The name Christadelphian, is derived from the Greek generic phrase for "Brethren and sisters in Christ". From the mid-19th century, there were groups in many parts of Britain and North America, who met under various names but with a single belief. During the time of the American Civil War, a group affiliation was required to register for conscientious objector status. From that time, the name ‘Christadelphian’ has been used.
Christadelphians don't have paid ministers. ‘Ecclesias’ (another Greek word meaning the people of a church) are run by a small committee from the members of the ecclesia. This unpaid committee is responsible for the day-to-day running of the ecclesia and is answerable to the rest of the ecclesia's members. Christadelphian ecclesias actively preach to their neighbours and co-operate at a regional, national, and international level. The ecclesia often organises itself to care for and organise youth and Sunday School work, military service issues, care of the elderly, and other pastoral work. The overriding principle is that the ecclesia acts as a family, and helps each other as a family would. There are currently approximately 30,000 Christadelphians in around 130 countries, many as part of established ecclesias, preaching and worshipping in their local languages.
