or radio) beyond person-to-person direct communication. According to Piepkorn (1972), members are reluctant to discuss their fellowship except with “bonafide seekers”, and other inquiries regarding beliefs are referred to the Bible. Its hymnbook and various other materials for internal use are produced by outside publishers and printing firms. Printed invitations for its open gospel services are the only public written materials.

Discrete congregation

The community is private and largely unknown by the outside world. Limited information is contributed to by a number of factors:

1. The United Kingdom criminalized religious belief that did not confirm state church creeds and authority, which was punishable by death in England, Scotland, and Ireland until tolerance Acts in the 19th century. Civic liberties for Christians not members of the state-endorsed churches were restricted until subsequent acts later in the mid 19th century. Property and educational rights were restricted by law until the late 19th century.
2. The church does not publish doctrinal statements, only affirming the truth of the New Testament.
3. Members share beliefs through oral tradition.
4. Members do not believe in sharing spiritual beliefs indirectly through mass communication media, or books other than the Bible.
5. The community is widely distributed, and each home church is relatively small.
6. It does not have a centralized polity headquarters or physical buildings.
7. The church exists internationally, in regionally variable cultural contexts.
8. There are no representative spokespersons.
9. Its apparent application of the doctrine of separation minimizes engagement with external activity and commentary.
10. High tension is retained between the church’s primativism and institutional churches.
11. Doctrinal and traditional differences between the church’s first century primativism and post-3rd century creedal churches have historically led to heretication on both sides.
12. Recent media framing, sensationalization of privacy, perjorative labelling, and stigmatization may deter public engagement.
13. Publicity is shunned due to fear "worldly attention" would bring vanity and other characteristics, impeding their pursuit of humility.

Evidence basis

Due to the oral tradition, direct sources are not available from the church as a whole, or members of the church. Due to the decentralized, distributed nature, there is no representative body wherein to inquire, or where from to share representative statements. There is one website hosted by workers, specifically by workers in Australia and New Zealand, with all content focused on information and support in relation to child safety in the community. Scholarly work on the church is scarce, including a brief study in a theological journal, and a sociology masters thesis by a former member studying former members reasons for leaving and other compilations of exit letters. Current members do not participate in interviews or publications. Other commentaries available online and in literature are provided by ex-members who left the church, critics, news articles, and other external commentators. A website hosted by an ex-member also publishes certain letters that have been privately sent between members, and a journal from a worker in Ireland at the end of the 19th century. Descriptions of the church here are derived from these commentaries and letters.

Abuse cases and survivors

The publication of several articles and books, increased news coverage, and the appearance of the Internet have increased external commentary and sociocultural critiques. News organizations have focused on experiences of abuse, reporting accountability, and lack of published responses. The United States FBI is conducting an on-going investigation after allegations of childhood sexual abuse (CSA), seeking survivors or individuals with knowledge of abuse and/or criminal behavior. According to statistics maintained by an independent accountability and reporting not-for-profit, 40% of allegations name ministers, 10% of allegations name elders, 50% of allegations name members, and less than 2% of allegations name female perpetrators. Internationally, among the estimated 1-4 million members, there have been ~2000 allegations going back 40 years against 910 individuals (as of 6/10/2024), resulting in 52 individuals convicted of abuse who were associated with the church. The prevalence of CSA offenders is therefore estimated at 0.02-0.091% alleged perpetrators and 0.0013%-0.0052% convicted perpetrators among total membership. Approximately ~2000 members (0.05-0.67% of membership given variable population estimates of 300,000 to 4 million) have reported CSA going back up to 40 years. In the general public of North America, 95% of CSA cases are never reported to authorities based on studies in North America. Factoring this in, assuming 95% of cases went unreported and population estimates of 300,000-4 million, this would estimate 1-13% of membership being affected by CSA. As a comparator, 16% of girls and 8% of boys in the general public in North America experience CSA. The population estimates for the church varies by orders of magnitude, creating significant variability in denominators and statistics. While informal and not peer reviewed, an exploratory analysis by a ex-member and child psychologist focusing on male workers in the US suggested allegations (confirmed cases and convictions not discussed) had been made against ~100 of 245 (40%) male workers in the US. The source for these numbers was not cited. The author compared this to prevalence rates of sexual offenders among men of 3% to 16%. The author commented potential risk factors included visitors staying in families’ homes, celibacy requirements, forgiveness culture, and lack of education.

MinistrySafe training courses, mandated reporter training, code of conducts, counseling networks,external accountability initiatives, survivor funding systems, and support groups and support networks have been developed to prevent abuse and protect child safety, ensure criminals are prosecuted accountably, and support survivors of abuse in the community.

Name

Overview

Members refer to their belief system as "The Truth", the practice as "The Way", their gatherings as "Meetings", and members as "the workers and friends". According to Piepkorn (1972), members see no need for an identifying name other than Christian.

Those outside the church refer to it as "Two by Twos", "The Black Stockings", "No-name Church", "Cooneyites", "Workers and Friends", "Truth 2x2s", or "Christians Anonymous", and journalists sometimes call it "2x2" for short. The church's various registered names include "Christian Conventions" in the United States, "Assemblies of Christians" and "The Alberta Society of Christian Assemblies" in Canada (dissolved only after it was exposed), "The Testimony of Jesus" in the United Kingdom, "Kristna i Sverige" in Sweden, and "United Christian Conventions" in Australia. These registered names are used only for specific purposes (for instance, to register conscientious objection during war) and are not routinely used by members.

Scan of the application for incorporation in the Province of Alberta signed by overseer Willis Propp and senior workers Jim Knipe and Dennis Einboden

Application for incorporation in the Province of Alberta under the name "Alberta Society of Christian Assemblies"

Endonym

The church identifies as nondenominational and forgoes a name.Template:Sfn

Exonyms

Those outside the church often use descriptive terms such as "Two by Twos" (from their method of sending out ministers in pairs),Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn "No-name Church", "Cooneyites", "Workers and Friends", "disciples of Jesus", "Friends", "Go-preachers", and "Tramp Preachers", among other titles. The new movement was initially called "Tramp Preachers" or "Tramp Pilgrims" by observers.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn During the early years, they called themselves by the name "Go-Preachers".Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn By 1904, the terms "Cooneyism" and "Cooneyite" had been coined in those areas in which Edward Cooney established churches and where he was a vocal promoter. The term "Two by Twos" was in use in Canada by the early 1920sTemplate:Sfn and in the United States by the 1930s.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn In Germany, bynames for the church have included "Die Namenlosen" (the Nameless), "Wahre Christen" (True Christians), "Jünger Jesu" (Disciples of Jesus), and "Freunde" (Friends).Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn In France, they have been known as "Les Anonymes" (the Anonymous, or No-names).Template:Sfn

Though overseers and head workers use registered names when necessary to conduct official business, most members do not associate a formal name with the church.Template:Sfn Instead, they refer to the church as "The Truth", "The Way", "The Jesus Way", or "The Lowly Way". Few members are aware that the church has taken official namesTemplate:Sfn used for church business,Template:Sfn including seeking military exemptions. Registered names vary from nation to nation. In the United States, the name used is "Christian Conventions",Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn but in Canada, "Assemblies of Christians" is used.Template:Sfn In Britain, it is "the Testimony of Jesus",Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn and in Sweden the registered name is "Kristna I Sverige".Template:Sfn "United Christian Conventions" has been used in Australia and other nationsTemplate:Sfn (Australian members previously adopted the name "Testimony of Jesus" during World War I, and registered as "Christian Assemblies" during World War II). The church was also incorporated in Victoria, Australia, as a charity from 1929 until 2019 and held property in trust.Template:Sfn In 1995, controversy arose in Alberta, Canada, when part of the church incorporated as the "Alberta Society of Christian Assemblies". That entity was dissolved in 1996 after its existence became generally known.Template:Sfn

History

Overview

Home churches and prayer meetings of various types have played a longstanding role in cultivating and sustaining personal Christian practices for common people throughout history, both amidst persecution and revival, including the revivals and awakenings in Ireland and Scotland during the 17th and 18th centuries.

In Scotland, 1886, Scottish Evangelist John Govan, inspired by the Holiness movement, founded the interdenominational Faith Mission. Pilgrims went two-by-two to minister in rural areas, “trusting in God for all of their needs.” One of these ministers was William Irvine.

In Ireland, 1893, John Long started a small gospel prayer meeting in his parents home. His religious influences were his mother, who came from a religious family (denomination not reported) and focused on quiet moral living, his father, who converted to Methodism, his grandmother, who he read the Bible with, Church of Ireland day school, and Methodist cottage meetings.

In March, 1897, John Long and William Irvine met. In August 1897, Long organized for Irvine to be allowed a mission in a Methodist church in Nenagh, Ireland; Long referred to this mission as “The Renewal” and “The Inception of the Go Preacher Movement.” Irvine left the Faith Mission due to his belief in an unpaid, faith-based ministry, and not in clergy. Irvine independently held a second mission at Ragmolyon, Co. Meag, Ireland, in September, 1897.

In 1898, Irvine and Long had a Bible study on Mathew 10, concluding Jesus’ instructions to sell all, give to the poor, and join the itinerant ministry outlined in Matthew 10 were still valid instructions today.Template:SfnTemplate:Pn On January 1, 1899, John Long was the first to go out on faith lines. He was joined by William Irvine, Alex Given, Tom Turner, George Walker, and Edward Cooney, who sold all they had, gave to the poor, and went out to preach. Originally, the movement was an unsectarian, nondenominational, non-exclusive revival movement focused on biblical primitivism, a spirit-led call to the work, and an itinerant lay ministry. Church growth was rapid, spreading outside Ireland.Template:SfnTemplate:Pn

Of the three workers most involved in starting the movement, all were soon excommunicated from the developing community. Irvine excommunicated Long (who was the first to preach on faith lines, organized the first revival mission, and urged Irvine to unify the workers while maintaining an unsectarian attitude) for believing there were born-again clergy members. Workers excommunicated Irvine (who led the first two revival missions, brought together the first workers meeting, sectarianized the movement, and later claimed to have been the individual God used to found the movement) in 1914 over doctrinal differences, eschatological beliefs, and prophesying a new order. Workers excommunicated Cooney (who was the first to baptize and organize house churches for converts) over polity differences and his anti-hierarchical stance in 1928.

Cultural Context

State-enforced persecution of Christian nonconformists was introduced to the British Isles by the Roman Empire, where nontrinitarian Christianity was made a criminal offense by the Edict of Thessalonica (381) as imperial legislation enforced Orthodox Trinitarianism codified in AD 325, 381, and 431, at the Councils of Nicaea, Constantinople, and Ephesus. Christian nonconformism to the state church was also criminalized by the United Kingdom, with non-Trinitarian beliefs punishable by death until 1697, and non-trinitarians burned at the stake or executed.

In Ireland, non-Trinitarian belief remained a criminal offense prosecuted under common law blasphemy provisions and punishable by fines, imprisonment, and civil disabilities until the Dissenters (Ireland) Act 1817 (57 Geo. 3. c. 70), which followed the Unitarian Relief Act 1813 in England and Wales in decriminalizing non-Trinitarian worship.

Christians not conforming to the state church were barred from owning property until the Nonconformists’ Chapels Act 1844 (7 & 8 Vict. c. 45).

Civil rights for Christians who were not a member of the state churches, including the right to hold political office, remained restricted by law until 1871.

Educational rights for non-Trinitarians and Christians who were not members of the state Churches were restricted until 1889.

Restorationism

Chandler (1983) reports church members hold to a long-standing view that the church has no earthly founder,Template:Sfn and that they represent the true Christian Church originating directly with Christ during the 1st century AD. Preecs (1983) quoted a worker stating a beginning during the closing years of the 19th century. Jaenen (2003) and Robinson (2005) report members describing a notable resurgence or restoration in the 19th century.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Donald Fisher (1983), a brother worker, writes “a favourite subject of Wm. Jamieson (when the Workers would be gathered in a home) was to tell us that as far back as we could trace this fellowship was unto Wm. Irvine. He spoke openly and freely of all which he knew of Wm. Irvine, etc. What he told us was unto enough people that it would be common knowledge state wide”.Fisher (1983) writes he believes “ ‘faith’ has been keep alive since Jesus day until now.” According to Preecs (1983), brother worker Walter Pollock stated that the fellowship does not make unsubstantiated claims about its origins: "We know that it began with a group of men in the British Isles around the turn of the century. That's as far as we've been able to trace it." Sullivan (2012) wrote “Let me say assuredly that this fellowship we love so dearly was not started by any man. It is not the work of man. God planned this before He laid the foundation of the world, and in His faithfulness He has kept it the same throughout the ages”, describing the oral history of biblical restorationism among a small group of men studying the Bible in Ireland at the end of the 19th century and drawing biblical parallels with “No change from that which was from the beginning.  Simply a renewal.”

Founding

John Long’s journal describes a search for peace attending Methodist and Episcopal churches, and a subsequent calling to return his faith practice to his parents home, where he "started a gospel prayer meeting in the old home" in 1893.

In 1896, William Irvine was sent from Scotland to southern Ireland as a missionary by John George Govan's Faith Mission, an interdenominational organization with roots in the Holiness movement.Template:Sfn Because his mission was successful, he was promoted to superintendent of Faith Mission in southern Ireland.Template:Sfn

Monochrome line drawing depicting two men immersing two others in a river while others watch from a stone embankment

A drawing from 1907 depicting a baptismal rite. Its caption reads "How 'Dippers' are Initiated".Template:Sfn

Within a few months of his arrival in Ireland, Irvine was already disillusioned with the Faith Mission.Template:Sfn There was friction over its Holiness teachings, and Irvine saw its organization as a violation of his concept of a faith-based ministry. Above all, Irvine disagreed with the Faith Mission's cooperation with the other churches and clergy in the various communities of southern Ireland, regarding converts who joined churches as "lost among the clergy".Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn In 1897, he began preaching independently, saying that true ministers must have no home and take no salary.Template:Sfn He became convinced that he had received this as a special revelation he referred to as his "Alpha message". Opposed to all other established churches, he held that the manner in which the disciples had been sent out in chapter 10 of the Gospel of Matthew was a permanent commandment which must still be observed. The passage reads in part:

In October 1897, Irvine was invited by Nenagh businessman John "Jack" Carroll to preach in the Carrolls' hometown of Rathmolyon. There he held a series of mission meetings in which all established churches were rejected, and Irvine's new doctrine and method of ministry were set forth. It was in Rathmolyon that he recruited the first adherents to his new message.Template:Sfn Aside from condemning all other churches, Irvine's doctrine included the rejection of church buildings, damnation of all followers of churches outside the new fellowship, rejection of paid ministry, rejection of collectionsTemplate:Efn-ua during services and collection boxes, and the requirement that those seeking to join the ministry "sell all".

Irvine's preaching during this latest mission influenced others who began to leave their respective churches and join Irvine to form an initial core of followers.Template:Sfn Some of these early adherents would become important members of the new church, including John Long,Template:Efn-ua the Carroll family, John Kelly, Edward Cooney—an influential evangelist from the Church of IrelandTemplate:Sfn—and George Walker (an employee of the Cooney family's fabric businessTemplate:Sfn), all of whom eventually "sold all" and joined the new movement as itinerant preachers. Although other movements, such as the Plymouth Brethren and Elim have had strong Irish connections, the church founded by Irvine is the only religion known to have had its origin and early development in Ireland.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Early growth

Scan of a 1910 newspaper article regarding Tramp Preachers, Doctrines, Methods, Money and Lapses

Extract of an article from The Impartial Reporter and Farmers' Journal from 1910Template:Sfn documenting the early phases of the church. See endnote for link to the full article.Template:Efn-ua

Unlike later secretiveness,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn initially, the church was in the public eye, with questions about it being raised in the British Parliament beginning in 1900. Inspired by speakers such as Irvine and Cooney, membership growth was rapid. Rather than adding members to established denominations, as was the practice of the Faith Mission outreach, churches began noticing their congregations thinning after exposure to the Two by Two missions. Clerics soon began regarding the Two by Two preachers as "inimical to the membership of the church".Template:Sfn After receiving reports from Ireland, the Faith Mission in 1900 formally disassociated itself from Irvine and any of its workers found to be participating in the new Two by Two movement.Template:Sfn

The attention of Belfast newspapers was initially drawn to the Two by Twos church because of its open-air baptismal rites.Template:Sfn At that time, the baptisms took place in public settings such as streams, lakes, or the sea, even in cold weather. Regarded as a novelty, the outdoor "dippings" and accompanying sermons attracted large crowds.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Further attention was given during the staging of large marches through boroughs and public preaching in town squares and on street corners.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Workers, including Edward Cooney and George Walker, publicly preached that all members of other churches were damned.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn They singled out prominent individuals, and even entire communities, for condemnation.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn At times, missions were sited close to the meeting places of other denominations, which were denounced using "extreme language".Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Critics responded to these sermons with heckling, street violence,Template:Sfn and the break-up of families, all of which brought further attention to the church.Template:Sfn Newspapers in Ireland, Britain, and North America followed the disturbances that arose over the church's activities and message. Some hosted debates in their editorial columns.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn One member of Parliament offered to join the Two by Twos if they would cease criticizing other religious bodies.Template:Sfn

As the ranks of its ministry increased, the church's outreach expanded. Large gatherings were held in Dublin, Glasgow and Belfast during 1899. Annual conventions, modeled after the evangelical Keswick Conventions in England,Template:Sfn began to be held regularly in Ireland starting in 1903. Later that year, William Irvine, accompanied by Irvine Weir and George Walker, took his message to North America.Template:Efn-ua Missions to continental Europe, Australia, and Asia followed.Template:Sfn

By 1904, the requirement to "sell all" was no longer mentioned in sermons.Template:Sfn A two-tiered system was instituted that made a distinction between homeless itinerant missionaries (called "workers") and those who were now allowed to retain homes and jobs (called "friends" or "saints").Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Weekly home meetings began to be held and presided over by "elders", who were typically the householder. During the next few years, this change became universal. The church continued to grow rapidly and held regular annual conventions lasting several weeks at a time. Irvine traveled widely during this period, attending conventions and preaching worldwide, and began sending workers from the British Isles to follow up and expand interest in various areas.

Beginning in 1906, attention came in the form of leaflets and billboard notices. W. D. Wilson, an English farmer whose unmarried children had left home and joined the Two by Twos, began publishing articles stating girls were being recruited by the church for immoral purposes.Template:Sfn In response, Edward Cooney brought a widely publicized suit for libel that was resolved by a settlement between the parties by the end of 1913.Template:Sfn

A hierarchy was instituted by Irvine, and his most trusted associates in various regions were designated as "overseers" or "head workers". Each worker was assigned a particular geographical sphere and then coordinated the efforts of the ministry within his area.Template:Sfn Among the overseers were William and Jack Carroll, George Walker, and Willie Gill. Irvine continued to have the ultimate say over worker conduct and finances, and his activities within their fields became regarded as "interference".Template:Sfn Except for such annual conventions as he was able to attend across the globe, communications and instructions from Irvine passed through the overseers.Template:Sfn

Schism

William Irvine's progressive revelation continued to evolve over this time, and eschatological themes began to appear in sermons.Template:SfnTemplate:Efn-ua By 1914, he had begun to preach that the Age of Grace, during which his "Alpha Gospel" had been proclaimed, was coming to a close. As his message turned towards indicating a new era, which held no place for the ministry and hierarchyTemplate:Sfn that had rapidly grown up around the "Alpha Gospel", resentment arose on the part of overseers who saw him as a threat to their positions.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Australian overseer John Hardie was the first to break with Irvine and excluded him from speaking at the South Australia convention in late 1913. As 1914 progressed, he was excluded from speaking in a growing number of regions, as more overseers broke away from him.Template:Sfn Rumors circulated about Irvine's comfortable lifestyle and supposed weakness for women, though nothing concrete was ever exposed.Template:Sfn It was put about that Irvine "had lost the Lord's anointing" in an effort to explain his ouster. He was shunned and his name was no longer mentioned, making him a nonperson in the church he founded.Template:Sfn There were many excommunications of Irvine loyalists in various fields during the following years, and by 1919, the split was final, with Irvine moving to Jerusalem and transmitting his "Omega Message" to his core followers from there. Lacking any organizational means of making his case before the membership, Irvine's ouster occurred quietly.Template:Sfn Most members continued following the overseers, and few outside the leadership knew the details behind Irvine's disappearance from the scene, as no public mention of the split seems to have been made.Template:Sfn Mention of Irvine's name was forbidden, and a new explanation of the group's history was introduced from which Irvine's role was erased.Template:SfnTemplate:Efn-ua

Although the threat posed by Irvine to the church's organization had been dealt with, the prominent worker Edward Cooney refused to place his evangelistic efforts under the control of the overseers. Cooney himself adhered to the earlier, unfettered style of itinerant ministry, moving about wherever he felt he was needed.Template:Sfn He rejected the appointment of head workers to geographic regions and criticized their lifestyles.Template:Sfn He also preached against the "Living Witness" doctrine (i.e., that salvation entails hearing the gospel preached directly by a worker and seeing the gospel made alive in the sacrificial lives of the ministry), the bank accounts controlled by the overseers, use of halls for meetings, conventions, the hierarchy that had developed, and the ministry and the registrations under official names.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn For a time, his message urging a return to the original principles of Matthew 10 gained a following, even among some Australian overseers.Template:Sfn

A second division occurred in 1928 when Edward Cooney was expelled for criticizing the hierarchy and other elements that had arisen within the church, which he saw as serious deviations from the church's original message. The overseers seized upon a failed attempt at performing a faith healing as a pretext to excommunicate him.Template:Sfn Cooney's loyal supporters joined him, including some of the early workers, and they stayed faithful to what they perceived to be the original tenets.Template:Sfn The term "Cooneyite" today chiefly refers to the group which separated (or were excommunicated) along with Cooney and who continue as an independent group. Prior to the schism, onlookers had labeled the entire movement as "Cooneyites" due to Edward Cooney's prominence in the early growth of the church. There are areas where this older usage continues.Template:Sfn

Consolidation

These schisms were not widely publicized, and few were aware that they had occurred. Most supporters of Irvine, and later Cooney, were either coaxed into abandoning those loyalties or put out of the fellowship. Among these were the early workers May Carroll, Irvine Weir (one of the first workers in North America, who was excommunicated for continued contact with Cooney and for his objection to registration of the church under names),Template:Sfn and Tom Elliot (who had conducted baptisms of the first workers and was nicknamed "Tom the Baptist").Template:Sfn

The emergence of the Two by Twos caused severe splits within local Protestant churches in Ireland at a time of increasing demands for Irish independence, largely driven by the Catholic majority community. Because of animosity, the Two by Twos did not form a united front with other Protestant communities.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Although the church was noted for anti-Catholic views, it played a very minor role during the struggle for Irish independence. One exception was the involvement of the Pearson family in the still-controversial killings at Coolacrease.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

In the mid-1920s, a magazine article entitled "The Cooneyites or Go-Preachers"Template:Sfn disturbed the leadership, who made efforts to have it withdrawn,Template:Sfn particularly when material from the article was added to the widely distributed reference Heresies Exposed.Template:Sfn During this period, the church modified its evangelical outreach. The public preaching of its early days was replaced with low-key "gospel meetings", which were attended only by members and invitees. The church began to state that it had a 1st-century origin.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn It asserted that it had no organization or name and disclaimed any unique doctrines. The church shunned publicity, making the church very difficult for outsiders to follow.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Scan of page 3 of a 1942 statement written and signed by overseer George Walker on Christian Conventions stationery which addressed questions posed by the United States Selective Service

Last page of senior overseer George Walker's statement to the U.S. Selective Service in 1942 under the name "Christian Conventions"Template:Efn-ua

The North American church saw a struggle for influence between overseers George Walker in the east and Jack Carroll. In 1928, an agreement was forged between the senior overseers that limited workers operating outside of their appointed geographical spheres, known as "fields": workers traveling into an area controlled by another overseer had to first submit their revelation to,Template:Sfn and obtain permission from, the local overseer. Template:Sfn The exact boundaries between fields was worked out over time, and there were areas where workers under the control of more than one overseer operated, causing conflict.Template:Sfn

During the First World War, the church obtained exemption from military service in Britain under the name "The Testimony of Jesus". However, there were problems with recognition of this name outside the British Isles, and exemption was refused in many other areas. In New Zealand during World War I, members of the church could not prove their conscientious objector status, and formed the largest segment of those imprisoned for refusal to serve.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Members and ministers also had difficulty establishing their conscientious objector status in the United States during the First World War.Template:Sfn With the start of the Second World War, formal names were adopted and used in registering the church with various national governments.Template:Efn-ua These names continued to be used for official business, and stationery bearing those names was printed for the use of overseers. Most members were not aware of these names. Some who dissented after learning of the practice were expelled by the workers.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

After the death of Australian overseer William Carroll in 1953, an attempt was made to reintegrate the repudiated adherents of William Irvine and Edward Cooney. Rather than producing further unity, the attempt produced conflicts over the church's history which was exposed, the existence of legal names, disagreements over the hierarchy which had developed, and other controversies. Many excommunications took place in the subsequent effort to enforce harmony.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

The earliest workers and overseers were succeeded by a new generation of leaders. In Europe, William Irvine died in 1947,Template:Sfn Edward Cooney died in 1960,Template:Sfn and John Long (expelled in 1907) died in 1962. British overseer Willie Gill died in 1951. In the South Pacific, New Zealand overseer Wilson McClung died in 1944, and Australian overseer John Hardie died in 1961. In North America, both Jack Carroll,Template:Sfn the Western overseer, and Irvine Weir died in 1957 while Eastern overseer George Walker died in 1981.Template:Sfn

Its policy of not revealing its name,Template:Dubious span finances,Template:Sfn doctrine, or history,Template:Efn-ua and avoidance of publicityTemplate:Efn-uaTemplate:Sfn largely kept the church from public notice.Template:Sfn The group has been labeled a "high-control group" by some.Template:According to whomTemplate:Sfn A few authors of popular literature have noted the church, even using it as background for various works.

Into the 21st century; abuse cases

File:Two by Two Convention Hall.jpg

Two by Two convention hall in Saginaw, Oregon, in 2018

Divisions, both doctrinal and organizational, within the group have formed throughout its history and continue as ongoing challenges.Template:Sfn

Until the mid 1980s, notes regarding the Two by Twos had appeared infrequently in religious journals and sociological works, with some writers assuming that the church had greatly declined, with nothing published regarding it.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn In 1982, the publication of The Secret Sect was followed by press reports and public statements by former members.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Other books and news coverage dealing with the church appeared in the following decades and increased awareness of the church and its practices. With the exposure of regional differences and the appearance of dissent, a loosening of a few strict standards demanded of members has been observed in some areas.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn A marked decline in membership has occurred over recent decades, coinciding with availability of information on the Internet and elsewhere.Template:Sfn

In April 2019, the Australian current affairs television show 60 Minutes interviewed child sex abuse victims of Australian workers and members. Noel Harvey, Ernie Barry, Chris Chandler, Cecil James Blyth and Greg Aylett were named as having been convicted of sex crimes, mostly against children, and New South Wales Overseer Allan Kitto was accused of covering up child sexual abuse within the organisation. The report stated that victims who complained faced shunning while even convicted perpetrators were protected.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

On 20 March 2023, a letter was released from overseer Doyle S. Smith, (the "Dean Letter") informing members of the discovery of predatory and sexually abusive behavior by recently deceased worker and overseer Dean Bruer.Template:Sfn Since the release of the Dean Letter, other allegations of sexual abuse and child sexual abused have been reported within the church from all over the world, and former minister Robert Corfield admitted that he had sexually abused a boy in Saskatchewan, Canada, over several years in the 1980s.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Numbers of perpetrators have been estimated to number in the hundreds, with several thousand victims identified.Template:Sfn In the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) opened an investigation in 2024.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

In 2023, the Two by Twos' Australasian overseers had issued two letters to members acknowledging incidents of abuse overseas, condemning child abuse and encouraging victims to report abuse to the police. The overseers also announced they would establish an anonymous advisory group to develop child-safe policies and manage the group's response to historical child sexual abuse. In other areas, calls for adoption of an official policy have been rejected or ignored.Template:Sfn In May 2024, the group's Australasian leaders launched a website with information about their response to historical child sexual abuse and a written apology to victims.Template:Sfn Former abuse victims and victim advocate Jillian Hishon have criticized the group's response for lacking impartiality and accountability.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Survivor advocate Laura McConnell-Conti has criticised the Australian Two by Twos for failing to meaningfully engage in the National Redress Scheme which emerged as a result of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, thus depriving victims of compensation.Template:Sfn

In June 2024, the American Broadcasting Company television news program Nightline aired a segment on child sexual abuse cases across the United States. An expanded report aired concurrently on season 2 of the Hulu docuseries Impact X Nightline.Template:Sfn

In September 2024, Radio New Zealand reported that New Zealand Police were assisting the FBI investigation by investigating at least one former New Zealand minister for historical abuse. A former minister William Stephen Easton admitted 55 child sex abuse charges over three decades against young boys. The church has about 2,500 members and 60 ministers in New Zealand.Template:Sfn Peter Lineham of Massey University has been researching the group since the 1970s and said that it had been active in New Zealand for 120 years.Template:Sfn

An American former elder of the church, Raymond Zwiefelhofer, was sentenced to 120 years in prison in November, 2024, for 10 counts of possessing child sexual abuse material.Template:Efn-ua A report published by the BBC in early 2025 covered allegations of women who were pressured into giving up their children for adoption.Template:Sfn

Doctrine

Officially affirmed doctrine

Apart from their hymnals, officially published documentation or church statements are scarce, making it difficult to speak in depth about its beliefs. All the church's teachings are expressed orally, and the church does not publish doctrine or statements of faith.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Workers hold that all church teachings are based solely on the Bible.Template:Efn-uaTemplate:Efn-ua

Quotes

While letters and quotes from individuals are not affirmed by the church as representative, there are several documented that reflect at least the speakers’ doctrine.

Christ

Historical letters suggest early preaching centred on "Christ in you", introducing Jesus as "a common man" and therefore both levelling social distinctions and relatable to the common people. Notes from workers suggest "Jesus was a child, saint, and servent… Jesus was a saint before he was a servant…the pattern for the saints;" "Jesus is the bread of life;" and "Christ is in the heart." "God's greatest message to the world is Christ; Christ the Lamb - our Redeemer ... Christ the Child - our example ... Christ the Lord - our King ... Christ the Master - our Teacher ... Christ the Word - our Authority .. Christ the Light - our Guide ... Christ the Resurrection - our Hope." In notes from one speaker, Jesus is described as having both natures as "Son of God and the Son of man", with his "human nature" "becoming obedient", and "the divine nature was master over the human nature". "Give all hope of the power of the divine nature to give victory over the human nature and be obedient to God in our sphere of obedient service to God as Jesus was obedient in his sphere of service to God."

Salvation

"It is by ‘dying’ to the human ["the pride or selfishness of my own heart"] that we live unto the divine". "You must give yourself to the Lord if you want Him to give Himself to you." "To obtain true peace: Obey the Spirit of Christ in you. God can make us partakers of His Divine Life." Another worker is quoted as stating "Apart from Christ being revealed in the heart, no man can be saved. Their salvation does not consist of walking in the way, of having fellowship with us, but of having Christ governing and ruling their lives from day to day."

Humility, imperfection, and fallibility

Quotes documented in early convention notes include themes of humility, submission, personal revelation, and personal relationship with God:

"There are no perfect preachers in the world and never have been except Jesus, and He was the most found fault with of any man."

"God's way is right, perfect even though all who walk in it are imperfect. If we all turn aside, God's way is still the same and is right and perfect."

"I don't know how long I may continue in the path, but if I ever turn aside, it is not because the way is wrong, but because the pride or selfishness of my own heart would not allow me to continue in it any longer."

External commentary

Former members and critics of the church have made statements about its beliefs, although these points have rarely been publicly responded to by any authorities within the church.Template:Sfn

Theology proper: Monotheism

According to Kropp-Ehrig, the church believes "There is only one God. God is God, the Father, the Creator." This source contains no references.

Christology

The church has rejected the doctrine of the TrinityTemplate:Sfn since its inception.Template:Efn-ua Though members believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, they hold a Unitarian view of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is held as an attitude or force from God. Jesus is God's son, a fully human figure who came to earth to establish a way of ministry and salvation,Template:Sfn but not God himself.Template:Sfn Great stress is laid upon the "example life" of Jesus as a pattern for the ministry.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn According to Piepkorn (1972), “the fellowships views on the Trinity are those commonly held by conservative Christian groups. So are their positions on the deity and humanity of Christ and on the atonement through His death on the cross, published statements of the movements critics notwithstanding.” Former member Kropp-Ehrig (2022) says the orthodox Christian Trinitarian doctrine is rejected.Template:SfnTemplate:Pn

Ecclesiology: Christian simplicity

A catchphrase frequently used to describe the church is: "The church in the home, and the ministry without a home."Template:Sfn Church members and "workers" state that the church does not own any buildings.Template:SfnTemplate:Pn Some church members who own rural or semi-rural properties dedicate them to worship, housing workers, and church gatherings, including conventions and "special meetings".Template:SfnTemplate:Pn The concept of church buildings is still seen as inconsistent with biblical Christianity and was strongly denounced by early workers. Its ministers do not own homes or earn salaries. The church has upheld these practices since its inception.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Buildings specially constructed or repurposed for the use of the church do exist, including convention buildings, meeting halls, tents, caravans, and portable halls.Template:Sfn Rural properties are primarily held and maintained on behalf of the church by certain members.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn However, in recent years, a Northern Irish investment vehicle has been used to purchase English convention property.Template:Sfn A dedicated church building was constructed in Canada early on, but eventually was rejected by Irvine.Template:Sfn

Bibliology

The community affirms the Bible as its only scripture, and the study of the Bible receives prominent focus. In English language services, the King James Version is commonly, though not exclusively, the translation used. Some sources have reference the early workers teaching the Living Witness doctrine, namely that reading the Bible is held as insufficient for salvation unless its words are made alive through the preaching of church ministers.Template:Efn-uaTemplate:According to whom The worker that this was first attributed to clarified in letter that he did not teach the "Living Witness Doctrine", but rather the value for preaching as a way to communicate the word of God. He clarified (a) this was not intended to be exclusive (ie that the preacher had to by of a particular denomination), (b) direct personal revelation was also valid, as exemplified by Paul, and (c) that there was no place in the universe where the voice of God cannot be heard. The extemporaneous preaching of the ministry is considered to be guided by GodTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn and should be shared personally.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Great weight is given to the thoughts of workers, especially more senior workers.Template:Sfn Notes from a workers meeting was leaked in 2024, documenting workers affirming the rejection of the exclusivist formulation of the living witness doctrine (ie that salvation only comes through workers) and highlighting the importance of personal faith over lineage.

The church is exclusivist—all other churches, religions, and ministries are held to be false, and salvation is only obtainable through the Two by Two ministry and meetings.

Hamartiology

Doctrines of predestination and original sin are not endorsed. Template:Efn-ua All people are viewed as imperfect.

Soteriology

According to Piepkorn (1972), “[spiritual] rebirth is seen [by the fellowship] as the indispensable criteria of salvation,” the result of faith in the Word of God. According to Johnson (1995), the community believes salvation requires self-sacrifice (i.e. self-denial; submission to God) in following the example and commandments of JesusTemplate:Efn-ua and suffering is revered.Template:Sfn Salvation is achieved through willingness, faith, following in the way of Christ, and the personal sacrifice of self-denial. These sources and preceding quotes seemingly reflect themes of salvation compatible with God-initiated synergism through submission to God. However, quotes do not clearly reject divine monergism as the ultimate mechanism for self-denial.

Anthropology: practices

Participatory practices

Members attend meetings, pray, and testify at them. According to Piepkorn (1972), “Men and women alike may address the assembly on Bible passages of their own choice, and their understanding and interpretation of the passage is received respectfully.”

Non-charismatic

Although the church has roots in the Holiness movement and has inherited some of its features, charismatic elements are suppressed.Template:Sfn Piepkorn (1973) writes “while the services appear bland…the congregations assemble with eager and quiet expectancy a full quarter of an hour before the scheduled time that the meeting is to begin.”

Collectivism

Piepkorn (1972) observes “there is a strong in-group feeling in the fellowship. Mutual aid, even to the point of sharing possessions in times of need, plays an important part.”

Non-conformity to the world

Other standards include modest dress, not wearing jewelry, long hair for women and short hair for men, not getting piercings, not dying hair, not getting a tattoo, and nonconformity to the world: avoiding activities deemed to be worldly or frivolousTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn (such as smoking, drinking alcohol, watching television, and viewing motion pictures).

Separation from the world

The use of television, social media sites, and other mass media is discouraged in some areas, based on the stance of the local workers and overseers.

Cultural variability

Standards and practices vary geographically: for example, in some areas, wine is used in Sunday meetings; in other areas, grape juice is used; in some areas, people who have divorced and remarried are not allowed to participate in meetings, particularly women, while in others they may. Some external standards in dress and conduct have been loosened in recent years in response to criticisms.Template:SfnTemplate:Speculation inline While rules are not strictly 'enforced' and vary between families, the church values dedication to the doctrine.Template:According to whom

The church has been reported to condemn pre-marital relations and LGBTQ identities Template:According to whom

Sacramentology

Baptism

Believer’s Baptism by immersion is considered a necessary step for salvation and full participation, including re-baptism of persons baptized by other churches. According to an unnamed letter attributed to a member of the church, a minister "in fellowship with Jesus" “ who had been willing to follow Jesus in his Way” can baptize. Baptism has been described in letters by workers as symbolic of burial (ie dying to the "old self"), new life, and a sacred vow. Candidates approved by the local workers are baptized by immersion. Baptisms are often scheduled for one morning during a Convention and are typically performed in small ponds on the property. Families and onlookers gather, pray, and sing hymns during the ceremony, as led by a worker.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Baptism is conducted “in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

Communion

Communion is shared weekly, with bread and wine (or grape juice) personally taken by members in Sunday morning meetings. "Each individual decides if he/she is worthy [to partake] or not."

Apostolic appointment by Spirit

John Long, who helped form the movement in the late 19th century, wrote in his journal a Bible study on ordainment/ appointment, writing “Conversion and the Holy Spirit are the essential qualifications for the ministry of the word…” and “every believer is ordained” (1893). He discusses spirit-led appointment over ecclesiastical credentialism or formal church employment, in the context of the requirement at the time among Protestants and Roman Catholics that appointing required formal seminary education. Piepkorn (1972) writes workers believe they have apostolic succession and authority, and states “since the servants literally "live the life" that Christ commanded, going out two by two with nothing in their hands or pockets, their unqualified commitment tends to provide moral support for their authority.”

Terminology

The following are terms used by the church in English-speaking countries with the definitions giving the sense commonly intended and understood by members.Template:Efn-ua

Template:Nobold

Generally refers to a small local group that meets in a home; can refer to a larger group of believers. This term is never used to refer to a building except for church buildings of other denominations. Used colloquially when talking to strangers to refer to Sunday/Wednesday activity, e.g., "I'll be at church until midday." Some regions choose not to use this word at all, emphasizing the church's separation from other mainstream beliefs.

Template:Nobold

A gathering of members held in members' homes or rented buildings.

Template:Nobold

A geographical region to which workers have been assigned (similar to parishes)

Template:Nobold

A series of larger meetings known as gospel meetings, the function of which is proselytizing.

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Adherent or member of the laity. Collectively "the friends" or "the saints".

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To make a public declaration of one's willingness to become a member is generally a sign that a person may participate in the prayer and testimony sections of Wednesday night and Sunday morning meetings or at designated testimony times in larger gatherings. Professing constitutes an intermediate stage. Following baptism, the partaking of bread and grape juice (or wine) is also permitted, which occurs between the elder's testimony and the final hymn in some fields.

Template:Nobold

A chairman of a local meeting. Usually, the male head of the house in which meetings are held. The bishop/elder is typically the person in charge of calling the start of the meeting. The deacon is considered an alternative to the elder in some areas.

Template:Nobold

Terms used to denote the church's semi-itinerant, homeless ministers. These are unmarried (several exceptions were made during the first half of the 20th century to allow married couples to enter the ministry) and do not have any formal training. Workers go out in same-sex pairs (hence the term "Two by Two"), consisting of a more experienced worker with a junior companion.

Template:Nobold

The senior worker in charge of a geographic area roughly corresponds to the position of a bishop in Catholicism. No hierarchical position is higher than overseer—such as a pope—which might guarantee doctrinal and practical unanimity.

Template:Nobold

Any person who has not 'professed' per the church's processes and is therefore deemed to be 'outside' of God's fold

Template:Nobold

A broad term used to describe all people not involved in the church, including those in other religions

Practice and structure

Practice

Primitivist and restorationist tradition

As described by William Irvine, adherents "seek to follow the pattern given by Jesus and the apostles and keep close to the practices of the early Church, as there are so many different interpretations." This reflects a primativist/restorationist tradition, differentiated by reformationists as they did not see their movement as novel, but consistent with the early Christian church in the Acts of the Apostles.

Communication

While distributed, the community network is cohesive. According to Piepkorn (1972), “communication within the fellowship is very good and makes extensive use of personal contacts and mail.”

Ministry

Oral tradition

According to a newspaper opinion piece reporting on the ministry in 1910, ministers believe salvation (through Christ) is offered to those who have spiritual life. It describes a belief that spiritual life is shared through the gospel preached by its ministers (typically called workers), and by observing their sacrificial lives.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn During the early years, this requirement was referred to as the "Living Witness Doctrine", though that term is no longer used. The minister must be heard and observed in person, rather than by broadcasts, recordings, books or tracts, or other indirect communication.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Voluntary poverty

The church's ministerial structure is based on Jesus' instructions to his apostles found in Matthew chapter 10, verses 8–16 (with similar passages in Mark and in Luke). The church's view is that, following these Biblical examples, its ministers have no permanent dwelling places, minister in pairs, sell all and go out with only minimal worldly possessions, and rely only upon hospitality and generosity.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Most ministers receive their support and income directly from lay members, and have no fixed address except for mail collection.Template:Sfn

Lay ministers

The option of entering the ministry is open to every baptized member. It has been many decades since married people were accepted into the ministry. Female workers operate in the same manner as male workers. They do not hold the position of overseer and do not lead meetings when a male worker is present.Template:Sfn

Workers do not engage in any formal religious training. Overseers pair new workers with senior companions until they are deemed ready to move beyond a junior position.Template:Sfn The workers are assigned new companions annually.Template:Sfn

According to notes from a workers meeting, "there are three words that govern the life of a worker: Love of God, Dying Life, and Slave."

Roles

Workers organize and assign members to the home meetings, appoint elders, and decide controversies among members. Workers are not registered marriage celebrants, so members are married by secular functionaries (such as a justice of the peace). However, workers will give sermons and prayers at members' weddings if requested, and they officiate at the funerals of members.

Gatherings

The church holds several types of gatherings throughout the year in various locations.Template:Efn-ua According to notes attributed to an elder, "the purpose of our meeting is to worship. One meaning of worship is "our whole being going out to God". The chorus of hymn number 243 describe: "worship". "Gladly yielding all, moved by love divine." We come to meeting to give ourselves again because of the love and gratitude in our hearts."

Template:Nobold

A Gospel meeting is the gathering that is most likely to be open to those considered to be "outsiders".Template:Sfn At one time, Gospel meetings were typically held in tents, set up by workers as they traveled; they are now most commonly held in a rented space.Template:Efn-ua Gospel meetings are held to attract new members, though professing members typically make up the majority of attendees. The Gospel meeting consists of a period of quiet, followed by congregational singing (often accompanied by piano) of selected hymns, and then sermons delivered by the church's workers. Gospel meetings are regularly scheduled for portions of the year in areas where the group is well-established. They may also be held when a worker believes there may be people in the region who would be receptive to the church's message.

Template:Nobold

Participation in this closed meeting is generally restricted to members. It is usually held in the home of an elder, and consists of a cappella singing from the regular hymnal,Template:Sfn partaking of communion emblemsTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn (a piece of leavened bread and a cup of wine or grape juice),Template:Sfn prayer and sharing of testimonies by members in good standing.Template:Sfn Members are expected to be silent and arrive fifteen minutes early.

Template:Nobold

Participation in this closed meeting is generally restricted to members, and is usually held in the home of an elder each Wednesday evening. Members are assigned a list of Bible verses or a topic of study for consideration during the week, for discussion at the next meeting. As the meeting progresses, each member shares thoughts regarding the scripture or topic. Thoughts are shared by individual members in turn, and members do not engage in discussions during the meeting. The Bible study meeting includes hymns and prayers.

Template:Nobold

This is a monthly gathering of several congregations, and follows the format of the Sunday morning meetings. Union meetings are not open to the public.

Template:Nobold

Special meetings are annual gatherings of members from a large area. Each is held as a private gathering, often in a rented hall. Special meetings last a single day, and include sermons by local and visiting workers. The sermons are interspersed with prayers, hymns, and testimonies.

Template:Nobold

These annual events are attended by members from within a larger geographical area than for the special meetings. These services generally follow the format used for special meetings. Conventions are held over several days, usually in rural areas on properties with facilities to handle housing, feeding, and other necessities for those who attend. There are typically crude male and female dormitories, a dormitory for the Workers, and male and female communal bathrooms with simple showers. Conventions are not open to the public, although outsiders often attend by invitation. Although not now usual, members were at one time segregated by sex during services.Template:Sfn

Template:Nobold

These gatherings are not open to either the public or general membership. Attendance and participation are restricted to workers and certain invited members. The meeting may be a regular Bible study, or it may be used to disseminate any instructions from senior workers or to issue decisions about controversial matters. They are held during conventions, or as necessary. These meetings include prayer, a period for testimonies from any workers wishing to share, and may include statements by senior workers in attendance.

Organization

Members state that the church does not have a formal organization. There is no system of government in which members participate. According to Johnston (1995), members “seem unaware that a system of government even exists.”Template:Efn-ua Although in the early years of the church a headquarters was maintained in Belfast,Template:Sfn no official headquarters currently exist and the church remains largely unincorporated. Both expenditures and funds are not reported to the membership and no accounting is made public.Template:Sfn Funds are handled through stewardships, trusts, and cash transactions.Template:Efn-ua The church does not run any external outreach programs.

No materials are published by the church for outside circulation other than invitations to open Gospel meetings.Template:Sfn Printed materials are published for circulation among the members and include sermon notes, convention notes, Bible study lists, convention lists, and worker lists.Template:Sfn In recent years, contact details of members, including phone numbers and home addresses, have been compiled into booklets. These booklets are treated as highly confidential and available for workers' use only. Some members of the group refuse to provide their details for these booklets, in the name of privacy. Some members of the group see the internal dissemination of worker letters as continuing the practice of the early Church and the epistolary work of the original apostles.Template:Sfn

Polity

Overseer positions have oversight of a specific geographic region; these positions consist of senior male workers. Under each senior overseer are male head workers who have oversight of a single state, province or similar area, depending on the country. These head workers handle the two-by-two pairing and field assignments of workers for that area.

Each pair of workers has charge over several local meetings with the senior worker of the two having authority over his junior.

Elders host local meetings and report to the workers.

Correspondence such as reporting, finances, and instructions are often communicated according to the set hierarchy.Template:Sfn The administration of the church and its annual process of assigning of workers to fields are rarely discussed among the membership.Template:Sfn

Hymnals

The church's first hymnal, The Go-Preacher's Hymn Book, was compiled by 1909Template:Sfn and contained 125 hymns. The English-language hymn book currently used is Hymns Old and NewTemplate:Sfn and was first published in 1913Template:Sfn with several subsequent editions and translations. It contains 412 hymns, many of which were written or adapted by workers and other members of the church, and is organized into "gospel" and "fellowship" hymns.Template:Sfn A smaller, second hymnal, also titled Hymns Old and New, consists of the first 170 songs found in the full hymnal. Another version of the hymnal contains words without musical notation and is used primarily by children and those who cannot read music.Template:Sfn Hymnals in other languages, such as "Himnos" in Spanish, contain many hymns translated from the English and sung to the same tunes, as well as original non-English compositions.

References

Journals, newspapers, periodicals

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