Zion City, Illinois, was founded by John Alexander Dowie as a religious utopia focused on holy living and healing. Among the behaviors proscribed in Zion, were eating pork, drinking alcohol, using medicine, and going to war. Hundreds of Pentecostals had previously worshipped as members of the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church in Zion.

For a time, the founding church, the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church, was the only church in Zion.  The long term plan was to build a temple, but short term they worshipped in a tabernacle which was large but fairly rustic.

In 1906, following the incapacitation of the founder who had a stroke, other sects came to Zion to try and take over the community and short of that to start their own group in Zion.  Pentecostals were the largest recipients of Zionites and especially the Assemblies of God had many early leaders who learned most of what they knew from the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church.

Still, the Holiness church in Zion continues to this day as the Christian Catholic Church.  During WWI, they were ardent pacifists and quite a large group of their men registered as conscientious objectors.  To request their exemption from military service, they noted that they were members of the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church in Zion.

Horace Henry Hill, CCCiZ WWI Draft Registration

Howard Henry Bishop, CCCiZ WWI Draft Registration

Oscar Ray Bennewate, CCCiZ WWI Draft Registration