History of the Church part II

The Church was relatively unorganized during its first 300 years of existence. It was more of an organism than an organization. About 500 AD the world entered the period known as the Dark Ages. For almost 1000 years truth and knowledge was lost or hidden. What the Church had been and what it accomplished during the first 300 years were nearly wiped out by ignorance, greed and superstition.

However, it was the Roman Catholic Church that held the Truth that Jesus was the Son of God, born of the virgin, and that He died for our sins, and rose again the Third Day. If it had not been for the Roman Catholic Church and the Truth it held most of the world would have been under a Moslem religion today. We need to thank God for the Church!

During the Reformation period, beginning in the 1500's, God began restoring Truth to the Church. It has continued to this day. God is still restoring the Church. It is not yet what it was in its first 300 years. And today we still battle greed, ignorance and superstition. If you do not think so simply turn on the TV some Sunday morning and run through the myriad of "preachers", (some of whom are truly sincere I grant) , many of whom are simply making a living by "marketing and selling" Jesus. God forgive us for allowing greed, politics and superstition in His Body, which He purchased with His own Blood.

DATE	The Happening
35 AD ?	On Pentecost the Church is born - the First Church is established in Jerusalem - James is the leader (Acts 15:3, 19)
313	Rome becomes the Holy City
1054	The Church splits into Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox
1100's	The Wandensians and the Albagenses try to call the Church back to the Scriptures. Persecution breaks out against them.
1517	Martin Luther takes his stand against certain Church practices and is branded a heretic.
1500's	Church of England breaks away from Papal rule.
1500's	John Knox is used to raise up the Church of Scotland (Presbyterian Church)
1600's	The Puritan movement tries to "cleanse" the Church of England. Persecution breaks out and many flee to America.
1600's	The Anabaptist Movement (Brethren and the Mennonite groups)
1730's	John Wesley starts his "Holy Club" beginning the Methodist movement.
1865	The Salvation Army - evangelism on the streets.
1880's	The Christian & Missionary Alliance - beginning the "healing" movement
1900	The "tongues" movement - the outpouring of the Holy Spirit - first in Topeka, KS and in 1906 in Los Angeles, CA. the beginning of the Pentecostal movement.
1950	The Latter Rain movement starting in Canada
1960's	The Charismatic movement, breaking out of the organized Pentecostal realms into other Churches.

Since the Charismatic movement there has not been a nation-wide move that has been recognized. Many have tried to start something (so-called "Prophets and Apostles" movements, or things centered around certain manifestations.) All have never impacted the world like the movements listed above. The main reason? Jesus did not start it or lead it.