The Interchurch Holiness Convention (IHC), formerly the Interdenominational Holiness Convention, is an

ecumenical Ecumenism (), also spelled oecumenism, is the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships among their churches and promote Christian unity. The adjec ...

organization of denominations and congregations within the

conservative holiness movement The conservative holiness movement is a loosely defined group of theologically conservative Christian denominations with the majority being Methodists whose teachings are rooted in the theology of John Wesley, and a minority being Quakers (Frie ...

. Aligned with the conservative holiness movement, the majority of these IHC members are Methodist, though others have a Quaker, Anabaptist or Restorationist background. There are a number of denominations aligned with the conservative holiness movement, however, that are not affiliated with the Interchurch Holiness Convention. The IHC was founded in 1952 during the post-

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

era. Thousands of individuals are present at the Interchurch Holiness Convention's annual international meeting that is usually held in

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...

or in

Gatlinburg, Tennessee Gatlinburg is a mountain resort city in Sevier County, Tennessee, United States. It is located southeast of Knoxville and had a population of 3,944 at the 2010 Census and a U.S. Census population of 3,577 in 2020. It is a popular vacation resort ...

; in addition the Interchurch Holiness Convention hosts regional meetings at local churches in different parts of the world throughout the year. They describe themselves as: "a friendly connection of organizations and ministries world-wide committed to 'Spreading Scriptural Holiness across these lands.'" The Interchurch Holiness Convention's General Secretary is James Plank.

Doctrine

The Interchurch Holiness Convention is identified by their emphasis on "Spreading Scriptural Holiness". The convention's concept of Holiness is described in their statement of faith: "the tendency to evil is inherited by every member of the human race." However, "We, the Holiness People, believe that deliverance from indwelling sin is promised to the believing soul. It is to be realized subsequent to regeneration and is to be experienced in this life. This crisis is to be accomplished within the believer by the work of the Holy Spirit as He comes in Pentecostal measure, purging out the carnal mind and filling the soul with the fullness of God." This experience, the

second work of grace According to some Christian traditions, a second work of grace (also second blessing) is a transforming interaction with God which may occur in the life of an individual Christian. The defining characteristics of the second work of grace are tha ...

, is generally described as

entire sanctification Christian perfection is the name given to theological concepts within some sects of Christianity that purport to describe a process of achieving spiritual maturity or perfection. The ultimate goal of this process is union with God characterized by ...

that leads to a state of Christian perfection. IHC also believes that a life free of willful sin is possible, and required for all believers to maintain their relationship with God. They state that "the purpose of the Saviour’s coming and the object of His dying were not to make it possible for man to sin without penalty, but rather that in heart sin should be dealt with so that in his life it should be made to cease."

Members

Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection The Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection (AWMC), originally the Wesleyan Methodist Church (Allegheny Conference), and also known as the Wesleyan Methodist Church (WMC), is a Methodist denomination within the conservative holiness movement pri ...

Bible Holiness Church The Fire-Baptized Holiness Church was a holiness Christian denomination in North America and much of the denomination was involved in the early formation of Pentecostalism, the advent of which caused schism in the church; it continues today in the ...

Bible Methodist Connection of Churches The Bible Methodist Connection of Churches is a Methodist denomination within the conservative holiness movement. History The movement which would become Bible Methodist Connection of Churches began in the mid-18th century within the Church o ...

* Bible Missionary Church *

Central Yearly Meeting of Friends Central Yearly Meeting of Friends is a yearly meeting of Friends churches located in Indiana, North Carolina, Arkansas and Ohio. Central Yearly Meeting of Friends is part of the Conservative Holiness Movement, and originated in the Gurneyite wing ...

Church of God (Holiness) The Church of God (Holiness) is an association of autonomous holiness Christian congregations. Originating in the 19th century, it is aligned with conservative holiness movement of Methodism. With respect to ecumenism, the Church of God is a m ...

Evangelical Methodist Church Conference The Evangelical Methodist Church (EMC) is a Christian denomination in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The denomination reported 399 churches in the United States, Mexico, Burma/Myanmar, Canada, Philippines ...

God's Missionary Church God's Missionary Church is a Methodist denomination within the conservative holiness movement. It was organized in 1935 as a result of gospel tent revival, tent revivals held throughout central Pennsylvania by evangelists Rev. William Straub and R ...

*International Conservative Holiness Association *

Pilgrim Holiness Church Pilgrim Holiness Church (PHC) or International Apostolic Holiness Church (IAHC) is a Christian denomination associated with the holiness movement that split from the Methodist Episcopal Church through the efforts of Martin Wells Knapp in 1897. It ...

* Wesleyan Holiness Church *Wesleyan Nazarene Church *Individual congregations and districts of the

Free Methodist Church The Free Methodist Church (FMC) is a Methodist Christian denomination within the holiness movement, based in the United States. It is evangelical in nature and is Wesleyan–Arminian in theology. The Free Methodist Church has members in over 100 ...

Global Methodist Church The Global Methodist Church (shortened to GM Church, or GMC) is a Methodism, Methodist denomination of Protestant Christianity subscribing to views consistent with the conservative Confessing Movement. The Christian denomination, denomination is ...

Church of the Nazarene The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged in North America from the 19th-century Wesleyan-Holiness movement within Methodism. It is headquartered in Lenexa within Johnson County, Kansas. With its members co ...

Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...

, and

Wesleyan Church The Wesleyan Church, also known as the Wesleyan Methodist Church and Wesleyan Holiness Church depending on the region, is a Methodist Christian denomination in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Namibia, Sierra Leone, L ...

References

External links

Interchurch Holiness Convention (IHC)IHC International Convention''Convention Herald'', periodical of the IHC
{{Methodism footer Holiness movement Methodist organizations Christian ecumenical organizations

Doctrine

Members

See also

References

External links