VI. History of Missions5    Early Church  Many early Christians
were persecuted under Roman rule. But the faith and witness of
these Christians so impressed the Romans that in A.D. 325, the
Emperor Constantine called the Council of Nicaea and made
Christianity the religion of the State6. Missionaries today can
learn from the example of the early Christians who were
persecuted. Faithfulness even in times of persecution results in
church growth.   Roman Catholic Church  At some point in the
early history of the church, the church became organized as the
Roman Catholic Church. Catholics and Protestants disagree
regarding the beginning date for the Catholic Church. Catholics
hold that the line of bishops overseeing the Catholic Church can
be traced to the Apostle Peter. Protestants oppose that view,
and claim that the church was placed under the authority of
Roman Catholic Popes much later. These opposing claims are
addressed in more detail on the website below. At the website,
see “The Complete Listing of Popes”