Church History Timeline: the 1900's and beyond: United States of America

January 1: A group of students from the Bethel Bible College in Topeka, KS, gathered on December 31 to pray in the new year and to try to understand Acts 2 and speaking in tongues. After midnight, Agnes Ozmen began speaking in tongues. Others in the group began to speak in tongues afterwards. This is the beginning of the Pentecostal Movement.

William Seymour held a Pentecostal Revival at the Azusa Street Mission, Los Angeles. This revival popularized the Pentecostal movement.

In response to the perceived attacks on Christianity (see the list at the end of the 1800s), many denominations began drawing up lists of beliefs which were they believed were unassailable. For example, in 1910 the General Assembly of the Northern Presbyterian Church published a "Doctrinal Deliverance" which listed five required beliefs: the inerrancy (no mistakes) of the Bible, the virgin birth of Christ, his sacrifice for sins on the cross, his bodily resurrection, and his miracles.

The 1910 World/Edinburgh Missionary Conference held. Some consider this the beginning of the ecumenical movement. Representatives from many different denominations gathered to discuss commonalities and purposes.

Publication of The Fundamentals. This twelve-volume series included articles which defended many of the basic Christian ideas and doctrines which had come under attack. Three million free copies were sent out.

Charles Taze Russell died. He founded the Jehovah's Witnesses.

Billy Graham born.

The word "fundamentalist" is coined.

The Soviet Union formed. It was the first nation whose goals include the elimination of religion.

Scopes "Monkey" Trial. John Scopes was arrested for teaching evolution in Tennessee, which had a law against teaching evolution in public schools. At the trial he was found guilty but the verdict was overturned because of a technicality. The main result from the trial was that those who were fundamentalists were painted as ignorant and against education in the press. Therefore the fundamentalists, who knew they were rejected and even mocked in the public opinion, turned to building Bible colleges, focused on the churches, and producing their own literature. They would again gain the nation's attention with the Moral Majority of the 1980s.

Several smaller Methodist denominations merged and formed the Methodist Church.

World War II.

Wycliffe Bible Translators is founded.

The Christian Airmen's Aviation Fellowship was formed. This would eventually be renamed as Mission Aviation Fellowship.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer murdered on order of Hitler. He died 23 days before the Nazis surrendered to the Allied powers. Bonhoeffer wrote The Cost of Discipleship.

The World Council of Churches was founded. The various denominations represent over 500 million people.

Israel became a nation.

Thomas Merton published The Seven Storey Mountain. It is a Catholic spiritual classic.

Billy Graham's breakthrough revival in Los Angeles; this propelled him to national attention.

The Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa's Order, approved.

Bill Bright founded Campus Crusade for Christ (now CRU). This is one of the largest Evangelical organizations in the USA.

Billy Graham and others began Christianity Today.

The Charismatic Movement began.

Vatican II. This Council of the Catholic Church focused on modernizing many of the Catholic Church's practices. For example, the Mass (worship service) prior to Vatican II was in Latin, after Vatican II it was held in the local language.

Pope John XXIII died. Pope Paul VI became pope.

Ralph Carmichael is known as the Father of Contemporary Christian Music; he founded Light Records, a music publishing company, in this year to promote a new style of music. This music would become known as Contemporary Christian Music.

Bill Gaither quit his job teaching English to focus on producing Christian music full-time.

The United Methodist Church is formed when the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Church merge.

The first year for the Dove Awards.

Liberty University founded as Lynchburg Baptist College by Jerry Falwell.

The New International Version of the New Testament is published.

Bill Hybels founded Willow Creek Community Church. This is considered one of the first churches to use the megachurch model (using a business model to run the church, using cell groups or in-home Bible studies, have 2000+ members, etc.)

Jimmy Carter, the first president who claimed to have been born again, elected president.

The New International Version of the Old Testament is published.

Pope Paul VI died (6 Aug).
Pope John Paul became pope (26 Aug).
Pope John Paul I died (28 Sep).
Pope John Paul II became pope (16 Oct).

Rick Warren founded Saddleback Church.

The New King James Version Bible is published.

The Soviet Union fell.

Mother Teresa died.

Joel Osteen became the senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, TX. Today it is the largest church in America with over 47,000 members and millions who watch on television.

Rockbridge Seminary, one of the first totally online seminaries, founded.

Pope John Paul II died. Pope Benedict XVI became pope.

Pope Benedict XVI resigned. Pope Francis I became pope.