THE EARLY LEADERS
Although the movement claims that it had its beginnings in from New Testament times on the ‘shores of Galilee’, evidence points to its beginnings with a Scotsman, William Irvine who was over to Ireland to work with the Faith Mission. The Faith Mission operated by sending its preachers out in pairs to work along interdenominational lines in conjunction with local churches. It appears that between the years of 1897 and 1901 when Irvine resigned from the Faith Mission that he had built up a considerable following by advocating that the model for the work of Christ should be based on Matthew 10. His first co-worker was John Long and then he was joined in this work by Edward Cooney, an Enniskillen businessman who gave up his business interests to become a fellow worker. Irvine was a casualty of an early dispute in the movement in 1914. Fourteen years later Edward Cooney was excommunicated but continued working much as before but with a much smaller following.
GROWTH IN THE EARLY YEARS
This movement enjoyed substantial growth in the early years and this was particularly evident in my home county of Fermanagh. Of course like so many before, schism soon crept in and divisions resulted. They do not meet in church buildings but in homes and their preachers are called workers. They have refused to take a name although as often happens others apply an appellant and this has varied from names such as the Irvinites, Cooneyites, Reidites, all of whom were early leaders; other appellants have been Go Preachers, Tramp Preachers, Dippers and many others. The name Cooneyite came from the involvement of Edward Cooney while the name Reidites came from another early worker, Wilson Reid. When I was growing up in County Fermanagh there were considerable numbers of the 2x2s and some of them among my family relatives. They were often referred to as the ‘meeting people’. For the purposes of this research I will simply use the term 2x2s. I will differentiate between the two strands of the movement where necessary – that is those who followed Cooney following his excommunication and what has remained as the main body of the movement.
OBJECTIVE RESEARCH
My research must be objective, fair and accurate in all its aspects. Therefore I want input from those actively involved in the movement at the present time, those who were involved and no longer involved and those born into 2x2 families but did not follow their parents into the movement. There are those who will have valuable information of historical interest. Others will be able to supply information that will be of sociological value and will give an insight into the structure and accountability within the movement. There will be many who, in the absence of any written statements of faith, doctrine or creeds, will make an important contribution to clarifying the theological makeup of the movement. There will be homes with important memorabilia, a diary, a journal, a photograph that will help authenticate a particular aspect of the movement.
PAST ASSOCIATIONS
Over the past two years I have been told by those within the 2x2 movement that they have been misrepresented and misunderstood by those who are not part of the movement. This is a golden opportunity to set the record straight. I have grown up being acquainted with the movement. Many of my relatives and neighbours belonged to the 2x2s. I attended various missions, Sunday morning meetings and the Fermanagh (Gortaloughan) convention with my maternal grandmother, Mrs Minnie Crowe. My grandmother was born into a Methodist family, Creagmile from Aughnamoe, near Dromore, Co Tyrone. On the other side of the movement I met with Edward Cooney at meetings in the home of Mrs Sarah West and Miss Ida West, Ballinamallard. I have many relatives and friends who are 2x2s and while this will not influence the outcome of this research it does mean that I come to this research with sensitivity and objectivity.
THE SCOPE OF THE RESEARCH
Everyone has a theology (that is some rudimentary view of God and the world and the world on the basis of which they live); the question is not if you have a theology – you do – but whether you have a good one.
Here we have a movement with no primary documents that give any indication as to their beginnings, no creedal statement of faith and an absence of their modus operandi. Since starting this research more than two years ago I have had difficulty establishing from the existing membership the starting point of the 2x2s or what they actually believe. Answers include. ‘it all started way back on the shores of Galilee’; ‘we believe the Bible’. (Not just any Bible – it must be the King James Authorised Version). Every movement that claims to have any association with Christianity will state that they believe the Bible but on investigation what they believe the Bible teaches is often at variance with the book they claim to believe.
For example, Unitarians refuse to believe in the doctrine of the Trinity or the sufficiency of Christ’s atoning death; the Jehovah Witnesses refuse to believe in the humanity of Christ. ‘And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth’, John 1:14. And the list is endless. As I have attended 2x2 missions and conventions, preaching and testimonies make reference to ‘finding the truth’, ‘being the truth’, ‘we have the truth’, ‘homeless preachers’, ‘following the Jesus way’, ‘professing and finding the truth’, ‘the church in the home’ and lots more. With such a plethora of terminology what criteria can we effectively use to establish if the 2x2 movement can be described as evangelical? In simple terms does the movement demonstrate that it exhibits the features and characteristics that were the hallmarks of the New Testament church?
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EVANGELICAL MOVEMENT
The 2x2s may reject the label of evangelical but claim to be Christian it is important to develop a criterion by which to assess their orthodoxy Alister McGrath’s six characteristics of an evangelical Christian movement provides a framework by which to use as basis to draw conclusions: These characteristics are:
- The Supreme authority of Scripture
- The Majesty of Jesus Christ
- The Lordship of the Holy Spirit
- The Need for Personal Conversion
- The Priority of Evangelism
- The Importance of the Christian Community.
THE MARKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH
Since the 2x2s claim an unbroken succession with the New Testament Church it is important to contrast the 2x2s with the marks of the New Testament Church. According to Mark Driscoll a true church is characterised by:
- Regenerated church membership
- Preaching and worship
- Rightly administered sacraments
- Spirit unity
- Holiness
- The Great Commandment to love
- The Great Commission to evangelise and make disciples
There is of course some overlap between McGrath’s characteristics of evangelicalism and Driscoll’s marks of a true church. While these characteristics and marks provide a framework for the research into the 2x2 movement, the final arbiter will be the Bible. In the words of Desmond Alexander: It [the Bible] claims for itself an authority not derived from human beings but from God. As divine revelation it presents us with a meta-story that claims to communicate truth that cannot be discovered by any other means.
YOU CAN HELP - EVERY CONTRIBUTION WELCOMED
I have access to a large number of books and publications expressing mainly negative views on the 2x2 movement. Can these views be supported and substantiated? Without getting input from those within the 2x2 movement it will make this research difficult in reaching a fair and balanced conclusion. It is helpful that one senior worker has spoken with me and my attendance at various missions in Northern Ireland and the Cork and Fermanagh conventions in June 2010 has provided some useful insights into the movement. If there is any contribution you can make, however small you will help make this research a resounding success and that will reflect the true nature of the movement from all aspects from its inception until the present day. I can be contacted on Irvine@irvinegrey.com or on my mobile 0044 7831804000. I would be delighted, where practical, to travel, to meet and discuss your contribution. Please be assured of complete confidentiality at all times.
