Church of the Little Children of Jesus Christ
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The Church of the Little Children of Jesus Christ is a small Sabbatarian Pentecostal body of Christians in the United States and Canada.
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Background
The Church of the Little Children of Jesus Christ began in 1921¹, through the work of John Quincy Adams² (1891-1951). Adams was born in Abbott, Texas. After graduating from Baylor University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, he became the pastor of a Southern Baptist Convention church in Dallas, Texas. Adams also served for the convention as the Regional Education Director over Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana. He taught Greek, Latin and English. When Adams accepted Pentecostal/holiness type doctrines, and "a fuller understanding of the Scriptures", he was disfellowshipped by the Baptists.
Faith and Practice
Doctrines of this church include the unity of one God (Unitarianism); the inspired infallible original texts of God's Word as the final authority of faith and practice; receiving the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues; the premillennial return of Christ; observance of the weekly seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath, new moon sabbaths, and feast days (Pentecost, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles). The church rejects the idea of a Trinity, and the observing of days such as Christmas, Easter and Valentines Day. Salvation is available through Jesus to those who are obedient to His commandments.
Church Name
John Quincy Adams had a number of followers, but did not formally organize a new denomination. After his death, the group remembered a dream of one of its members, and based on that dream, took a name to further identify themselves: "Many times they were asked, 'To what church do you belong?' They always replied, 'We don't belong to any church--We just follow Jesus'. One night one of them dreamed that when asked this question, she replied, 'I belong to the church of the Little Children of JESUS CHRIST!'" Church members usually write the church name as "Church of the little children of JESUS CHRIST" or "church of the little children of Jesus Christ".
Status
The Church of the Little Children of Jesus Christ maintains a minimum of organization and does not keep membership rolls. Therefore statistics are not available. The last count from the Encyclopedia of American Religions reported "in the early 1970s...eight congregations and fewer than 100 members..." in Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Montana, Wyoming, and Saskatchewan. The church also engages in fellowshipping with other Sabbatarian congregations existing outside of organized religious groups, so the network of this church is much broader than its own congregations. Activities of the church include personal community evangelism by members; a monthly newsletter (known as The Gathering Call); a tape ministry; an internet ministry; and publication of the writings by John Quincy Adams. The Prophetic Word and Great Memorial Days are two of Adams' books that formulate much of the doctrine of the church. Services among the churches of the Little Children of Jesus Christ generally consist of praise and worship through singing, an extended time of prayer, interactive Bible study, sermons, and testimonies.
External links
- Church of the Little Children of Jesus Christ (http://www.childrenofjesus.org/) - official Web Site
- Church of the Little Children of Jesus Christ (http://www.adherents.com/Na/Na_221.html#1093) - on Adherents.com
- Green Pastures Gazette (http://www.ctcog.com/grnpstr00/gz22pg03.html) - an online Church of God paper with some affiliation to the Church of the Little Children of Jesus Christ
Reference
- Encyclopedia of American Religions, J. Gordon Melton, editor
Footnotes
- 1. Melton gives 1916: the "Church of the Little Children...was formed in 1916 by John Quincy Adams (1890-1951) in Abbott, Texas, following his withdrawal from the Baptist ministry..." – EAR
- 2. This John Q. Adams should not to be confused with John Quincy Adams (1825-1881), another Baptist minister and author of Baptists the Only Thorough Religious Reformers (http://www.reformedreader.org/history/adams/btrtoc.htm) in 1876.