Alamo Christian Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Alamo Christian Foundation is a Christian denomination
which has at times been referred to as a cult
. The current status of the church is hard to determine after the church's founder, Tony Alamo
, was arrested numerous times, beginning in 1991 and culminating in his 2009 conviction as a child sex offender
. However, as of June 2011, the Alamo Ministries website is still being updated.
In 1976, the church relocated to Alma, Arkansas
, where Susan grew up. The church there grew to several hundred members and established printing facilities, a school, and a tabernacle. It operated a drug rehabilitation
facility, and those involved developed several businesses in the Alma area. As the church expanded, it established churches in Nashville, Chicago
, Brooklyn
, and Miami Beach.
The church published a number of religious tracts and also distributed tapes of sermons by the Alamos. With the assistance of some church members, the Alamos produced a number of records and tapes. They began a national television ministry in the 1970s, which would later be contracted considerably. In 1982, the same year in which Susan Alamo died, the Foundation was discontinued, to be replaced by the newly incorporated Music Square Church. Music Square Church was granted 501c tax-exempt status in 1981. but this was retroactively revoked by the IRS on April 5, 1996 because the commissioner found that "MSC was so closely operated and controlled by and for the benefit of Tony Alamo that it enjoyed no substantive independent existence; that MSC was formed and operated by Tony Alamo for the principal purpose of willfully attempting to defeat or evade federal income tax; and that MSC was inseparable from Tony Alamo, and failed to operate for exclusively charitable purposes.". MSC sued and lost in the US Court of Claims
. They also lost on appeal to The United States Court of Appeals
in 1999.
. It accepted only the King James Version of the Bible
, and members adhered to a moral code which condemned the use of drugs, as well as homosexuality, adultery, and abortion. Individuals who sought to join the church and become involved in its rehabilitation program took a vow of poverty and agreed to turn over all their property to the church. In return, their own needs would be met, and their children would receive education through high school.
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
which has at times been referred to as a cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
. The current status of the church is hard to determine after the church's founder, Tony Alamo
Tony Alamo
Tony Alamo is an American religious leader and convicted child sex offender. He and his late wife Susan are best known as the founders of an organization currently known as Tony Alamo Christian Ministries. The organization is based in and around Fouke and Alma, Arkansas, United States, and has...
, was arrested numerous times, beginning in 1991 and culminating in his 2009 conviction as a child sex offender
Sex offender
A sex offender is a person who has committed a sex crime. What constitutes a sex crime differs by culture and by legal jurisdiction. Most jurisdictions compile their laws into sections such as traffic, assault, sexual, etc. The majority of convicted sex offenders have convictions for crimes of a...
. However, as of June 2011, the Alamo Ministries website is still being updated.
History
The church was founded in 1969 in Hollywood, California, by Alamo and his wife, Susan. The church became the subject of controversy and was frequently criticized for its manner of evangelization, which involved the often young members of the congregation working on the streets of Hollywood inviting potential converts to evening services in Saugus, roughly an hour away, for a meeting and meal. Many of the individuals thus invited stayed on to become Bible students and lay ministers.In 1976, the church relocated to Alma, Arkansas
Alma, Arkansas
Alma is a city in Crawford County located in the western part of U.S. state of Arkansas, along I-40 about 13 miles from the Oklahoma border. Alma's population is 4,734, making it the sixth largest city in the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, where Susan grew up. The church there grew to several hundred members and established printing facilities, a school, and a tabernacle. It operated a drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
facility, and those involved developed several businesses in the Alma area. As the church expanded, it established churches in Nashville, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, and Miami Beach.
The church published a number of religious tracts and also distributed tapes of sermons by the Alamos. With the assistance of some church members, the Alamos produced a number of records and tapes. They began a national television ministry in the 1970s, which would later be contracted considerably. In 1982, the same year in which Susan Alamo died, the Foundation was discontinued, to be replaced by the newly incorporated Music Square Church. Music Square Church was granted 501c tax-exempt status in 1981. but this was retroactively revoked by the IRS on April 5, 1996 because the commissioner found that "MSC was so closely operated and controlled by and for the benefit of Tony Alamo that it enjoyed no substantive independent existence; that MSC was formed and operated by Tony Alamo for the principal purpose of willfully attempting to defeat or evade federal income tax; and that MSC was inseparable from Tony Alamo, and failed to operate for exclusively charitable purposes.". MSC sued and lost in the US Court of Claims
United States Court of Federal Claims
The United States Court of Federal Claims is a United States federal court that hears monetary claims against the U.S. government. The court is established pursuant to Congress's authority under Article One of the United States Constitution...
. They also lost on appeal to The United States Court of Appeals
United States court of appeals
The United States courts of appeals are the intermediate appellate courts of the United States federal court system...
in 1999.
Beliefs and practices
The church was Pentecostal in nature and was often referred to as being a part of the Jesus movementJesus movement
The Jesus movement was a movement in Christianity beginning on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s and spreading primarily through North America and Europe, before dying out by the early 1980s. It was the major Christian element within the hippie counterculture,...
. It accepted only the King James Version of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, and members adhered to a moral code which condemned the use of drugs, as well as homosexuality, adultery, and abortion. Individuals who sought to join the church and become involved in its rehabilitation program took a vow of poverty and agreed to turn over all their property to the church. In return, their own needs would be met, and their children would receive education through high school.