Elias I., born Achim Schmidt, a Canadian theologian with German roots was a member of a baptist church and the head of a small Christian ULC group in Toronto. Having been disappointed by both churches he founded the volunteers-only “Christian Universal Life Church”, setting it up as a grassroot movement and social media church on an international level. As of 2018 the Christian Universal Life Church had become a heavy weight in missionary work worldwide, especially in Asia and Africa. In 2018 Elias I. handed over his worldly duties to his successor Lukas Emanuel. To avoid any confusion with the Universal Life Church, the Christian Universal Life Church officially changed its name to “Christian Church International”, which is now also an unregistered trademark to reduce the risk of further puzzlement.
Doctrine
The Christian Church International follows an evangelical and panentheist approach. It is moderately conservative and has two wings, a fundamentalist evangelical one as well as a socially progressive, apostolic one. The Christian Church International believes in God as “the One and Threefold” and the teachings of the Holy Bible. As panentheists the Christian Church International believes that all beings are part of God. This is because God is thought to be “all that exists and all that exists is God”.
Churches, schools and missionary work
As a grassroot and social media church, based in the United States of America, with a strong focus on missionary work, the Christian Church International is organized in house churches, bible groups and missionary teams. Its entire international operations are controlled by the “Global Missionary Center” in Boston, Massachusetts. All clerical staff hold a university degree or are an alumnus of the internal and tuition-free élite school Arnulf Seminary of Theology. The missionary work led to an exponentially strong growth of the church, even in unlikely regions like Afghanistan, where now approx. two per cent of the population are a member of the Christian Church International.
Organization and finances
The Christian Church International has a worldly and an ecclesiastical leader, a central committee as well as directors and ambassadors for different purposes. The entire Christian Church International is a non-profit, volunteer-only church. It doesn't even accept monetary donations.
