Geskiedenis

Geskiedenis van CDMI

Aan die begin van die 18de eeu het die Groot Ontwaking oor Europa en Amerika versprei. Hierdie geestelike herlewing het tot in die 19de eeu voortgeduur. Baie Bybelgenootskappe het ontstaan en die verspreiding van die Woord van God was groot. Dit het 'n omgewing hier in die Verenigde State en Europa geskep van persoonlike ondersoek na baie leerstellige onderwerpe wat in die modder van misverstande van die Skrif versteek was. Terselfdertyd het 'n veelheid van Bybelhulpmiddels soos konkordansies, woordeboeke en geskiedenisse ontstaan, 'n verwagting en vreugde om tot 'n duideliker waardering van die karakter en plan van God te kom het daartoe gelei dat baie in persoonlike en groepbybelstudies tot gevolgtrekkings gekom het wat 'n herlewing geïnspireer het. in die Christelike gemeenskap, veral in die lyn van die gou-verwagte wederkoms van Christus.

Een van hierdie groepe het ontwikkel rondom die leierskap van Charles T. Russell, 'n lekeprediker en Bybelstudent, wat sy lewe en aansienlike fortuin daaraan gewy het om die duideliker begrip waartoe hy gekom het, te verkondig. As 'n produktiewe skrywer, het hy 'n organisasie ontwikkel wat wêreldwyd in omvang was, en na sy dood in 1916 het beide vasgevang in gedagtes en beperk geraak in vryhede. 'n Aantal Christene het hierdie organisasie vroeg, in 1909, of in die daaropvolgende jare na sy dood, verlaat vir groter vryheid in Christus. Twee van die groepe wat in 1909 gevorm is, het bekend geword as die New Covenant Fellowship en die New Covenant Believers, nie dat hulle lede hierdie name gekies het nie, maar uit benamings deur ander wat dit as 'n beskrywing gebruik het om hulle van ander groepe te onderskei. Net so was die eerste Christene bekend as volgelinge van “Die Weg” (Handelinge 9:2) omdat hulle na Jesus gewys het as die weg na versoening en gemeenskap met God.

In 1928 het 'n groep geskeide broers in die Hartford, Connecticut-omgewing 'n gemeente gestig en was bekend as die New Creation Fellowship. Gaetano Boccaccio was een van hul oudstes en in 1940 het hy die tydskrif The New Creation gereeld begin publiseer. Hierdie bediening het uitgebrei na die publisering van traktaatjies en boekies sowel as die tydskrif, wat nou wêreldwyd versprei word. Dit het die naam Christian Millennial Fellowship (CMF) gekry. Met die dood van sy stigter in 1996, is die werk voortgesit onder toesig van Elmer Weeks van Port Murray, New Jersey, VSA.

In die herfs van 2011 het CMF Christian Discipling Ministries International (CDMI) geword om ons sendingwerk om mede-Christene op te bou tot volwassenheid in Christus beter te weerspieël, en nuwe bestuur het gewerk aan die oorgang na hierdie nuwe klem terwyl Elmer Weeks voortgaan as redakteur van Die New Creation-tydskrif. Daar is nou baie vrye Christengemeentes in die buiteland wat die boodskap daarvan aangeneem het en aktief die goeie nuus versprei.

CDMI word ondersteun deur die vrygewigheid van skenkers van regoor die wêreld. Al sy publikasies word gratis aangebied en die CDMI-personeellede is vrywilligers wat hul tyd en energie as vir die Here skenk. CDMI werk vrylik saam met alle onafhanklike vrye Christengemeentes en enigeen wat groei in hul wandel met God begeer deur hulle te voorsien van die lektuur wat ons publiseer in die vorm van boekies, traktaatjies en korrespondensiekursusse.

History of CDMI

At the beginning of the 18th Century the Great Awakening spread over Europe and America. This spiritual revival continued into the 19th century. Many Bible Societies sprang up and the distribution of the Word of God was great. This created an environment here in the United States and Europe of personal inquiry into many doctrinal topics that had been hidden in the mire of misunderstanding of the Scriptures. Concurrently, a plurality of Bible helps such as concordances, dictionaries, and histories arose, an expectation and joy of coming to a clearer appreciation of the character and plan of God led many in personal and group Bible studies to arrive at conclusions that inspired a revival in the Christian community, especially along the lines of the soon-expected second coming of Christ.

One of these groups developed around the leadership of Charles T. Russell, a lay preacher and Bible student, who devoted his life and considerable fortune to promulgating the clearer understanding he had come to. A prolific writer, he developed an organization that was world-wide in scope, and after his death in 1916 became both fixed in thought and restricted in freedoms. A number of Christians left this organization early, in 1909, or in the ensuing years upon his death, for greater liberty in Christ. Two of the groups formed in 1909 became known as the New Covenant Fellowship and the New Covenant Believers, not that their members chose these names, but from designations by others who used it as a description to differentiate them from other groups. Similarly, the first Christians were known as followers of “The Way” (Acts 9:2) because they pointed to Jesus as the way to reconciliation and fellowship with God.

In 1928 a group of separated brethren in the Hartford, Connecticut area formed a congregation and were known as the New Creation Fellowship. Gaetano Boccaccio was one of their elders and in 1940, he began to publish The New Creation magazine regularly. This ministry expanded to publishing tracts and booklets as well as the magazine, which is now distributed world-wide. It was given the name of Christian Millennial Fellowship (CMF). With the death of its founder in 1996, the work was continued under the oversight of Elmer Weeks of Port Murray, New Jersey, USA.

In the fall of 2011 CMF became Christian Discipling Ministries International (CDMI) to better reflect our mission work of building up fellow Christians to maturity in Christ, and new management has been working on the transition to this new emphasis while Elmer Weeks continues as editor of The New Creation magazine. There are now many free Christians congregations in foreign countries that have embraced its message and are actively spreading the good news.

CDMI is supported by the generosity of donors from around the world. All of its publications are offered free of charge and the CDMI staff members are volunteers who donate their time and energy as unto the Lord. CDMI cooperates freely with all independent free Christians congregations and any who desire growth in their walk with God by providing them with the literature we publish in the form of booklets, tracts, and correspondence courses.