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globes (as they challenged Voliva's flat-earth cosmology). A ten o'clock curfew was rigidly enforced. You could be arrested for whistling on Sunday. These laws were enforced by Voliva's police force, called the
Praetorian Guard, whose helmets carried the word 'PATIENCE' and whose sleeves bore images of doves. Policemen wore Bibles and clubs on their belts.
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in Zion, while sold at market rates, was conveyed under an 1100-year lease, subject to many restrictions and subject to termination at the whim of the
General Overseer. Religions other than the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church were effectively banned - visiting preachers from rival sects were harassed and hounded out of town by the city police force.
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Wilbur Glenn Voliva succeeded Dowie as
General Overseer of Zion in 1906 and renamed the church to "Christian Catholic Apostolic Church". He kept tight control on his some 6000 followers, which made up the community, even up to the point of dictating their choice of marriage partners. All real estate
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in 1888 where he founded the
Ministry of Divine Healing. After years of traveling across the country preaching and healing, he finally settled in Chicago and in 1893 set up a tabernacle at the World's Columbian Exposition. During the next seven years, Dowie founded the Christian Catholic Church that
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movement. In 1903 they engaged in a widely publicized "prayer duel", each calling upon God to punish the other to expose him as a false prophet. Ahmad and his followers proclaimed Dowie's rapidly ensuing illness, disgrace, and death as a vindication of their religious beliefs. Ahmad died in 1908, a
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John
Alexander Dowie was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, May 25, 1847, to an evangelical family. The family emigrated to Australia in 1860, with Dowie returning to attend the University of Edinburgh from 1867 to 1872, at which time he once more sailed for Australia. In 1876 Dowie married and he began
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A small remnant was reorganized under the leadership of
Michael Mintern but a second fire destroyed the Zion Auditorium on April 11, 1959. At this time the Robson family from England were living in an apartment in the building. They were out of the building at the time. Had they been at home they
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A strict code of morality was imposed in the town on all persons who set foot inside city limits. It was unlawful for women to wear short dresses, high heels, bathing suits or lipstick. Ham, bacon, oysters, liquor and tobacco were banned, as were drugstores, medical buildings, movie theaters, and
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Voliva gained a lot of nationwide notoriety by his vigorous advocacy of flat earth doctrine. He offered a widely publicized $ 5000 challenge for anyone to disprove flat earth theory, but on terms of his own choosing. The church schools in Zion taught the flat earth doctrine. His 5,000 watt radio
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As the community of Zion grew in size and prosperity, Dowie adopted an increasingly lavish lifestyle, building himself a 25-room mansion and dressing himself in ornate ecclesiastical robes modeled after those worn by Aaron, the high priest, described in
Leviticus. Due to this and other financial
335:. In 1942 after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, Voliva made a tearful public confession to his followers that he had misappropriated church funds for his personal use and committed other misdeeds. Shortly thereafter on October 11, 1942, he died, and the church all but dissolved.
208:. Missionary work is conducted in Japan, Philippines, Guyana, Palestine, Indonesia, and the Navajo Nation. Missionary work continues among the African Zionists under the banner of Zion Evangelical Ministries of Africa (ZEMA). ZEMA's goal is to convert the African Zionists from
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met in several city locations including the
Chicago Auditorium (1896). In 1900 he purchased land along the shores of Lake Michigan, north of Chicago near the Illinois–Wisconsin border and founded a religious utopian community that he called
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would have perished, as the fire appliances were not able to reach the fourth floor. This was felt to be God's provision as He kept them out of the building that day. The church in Zion was later renamed to Christ
Community Church.
327:, which forced the town's sole employer, Zion Industries, into bankruptcy. In 1935 Voliva tried to revive the flagging fortunes of the church by instituting the annual Zion Passion Play, along the lines of the famous one in
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Dowie had progressive views on race relations for his day and welcomed
African-Americans into his church, of whom some 200 settled in Zion. He later sent some of them as missionaries to South Africa, where they established
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He diversified Zion Industries to include a bakery which produced the popular Zion brand fig bar cookies and White Dove chocolates. Zion was a one company town and its workers were paid substandard wages.
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mismanagement, the church was threatened with bankruptcy. In 1905 Dowie suffered the first of a series of debilitating strokes. In 1906 his followers revolted, ousted him from leadership and elected
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He also founded a commercial enterprise, which came to be called Zion Industries, to support the community. Initially its main product was Scottish lace and it enjoyed considerable success.
253:, and gained a lot of adherents. At its height in 1905, the church claimed some 30,000 members worldwide, of whom some 7500 settled in Zion. Two notable features of Dowie's preaching were
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The name Christian Catholic Church is still used for Christ Community Church's worldwide fellowship of churches and mission work. As of 2008, it has about 3,000 members in the
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Like his predecessor Dowie, Voliva increasingly developed an overtly lavish lifestyle, which began to alienate his followers, especially after the hardships brought on by the
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and what he called holy living—his followers were admonished to abstain from tobacco, alcohol, pork products, doctors and medicines, the "apostate churches", etc.
331:. However, in 1937 a disgruntled employee set the church's huge Shiloh Tabernacle, where the play took place, ablaze. Shortly thereafter, Voliva was forced into
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as the new leader of the church. A splinter group rejected the new leadership, left Zion, and some of them went on to become influential leaders of the budding
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A bizarre sidelight on Dowie's later years is that he became embroiled in an acrimonious public dispute with a controversial Indian Muslim religious figure,
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of southern Africa trace their spiritual heritage back to Dowie and the Christian Catholic Church. Because of Dowie's emphasis on faith healing and
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613:- Online autobiography of someone who was brought up in Zion during Voliva's leadership. Of particular relevance are
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Dowie proselytized vigorously both in person and by means of several serial publications, chief among them being
155:. The city of Zion was founded by Dowie as a religious community to establish a society on the principles of the
662:). Critique of flat earth cosmology and Voliva from the perspective of a fundamentalist Christian who embraces
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Over the years there have been many changes to the church founded by John Alexander Dowie. He was a popular
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cosmology. The succession of pastors after Voliva moved the church towards mainstream Protestant doctrine.
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In the early 20th century, the Christian Catholic Church had worldwide appeal. The church's magazine,
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577:- A brief biography of Dowie at a genealogical web site devoted to families having that last name.
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and includes an eyewitness account of life in Zion towards the end of Voliva's leadership.
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The Assemblies of God: A Chapter in the Story of American Pentecostalism Volume 1—To 1941
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571:- A website that explores the life, ministry, and message of John Alexander Dowie.
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Professor Donald Simanek's web page on the history of flat earth movements.
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Wacker, Grant. "Marching to Zion: Religion in a Modern Utopian Community".
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556:- The current incarnation of the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church: its
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and started the church and the Zion community with utopian ideals. Under
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year later than Dowie, although he was several years older than Dowie.
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159:. Members are sometimes called Zionites (not to be confused with the
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174:, Dowie's successor, the church was noted for its adherence to a
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420:. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1994 pp. 499–505, 520-521, 537-538
599:- The web site of a small Ahmadiyya mosque in Zion with an
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movement. Dowie died of another stroke on March 9, 1907.
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Bouw, Gerardus D., 2000. Flat Earth Mythology and Fact,
399:. Springfield, Missouri: Gospel Publishing House, 1989.
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Christian denominations established in the 19th century
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The Life and Wanderings of Eugene (Gene) Earl Maynard
57:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
658:, Vol. 94 (Fall, 2000), pp. 23–30 (available
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474:, Vol. 54, No. 4 (Dec., 1985): pp. 496–511.
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227:his evangelistic ministry three years later in
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706:Christian organizations established in 1896
646:at the Newberry Library, Chicago, Illinois.
721:Evangelical denominations in North America
587:about Voliva and his flat earth cosmology.
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533:Learn how and when to remove this message
430:World Missions at Christ Community Church
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193:the church is considered a forerunner of
117:Learn how and when to remove this message
581:$ 5,000 for Proving the Earth is a Globe
496:This article includes a list of general
381:The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition
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358:The History of Christ Community Church
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625:"Religion: Courageous Mr. Voliva
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726:1896 establishments in Illinois
585:Modern Mechanics and Inventions
418:The Church in Africa: 1450–1950
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601:article on the history of Zion
383:. 2008. Accessed June 2, 2011.
265:that became very influential.
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379:"Christian Catholic Church".
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605:account of the prayer duel
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583:, Oct. 1931 article from
569:Dowie - Leaves of Healing
435:January 24, 2010, at the
138:Christian Catholic Church
66:"Christ Community Church"
607:with Mizra Ghulam Ahmed.
458:, accessed June 2, 2011.
439:, accessed June 2, 2011.
367:, accessed June 2, 2011.
363:August 22, 2006, at the
656:The Biblical Astronomer
517:more precise citations.
130:Christ Community Church
670:Zion City (IL) records
183:The Leaves of Healing
681:the Newberry Library
575:John Alexander Dowie
395:Blumhofer, Edith L.
222:John Alexander Dowie
216:John Alexander Dowie
153:John Alexander Dowie
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716:History of Illinois
333:personal bankruptcy
299:Wilbur Glenn Voliva
293:Wilbur Glenn Voliva
271:Wilbur Glenn Voliva
234:Dowie emigrated to
172:Wilbur Glenn Voliva
675:2007-07-15 at the
642:2007-07-15 at the
562:2015-04-17 at the
552:2006-08-12 at the
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275:Pentecostal
146:evangelical
107:August 2021
731:Flat Earth
690:Categories
498:references
343:References
210:syncretism
176:flat earth
77:newspapers
615:Section 1
523:June 2011
316:station,
286:Ahmadiyya
229:Melbourne
673:Archived
640:Archived
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