The Jesus Name Movement

Although the theological doctrine of "One God" manifestly revealed  as, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, has been taught since the inception of Christianity, (30 A.D.) the Church has  had to endure many hardships, trials, and persecutions throughout the centuries. While at first, the persecutions were physical, they were initiated as the result of the religious shift from Judaism to Christianity.

Beginning from within the Jewish community and the Sanhedrin court, the persecution soon mounted into an all out attack from the Roman government as well. Then, after Constantine became Emperor of Rome, his attraction to Christianity would eventually turn into a religious war against some of the traditional doctrinal positions of the early church that were taught by Jesus himself and the apostles. Namely, the validity of water baptism in Jesus' name during the Nicene Council in 325 A.D., as Constantine I confered the new baptismal formula of the titles, "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost" upon the Christian movement.

Then, in 381 A.D. the Council of Constantinople, completely outlawed any form of religious practice other than those formulated and adopted by the emerging religious regime of Roman Christianity. It was at the Council of Constantinople that Emperor "Theodious I" introduced the doctrine of the "Trinity", and by pure force of the State, made it the the only recognized doctrine allowed to be practiced by Christians. Thus, any other theological practices such as "Monarchianism or Arianism" were considered unlawful, and were punishable by severe persecution, imprisonment, and even death.

This caused many Christians to seek liberty of worship in un-orthodox methods. Apostolic Christians were literaly forced to go "underground" to practice their beliefs. For centuries, they had truy become a secret society. History bears out that the world has never gone without a witness to the Apostolic truths and practices. Some stalwart believers refused to seclude themselves, choosing to take the highroad, by practicing "Apostolicism" in the open. Untold throngs of Apostolic Christians, suffered, and were put death by the "Roman Papacy" especialy during the Inquisition Periods. Over the centuries, the "Apostolic" message became somewhat less realized, especialy during the "Protestant Reformation" as the "Reformers" without fear or favor began developing methodologies of religious freedom in their quest to break free from the Church of England and its Catholic practices.  

 Although the Pentecostal experience became a valid force for "Denominational Christianity" to recon with in 1901, (due to the "Great" Spiritual Outpouring of the Holy Ghost at "Stones Folley" in Topeka, Kansas, and the spreading of its impact)  - It was not until 1913, that water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ became an imposing doctrine, just as it was during the early days of the apostles.

The late Frank J. Ewart wrote: "At the great world-wide camp meeting held in Arroyo Seco, California in 1913, there were hundreds of preachers present from all over the nation and Canada." One day a preacher spoke from the passage in Jeremiah 31:22. The very suggestion of God's doing a new thing struck fire in the minds and hearts of the saints, and from then on to the end of the camp, one could hear expressions of hope that God would soon do a new thing for His people. The new thing was exhibited to those who had ears and eyes to perceive it.

The occasion was a baptismal service in the pool near the big tent. Brother Scott had selected Evangelist R.E. McAlister to preach on the subject of water baptism...He concluded his sermon abruptly by saying, "The apostles invarariably baptized their converts once in the name of Jesus Christ; that the words Father, Son, and Holy Ghost were never used in Christian baptism." In this camp meeting there was a man by the name of John G. Scheppe, who spent an entire night in prayer. During the night, God revealed to him  insight concerning baptism in the "Name" of Jesus.