Editing Two by Twos (section)

== History ==

=== Founding ===
In 1896, [[William Irvine (Scottish evangelist)|William Irvine]] was sent from [[Scotland]] to southern Ireland as a [[missionary]] by [[John George Govan]]'s [[The Faith Mission|Faith Mission]], an [[interdenominational]] organization with roots in the [[Holiness movement]].{{sfn|Warburton|1969|pp=82–83}} Because his mission was successful, he was promoted to superintendent of Faith Mission in southern Ireland.{{sfn|Parker|Parker|1982|pp=1–2}}

[[File:Dippersdippingt1907.gif|thumb|left|alt=Monochrome line drawing depicting two men immersing two others in a river while others watch from a stone embankment|A drawing from 1907 depicting a baptismal rite. Its caption reads "How 'Dippers' are Initiated".{{sfn|Irish Independent|20 August 1907|p=7}}]]

Within a few months of his arrival in Ireland, Irvine was already disillusioned with the Faith Mission.{{sfn|Dair Rioga Local History Group|2005|p=322}} There was friction over its Holiness teachings, and Irvine saw its organization as a violation of his concept of a faith-based ministry. Above all, Irvine was increasingly intolerant of the Faith Mission's cooperation with the other churches and clergy in the various communities of southern Ireland, regarding converts who joined churches as "lost among the clergy."{{sfn|Warburton|1969|p=84}}{{sfn|Parker|Parker|1982|p=2}} In 1897, he began preaching independently, proclaiming that true ministers must have no home and take no salary.{{sfn|Nichols|2006|p=88}} He became convinced that he had received this as a special revelation he referred to as his "Alpha message".<ref>See:
* {{harvnb|Dair Rioga Local History Group|2005|pp=322–323, 329}};
* {{harvnb|Parker|Parker|1982|p=18}};
* {{harvnb|Robinson|2005|p=34}}.</ref> Opposed to all other established churches, he held that the manner in which the disciples had been sent out in chapter 10 of the ''[[Gospel of Matthew]]'' was a permanent commandment which must still be observed.<ref>See:
* {{harvnb|Parker|Parker|1982|pp=2–4}};
* {{harvnb|Robinson|2005|pp=33, 35}};
* {{harvnb|Wilson|1993}}.</ref> The passage reads in part:

{{Cquote|These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.}}

In October 1897, Irvine was invited by [[Nenagh]] businessman John "Jack" Carroll to preach in the Carrolls' hometown of [[Rathmolyon]]. There he held a series of mission meetings in which all established churches were rejected, and Irvine's new doctrine and method of ministry were set forth. It was in Rathmolyon that he recruited the first adherents to his new message.{{sfn|Dair Rioga Local History Group|2005|pp=323–325}} Aside from condemning all other churches, Irvine's doctrine included the rejection of church buildings, damnation of all followers of churches outside the new fellowship, rejection of paid ministry, rejection of collections{{efn-ua|''Collection'' refers to the donation money collected from a church congregation during a service, normally by means of a [[collection plate]] or box.}} during services and collection boxes, and the requirement that those seeking to join the ministry "sell all".<ref>See:
* {{harvnb|Dair Rioga Local History Group|2005|pp=324–326}};
* {{harvnb|Parker|Parker|1982|pp=8–9, 12}};
* {{harvnb|Wilson|1993}}.</ref>

Irvine's preaching during this latest mission influenced others who began to leave their respective churches and join Irvine to form an initial core of followers.{{sfn|Wilson|1993}} Some of these early adherents would become important members of the new church, including [[John Long (evangelist)|John Long]],{{efn-ua|John Long (1872–1962) traced his conversion experience to a mission held by Methodist evangelist Gabriel Clarke in 1890. He became a [[colporteur]] for the Methodists in Ireland, where he encountered William Irvine. He eventually joined Irvine's workers, until publicly expelled in 1907 for disagreeing with the group's exclusivist position {{harv|Robinson|2005|p=36}}. Long returned to his work as a colporteur {{harv|Lennie|2009|p=426}} and joined the [[Elim Pentecostal Church|Elim]] evangelists for a time.  From there he went on to become a noted [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostal]] preacher in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England {{harv|Robinson|2005|p=36}}. The editor of ''Heresies Exposed'' included a correction by Long of the name of the church's original leader and the year of its founding in 1897 {{harv|Irvine|1929|p=73(fn)}}. He also left his memoirs (in journal form, though redacted many years later) {{harv|Long|1927}}.}} the Carroll family, John Kelly, [[Edward Cooney]]—an influential [[Evangelism|evangelist]] from the [[Church of Ireland]]{{sfn|Robinson|2005|pp=34–35}}—and George Walker (an employee of the Cooney family's fabric business{{sfn|Impartial Reporter|28 July 1910|p=8}}), all of whom eventually "sold all" and joined the new movement as itinerant preachers.<ref>1905 "List of Workers" in {{harvnb|Daniel|1993|pp=276–279}}</ref> Although other movements, such as the [[Plymouth Brethren]] and [[Elim Pentecostal Church|Elim]] have had strong Irish connections, the church founded by Irvine is the only religion known to have had its origin and early development in Ireland.{{sfn|Robinson|2005|p=34}}{{sfn|O'Brien|1997|p=xxiv}}

=== Early growth ===
[[File:Impartialrep25aug1910.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Scan of a 1910 newspaper article regarding Tramp Preachers, Doctrines, Methods, Money and Lapses|Extract of an article from ''[[The Impartial Reporter|The Impartial Reporter and Farmers' Journal]]'' from 1910{{sfn|Impartial Reporter|25 August 1910|p=8}} documenting the early phases of the church. See endnote for link to the full article.{{efn-ua|To view the complete 1910 article shown above, [[:File:The Tramp Preachers.png|see here]].}}]]

Unlike later secretiveness,{{sfn|Johnson|1999|p=378}}{{sfn|Hilliard|2005}} initially, the church was in the public eye, with questions about it being raised in the British Parliament beginning in 1900.<ref>See:
* {{harvnb|King's County Chronicle|12 April 1900}};
* {{harvnb|Sunday Independent|27 May 1906|p=8}};
* {{harvnb|House of Commons|1912|p=2063}}.</ref> Inspired by speakers such as Irvine and Cooney, membership growth was rapid. Rather than adding members to established denominations, as was the practice of the Faith Mission outreach, churches began noticing their congregations thinning after exposure to the Two by Two missions. Clerics soon began regarding the Two by Two preachers as "inimical to the membership of the church".{{sfn|Hill|2004|p=403}} After receiving reports from Ireland, the Faith Mission in 1900 formally disassociated itself from Irvine and any of its workers found to be participating in the new Two by Two movement.{{sfn|Govan|1901|p=175}}

The attention of Belfast newspapers was initially drawn to the Two by Twos church because of its open-air baptismal rites.{{sfn|Scollon|27 July 1930|p=4}} At that time, the baptisms took place in public settings such as streams, lakes, or the sea, even in cold weather. Regarded as a novelty, the outdoor "dippings" and accompanying sermons attracted large crowds.{{sfn|Anglo-Celt|10 June 1905|p=4}}{{sfn|Freeman's Journal|7 July 1923|p=8}} Further attention was given during the staging of large marches through boroughs and public preaching in town squares and on street corners.{{sfn|Anglo-Celt|30 December 1905|p=12}}{{sfn|Nenagh Guardian|6 June 1906|p=2}}

Workers, including Edward Cooney and George Walker, publicly preached that all members of other churches were damned.{{sfn|Impartial Reporter|5 August 1909|p=8}}{{sfn|Impartial Reporter|14 July 1910|p=5}} They singled out prominent individuals, and even entire communities, for condemnation.{{sfn|Impartial Reporter|22 January 1903|p=8}}{{sfn|Anglo-Celt|29 April 1905|p=7}} At times, missions were sited close to the meeting places of other denominations, which were denounced using "extreme language".{{sfn|Anglo-Celt|5 May 1906|p=1}}{{sfn|Anglo-Celt|28 October 1911|p=5}} Consequences of these inflammatory remarks ranged from heckling and street violence{{sfn|Anglo-Celt|28 July 1906|p=8}} to the break-up of families,<ref>See:
* {{harvnb|Sunday Independent|10 June 1906|p=5}};
* {{harvnb|Anglo-Celt|16 November 1907|p=1}};
* {{harvnb|Irish Independent|29 September 1916|p=5}};
* {{harvnb|Southern Star|7 October 1916|p=7}}.</ref> all of which brought further attention to the church.{{sfn|Scollon|27 July 1930|p=4}} Newspapers in Ireland, Britain, and North America followed the disturbances that arose over the church's activities and message.<ref>Accounts of some of the many incidents include:
* {{harvnb|Alexandria Gazette|16 September 1908|p=2}};
* {{harvnb|Foote|26 May 1907|p=8}};
* {{harvnb|Irish Independent|8 July 1905|p=5}};
* {{harvnb|Irish Independent|7 May 1906|p=6}};
* {{harvnb|Impartial Reporter|2 June 1906|p=8}};
* {{harvnb|Irish Independent|17 October 1908|p=5}};
* {{harvnb|Lethbridge Daily Herald|29 August 1910|p=7}};
* {{harvnb|Nenagh Guardian|6 June 1906|p=2}};
* {{harvnb|Scollon|27 July 1930|p=4}}.</ref> Some hosted debates in their editorial columns.{{sfn|Johnson|1995|p=46}}{{sfn|Fermanagh Times|16 March–18 July 1907}} One member of Parliament offered to join the Two by Twos if they would cease criticizing other religious bodies.{{sfn|Anglo-Celt|26 November 1904|p=10}}

As the ranks of its ministry increased, the church's outreach expanded. Large gatherings were held in Dublin, Glasgow and Belfast during 1899. Annual conventions, modeled after the evangelical [[Keswick Convention]]s in England,{{sfn|Robinson|2005|p=35}} began to be held regularly in Ireland starting in 1903. Later that year, William Irvine, accompanied by Irvine Weir and George Walker, took his message to [[North America]].{{efn-ua|The immigration record shows Irvine, Walker and Weir stating that they were joining a relative, "George McGregor" living at Coffey Street in Brooklyn New York {{harv|R.I.S.|2009a}}.}} [[Mission (Christian)|Missions]] to continental Europe, Australia, and [[Asia]] followed.{{sfn|Parker|Parker|1982|p=46}}

By 1904, the requirement to "sell all" was no longer mentioned in [[sermon]]s.{{sfn|Impartial Reporter|13 October 1904|p=8}} A two-tiered system was instituted that made a distinction between homeless itinerant missionaries (called "workers") and those who were now allowed to retain homes and jobs (called "friends" or "saints").{{sfn|Wilson|1993}}{{sfn|Wallis|1981|p=123}} Weekly home meetings began to be held and presided over by "elders", who were typically the householder. During the next few years, this change became universal. The church continued to grow rapidly and held regular annual conventions lasting several weeks at a time. Irvine traveled widely during this period, attending conventions and preaching worldwide, and began sending workers from the [[British Isles]] to follow up and expand interest in various areas.<ref>See:
* {{harvnb|The Truth|18 May 1907|p=8}};
* {{harvnb|Irish Independent|20 August 1907|p=7}};
* {{harvnb|Irish Independent|13 August 1909|p=7}}.</ref>

Beginning in 1906, unwelcome attention came in the form of leaflets and billboard notices. W. D. Wilson, an English farmer whose unmarried children had left home and joined the Two by Twos, began publishing articles stating girls were being recruited by the church for immoral purposes.{{sfn|Anglo-Celt|5 October 1907|p=1}} In response, Edward Cooney brought a widely publicized suit for libel that was resolved by a settlement between the parties by the end of 1913.{{sfn|Freeman's Journal|2 December 1913|p=10}}

A [[hierarchy]] was instituted by Irvine, and his most trusted associates in various regions were designated as "overseers" or "head workers". Each worker was assigned a particular geographical sphere and then coordinated the efforts of the ministry within his area.{{sfn|Johnson|1995|p=48}} Among the overseers were William and Jack Carroll, George Walker, and Willie Gill. Irvine continued to have the ultimate say over worker conduct and finances, and his activities within their fields became regarded as "interference."{{sfn|Daniel|1993|pp=173–175}} Except for such annual conventions as he was able to attend across the globe, communications and instructions from Irvine passed through the overseers.{{sfn|Wallis|1981|p=130}}

=== Schism ===
William Irvine's progressive revelation continued to evolve over this time, and [[Eschatology|eschatological]] themes began to appear in sermons.{{sfn|New York Times|6 August 1909|p=4}}{{efn-ua|"As early as 1912, Irvine was exercising his charismatic imagination in ways that must have been unsettling to those in the movement with an interest in routinization.  In that year he told conventions that it might be possible to travel to the stars and act as saviours to them as Jesus acted for us.  He spoke of Christ's imminent return and referred to his movement as the 144,000 mentioned in the Book of Revelation."&nbsp;—''Benton Johnson'' {{harv|Johnson|1995|p=50}}.}} By 1914, he had begun to preach that the [[Dispensation Principle|Age of Grace]], during which his "Alpha Gospel" had been proclaimed, was coming to a close. As his message turned towards indicating a new era, which held no place for the ministry and hierarchy{{sfn|Johnson|1995|p=50}} that had rapidly grown up around the "Alpha Gospel," resentment arose on the part of overseers who saw him as a threat to their positions.{{sfn|Parker|Parker|1982|p=62}}{{sfn|Johnson|1995|p=50}}

Australian overseer John Hardie was the first to break with Irvine and excluded him from speaking at the South Australia convention in late 1913. As 1914 progressed, he was excluded from speaking in a growing number of regions, as more overseers broke away from him.{{sfn|Parker|Parker|1982|p=63}} Rumors circulated about Irvine's comfortable lifestyle and supposed weakness for women, though nothing concrete was ever exposed.{{sfn|Johnson|1995|p=49}} It was put about that Irvine "had lost the Lord's anointing" in an effort to explain his ouster. He was [[Shunning|shunned]] and his name was no longer mentioned, making him a nonperson in the church he founded.{{sfn|Johnson|1995|p=50}} There were many [[excommunication]]s of Irvine loyalists in various fields during the following years, and by 1919, the split was final, with Irvine moving to Jerusalem and transmitting his "[[William Irvine (Scottish evangelist)#Omega Message|Omega Message]]" to his core followers from there. Lacking any organizational means of making his case before the membership, Irvine's ouster occurred quietly.{{sfn|Wallis|1981|p=130}} Most members continued following the overseers, and few outside the leadership knew the details behind Irvine's disappearance from the scene, as no public mention of the split seems to have been made.{{sfn|Parker|Parker|1982|p=64}} Mention of Irvine's name was forbidden, and a new explanation of the group's history was introduced from which Irvine's role was erased.{{sfn|Kropp-Ehrig|2022|pp=201–207}}{{efn-ua|"The workers declared that Irvine 'had lost the Lord's anointing' and banned him from all assemblies. But they also had to devise a new source of authority for the movement's very special brand of Christianity. They did this by an ingenious falsification of their own history, in which Irvine's role was obliterated. And armed with this new history and the unity to enforce a ban on Irvine, the workers declared that the founder's name was not to be mentioned within the movement. He was excised from the shared memory of the organization he had founded."&nbsp;—''Johnson in Klass and Weisgrau'' {{harv|Johnson|1999|p=378}}.}}

Although the threat posed by Irvine to the church's organization had been dealt with, the prominent worker Edward Cooney refused to place his evangelistic efforts under the control of the overseers. Cooney himself adhered to the earlier, unfettered style of itinerant ministry, moving about wherever he felt he was needed.{{sfn|Johnson|1995|pp=51, 55}} He rejected the appointment of head workers to geographic regions and criticized their lifestyles.{{sfn|Johnson|1995|p=51}} He also preached against the "Living Witness" doctrine (i.e., that [[salvation]] entails hearing the gospel preached directly by a worker and seeing the gospel made alive in the sacrificial lives of the ministry), the bank accounts controlled by the overseers, use of halls for meetings, conventions, the hierarchy that had developed, and the ministry and the registrations under official names.{{sfn|Wilson|1993}}{{sfn|Johnson|1995|p=51}} For a time, his message urging a return to the original principles of Matthew 10 gained a following, even among some Australian overseers.{{sfn|Johnson|1995|pp=51, 52}}

A second division occurred in 1928 when Edward Cooney was expelled for criticizing the hierarchy and other elements that had arisen within the church, which he saw as serious deviations from the church's original message. The overseers seized upon a failed attempt at performing a [[faith healing]] as a pretext to excommunicate him.{{sfn|Johnson|1995|p=52}} Cooney's loyal supporters joined him, including some of the early workers, and they stayed faithful to what they perceived to be the original tenets.{{sfn|Roberts|1990|pp=145–154}} The term "[[Cooneyite]]" today chiefly refers to the group which separated (or were excommunicated) along with Cooney and who continue as an independent group. Prior to the [[Schism (religion)|schism]], onlookers had labeled the entire movement as "Cooneyites" due to Edward Cooney's prominence in the early growth of the church. There are areas where this older usage continues.{{sfn|Melton|2009|pp=554–555}}

=== Consolidation ===
These schisms were not widely publicized, and few were aware that they had occurred. Most supporters of Irvine, and later Cooney, were either coaxed into abandoning those loyalties or put out of the fellowship. Among these were the early workers May Carroll, Irvine Weir (one of the first workers in North America, who was excommunicated for continued contact with Cooney and for his objection to registration of the church under names),{{sfn|Parker|Parker|1982|pp=85–86}} and Tom Elliot (who had conducted [[baptism]]s of the first workers and was nicknamed "Tom the Baptist").{{sfn|Roberts|1990|p=153}}

The emergence of the Two by Twos caused severe splits within local Protestant churches in Ireland at a time of increasing demands for [[Irish War of Independence|Irish independence]], largely driven by the Catholic majority community. Because of animosity, the Two by Twos did not form a united front with other Protestant communities.{{sfn|Dair Rioga Local History Group|2005|p=333}}{{sfn|Megahey|2000|p=155}} Although the church was noted for extreme [[Anti-Catholicism|anti-Catholic]] views, it played a very minor role during the struggle for Irish independence. One exception was the involvement of the Pearson family in the still-controversial [[killings at Coolacrease]].{{sfn|McConway|7 November 2007|p=15}}{{sfn|McConway|14 November 2007|p=16}}

In the mid-1920s, a magazine article entitled "The Cooneyites or Go-Preachers"{{sfn|Rule|January 1924|pp=18–20}} disturbed the leadership, who made efforts to have it withdrawn,{{sfn|Parker|Parker|1982|p=82}} particularly when material from the article was added to the widely distributed reference ''Heresies Exposed''.{{sfn|Irvine|1929|pp=73–78}} During this period, the church modified its evangelical outreach. The public preaching of its early days was replaced with low-key "gospel meetings", which were attended only by members and invitees. The church began to state that it had a 1st-century origin.{{sfn|Parker|Parker|1982|p=64}}{{sfn|Dair Rioga Local History Group|2005|pp=329–330}} It asserted that it had no organization or name and disclaimed any unique doctrines. The church shunned publicity, making the church very difficult for outsiders to follow.{{sfn|Johnson|1995|pp=37–38, 42}}{{sfn|Indianapolis News|26 September 1921|p=11}}

[[File:Geowalker1942letter3.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Scan of page 3 of a 1942 statement written and signed by overseer George Walker on Christian Conventions stationery which addressed questions posed by the United States Selective Service|Last page of senior overseer George Walker's statement to the U.S. Selective Service in 1942 under the name "Christian Conventions"{{efn-ua|For full text of the letter, see ''The Secret Sect'' {{harv|Parker|Parker|1982|pp=117–119}}.}}]]

The North American church saw a struggle for influence between overseers George Walker in the east and Jack Carroll. In 1928, an agreement was forged between the senior overseers that limited workers operating outside of their appointed geographical spheres, known as "fields": workers traveling into an area controlled by another overseer had to first submit their revelation to,{{sfn|Roberts|1990|p=143}} and obtain permission from, the local overseer. {{sfn|Dair Rioga Local History Group|2005|p=330}} The exact boundaries between fields was worked out over time, and there were areas where workers under the control of more than one overseer operated, causing conflict.{{sfn|Parker|Parker|1982|p=85}}

During the [[World War I|First World War]], the church obtained exemption from military service in Britain under the name "The Testimony of Jesus." However, there were problems with recognition of this name outside the British Isles, and exemption was refused in many other areas.<ref>See:
* {{harvnb|St. Clair|St. Clair|2004|p=223}};
* {{harvnb|Lineham|2017|pp=169–176}};
* {{harvnb|Wilson|1994|p=49}}.</ref> In New Zealand during World War I, members of the church could not prove their [[conscientious objector]] status, and formed the largest segment of those imprisoned for refusal to serve.{{sfn|Lineham|2017|pp=162, 169, 175}}{{sfn|Wilson|1994|p=56(fn)}} Members and ministers also had difficulty establishing their conscientious objector status in the United States during the First World War.{{sfn|Indianapolis News|26 September 1921|p=11}} With the start of the [[World War II|Second World War]], formal names were adopted and used in registering the church with various national governments.{{efn-ua|This is the subject of letters from Rittenhouse and Sweetland, given in full in ''Reinventing the Truth'' {{harv|Daniel|1993|pp=281, 283–284}}.}}<ref>See:
* {{harvnb|Wilson|1994|p=68}};
* {{harvnb|Wilson|1993}}.</ref> These names continued to be used for official business, and stationery bearing those names was printed for the use of overseers. Most members were not aware of these names. Some who dissented after learning of the practice were [[excommunication|expelled]] by the workers.{{sfn|Kropp-Ehrig|2022|pp=358, 362, 396, 415, 488–490, 539}}{{sfn|Parker|Parker|1982|pp=85–86}}

After the death of Australian overseer William Carroll in 1953, an attempt was made to reintegrate the repudiated adherents of William Irvine and Edward Cooney. Rather than producing further unity, the attempt produced conflicts over the church's history which was exposed, the existence of legal names, disagreements over the hierarchy which had developed, and other controversies. Many excommunications took place in the subsequent effort to enforce harmony.{{sfn|Parker|Parker|1982|pp=88–92}}{{sfn|Roberts|1990|pp=225–226}}

The earliest workers and overseers were succeeded by a new generation of leaders. In Europe, William Irvine died in 1947,{{sfn|Palestine Post|10 March 1947|p=2}} Edward Cooney died in 1960,{{sfn|Impartial Reporter|23 June 1960}} and John Long (expelled in 1907) died in 1962. British overseer Willie Gill died in 1951. In the South Pacific, New Zealand overseer Wilson McClung died in 1944, and Australian overseer John Hardie died in 1961. In North America, both Jack Carroll,{{sfn|Fiset|29 March 1957|p=15}} the Western overseer, and Irvine Weir died in 1957 while Eastern overseer George Walker died in 1981.{{sfn|Evening Bulletin|8 November 1981}}

Its policy of not revealing its name, finances,{{sfn|Wilson|Barker|2005|p=299}} doctrine, or history,{{efn-ua|"In very short order they also destroyed Irvine's earlier stature as a charismatic innovator by explaining that the sect he had founded was actually a collective rediscovery of the earliest form of Christianity, which had existed as small persecuted bands since the first century."&nbsp;—''Benton Johnson'' {{harv|Johnson|1995|p=50}}.}} and avoidance of publicity{{efn-ua|"The Cooneyites, also called the Two-by-Two's, have developed the shunning of publicity into a fine art."&nbsp;—Melton {{harv|Melton|2009|p=554}}.}}{{sfn|Mann|1955|p=15}} largely kept the church from public notice.{{sfn|Gill|30 June 1984|p=37}} The group has been labeled a "high-control group" by some.{{sfn|RNZ|2024c}} A few authors of popular literature have noted the church, even using it as background for various works.<ref>Uses as background for literary works include,
* {{harvnb|Bates|2004|}};
* {{harvnb|Joyce|2001|p=138}};
* {{harvnb|Lewis|1971|pp=119–124}};
* {{harvnb|Montgomery|1935|pp=135–208}}.</ref>

=== Into the 21st century; abuse cases ===
[[File:Two by Two Convention Hall.jpg|thumb|upright|Two by Two convention hall in [[Saginaw, Oregon]], in 2018]]
Divisions, both doctrinal and organizational, within the group have formed throughout its history and continue as ongoing challenges.{{sfn|Kropp-Ehrig|2022|pp=260–261, 483–494}}

Until the mid 1980s, notes regarding the Two by Twos had appeared infrequently in religious journals and sociological works, with some writers assuming that the church had greatly declined, with nothing published regarding it.{{sfn|Jackson|Loetscher|1977|p=298}}{{sfn|Borhek|Curtis|1979|p=69}} In 1982, the publication of ''The Secret Sect'' was followed by press reports and public statements by former members.{{sfn|Daniel|1993|p=176}}{{sfn|Johnson|1995|p=43}} Other books and news coverage dealing with the church appeared in the following decades and increased awareness of the church and its practices. With the exposure of regional differences and the appearance of dissent, a loosening of a few strict standards demanded of members has been observed in some areas.{{sfn|Kropp-Ehrig|2022|pp=325, 338}}{{sfn|Cimino|July–August 1999|p=3}} A marked decline in membership has occurred over recent decades, coinciding with availability of information on the Internet and elsewhere.{{sfn|Kropp-Ehrig|2022|pp=306, 327, 496–497}}

In April 2019, the Australian current affairs television show ''[[60 Minutes (Australian TV program)|60 Minutes]]'' interviewed child sex abuse victims of Australian ministers.{{sfn|60 Minutes|2019}}{{sfn|Kropp-Ehrig|2022|pp=416–417}} On 20 March 2023, a letter was released from overseer Doyle S. Smith, (the "Dean Letter") informing members of the discovery of predatory and sexually abusive behavior by recently deceased worker and overseer Dean Bruer.{{sfn|Wings for Truth|2024a}} Since the release of the Dean Letter, other allegations of sexual abuse and child sexual abused have been reported within the church from all over the world, and former minister Robert Corfield admitted that he had sexually abused a boy in [[Saskatchewan]], Canada, over several years in the 1980s.{{sfn|BBC|2024a}}{{sfn|CBC|2024a}} Numbers of perpetrators have been estimated to number in the hundreds, with several thousand victims identified.{{sfn|York News-Times|7 September 2024}} In the United States, the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] (FBI) opened an investigation in 2024.{{sfn|BBC|2024b}}{{sfn|BBC|2025a}}

In 2023, the Two by Twos' Australasian overseers had issued two letters to members acknowledging incidents of abuse overseas, condemning child abuse and encouraging victims to report abuse to the police. The overseers also announced they would establish an anonymous advisory group to develop child-safe policies and manage the group's response to historical child sexual abuse. In other areas, calls for adoption of an official policy have been rejected or ignored.{{sfn|York News-Times|7 September 2024}} In May 2024, the group's Australasian leaders launched a website with information about their response to historical child sexual abuse and a written apology to victims. Former abuse victims and victim advocate Jillian Hishon have criticized the group's response for lacking impartiality and accountability.{{sfn|RNZ|2024b}}{{sfn|York News-Times|7 September 2024}}

In June 2024, the [[American Broadcasting Company]] television news program ''[[Nightline]]'' aired a segment on child sexual abuse cases across the United States. An expanded report aired concurrently on season 2 of the [[Hulu]] docuseries ''Impact X Nightline''.{{sfn|ABC Nightline|2024}}

In September 2024, [[Radio New Zealand]] reported that [[New Zealand Police]] were assisting the FBI investigation by investigating at least one former New Zealand minister for historical abuse. A former minister William Stephen Easton admitted 55 child sex abuse charges over three decades against young boys. The church has about 2,500 members and 60 ministers in New Zealand.{{sfn|RNZ|2025a}} Peter Lineham of Massey University has been researching the group since the 1970s and said that it had been active in New Zealand for 120 years.{{sfn|RNZ|2024a}} 

An American former elder of the church, Raymond Zwiefelhofer, was sentenced to 120 years in prison in November, 2024, for 10 counts of possessing child sexual abuse material.{{efn-ua|An ABC News report stated: "'In total, there were 87 files that were determined to be child sexual abuse material or sometimes known as child pornography,' Catherine Fu, a Maricopa Deputy County Attorney, told ABC News. 'The 10 charged files were a combination of photos and videos, and they were all depicting children under the age of 15 engaged in either exploitive exhibition or sexual conduct.' Zwiefelhofer, 61, maintains his innocence."{{harv|ABC|2024b}}.}} A report published by the [[BBC]] in early 2025 covered allegations of women who were pressured into giving up their children for adoption.{{sfn|BBC|2025a}}