Beginning in 1884, the C&MA gradually expanded from a five-member team in Congo to more than 800 missionaries in 58 nations and churches in 81 countries and territories. With emphasis on establishing churches among unreached people groups and responsive populations worldwide, the C&MA is involved also in many types of specialized missions such as communications, medical work, translation, and relief and development aid. While most workers come from the United States, others are supported by churches in Canada and other nation. Many of the overseas national churches belong to The Alliance World Fellowship, a fraternal group with 3 million members in more than 40 nations. With churches in every state of the Union, the denomination totals about 429,000 believers in 2,004 churches (statistics as of December 31, 2005). One quarter of these congregations are intercultural, attracting immigrants and minority groups with strong cultural heritages. Services are conducted each Sunday in 19 languages. Affiliated institutions include four colleges, a seminary, four retirement centers, and two development/investment organizations. Throughout its 100-plus year history, the C&MA always has been known for its distinctive, scripturally grounded views on a number of points of the Christian faith. View a list and download the position papers here. View or download a PDF of The Alliance Doctrinal Statement. Find out about our organizational structure.