Today in Christian History: July 12

July 12

451: After a clash escalates between Christian factions, Roman Emperor Marcian issues an order against brawling in churches; he also forbade holding meetings in private houses or in the streets.

1191: The armies of the Third Crusade (1189-92) capture the seaport of Acre in Syria.

1213: Driven by his quest to become the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick II, king of Germany and of Sicily, signs the Golden Bull of Eger, which would deprive him of the secular authority over the German clergy. This bull is sometimes called “the Magna Carta of Hungary.”

1570: Passing away of Arsenius of Novgorod, who had founded a monastery there. He was such a venerated person, that he even could rebuke Ivan IV Vasilyevich (“Ivan the Terrible”), the Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia, for destroying the city of Novgorod.

1840: Episcopal ordination of Frederick W. Robertson in the Anglican Church; he was known for his psychological approach to the biblical characters, which sought to understand their motivations.

1843: Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon church, announced that a divine revelation had sanctioned polygamy among his newly-organized religious followers.

1898: Birth of Peter Deyneka, missionary pioneer and the founder of the Slavic Gospel Association, which carries out evangelistic works in Europe and South America.

1931: Repose of Nathan Söderblom, a Swedish Lutheran clergyman, noted for his ecumenical initiatives and for organizing ecumenical conferences which later led to the formation of the World Council of Churches.

1936: Demise of S. Parkes Cadman, a well-known Christian speaker, radio preacher, former president of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America, and the pastor of the Central Congregational Church of Brooklyn.

1941: Bakht Singh and his co-workers decide to found indigenous churches with the four-fold task of showing Christ’s fullness, unity, wisdom, and glory. The first church, called Jehovah Shammah, was established in Madras on the same day; the other churches across India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, and elsewhere followed.

1944: The Southern Baptist Church charters the Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Mill Valley, CA.

Edited by: T. Chempilayil MCBS

Courtesy: www.studylight.org