Officially registered with governments under names of: Christian Conventions in USA; Assemblies of Christians in Canada; The Testimony of Jesus in England; The United Christian Conventions of Australia and New Zealand.

• is a direct historical continuation of the New Testament church
• is "from the beginning"
• is God's ONLY true way; therefore, all other church members, preachers, churches and religions are "false".

That Salvation:

• comes by grace AND works (self-effort)
• is earned or merited through faithfulness and righteousness
• is determined at death
• is not possible without being in their fellowship
• is conditional upon works and not secure
• sanctification comes BEFORE justification

That Jesus:

• came to be a perfect example, pattern minister or way-shower
• life is equal or more important than His death
• created a way to Heaven through His death; and a way on earth by his life; which is one and the same as their fellowship.

That Their Ministers:

• are God's only true ministers
• one must go through them (mediators) to be saved
• are the supreme authorities in Biblical interpretation
• have authority and rule over members
• viewpoints are considered as authoritative as the written Word
• traditions are equal in importance with God's commands.

• in the Triune God
• in the deity of Jesus; That Jesus is God the Son
• in the deity of the Holy Spirit; God the Holy Spirit
• the Holy Spirit permanently indwells every believer
• in the finished work of Christ
• that Jesus came to be our substitute in His life and death
• that man is born in sin
• in eternal security
• in the priesthood of all believers
• conversion can take place through the written Word without human agency
• one can know they are saved in this lifetime
• salvation can be attained without going through their ministers
• in total reliance upon Jesus' shed blood for salvation
• that salvation is an unconditionally free gift of God
• in salvation solely by grace through faith in Jesus, not of works (i.e. Jesus' Way is their fellowship)

"We compiled a list of 47 different cult characteristics," says lawyer Arends. "The Two-by-twos meet all the points. They are extremely secretive, have no written doctrine or records, you can't get a straight answer from them, and yet they claim to be the only path to salvation. Their 'friends' must give unconditional obedience to the workers, or they're guilty of backsliding. And if they backslide, they're damned." Mr. Arends says his case is bolstered by California academic Ronald Enroth's work Churches That Abuse, Port Coquitlam author Lloyd Fortt's In Search of 'the Truth', and the testimony of a dozen former members in Alberta.

However, Gordon Melton, the California-based editor of the Encyclopedia of American Religions, argues the Two-by-twos are simply an "old-line, 19th-century Christadelphian sect," an isolated subculture of non-Trinitarian Christians. They are not a cult because "there's no real threats or violence," he says. "A good comparison is the Amish. They keep to themselves, with a minimal creed; they stress community, and their faith is passed from generation to generation. The big difference is that the Two-by-twos blend into the community, own houses and work normal jobs."