Two by Twos (English Wikipedia)

60 Minutes 2019. Healy, Alyssa; Nine Network staff (21 April 2019). "All by myself, The truth hurts, Mrs cricket". 60 Minutes. Season 2019. Nine Network. Retrieved 20 April 2019. Ross Bowden was also born into the religion, which has been operating for more than 100 years and has 10,000 members in Australia. The preachers, or workers, as they're called, travel in pairs. Giving up all their possessions, they take a vow of celibacy and, bizarrely, live and preach inside worshippers homes.

anotherstep.net

AnotherStep. "'Kristna I Sverige' (Christians in Sweden) was constituted. 1992-10-01 in Stockholm". AnotherStep.net. Archived from the original on 12 September 2007. Retrieved 14 June 2009.

archive.org

The church does not publish any membership statistics; outside researchers give a wide range of estimates. In part, this depends on who is included as a member (children of members, unbaptized participants, lapsed members, etc) and whether the metric estimates are based upon known numbers of annual conventions, numbers of ministers, etc. One researcher has said that people on the fringes of church membership can be up to twenty times the number of regular members.(Hosfeld & 17 August 1983, pp. 1–2) During the 1980s, The Sydney Morning Herald gave an estimate of between 1 and 4 million members worldwide,(Gill & 30 June 1984, p. 37) while a 2001 estimate put Australian membership at 70,000.(Giles & 25 July 2001, p. 014) A sociology masters thesis from 1964 estimated U.S. membership at 300,000 to 500,000 and world membership as between 1 and 2 million.(Crow 1964, pp. 2, 16) Benton Johnson updated the metrics to arrive at a figure of 48,000 to 190,000 for the United States alone.(Johnson 1995, pp. 43–44) George Chryssides states that membership numbers are uncertain, giving an estimate for the United States during 1998 as ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 and a worldwide membership probably three times that figure.(Chryssides 2001b, pp. 330–331) The World Christian Encyclopedia shows the group in the United States growing from 100,000 in 1970 to 270,000 in 1990, while during the same period, Australian membership declined from 150,000 to 100,000.(Barrett, Kurian & Johnson 2001, pp. 85, 785) A 2022 source cited a worldwide decline of 38% in the number of ministers and up to a 40% decline in members since 1980.(Kropp-Ehrig 2022, p. 497) Figures from other sources fall within this same wide range. Hosfeld, Kathleen (17 August 1983). "Criticism clouds church's gathering". Skagit Valley Herald. Mount Vernon, Washington. Gill, Alan (30 June 1984). "The Most Secret Society in the World". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, Australia. Giles, Tanya (25 July 2001). "Secretive Sect Leader Dies". Herald Sun. Melbourne, Australia. Crow, Keith W. (March 1964). The Invisible Church (Thesis). Eugene, Oregon: Department of Sociology, University of Oregon. Johnson, Benton (1995). "Christians in Hiding: The 'No Name' Sect". In Bromley, David G.; Neitz, Mary Jo; Goldman, Marion S. (eds.). Sex, Lies and Sanctity: Religion and Deviance in Contemporary North America. Vol. 5. Greenwich, Connecticut: JAI Press. ISBN 978-1-55938-904-4. Chryssides, George D. (2001b). "Two by Twos". Historical Dictionary of New Religious Movements. Lanham, Maryland and London: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-4095-9. Kropp-Ehrig, Cherie (2022). Preserving the Truth: The Church without a Name and Its Founder, William Irvine. Dallas, Texas: Clarion Call Publishing. ISBN 979-8-985-62501-1.
"Two by twos use the Bible as their sole source of authority and have developed no statement of belief apart from Scriptures. They practice the Lord's Supper (communion) weekly and practice believer's baptism, rebaptizing new members. Their lifestyle includes modesty of appearance, avoidance of worldly activities such as watching television, and usually pacificism." —George D. Chryssides (Chryssides 2001b, p. 330). Chryssides, George D. (2001b). "Two by Twos". Historical Dictionary of New Religious Movements. Lanham, Maryland and London: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-4095-9.
Mann 1955, p. 15. Mann, William E. (1955). Sect, Cult and Church in Alberta. Toronto, Ontario: University of Toronto Press.
Borhek & Curtis 1979, p. 69. Borhek, James T.; Curtis, Richard Farnsworth, eds. (1979). A Sociology of Belief. New York, New York: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-471-08895-0.
Sanders 1969, p. 166. Sanders, John Oswald (1969). Cults and Isms. London, United Kingdom: Lakeland. ISBN 978-0-551-00458-0.
Enroth 1992, p. 133. Enroth, Ronald M. (1992). Churches That Abuse. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House. ISBN 978-0-310-53299-6.
Walker 2007, p. 118. Walker, James K. (2007). The Concise Guide to Today's Religions and Spirituality. Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7369-2011-7.
Walker 2007, p. 118. Walker, James K. (2007). The Concise Guide to Today's Religions and Spirituality. Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7369-2011-7.
Wilkens 2007, p. 132. Wilkens, Steve (2007). "A Church with No Name". The Original Dr. Steve's Almanac of Christian Trivia: A Miscellany of Oddities, Instructional Anecdotes, Little-Known Facts and Occasional Frivolity. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press. ISBN 978-0-8308-3438-9.
Walker 2007, p. 117. Walker, James K. (2007). The Concise Guide to Today's Religions and Spirituality. Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7369-2011-7.
Mann 1955, p. 110. Mann, William E. (1955). Sect, Cult and Church in Alberta. Toronto, Ontario: University of Toronto Press.
Chryssides 2001b, p. 330. Chryssides, George D. (2001b). "Two by Twos". Historical Dictionary of New Religious Movements. Lanham, Maryland and London: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-4095-9.

archive.today

John Long (1872–1962) traced his conversion experience to a mission held by Methodist evangelist Gabriel Clarke in 1890. He became a colporteur for the Methodists in Ireland, where he encountered William Irvine. He eventually joined Irvine's workers, until publicly expelled in 1907 for disagreeing with the group's exclusivist position (Robinson 2005, p. 36). Long returned to his work as a colporteur (Lennie 2009, p. 426) and joined the Elim evangelists for a time. From there he went on to become a noted Pentecostal preacher in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England (Robinson 2005, p. 36). The editor of Heresies Exposed included a correction by Long of the name of the church's original leader and the year of its founding in 1897 (Irvine 1929, p. 73(fn)). He also left his memoirs (in journal form, though redacted many years later) (Long 1927). Robinson, James (2005). Pentecostal Origins: Early Pentecostalism in Ireland in the Context of the British Isles. Studies in Evangelical History and Thought. Milton Keynes, United Kingdom: Paternoster. ISBN 978-1-84227-329-6. Lennie, Tom (2009). Glory in the Glen: A History of Evangelical Revivals in Scotland 1880–1940. Fearn, Ross–shire, Scotland: Christian Focus Publications. ISBN 978-1-84550-377-2. Robinson, James (2005). Pentecostal Origins: Early Pentecostalism in Ireland in the Context of the British Isles. Studies in Evangelical History and Thought. Milton Keynes, United Kingdom: Paternoster. ISBN 978-1-84227-329-6. Irvine, William C., ed. (1929). Heresies Exposed (Tenth ed.). Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers (reprint by Kessinger Publishing). ISBN 978-0-7661-4269-5. Long, John (1927). "The Journal of John Long". Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2010 – via Telling The Truth.
Kropp 2008. Kropp, Cherie (20 April 2008). "Fact Sheet for the Church without a Name". Telling The Truth. Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 21 July 2009.
Kropp 2008. Kropp, Cherie (20 April 2008). "Fact Sheet for the Church without a Name". Telling The Truth. Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 21 July 2009.
Kropp 2008. Kropp, Cherie (20 April 2008). "Fact Sheet for the Church without a Name". Telling The Truth. Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 21 July 2009.

bbc.com

BBC 2024a. Wright, George (28 January 2024). "Ex-minister of secretive sect admits to child sex abuse". BBC News. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
BBC 2024b. Wright, George (21 February 2024). "FBI launches probe into church investigated by BBC". BBC News. Retrieved 23 February 2024.

bepress.com

works.bepress.com

Jones 2013, p. 8. Jones, Julene L. (2013). "Motivations for Disaffiliation from the Two-by-Two sect (Thesis)". University of Kentucky. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
Jones 2013, p. 8. Jones, Julene L. (2013). "Motivations for Disaffiliation from the Two-by-Two sect (Thesis)". University of Kentucky. Retrieved 1 May 2013.

bibles-direct.com

Hymns Old and New 1987. Hymns Old and New. Basingstoke, Hants (United Kingdom): R.L. Allan and Son. 1987. Archived from the original on 26 October 2001. Retrieved 11 October 2009.

cbc.ca

CBC 2024a. Larsen, Karin (8 March 2024). "Historical sexual abuse charges filed against B.C. minister belonging to church with no name". cbc.ca. CBC News. Retrieved 8 March 2024.

doi.org

Hilliard 2005. Hilliard, David (June 2005). "Unorthodox Christianity in South Australia: Was South Australia really a paradise of dissent?". History Australia. 2 (2). Sydney, New South Wales: Australian Historical Association. doi:10.2104/ha050038. ISSN 1833-4881. S2CID 141750850.
Hilliard 2005. Hilliard, David (June 2005). "Unorthodox Christianity in South Australia: Was South Australia really a paradise of dissent?". History Australia. 2 (2). Sydney, New South Wales: Australian Historical Association. doi:10.2104/ha050038. ISSN 1833-4881. S2CID 141750850.

equip.org

"They [the ministers] are considered 'the word made flesh' in our day." —Christian Research Institute (C.R.I. & 13 April 2009). "Two By Twos". Christian Research Institute. 13 April 2009. Archived from the original on 27 January 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
C.R.I. & 13 April 2009. "Two By Twos". Christian Research Institute. 13 April 2009. Archived from the original on 27 January 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
C.R.I. & 13 April 2009. "Two By Twos". Christian Research Institute. 13 April 2009. Archived from the original on 27 January 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2009.

go.com

abcnews.go.com

ABC Nightline 2024. Phillips, Kyra (13 June 2024). "Secretive Christian sect allegedly ignored sexual abuse for decades". Nightline. Season 45. Episode 119. American Broadcasting Company. Retrieved 14 June 2024.

irvinegrey.com

Hymns which contained hints of salvation by grace, trinitarianism or redemption based upon the blood of Christ were purged or changed in a 1987 revision (Grey 2012, p. 55) Grey, G. Irvine (2012). Two by Two: the Shape of a Shapeless Movement (Thesis). Belfast, N. Ireland: Queen's University and Grey. ISBN 978-0-95753-900-6. Archived from the original on 22 September 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
Grey 2012. Grey, G. Irvine (2012). Two by Two: the Shape of a Shapeless Movement (Thesis). Belfast, N. Ireland: Queen's University and Grey. ISBN 978-0-95753-900-6. Archived from the original on 22 September 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2017.

lacrossetribune.com

Kalas & 30 January 2010. Kalas, Stacey (30 January 2010). "Group Forgoes Name in Mission to Follow Jesus". La Crosse Tribune. La Crosse, Wisconsin.

religio.de

Müller 1990. Müller, Winfried (1990). "Die Namenlosen". Winfried Müller and Dialog-Zentrum, Berlin. Archived from the original on 23 April 1999. Retrieved 1 December 2009.

religioustolerance.org

Robinson 2009. Robinson, B.A. (22 April 2009). "The Church with no name". Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Archived from the original on 12 May 1998. Retrieved 1 December 2009.

rnz.co.nz

RNZ 2024. Williams, Amy (29 May 2024). "Religious sect investigated by FBI, NZ Police apologises to child sexual abuse victims". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 3 June 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2024.

semanticscholar.org

api.semanticscholar.org

Hilliard 2005. Hilliard, David (June 2005). "Unorthodox Christianity in South Australia: Was South Australia really a paradise of dissent?". History Australia. 2 (2). Sydney, New South Wales: Australian Historical Association. doi:10.2104/ha050038. ISSN 1833-4881. S2CID 141750850.
Hilliard 2005. Hilliard, David (June 2005). "Unorthodox Christianity in South Australia: Was South Australia really a paradise of dissent?". History Australia. 2 (2). Sydney, New South Wales: Australian Historical Association. doi:10.2104/ha050038. ISSN 1833-4881. S2CID 141750850.

tellingthetruth.info

John Long (1872–1962) traced his conversion experience to a mission held by Methodist evangelist Gabriel Clarke in 1890. He became a colporteur for the Methodists in Ireland, where he encountered William Irvine. He eventually joined Irvine's workers, until publicly expelled in 1907 for disagreeing with the group's exclusivist position (Robinson 2005, p. 36). Long returned to his work as a colporteur (Lennie 2009, p. 426) and joined the Elim evangelists for a time. From there he went on to become a noted Pentecostal preacher in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England (Robinson 2005, p. 36). The editor of Heresies Exposed included a correction by Long of the name of the church's original leader and the year of its founding in 1897 (Irvine 1929, p. 73(fn)). He also left his memoirs (in journal form, though redacted many years later) (Long 1927). Robinson, James (2005). Pentecostal Origins: Early Pentecostalism in Ireland in the Context of the British Isles. Studies in Evangelical History and Thought. Milton Keynes, United Kingdom: Paternoster. ISBN 978-1-84227-329-6. Lennie, Tom (2009). Glory in the Glen: A History of Evangelical Revivals in Scotland 1880–1940. Fearn, Ross–shire, Scotland: Christian Focus Publications. ISBN 978-1-84550-377-2. Robinson, James (2005). Pentecostal Origins: Early Pentecostalism in Ireland in the Context of the British Isles. Studies in Evangelical History and Thought. Milton Keynes, United Kingdom: Paternoster. ISBN 978-1-84227-329-6. Irvine, William C., ed. (1929). Heresies Exposed (Tenth ed.). Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers (reprint by Kessinger Publishing). ISBN 978-0-7661-4269-5. Long, John (1927). "The Journal of John Long". Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2010 – via Telling The Truth.
Kropp 2008. Kropp, Cherie (20 April 2008). "Fact Sheet for the Church without a Name". Telling The Truth. Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 21 July 2009.
Kropp 2008. Kropp, Cherie (20 April 2008). "Fact Sheet for the Church without a Name". Telling The Truth. Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 21 July 2009.
Kropp 2008. Kropp, Cherie (20 April 2008). "Fact Sheet for the Church without a Name". Telling The Truth. Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 21 July 2009.

uni-marburg.de

web.uni-marburg.de

"Ordinary meetings among lay believers are held in houses, but periodically the itinerants visit each district, and there they borrow a hall (often the Church hall of an unsuspecting minister) for a preaching meeting for the public at large." —Bryan R. Wilson (Wilson 1993). Wilson, Bryan R. (1993). "The Persistence of Sects". DISKUS. Archived from the original on 18 June 2006. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
Wilson 1993. Wilson, Bryan R. (1993). "The Persistence of Sects". DISKUS. Archived from the original on 18 June 2006. Retrieved 14 December 2009.

web.archive.org

The immigration record shows Irvine, Walker and Weir stating that they were joining a relative, "George McGregor" living at Coffey Street in Brooklyn New York (R.I.S. 2009a). "A Short History Timeline for 'the Truth'". Research and Information Services. Archived from the original on 5 May 1999. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
"They [the ministers] are considered 'the word made flesh' in our day." —Christian Research Institute (C.R.I. & 13 April 2009). "Two By Twos". Christian Research Institute. 13 April 2009. Archived from the original on 27 January 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
Hymns which contained hints of salvation by grace, trinitarianism or redemption based upon the blood of Christ were purged or changed in a 1987 revision (Grey 2012, p. 55) Grey, G. Irvine (2012). Two by Two: the Shape of a Shapeless Movement (Thesis). Belfast, N. Ireland: Queen's University and Grey. ISBN 978-0-95753-900-6. Archived from the original on 22 September 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
"Ordinary meetings among lay believers are held in houses, but periodically the itinerants visit each district, and there they borrow a hall (often the Church hall of an unsuspecting minister) for a preaching meeting for the public at large." —Bryan R. Wilson (Wilson 1993). Wilson, Bryan R. (1993). "The Persistence of Sects". DISKUS. Archived from the original on 18 June 2006. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
Wilson 1993. Wilson, Bryan R. (1993). "The Persistence of Sects". DISKUS. Archived from the original on 18 June 2006. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
RNZ 2024. Williams, Amy (29 May 2024). "Religious sect investigated by FBI, NZ Police apologises to child sexual abuse victims". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 3 June 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
Grey 2012. Grey, G. Irvine (2012). Two by Two: the Shape of a Shapeless Movement (Thesis). Belfast, N. Ireland: Queen's University and Grey. ISBN 978-0-95753-900-6. Archived from the original on 22 September 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
C.R.I. & 13 April 2009. "Two By Twos". Christian Research Institute. 13 April 2009. Archived from the original on 27 January 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
C.R.I. & 13 April 2009. "Two By Twos". Christian Research Institute. 13 April 2009. Archived from the original on 27 January 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
Müller 1990. Müller, Winfried (1990). "Die Namenlosen". Winfried Müller and Dialog-Zentrum, Berlin. Archived from the original on 23 April 1999. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
Robinson 2009. Robinson, B.A. (22 April 2009). "The Church with no name". Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Archived from the original on 12 May 1998. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
AnotherStep. "'Kristna I Sverige' (Christians in Sweden) was constituted. 1992-10-01 in Stockholm". AnotherStep.net. Archived from the original on 12 September 2007. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
R.I.S. 2009b. "Alberta Incorporation Papers". Research and Information Services. Archived from the original on 19 February 1999. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
Hymns Old and New 1987. Hymns Old and New. Basingstoke, Hants (United Kingdom): R.L. Allan and Son. 1987. Archived from the original on 26 October 2001. Retrieved 11 October 2009.

wiktionary.org

en.wiktionary.org

The church does not publish any membership statistics; outside researchers give a wide range of estimates. In part, this depends on who is included as a member (children of members, unbaptized participants, lapsed members, etc) and whether the metric estimates are based upon known numbers of annual conventions, numbers of ministers, etc. One researcher has said that people on the fringes of church membership can be up to twenty times the number of regular members.(Hosfeld & 17 August 1983, pp. 1–2) During the 1980s, The Sydney Morning Herald gave an estimate of between 1 and 4 million members worldwide,(Gill & 30 June 1984, p. 37) while a 2001 estimate put Australian membership at 70,000.(Giles & 25 July 2001, p. 014) A sociology masters thesis from 1964 estimated U.S. membership at 300,000 to 500,000 and world membership as between 1 and 2 million.(Crow 1964, pp. 2, 16) Benton Johnson updated the metrics to arrive at a figure of 48,000 to 190,000 for the United States alone.(Johnson 1995, pp. 43–44) George Chryssides states that membership numbers are uncertain, giving an estimate for the United States during 1998 as ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 and a worldwide membership probably three times that figure.(Chryssides 2001b, pp. 330–331) The World Christian Encyclopedia shows the group in the United States growing from 100,000 in 1970 to 270,000 in 1990, while during the same period, Australian membership declined from 150,000 to 100,000.(Barrett, Kurian & Johnson 2001, pp. 85, 785) A 2022 source cited a worldwide decline of 38% in the number of ministers and up to a 40% decline in members since 1980.(Kropp-Ehrig 2022, p. 497) Figures from other sources fall within this same wide range. Hosfeld, Kathleen (17 August 1983). "Criticism clouds church's gathering". Skagit Valley Herald. Mount Vernon, Washington. Gill, Alan (30 June 1984). "The Most Secret Society in the World". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, Australia. Giles, Tanya (25 July 2001). "Secretive Sect Leader Dies". Herald Sun. Melbourne, Australia. Crow, Keith W. (March 1964). The Invisible Church (Thesis). Eugene, Oregon: Department of Sociology, University of Oregon. Johnson, Benton (1995). "Christians in Hiding: The 'No Name' Sect". In Bromley, David G.; Neitz, Mary Jo; Goldman, Marion S. (eds.). Sex, Lies and Sanctity: Religion and Deviance in Contemporary North America. Vol. 5. Greenwich, Connecticut: JAI Press. ISBN 978-1-55938-904-4. Chryssides, George D. (2001b). "Two by Twos". Historical Dictionary of New Religious Movements. Lanham, Maryland and London: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-4095-9. Kropp-Ehrig, Cherie (2022). Preserving the Truth: The Church without a Name and Its Founder, William Irvine. Dallas, Texas: Clarion Call Publishing. ISBN 979-8-985-62501-1.

wingsfortruth.info

Wings for Truth 2024a. "Letter from Overseer Doyle Smith regarding Dean Bruer". wingsfortruth.info. Wings for Truth. 24 March 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.

workersect.org

The immigration record shows Irvine, Walker and Weir stating that they were joining a relative, "George McGregor" living at Coffey Street in Brooklyn New York (R.I.S. 2009a). "A Short History Timeline for 'the Truth'". Research and Information Services. Archived from the original on 5 May 1999. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
R.I.S. 2009b. "Alberta Incorporation Papers". Research and Information Services. Archived from the original on 19 February 1999. Retrieved 14 June 2009.

worldcat.org

Hilliard 2005. Hilliard, David (June 2005). "Unorthodox Christianity in South Australia: Was South Australia really a paradise of dissent?". History Australia. 2 (2). Sydney, New South Wales: Australian Historical Association. doi:10.2104/ha050038. ISSN 1833-4881. S2CID 141750850.
Hilliard 2005. Hilliard, David (June 2005). "Unorthodox Christianity in South Australia: Was South Australia really a paradise of dissent?". History Australia. 2 (2). Sydney, New South Wales: Australian Historical Association. doi:10.2104/ha050038. ISSN 1833-4881. S2CID 141750850.
Mayer 2000, p. 141. Mayer, Jean=François (2000). Calme-Griaule, Geneviève (ed.). "Les Nouveaux mouvements religieux à l'heure de l'Internet". Cahiers de Littérature Orale (in French). 47. Paris, France: Centre de Recherche sur l’Oralité. ISSN 0396-891X.