A History of Christian Doctrine #3 - Online Christian Library

The Jesus Name Controversy
but ‘lily white’ denomination,” and Oneness Pentecostals
became the most biracial wing of the entire Pentecostal
movement. 82
Those Who Stayed
A few of the ministers who were baptized in the name
of Jesus simply acted in obedience to the apostolic pattern
but never fully adopted the Oneness position. As
indicated by Frank Small’s remarks and by Oliver Fauss’s
notes from the Elton Bible Conference, however, most
people did associate their rebaptism with a new understanding
of the full deity of Jesus Christ and the oneness
of God in contrast to traditional trinitarianism. Some of
these people drew back from their new belief and practice
when opposition came. Ministers who never completely
left trinitarianism, or who ultimately endorsed it again,
included A. H. Argue, E. N. Bell, George Chambers,
Elmer Fisher, R. E. McAlister, Aimee Semple McPherson,
L. V. Roberts, and Maria Woodworth-Etter.
Later such people tended to minimize the extent to
which they had embraced the Oneness doctrine. Many of
their testimonies at the time, however, reveal a profound
spiritual and theological awakening when they were baptized
in Jesus’ name.
For example, R. E. McAlister later became a strong
opponent of the Oneness message in Canada. When he was
baptized, however, he wrote, “I have had a revelation to my
soul of the one God in threefold manifestation. How my
heart melted in His presence! I could only cry and weep.” 83
The most significant defection from Jesus Name baptism
back to trinitarian baptism was E. N. Bell. Trinitarian
historians have commonly stated that Bell never accepted
81