Page "Missionary Church" Paragraph 6

The Missionary Church ( and the movements that formed it ) has experienced three divisions — the withdrawal of several leaders from the Missionary Church Association in 1923 over disagreements concerning the Holy Spirit ; in 1947 the Pennsylvania Conference of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ withdrew over issues of doctrine and polity, and in 1959 became the Bible Fellowship Church ; and the Missionary Church of Canada withdrew from the Missionary Church in 1987 ( and merged with the Evangelical Church of Canada in 1993 to form the Evangelical Missionary Church ).

The first two divisions occurred because of doctrinal differences, while the third was a friendly separation in response to legal issues pertaining to the church existing in two nations, the United States and Canada.