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| When did THAT Start?! Church History Dates |
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EVENT (Note: Christian Calendar off 4-6 years) | APPROXIMATE DATE |
| Jesus' birth | AD 1 |
| Jesus began public ministry | AD 30 |
| Jesus discipled his followers | AD 30-33 |
| Jesus' death, resurrection and ascension | AD 33 |
| Pentecost | AD 33 |
| Church gathered daily on Solomon's Porch, streets, market place & house to house | AD 33 |
| Church gathered as the Body with Christ as the Head | AD 33 |
| Priesthood of all believers ministering in spiritual gifts | AD 33 |
| Plurality of servant leadership by example | AD 33 |
| Disciples scattered abroad by persecution | AD 38 |
| Conversion of Saul of Tarsus | AD 38 |
Paul's missionary journeys begin | AD 46 |
| Council of Jerusalem: Salvation through grace (Acts 15:11) | AD 50 |
| Paul's death | AD 68 |
| Jerusalem temple destroyed by Titus | AD 70 |
| John the apostle's death | AD 100 |
| Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, wrote his seven epistles (Not included in Cannon) | AD 107 |
| Clement of Rome: Elders/pastors/bishops different function | AD 117 |
| Clement of Rome: Clergy/Laity distinguished | AD 117 |
| Clement of Rome: One-man pastor leadership | AD 117 |
| First mention of infant baptism | AD 215 |
| Construction of first known church building under Emperor Serverus | AD 235 |
Earliest mention of "clergy" being salaried | AD 245 |
| Earliest beginnings of monasticism by Anthony | AD 270 |
| Prayers for the dead | AD 300 |
| Making the sign of the cross | AD 300 |
| Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity | AD 312 |
| Council of Milan: ministers licensed by the State | AD 313 |
| Council of Milan: ministers became full-time & salaried | AD 313 |
| Council of Milan: edict concerning construction of church buildings | AD 313 |
| (Period of Dark Ages in history) | AD 313-1525 |
| Use of wax candles | AD 320 |
| Constantine declared Sunday a civil holiday (Holy Day) | AD 321 |
| Church buildings built throughout the Roman world | AD 324 |
| Temple/Synagogue style worship | AD 324 |
| Pews & theater seating arrangement | AD 324 |
| Chanters, choirs & hymnbooks | AD 324 |
| Altars Erected | AD 324 |
| Baptisteries placed in buildings | AD 324 |
| Council of Nicene: First Church Creed established | AD 325 |
| Council of Nicene: bishop supremacy | AD 325 |
| Veneration of angels, dead saints and use of images | AD 375 |
| Christianity becomes the State Religion under Emperor Theodosius | AD 378 |
| Mass as a daily celebration | AD 394 |
| Council of Carthage: canonization of Scripture | AD 397 |
| Latin Vulgate Bible by Jerome | AD 405 |
| Edict of Innocent I: Compulsory infant baptism | AD 407 |
| Council of Ephesus: exaltation of Mary as the mother of God | AD 431 |
| Leo the Great pronounced himself as Bishop of Rome | AD 452 |
| Ministers established common dress code | AD 500 |
| Extreme Unction | AD 526 |
| First monastic order begun by Benedict of Nursia | AD 529 |
| Christian calendar established by Dionysius Exiguus | AD 550 |
| (Mohammed begins Religion of Islam) | AD 570 |
| Gregory became the head of the Church of Rome | AD 590 |
| Doctrine of Purgatory by Gregory I | AD 593 |
| Latin used in prayer and worship by Gregory I | AD 600 |
| Mass as known today established by Pope Gregory | AD 604 |
| Boniface III bishop of Rome adopted the title Pope | AD 607 |
| Temporal power of popes by Pepin, King of the Franks | AD 750 |
| Organs first put into church buildings | AD 609 |
| Kissing the pope's feet begins with Pope Constantine | AD 709 |
| Worship of the cross, images and relics | AD 786 |
| Use of holy water with salt blessed by priests | AD 850 |
| Worship of Joseph as a saint | AD 890 |
| Canonization of dead saints | AD 993 |
| College of Cardinals established | AD 927 |
| Baptism of bells by Pope John XIII | AD 965 |
| Canonization of dead saints by Pope John XV | AD 995 |
| Fasting on Fridays and during Lent | AD 998 |
| Mass as a sacrifice begins | AD 1050 |
| Final division of East/West Church | AD 1054 |
| Celibacy of priesthood by Pope Gregory VII (Hildebrand) | AD 1079 |
| Rosary and praying with beads by Peter the Hermit | AD 1090 |
| Christian and Muslim Crusades | AD 1100-1400 |
| Church buildings add towers and steeples | AD 1100 |
| Sale of indulgences | AD 1190 |
| Transubstantiation of wafer and wine by Pope Innocent III | AD 1215 |
| Confession of sins to a priest by Pope Innocent III in Lateran Council | AD 1215 |
| Adoration of the wafer (Host) by Pope Honorius III | AD 1220 |
| Bible declared too holy & forbidden to be read by laymen by Council of Valencia | AD 1229 |
| Scapular first used (special cloth around neck on front & back) | AD 1251 |
| Wycliffe (1330-1384) translates Bible into English | AD 1380 |
| John Huss (1374-1415) reformation influence | AD 1398 |
| Communion cup forbidden lay people by Council of Constance | AD 1414 |
| Doctrine of purgatory decreed by Council of Florence | AD 1439 |
| Dogma of seven sacraments affirmed | AD 1439 |
| Fall of the Roman Empire | AD 1453 |
| Gutenberg prints first Bible | AD 1453 |
| Columbus discovers America | AD 1492 |
| Reformation: Martin Luther (1483-1546) 95 Thesis at Wittenberg | AD 1517 |
| Reformation of Theology | AD 1517 |
| Tyndale's English translation | AD 1520 |
| Zwingli, Calvin, Knox influence in Reformation | AD 1522 |
| Anabaptists influence | AD 1525 |
| Beginning of Separation of Church & State | AD 1525 |
| Pulpit stands, other pulpit furnishings and elevated platforms | AD 1540 |
| Council of Trent: Tradition and Scripture of equal authority | AD 1545 |
| Apocryphal books added to the Bible by Council of Trent | AD 1546 |
| Official Catholic Creed imposed by Pope Pius IV | AD 1560 |
| King James translation of the Bible | AD 1611 |
| John Bunyan's "The Pilgrim's Progress published | AD 1678 |
| Huguenots Influence | AD 1698 |
| Isaac Watt's Hymns and Spiritual Songs published | AD 1707 |
| Moravian Brethren missionary movement | AD 1727 |
| Jonathan Edwards and the Great Awakening in America colonies | AD 1735 |
| John Wesley's conversion and brother Charles' influence | AD 1738 |
| Sunday Schools established in England and later in United States | AD 1738 |
| United States declares Independence from England | AD 1776 |
| William Carey's missionary to India | AD 1793 |
| Restoration Movement begun by Campbell brothers | AD 1811 |
| Foreign Missionary Boards in United States with Judson sailing to India | AD 1812 |
| Crusade evangelism in England & US with Finney, Moody, Sankey, Crosby | AD 1830 |
| Beginning of altar calls and walking the aisle | AD 1830 |
| Rise in false religions & cults: i.e., Mormonism | AD 1830 |
| Dispensational Scripture interpretation by Plymouth Brethren, Darby | AD 1830 |
| Immaculate Conception of Virgin Mary by Pope Pius IX | AD 1854 |
| Hudson Taylor begins missionary work in China | AD 1854 |
| Spurgeon becomes pastor in London | AD 1854 |
| David Livingston publishes "Missionary Travels" about African missions | AD 1857 |
| Syllabus of Errors asserted pope's temporal authority over all civil rulers | AD 1864 |
| William Booth founds the Salvation Army | AD 1865 |
| Papal Infallibility in matters of faith and morals by Pope Pius IX | AD 1870 |
| Immaculate Conception of Mary: Pope Pius IX | AD 1870 |
| Rise in false religions & cults: i.e., Jehovah's Witnesses | AD 1872 |
| Student Volunteer Movement of young people involved in missions | AD 1886 |
| Gideon International organized | AD 1899 |
| Beginning of airplane flight with Kitty Hawk invented by Wright Brothers | AD 1903 |
| Pentecostal movement begins with Asuza Street revival | AD 1906 |
| World War I begins | AD 1914 |
| First Christian radio broadcast | AD 1921 |
| Worldwide Economic Depression w/Stock Market Crash | AD 1929 |
| Wycliffe Bible translators aspire to bring Bible to every language group | AD 1934 |
| Age, sex, grade grouping & separation of families in churches in United States | AD 1935 |
| World War II begins in Europe in 1939 w/USA joining in 1941 | AD 1939-1941 |
| United Nations founded | AD 1945 |
| Israel formed as a nation | AD 1948 |
| World Council of Churches is formed | AD 1948 |
| Billy Graham nation-wide evangelism crusades begin in California | AD 1949 |
| Para-church in US: i.e., Youth for Christ, Navigators, Campus Crusade | AD 1944-1951 |
| Assumption of the Virgin Mary (bodily ascension) by Pope Pius XII | AD 1950 |
| Cold War begins with the Soviet Union in 1950(Ends in1992) | AD 1950 |
| Full Gospel movement begins in United States | AD 1951 |
| Lay Renewal movement begins | AD 1952 |
| Para-church in US: i.e., Teen Challenge, Youth with a Mission | AD 1958-1960 |
| Increase in church building construction in United States | AD 1960 |
| Charismatic movement grows in United States | AD 1960 |
| Feminist movement increases in the United States | AD 1960 |
| Home Churches in China and England | AD 1960 |
| Reformation of Ecclesiology | AD 1960s |
| Second Vatican Council promotes new attitudes and practices | AD 1962 |
| Space travel with John Glenn orbiting the earth | AD 1962 |
| Mary proclaimed as Mother of God by Pope Paul VI | AD 1965 |
| Mass media growth around the world: i.e., Trinity Broadcasting Network | AD 1973 |
| Biblical house churches in United States | AD 1970s |
| Rise in Para-church groups: i.e., Christ for the Nations & Mercy Ships | AD 1970-1978 |
| Rise in cults: i.e. Jim Jones | AD 1979 |
| Increase in Open Churches, Churches without Walls, Relational Churches | AD 1985 |
| Surge in construction of mega-church buildings in United States | AD 1990 |
| Men's organizations begin: i.e., Promise Keepers, Prison Ministries spread in US | AD 1990 |
| Renewed emphasis of Ephesians 4 equipping gifted leadership | AD 1990 |
| Spontaneous increase in biblical house churches throughout USA | AD 1990's |
| Cold War ended with collapse of the Soviet Union | AD 1992 |
| Believers in third world countries experience great persecution and morebelievers are martyred in the 20th Century than all previous centuries combined | AD 2000 |
| Muslim extremists attack United States and US declares War on terrorism | AD 2001 |
| Information Age with volume of knowledge doubling every three years | AD 2002 |
| Heinous crimes against humanity increase | AD 2002 |
| Population of the world increases to six + billion | AD 2002 |
| Diseases, pestilence, famine & earthquakes continue to increase | AD 2002 |
| Christianity increases in Asia, Africa, S.A & decreases in Europe, US | AD 2002 |
| Biblical house churches increase throughout the world, i.e. China with 100 million + believers | AD 2002 |
| Unprecedented growth of Christianity in the world: Christianity is growing three times faster than the world's population with 180,000 converts per day (i.e. Latin America- 35,000, China-30,000 and Africa 20,000) at 6.9 growth; Muslims 2.7; Hindus 2.2; Buddhists 1.7. According to the latest statistics of Christians in the world today: Latin America-480 million; Africa-360 million (42% of population); Asia-313 million and Europe & North America-200 million for a total of over 1.35 billion believers. | AD 2002 |
| Worldwide earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, pestilences, famines, diseases, epidemics, Muslim Jihad, religious conflicts, cultural wars between East and West, Muslim population explosion and a decrease in the European population. | AD 2003-2007 |
| Restoration of biblical City Churches in America gains steam ** | AD 2005 |
| Israel enters in seven year peace treaty with rebuilt Roman Empire (E.U.) led by Javier Solana** | AD 2007 |
*Historical dates from Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant sources compiled by Dan Hubbell. www.ChurchRestoration.org
** Added by FOTM
