World Christian Fundamentals Association
| Abbreviation | WCFA |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1919 |
| Type | religious organization |
| Purpose | lobby for anti-evolution legislation, Christian fundamentalism |
| Leader | William Bell Riley |
Field secretary | Harry Rimmer |
| Affiliations | Democratic Party |
The World's Christian Fundamentals Association (WCFA) was an interdenominational organization founded in 1919 by the Baptist minister William Bell Riley of the First Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was originally formed to launch "a new Protestantism" based upon premillennial interpretations of biblical prophecy, but soon turned its focus more towards opposition to evolution.[1]
History
The WCFA was a merger between meetings of conservative churchmen in New York City and Philadelphia in the late 1910s. It was founded as a Democratic, interdenominational, fundamentalist group combatting evolution theory.[2]: 25
Riley and the WCFA helped secure William Jennings Bryan as the lead prosecutor during the Scopes trial in 1925. They also supported anti-evolution legislation in Arkansas, California, and Texas throughout the 1920s.[2]: 25
See also
References
- ↑ Numbers, Ronald (November 30, 2006). The Creationists: From Scientific Creationism to Intelligent Design, Expanded Edition. Harvard University Press. pp. 63–64. ISBN 0-674-02339-0.
- 1 2 Szasz, Ferenc M. (2022). "William B. Riley and the Fight Against Teaching of Evolution in Minnesota". Minnesota History. 68 (1): 23–34. ISSN 0026-5497.