News

Search the CIC History website.

Special Events

175th Anniversary:

Click the flyer to view the event details or or click here to view the Editorial.

Jan. 7 2007:

The Life and Journal of John Wroe, Volumes 1 and 2, are now available online. Go to Journal of John Wroe to view these.

Jan. 7 2007:

Historical information regarding the New York Christian Israelites is now online. Go to the North America page to view this.

Obituaries for John and Margaret Bishop, who started the New York body, are now available online. Click here to read the record of John Bishop's life. Click here for Margaret Bishop's obituary.

Records from our American signing books are now online.

Go to People to view these.

The publication "CIC Singleton - 148 Years of History" is now available in PDF format in the Australian History section of this website.

Click here to go to Australian History. 

Welcome
 
Welcome to the Christian Israelite Church History Site. 
 
This site has been developed to help address the increasing level of interest in historical records held by the Christian Israelite Church and as a platform from which to seek to set-right many of the myths and fallacies in the folklore which numerous historians seem to present in the literature as fact!   The Church, which commenced in 1822 in Ashton-Under-Lyne, UK, is part of the visitation movement and had a reasonably significant social impact particularly in the United Kingdom and Australia in the mid nineteenth century.  John Wroe, who founded the Church, travelled and preached from 1822 until 1863 when he passed away in Melbourne, on his fifth journey to Australia.  As he travelled he was accompanied by a writer who recorded highlights of the journeys and teachings given from time to time, which were recorded and presented in ten-yearly Volumes which are still in active use by Church members today.  When believers joined the Church they signed their names as members, and many of the "Signing Books" are still amongst the Church records.  The names of many who signed are included in the site under People.
 
The site contains references to many of the Preachers who have spread the message of "the hope of the life of sprit, soul and body" - the message that physical death will be overcome in God's elect at the return of Jesus Christ to reign over this Earth.  This hope that the mortal body will put on immortality was held by early members just as it is by members today.

Researchers may notice a lack of photographs associated with this website.  This is largely due to the belief held by Christian Israelites that they should not take pictures of anything God has created or cause to grow.  This belief is based on a literal interpretation of the Second Commandment, 'Thou shalt note make unto thee any graven image, or the likeness of any thing...'.
 
For those not familiar with The Church we trust that this site will provide interesting and informative, and to those familiar with The Church already, we trust it will provide further information for your research. 
 
And don't forget that whilst this is a History Site, there is still an active Christian Israelite Church to-day.  If you would like to know more about that , please visit the Web Site at www.cichurch.com or contact us directly.
 
Rodney Gray
Pastor - Sydney Church (Australia)