The C&MA affirms the reality of hell as the eternal consequence of rejecting Christ and remaining in sin. Hell is understood as a state of conscious separation from God, involving real and active divine judgment, not merely the absence of God's presence. The C&MA holds that hell is eternal in duration and conscious torment awaits those who are finally lost.

This doctrine arises from the C&MA conviction that God is holy and just, and that sin must be punished. Those who refuse the offer of salvation in Christ throughout their lives face final judgment at death and the great day of reckoning. The intermediate state experienced by the unrighteous is one of separation from God, which becomes permanent and conscious torment at the final judgment and consummation.

The doctrine of hell is not taught in the C&MA primarily to instill fear but to underscore the seriousness of the gospel and the urgency of missions. The existence of hell is one reason the C&MA has historically emphasized evangelism and missionary activity: it impels believers to labor so that others might escape eternal damnation through faith in Christ. The fourfold gospel, including Christ as Coming King, sets within an eschatological context where the final judgment is real and consequential.