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The Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) was founded in New York City in 1887 as two interdenominational parachurch organizations, the Christian Alliance and the Evangelical Missionary Alliance, by Albert Benjamin Simpson (1843–1919), a former Canadian Presbyterian minister. His purpose was to bring together people from all denominations, with a common bond of emphasizing holiness, faith, healing, and missionary vision — what he and others called “the higher Christian life.” Merged together as The Christian and Missionary Alliance in 1897, it eventually evolved into a denomination many decades later. Keywords: christian and missionary alliance (CM interdenominational parachurch organizations; CM bringing together people, from all denominations; Simpson, fourfold gospel, christ as “savior, sanctifier, healer …”; CM CM Wesleyan and Keswick holiness traditions; presbyterial and congregational concepts; C&MA periodical, the alliance life

Albert Benjamin Simpson was born in 1843 in Toronto, Canada. Graduating from Knox Seminary in Toronto, Simpson became a successful Presbyterian pastor in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Louisville, Kentucky; and New York City. In 1874 after reading the book The Higher Christian Life by W. E. Boardman, a leader in the Higher Life and Keswick holiness movements, he experienced what he identified as a sanctifying baptism of the Holy Spirit. Keywords: Simpson, A. B. (1843–1919); christian and missionary alliance (CM new interdenominational parachurch organization

Born in 1897 in Pennsylvania, Aiden Wilson Tozer was converted at the age of 17 by a lay preacher at a street meeting. He attended the Methodist Church and was baptized in Church of the Brethren before he became ordained with The Christian and Missionary Alliance (CM Indianapolis, Indiana; Chicago, Illinois; and Toronto, Ontario. A prolific writer, he became editor of Alliance Life for 13 years. He served as Vice President of the C&MA 1946–1950, but declined the presidency of the denomination. His writings and teachings have had an immense impact on the lives of thousands of Christians. His classic The Pursuit of God (1948), urging being passionate for God himself, has sold more than 1.5 million copies and been translated into 20 languages. It was chosen by Christianity Today readers as one of the top ten most spiritually influential books. Known for his incisive writing to issues of the times, more than 40 volumes of his writings and sermons have been published. The Divine Conquest (1950) and The Knowledge of the Holy (1961) also became classics. Keywords: Tozer, A. W. (1897–1963); CM vernacular literacy, bridge to national language of Spanish