Featured Other Christian Denominations and King James Only

What follows is a list of denominational groups that hold some form of “King James Only” – see BB “range” HERE. I put it in this forum rather than the “Bible Versions & Translations” forum since it relates particularly to “Other Christian Denomination,” and the BVT forum is limited to Baptists. I find this list of groups interesting for several reasons. First, because many people seem to think “KJVO” is only a fundamentalist Baptist issue. Also, because of the varied nature of the religious groups on this list. This list is composed of Anabaptists and Protestants, Holiness and High church, Presbyterians and Pentecostals, Congregational, Episcopal or Presbyterian church governments, and – last but not least – Arminians and Calvinists. Some of these churches have little in common, and one might often consider another heretical. They range from holding that the King James Version is the best English translation available to believing the King James Bible is inspired, and in many cases approach the issue quite differently. For example, in a few of the hierarchically-governed groups, it seems (while they evidently prefer the KJV above others) to be about providing consistency across the denomination, and keeping down confusion – therefore the KJV is the required Bible for all worship services. Some of the groups I found by searching the internet (and thus provide links), while some others I have paper documents or e-mails that provide their positions.

I would be very interested if you know of other Christian groups (not listed here and other than Baptists) who hold some type of “King James Only” position.

• Anglican Orthodox Church
• Apostolic Christian Church of America
• Apostolic Church Of God 7th Day
• Apostolic Church of United Kingdom
• Apostolic Lutheran Church of America
• Apostolic Ministries of America Inc.
• Australian Free Church
• Bible Missionary Church
• Church of God (International Offices)
• Free Church of Scotland (Continuing)
• Free Presbyterian Church of North America
• Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland
• Fundamental Brethren Church (possibly no longer in existence)
• Heritage Reformed Congregations
• Holy Church of Christ
• Illinois Lutheran Conference
• Independent Holiness Churches
• Independent Pentecostal Churches
• Life Bible-Presbyterian Church
• Lutheran Churches of the Reformation
• Ohio Valley Association of Christian Baptist Churches of God
• Protestant Reformed Churches in America
• Southern Presbyterian Church (Australia)
• The Church of England (Continuing)

 

Yes, plenty of heretics use plenty of different translations, including your favorite. However, if by JW you mean Jehovah's Witnesses, they use the New World Translation, and Mormons are not KJVO, or Joseph Smith would not have had to correct it to make his so-called "Inspired Translation". Nevertheless, the point is not whether any of the above groups are orthodox or heretical, but that the history and spread of KJVO is often not understood by its opponents, who want to wrap it up in a nice little package for debating purposes.

 

The Apostolic Christian Church of America makes a very intriguing case. Its roots are Anabaptist and German, going back to the 1830s.

Article 1 of the ACCA Statement of Faith says, “The Bible is the inspired and infallible Word of God to man. The New Testament serves as the foundation of the doctrine of the Apostolic Christian Church. The authorized King James version is embraced.” I do not know how far back this wording of the statement goes, but I have a copy of a book that gives their statement of faith as adopted in January of 1982. It goes back at least that far. In Marching to Zion, Perry Klopfenstein writes, “The church has always used the King James Version of the Bible for English language services (p. 463).”

The church services were almost exclusively in the German language until World War I. Being a “non-resistant” church, they allowed members to serve in the military in non-combatant functions. Following their conscientious objection to bearing arms to kill and speaking the German language brought them i to suspicion with many Americans – and they quickly decided to move to English language worship. Klopfenstein says the decision was quickly and easily made, though it took the course of several years to have full effect – because most of their ministers did not speak English!
Anyway, I thought it quite interesting that this church of German language background wound up in the English “King James Only” camp. (However, I think we should not understand this in the same way that Ruckman or Hyles was King James Only.)

 

Re the Apostolic Christian Church of America, I intended to mention that they have suffered a few splits over the years. I expect the other groups probably take the same position of using the King James Version, but I have not been able to verify that.

 

No, they are not. HERE is some of their history, if you care to look at it.

 

Another denomination I have found that requires the use of the KJV in worship is the Laestadian Lutheran Church. They are probably near to moving this goalpost, though. In or around 2017 they appointed a committee “to evaluate English Bible translations seeking to identify one or two translations to recommend as reference and study tools to help us better understand the King James Bible’s 17th century English and to assist in foreign mission fields.” Even at that, it appears they will maintain the KJV as their pulpit Bible.

 

I noticed the KJV mentioned in newspaper articles about Christian Science Reading Rooms, but it never was explicit whether they had a theological attachment to it.

This link does not work for me. Could you check on it? Thanks.

Interesting.

 

Thanks!