A Century of American Church Movements

From Broad Ecumenism to Smaller Tents

Introduction

The early 20th century witnessed a dramatic reconfiguration of the American church landscape. From the Federal Council of Churches’ vision to “Christianize the social order,” to the rise of neo-evangelicalism calling for renewed biblical fidelity and cultural engagement, Christians wrestled with a vital question: What does it mean to be faithful in the modern world?

As the church navigated world wars, depression, and social upheaval, two institutional streams emerged — one broad, ecumenical, and reform-oriented; the other, convictional, evangelistic, and culturally strategic. Together, they shaped the spiritual and social terrain of Protestant America.

📜 Timeline Infographic: Key Dates and Turning Points

🌍 From the Federal Council to the National Council of Churches

The Federal Council of Churches (FCC) emerged from a shared conviction that the gospel demanded collective moral action. The early decades saw remarkable collaboration across denominational lines — Methodists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and Baptists working side by side.

In 1950, the FCC united with other inter-church bodies to form the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC). The new council represented over 30 Protestant, Anglican, and Orthodox traditions. Its priorities—civil rights, poverty alleviation, and peacemaking—reflected the legacy of the social gospel while adapting to the Cold War world.

The NCC’s work through the 1960s and 1970s placed it at the forefront of civil rights advocacy, ecumenical dialogue, and global development. However, its progressive stances on social issues increasingly alienated conservative evangelicals who sought a more theologically defined movement.

🔥 The Rise of Neo-Evangelicalism: Smaller Tents, Sharper Focus

By the early 1940s, many conservative Protestants felt isolated between fundamentalist separatism and liberal ecumenism. Into this gap stepped a new generation of leaders—visionaries who longed for a faith both intellectually credible and culturally relevant.

They called themselves neo-evangelicals: orthodox in doctrine, but open to dialogue, social involvement, and academic rigor. Out of this impulse emerged the National Association of Evangelicals (1942), the founding of Fuller Theological Seminary (1947), and later, Christianity Today (1956)—each providing a platform for re-energized evangelical identity.

👤 Profiles in Renewal

Harold John Ockenga (1905–1985)

Founder of Fuller Theological Seminary | First President of the NAE

A Boston pastor with both academic and evangelistic passion, Ockenga coined the term “neo-evangelical” in 1947. He envisioned a movement that would move beyond fundamentalist isolationism while maintaining fidelity to Scripture.

“Neo-evangelicalism differs from fundamentalism in its repudiation of separatism and its determination to engage itself in the theological dialogue of the day.”

Ockenga’s leadership at Fuller and Park Street Church made him a bridge between intellect and revival.

Carl F. H. Henry (1913–2003)

Theologian, Editor, Architect of Evangelical Thought

Henry, once a journalist, became the mind behind evangelical resurgence. As founding editor of Christianity Today, he urged evangelicals to think critically and engage culture biblically. His monumental six-volume work, God, Revelation and Authority, defined evangelical theology for a generation.

“The early church won the Roman world by out-thinking and out-living it. If we do neither, we shall lose our world.” — Carl F. H. Henry

The Founding of Christianity Today (1956)

The idea came from Billy Graham, who wanted a magazine that combined theological depth with cultural relevance—a publication to unite evangelicals under thoughtful, credible witness. He enlisted Carl F. H. Henry as founding editor and based operations in Washington, D.C., to signal public engagement.

From its first issue, Christianity Today sought to provide what Henry called “a middle way between the harshness of fundamentalism and the vagueness of liberalism.” It became a touchstone for evangelical thought, hosting voices like John Stott, Francis Schaeffer, and later, Tim Keller.

🕊️ Legacy and Reflection

The story of the FCC → NCC and the NAE → Christianity Today reveals two complementary visions of faithfulness:

• One emphasizes cooperation and social transformation;
  
  
• The other emphasizes conversion and doctrinal conviction.
  
  

As Lesslie Newbigin observed, “The church is only true to itself when it exists for the sake of the world.” Yet, as John Stott added, “Evangelism and social responsibility are like two blades of the same pair of scissors.”

Perhaps the enduring challenge is not to choose one over the other, but to let both sharpen each other—so that the gospel shines in word and deed.

Closing Prayer

Lord of the Church,

You have guided Your people through division and renewal, broad visions and small tents.

Grant us humility to learn from each movement’s wisdom—

and courage to live a gospel both pure and public,

faithful in heart and active in the world.

Amen.

Soli Deo Gloria