General Assembly and Church of the First Born
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General Assembly and Church of the First Born (often shorted to Church of the First Born) is an American Christian body without church headquarters or paid clergy. It was formed in 1907 and is composed of approximately 6000 members in 30 loosely-affiliated congregations across the United States, with concentrations in California and Oklahoma.
Members of the General Assembly and Church of the First Born congregations generally believe in a triune god, believe the concept of original sin, and assert that man can be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. There are four "ordinances" of the church: faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism by immersion, and laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Spirit. The group believes in the gifts of the Spirit and hold the Lord's Supper in conjunction with footwashing, but it does not believe in seeking medical help from physicians.
Elders oversee local congregations, but no formal membership rolls are kept and congregations are organized very informally.
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- J. Gordon Melton (1996, 5th ed.). Encyclopedia of American Religions (Detroit, Mich.: Gale) p. 379.
The General Assembly and Church of the First Born (often shortened to just “Church of the First Born” are a very old denomination. Many believe that they existed prior to the reformation. A book in the Rare Books Library of University of Texas Call No. 826 G389 Vol 1&2 by Guildon published in 1701 lists 40 different religions as that time. It states "The Church of the First Born are the heirs of Salvation and they are above ordinances, and wal here as if they were above. Christ is so united to them that He is in them; their tenants are much the same with the preceding. They meet at any house of their members, where after a silent contemplation, they break forth in Ejaculations of joy and the Transports of the other Life; of their Communion with Saints and Angels in Heaven, and the privilegs they enjoy here where they are pilgrims adn sojourners. They hold themselves nearer related to them that are of their opinion than by any tie of birth; and therefore, bestow the greatest part of their Estate on the former. Some call them visionaries, revelation men, and Behemenist from Jacob Behemen whose tenants they follow in many things. Their Divinity is about the most mysterious things explaining the Trinity, the Nature of God and Angels." - - The group began acquiring physical church buildings in the 1890s. According the 2006 General Assembly and Church of the First Born Directory of Churches, today there are at least 121 congregations across the United States with concentrations in Oklahoma, Indiana, and Colorado. They are loosely affiliated with no national headquarters. Beliefs vary widely from one congregations to the other. Most congregations are strict fundamentalists and hold the following common beliefs: belief in a triune God, belief in original sin, belief in salvation by grace. Most congregations have the following common practices: baptism by immersion in water followed by the laying on of hands and prayer for the Holy Spirit, communion often accompanied by washing of one another's feet, greeting of fellow believer's often with a holy kiss, and no paid ministry. A minority of congregations believe in a prohibition against seeking medical care from a physician and the taking of medications.
[edit] References
2006 General Assembly and Church of the First Born Directory of Churches
