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Churches of Christ

May 09, 2023

This article is about a specific fellowship of Christian congregations. For Churches of Christ that do not agree with congregational support of church or parachurch organizations, see Churches of Christ (non-institutional). For groups of autonomous congregations in Europe using the name "church of Christ" that have unclear association with the Restoration Movement, see Churches of Christ in Europe. For other uses, see Church of Christ.

The Churches of Christ, most commonly known as the Church of Christ or church of Christ, is a loose association of autonomous Christian congregations based on the sola scriptura doctrine. Their practices are based on Bible texts and draw on the early Christian church as described in the New Testament.

Churches of Christ
OrientationStone–Campbell Restoration Movement
PolityCongregationalist
Separations
Congregations41,498 (worldwide)
11,790 (U.S.)[1]
Members2,000,000 (approx.) worldwide;[2] 1,113,362 in the United States (2020)[3]
Publications
  • Christian Courier[4]
  • WVBS (videos, educ. material)[5]
  • The Christian Chronicle (news)[6]
  • The Christian Worker (UK)
  • Apologetics Press[7][8]
  • House to House Heart to Heart[9]

The Churches of Christ are represented across the world. Typically, their distinguishing beliefs are that of the necessity of baptism for salvation and the prohibition of instruments in worship. Many Churches identify themselves as being nondenominational.[10] The Churches of Christ arose to prominence in the United States from the Restoration Movement of 19th-century evangelism by groups who declared independence from denominations and traditional creeds. They sought "the unification of all Christians in a single body patterned after the original church of the New Testament."[11]: 54 

The Restoration Movement was not a purely North American phenomenon. There are now Churches of Christ in Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, Central America, and Europe.

Overview

Modern Churches of Christ have their historical roots in the Restoration Movement, which was a converging of Christians across denominational lines in search of a return to an original, "pre-denominational" Christianity.[12][13]: 108  Participants in this movement sought to base their doctrine and practice on the Bible alone, rather than recognizing the traditional councils and denominational hierarchies that had come to define Christianity since the first century A.D.[12][13]: 82, 104, 105  Members of the Churches of Christ believe that Jesus founded only one church, that the current divisions among Christians do not express God's will, and that the only basis for restoring Christian unity is the Bible.[12] They simply identify themselves as "Christians", without using any other forms of religious or denominational identification.[14][15][16]: 213  They believe that they are recreating the New Testament church as established by Christ.[17][18][19]: 106 

Members of the church of Christ do not conceive of themselves as a new church started near the beginning of the 19th century. Rather, the whole movement is designed to reproduce in contemporary times the church originally established on Pentecost, A.D. 33. The strength of the appeal lies in the restoration of Christ's original church.

— Batsell Barrett Baxter[12]

Churches of Christ generally share the following theological beliefs and practices:[12]

  • Autonomous, congregational church organization without denominational oversight;[20]: 238 [21]: 124 
  • Refusal to hold to any formal creeds or informal "doctrinal statements" or "statements of faith", stating instead a reliance on the Bible alone for doctrine and practice;[19]: 103 [20]: 238, 240 [21]: 123 
  • Local governance[20]: 238  by a plurality of male elders;[21]: 124 [22]: 47–54 
  • Baptism by immersion of consenting believers[20]: 238 [21]: 124  in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins;[12][19]: 103 [21]: 124 
  • Weekly observance of the Lord's Supper[21]: 124  on Sunday[19]: 107 [20]: 238 
    • In British congregations, the term "breaking of bread" is commonly used.
    • In American congregations, the terms "Communion" or "body and blood" are used.
    • Churches of Christ typically offer open communion on the first day of each week, offering the bread and fruit of the vine to all present at each person's self-examination.
  • Practice of a cappella singing is the norm in worship,[23] based on New Testament passages teaching to sing for worship, with no mention of instrumental music (and also that worship in church assemblies for centuries in the early Church practiced a cappella singing).[20]: 240 [21]: 125  (Ephesians 5:19)

In keeping with their history, the Churches of Christ claim the New Testament as their sole rule of faith and practice in deciding matters of doctrine and ecclesiastical structure.[Col. 2:14] They view the Old Testament as divinely inspired[19]: 103  and historically accurate, but they do not consider its laws to be binding under the New Covenant in Christ (unless they are repeated in the New Testament) (Hebrews 8: 7–13).[24]: 388 [25]: 23–37 [26]: 65–67  They believe that the New Testament demonstrates how a person may become a Christian (and thus a part of the universal Church of Christ) and how a church should be collectively organized and carry out its scriptural purposes.[12]

Demographics

In 2022, the total membership of Churches of Christ is estimated to be between 1,700,000 and 2,000,000,[27][28] with over 40,000 individual congregations worldwide.[28] In the United States, there are approximately 1,087,559 members and 11,776 congregations.[28] Overall U.S. membership was approximately 1.3 million in 1990 and 1.3 million in 2008.[29]: 5  Estimates of the proportion of the US adult population associated with the Churches of Christ vary from 0.8% to 1.5%.[29]: 5 [30]: 12, 16  Approximately 1,240 congregations, with 172,000 members, are predominantly African-American; 240 congregations with 10,000 members are Spanish-speaking.[31]: 213  The average congregation size is approximately 100 members, with larger congregations reporting over 1,000 members.[31]: 213  In 2000, the Churches of Christ were the 12th largest religious group in the U.S. based on the number of members, but the 4th largest in number of congregations.[32]

Within the U.S., membership in the Churches of Christ has declined by approximately 12% over the period from 1980 through 2007. The current retention rate of young adults graduating from high school appears to be approximately 60%. Membership is concentrated, with 70% of the U.S. membership, in thirteen states. Churches of Christ had a presence in 2,429 counties, placing them fifth behind the United Methodist Church, Catholic Church, Southern Baptist Convention and Assemblies of God – but the average number of adherents per county was approximately 677. The divorce rate was 6.9%, much lower than national averages.[32]

Name

"Church of Christ" is the most common name used by this group. In keeping with their focus of not being a denomination, using Ephesians 1:22–23 as reference to the church being the body of Christ and a body cannot be divided, congregations have identified themselves primarily as community churches and secondarily as Churches of Christ.[31]: 219–220  A much earlier tradition is to identify a congregation as "the church" at a particular location, with no other description or qualifiers.[31]: 220 [33]: 136–137  A primary motivation behind the name is the desire to use a scriptural or Biblical name – to identify the church using a name that is found in the New Testament.[11][22]: 163, 164 [33][34]: 7–8  Adherents are also referred to as Campbellites by academics[16] and other denominations[35] because it is assumed that they are followers of the teachings of Alexander Campbell, similar to Lutherans or Calvinists. Campbell himself refuted the idea that a denomination was started by him or that he was the head of one in The Christian Baptist publication in 1826 and 1828, stating: "Some religious editors in Kentucky call those who are desirous of seeing the ancient order of things restored, 'the Restorationers', 'the Campbellites'... This may go well with some; but all who fear God and keep his commands will pity and deplore the weakness and folly of those who either think to convince or to persuade by such means" (The Christian Baptist, Vol. IV, 88–89) and: "It is a nickname of reproach invented and adopted by those whose views, feelings and desires are all sectarian – who cannot conceive of Christianity in any other light than an ISM" (The Christian Baptist, Vol. V, 270). He was also associated with the Baptist denomination until 1820. The term "Campbellite" is usually offensive to members of the churches of Christ because members claim no allegiance to anyone except Jesus Christ and teach only what is presented in biblical texts.[36]

Alexander Campbell said the goal was to "[c]all Bible things by Bible names".[citation needed] This became an early slogan of the Restorationist Movement.[37]: 688  These congregations generally avoid names that associate the church with a particular man (other than Christ) or a particular doctrine or theological point of view (e.g., Lutheran, Wesleyan, Reformed).[11][15] They believe that Christ established only one church, and that the use of denominational names serves to foster division among Christians.[22]: 23, 24 [33][38][39][40][41] Thomas Campbell expressed an ideal of unity in his Declaration and Address: "The church of Jesus Christ on earth is essentially, intentionally, and constitutionally one."[37]: 688  This statement essentially echoes the words of Jesus Christ in John 17:21, 23.

Other terms are derived from their use in the New Testament: "church of God", "church of the Lord", "churches of Christ", "church of the first-born", "church of the living God", "the house of God", and "the people of God",[33][42] while terms recognized as scriptural, such as Church of God, are avoided to prevent confusion or identification with other groups that use those designations.[11][33][43] As a practical matter, use of a common term is seen as a way to help individual Christians find congregations with a similar approach to the scriptures.[33][44] Members understand that a scriptural name can be used in a "denominational" or "sectarian" way.[11]: 31 [33]: 83–94, 134–136 [42] Using the term "Church of Christ" exclusively has been criticized as identifying a denomination.[11]: 31 [33]: 83–94, 134–136 [42] Many congregations and individuals do not capitalize the word "church" in the phrases "church of Christ" and "churches of Christ".[45]: 382 [46] This is based on the understanding that the term "church of Christ" is used in the New Testament as a descriptive phrase, indicating that the church belongs to Christ, rather than as a proper name.[33]: 91 

Church organization

Congregational autonomy and leadership

Church government is congregational rather than denominational. Churches of Christ purposefully have no central headquarters, councils, or other organizational structure above the local church level.[16]: 214 [19]: 103 [20]: 238 [21]: 124 [47] Rather, the independent congregations are a network with each congregation participating at its own discretion in various means of service and fellowship with other congregations (see Sponsoring church (Churches of Christ)).[12][21]: 124 [48][49] Churches of Christ are linked by their shared commitment to Biblical restoration principles.[12][19]: 106  Congregations which do not participate with other church congregations and which refuse to pool resources in order to support outside causes (such as mission work, orphanages, Bible colleges, etc.) are sometimes called "non-institutional."

Congregations are generally overseen by a plurality of elders who are sometimes assisted in the administration of various works by deacons.[12][21]: 124 [22]: 47, 54–55  Elders are generally seen as responsible for the spiritual welfare of the congregation, while deacons are seen as responsible for the non-spiritual needs of the church.[50]: 531  Deacons serve under the supervision of the elders, and are often assigned to specific ministries.[50]: 531  Successful service as a deacon is often seen as preparation for the eldership.[50]: 531  Elders and deacons are appointed by the congregation based on the qualifications found in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, including that the persons must be male (female elders and deaconesses are not recognized, as these are not found in Scripture).[22]: 53, 48–52 [51][52]: 323, 335  Congregations look for elders who have a mature enough understanding of scripture to enable them to supervise the minister and to teach, as well as to perform "governance" functions.[53]: 298  In the absence of willing men who meet these qualifications, congregations are sometimes overseen by the congregation's men in general.[54]

While the early Restoration Movement had a tradition of itinerant preachers rather than "located Preachers", during the 20th century a long-term, formally trained congregational minister became the norm among Churches of Christ.[50]: 532  Ministers are understood to serve under the oversight of the elders[53]: 298  and may or may not also be qualified as an elder. While the presence of a long-term professional minister has sometimes created "significant de facto ministerial authority" and led to conflict between the minister and the elders, the eldership has remained the "ultimate locus of authority in the congregation".[50]: 531  There is, however, a small segment of Churches of Christ who oppose the "located minister" concept (see below).

Churches of Christ hold to the priesthood of all believers.[55] No special titles are used for preachers or ministers that would identify them as "clergy".[19]: 106 [25]: 112–113  Many ministers have undergraduate or graduate education in religion, or specific training in preaching through a non-college school of preaching.[31]: 215 [50]: 531 [56]: 607 [57]: 672, 673  Churches of Christ emphasize that there is no distinction between "clergy" and "laity" and that every member has a gift and a role to play in accomplishing the work of the church.[58]: 38–40 

Variations within Churches of Christ

While there is an identifiable mainstream within the Churches of Christ, there are also significant variations within the fellowship.[16]: 212 [31]: 213 [59]: 31, 32 [60]: 4 [61]: 1, 2  The approach taken to restoring the New Testament church has focused on "methods and procedures" such as church organization, the form of worship, and how the church should function. As a result, most divisions among Churches of Christ have been the result of "methodological" disputes. These are meaningful to members of this movement because of the seriousness with which they take the goal of "restoring the form and structure of the primitive church".[16]: 212 

Three quarters of the congregations and 87% of the membership are described by The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement as "mainstream", sharing a general consensus on practice and theology.[31]: 213 

Congregational a cappella music from hymnals (perhaps pitched from a pitch pipe), but directed by any capable song-leader motioning the time signature, is notably characteristic of the Churches of Christ.[20]: 240 [62]: 417 [63] Few congregations clap hands or use musical instruments during "formal" weekly convocations.

The remaining congregations may be grouped into four categories which generally differ from the mainstream consensus in specific practices, rather than in theological perspectives, and tend to have smaller congregations on average.[31]: 213 

The largest of these four categories is the "non-institutional" Churches of Christ. This group is notable for opposing congregational support of institutions such as orphanages and Bible colleges. Similarly, non-institutional congregations also oppose the use of church facilities for non-church activities (such as fellowship dinners or recreation); as such, they oppose the construction of "fellowship halls", gymnasiums, and similar structures. In both cases, opposition is based on the belief that support of institutions and non-church activities are not proper functions of the local congregation. Approximately 2,055 congregations fall into this category.[31]: 213 [64]

The remaining three groups, whose congregations are generally considerably smaller than those of the mainstream or non-institutional groups, also oppose institutional support as well as "fellowship halls" and similar structures (for the same reasons as the non-institutional groups), but differ by other beliefs and practices (the groups often overlap, but in all cases hold to more conservative views than even the non-institutional groups):[31]: 213 

  • One group opposes separate "Sunday School" classes for children or gender-separated (the groups thus meet only as a whole assembly in one area); this group consists of approximately 1,100 congregations. The no Sunday School group generally overlaps with the "one-cup" group and may overlap with the "mutual edification" group as defined below.
  • Another group opposes the use of multiple communion cups (the term "one-cup" is often used, sometimes pejoratively as "one-cuppers", to describe this group); there are approximately 550 congregations in this group. Congregations in this group differ as to whether "the wine" should be fermented or unfermented, whether the cup can be refilled if during the service it runs dry (or even if it is accidentally spilled), and whether "the bread" can be broken ahead of time or must be broken by the individual participant during Lord's Supper time.
  • The last and smallest group "emphasize[s] mutual edification by various leaders in the churches and oppose[s] one person doing most of the preaching" (the term "mutual edification" is often used to describe this group); there are approximately 130 congregations in this grouping.

Beliefs

 
An American family Bible dating to 1859 A.D.

Churches of Christ seek to practice the principle of the Bible being the only source to find doctrine (known elsewhere as sola scriptura).[21]: 123 [65] The Bible is generally regarded as inspired and inerrant.[21]: 123  Churches of Christ generally see the Bible as historically accurate and literal, unless scriptural context obviously indicates otherwise. Regarding church practices, worship, and doctrine, there is great liberty from congregation to congregation in interpreting what is biblically permissible, as congregations are not controlled by a denominational hierarchy.[66] Their approach to the Bible is driven by the "assumption that the Bible is sufficiently plain and simple to render its message obvious to any sincere believer".[16]: 212  Related to this is an assumption that the Bible provides an understandable "blueprint" or "constitution" for the church.[16]: 213 

If it's not in the Bible, then these folks aren't going to do it.

— Carmen Renee Berry, The Unauthorized Guide to Choosing a Church[20]: 240 

Historically, three hermeneutic approaches have been used among Churches of Christ.[24]: 387 [67]

The relative importance given to each of these three strategies has varied over time and between different contexts.[67] The general impression in the current Churches of Christ is that the group's hermeneutics are entirely based on the command, example, inference approach.[67] In practice, interpretation has been deductive, and heavily influenced by the group's central commitment to ecclesiology and soteriology.[67] Inductive reasoning has been used as well, as when all of the conversion accounts from the book of Acts are collated and analyzed to determine the steps necessary for salvation.[67] One student of the movement summarized the traditional approach this way: "In most of their theologizing, however, my impression is that spokespersons in the Churches of Christ reason from Scripture in a deductive manner, arguing from one premise or hypothesis to another so as to arrive at a conclusion. In this regard the approach is much like that of science which, in practice moves deductively from one hypothesis to another, rather than in a Baconian inductive manner."[67] In recent years, changes in the degree of emphasis placed on ecclesiology and soteriology has spurred a reexamination of the traditional hermeneutics among some associated with the Churches of Christ.[67]

A debate arose during the 1980s over the use of the command, example, necessary inference model for identifying the "essentials" of the New Testament faith. Some argued that it fostered legalism, and advocated instead a hermeneutic based on the character of God, Christ and the Holy Spirit. Traditionalists urged the rejection of this "new hermeneutic".[68] Use of this tripartite formula has declined as congregations have shifted to an increased "focus on 'spiritual' issues like discipleship, servanthood, family and praise".[24]: 388  Relatively greater emphasis has been given to Old Testament studies in congregational Bible classes and at affiliated colleges in recent decades. While it is still not seen as authoritative for Christian worship, church organization, or regulating the Christian's life, some have argued that it is theologically authoritative.[24]: 388 

Many scholars associated with the Churches of Christ embrace the methods of modern Biblical criticism but not the associated anti-supernaturalistic views. More generally, the classical grammatico-historical method is prevalent, which provides a basis for some openness to alternative approaches to understanding the scriptures.[24]: 389 

Doctrine of salvation (soteriology)

Churches of Christ are strongly anti-Lutheran and anti-Calvinist in their understanding of salvation and generally present conversion as "obedience to the proclaimed facts of the gospel rather than as the result of an emotional, Spirit-initiated conversion".[31]: 215  Churches of Christ hold the view that humans of accountable age are lost because they have committed sins.[21]: 124  These lost souls can be redeemed because Jesus Christ, the Son of God, offered himself as the atoning sacrifice.[21]: 124  Children too young to understand right from wrong and make a conscious choice between the two are believed to be innocent of sin.[19]: 107 [21]: 124  There is no set age for this to occur; it is only when the child learns the difference between right and wrong that they are accountable (James 4:17). Congregations differ in their interpretation of the age of accountability.[19]: 107 

Churches of Christ generally teach that the process of salvation involves the following steps:[12]

  1. One must be properly taught, and hear (Romans 10:14–17);
  2. One must believe or have faith (Hebrews 11:6, Mark 16:16);
  3. One must repent, which means turning from one's former lifestyle and choosing God's ways (Acts 17:30);
  4. One must confess belief that Jesus is the son of God (Acts 8:36–37);
  5. One must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38); and
  6. One must live faithfully as a Christian (1 Peter 2:9).

Beginning in the 1960s, many preachers began placing more emphasis on the role of grace in salvation, instead of focusing exclusively on implementing all of the New Testament commands and examples.[60]: 152, 153  This was not an entirely new approach, as others had actively "affirmed a theology of free and unmerited grace", but it did represent a change of emphasis with grace becoming "a theme that would increasingly define this tradition".[60]: 153 

Baptism

See also: Baptism in early Christianity

Baptism has been recognized as the important initiatory rite throughout the history of the Christian Church,[69]: 11  but Christian groups differ over the manner and time in which baptism is administered,[69]: 11  the meaning and significance of baptism,[69]: 11  its role in salvation,[69]: 12  and who is a candidate for baptism.[69]: 12 

Baptism in Churches of Christ is performed only by bodily immersion,[19]: 107 [21]: 124  based on the Koine Greek verb βαπτίζω (baptizō) which is understood to mean to dip, immerse, submerge or plunge.[12][22]: 313–314 [25]: 45–46 [69]: 139 [70]: 22  Immersion is seen as more closely conforming to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus than other modes of baptism.[12][22]: 314–316 [69]: 140  Churches of Christ argue that historically immersion was the mode used in the first century, and that pouring and sprinkling emerged later.[69]: 140  Over time these secondary modes came to replace immersion, in the State Churches of Europe.[69]: 140  Only those mentally capable of belief and repentance are baptized (e.g., infant baptism is not practiced).[12][21]: 124 [22]: 318–319 [52]: 195 

Churches of Christ have historically had the most conservative position on baptism among the various branches of the Restoration Movement, understanding that repentance and baptism by immersion are necessary parts of conversion.[71]: 61  The most significant disagreements concerned the extent to which a correct understanding of the role of baptism is necessary for its validity.[71]: 61  David Lipscomb argued that if a believer was baptized out of a desire to obey God, the baptism was valid, even if the individual did not fully understand the role baptism plays in salvation.[71]: 61  Austin McGary argued that to be valid, the convert must also understand that baptism is for the forgiveness of sins.[71]: 62  McGary's view became the prevailing one in the early 20th century, but the approach advocated by Lipscomb never totally disappeared.[71]: 62  More recently, the rise of the International Churches of Christ, who "reimmersed some who came into their fellowship, even those previously immersed 'for remission of sins' in a Church of Christ," has caused some to reexamine the question of rebaptism.[71]: 66 

Churches of Christ consistently teach that in baptism a believer surrenders his life in faith and obedience to God, and that God "by the merits of Christ's blood, cleanses one from sin and truly changes the state of the person from an alien to a citizen of God's kingdom. Baptism is not a human work; it is the place where God does the work that only God can do."[71]: 66  The term "alien" is used in reference to sinners as in Eph 2:12. Members consider baptism a passive act of faith rather than a meritorious work; it "is a confession that a person has nothing to offer God".[72]: 112  While Churches of Christ do not describe baptism as a "sacrament", their view of it can legitimately be described as "sacramental".[70]: 186 [71]: 66  They see the power of baptism coming from God, who uses baptism as a vehicle, rather than from the water or the act itself,[70]: 186  and understand baptism to be an integral part of the conversion process, rather than as only a symbol of conversion.[70]: 184  A recent trend is to emphasize the transformational aspect of baptism: instead of describing it as nothing more than a legal requirement or sign of something that happened in the past, it is seen as "the event that places the believer 'into Christ' where God does the ongoing work of transformation".[71]: 66  There is a minority that downplays the importance of baptism in order to avoid sectarianism, but the broader trend is to "reexamine the richness of the Biblical teaching of baptism and to reinforce its central and essential place in Christianity".[71]: 66 

Because of the belief that baptism is a necessary part of salvation, some Baptists hold that the Churches of Christ endorse the doctrine of baptismal regeneration.[73] However members of the Churches of Christ reject this, arguing that since faith and repentance are necessary, and that the cleansing of sins is by the blood of Christ through the grace of God, baptism is not an inherently redeeming ritual.[69]: 133 [73][74]: 630, 631  One author describes the relationship between faith and baptism this way, "Faith is the reason why a person is a child of God; baptism is the time at which one is incorporated into Christ and so becomes a child of God" (italics are in the source).[52]: 170  Baptism is understood as a confessional expression of faith and repentance,[52]: 179–182  rather than a "work" that earns salvation.[52]: 170 

A cappella worship

The Churches of Christ generally combine 1) the lack of any historical evidence that the early church used musical instruments in worship[11]: 47 [22]: 237–238 [62]: 415  and 2) the lack of scriptural support in the New Testament authorizing the use of instruments in worship service[12][22]: 244–246  to decide that instruments should not be used today in worship. The term a cappella comes from the Italian "as the church", "as chapel", or "as the choir". As such, Churches of Christ have typically practiced a cappella music in worship services.[12][20]: 240 [21]: 124 

However, not all Churches of Christ abstain from instruments. The use of musical instruments in worship was a divisive topic within the Stone-Campbell Movement from its earliest years, when some adherents opposed the practice on traditional grounds, while others may have relied on a cappella simply because they lacked access to musical instruments. Alexander Campbell opposed the use of instruments in worship. As early as 1855, some Restoration Movement churches were using organs or pianos, ultimately leading the Churches of Christ to separate from the groups that condoned instrumental music.[75]

Scriptural backing given by members for the practice of a cappella includes:

  • Matt 26:30: "And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives."[22]: 236 
  • Rom 15:9: "Therefore I will praise thee among the Gentiles, and sing to thy name";[22]: 236 
  • Eph 5:18–19: "... be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart,"[12][22]: 236 
  • 1 Cor 14:15: "I will sing with the Spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also."[22]: 236 
  • Col 3:16: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto God."[22]: 237 
  • Heb 2:12: "I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee."[22]: 237 
  • Heb 13:15: By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

There are congregations that permit hand-clapping and a few that use musical instruments in worship.[20]: 240 [62]: 417 [76] Some of the latter describe themselves as a "Church of Christ (Instrumental)".[61]: 667 

Other theological tendencies

 
Churches of Christ are generally amillennial.

Many leaders argue that the Churches of Christ only follow the Bible and have no "theology".[77]: 737  Christian theology as classically understood – the systematic development of the classical doctrinal topics – is relatively recent and rare among this movement.[77]: 737  Because Churches of Christ reject all formalized creeds on the basis that they add to or detract from Scripture, they generally reject most conceptual doctrinal positions out of hand.[78] Churches of Christ do tend to elaborate certain "driving motifs".[77]: 737  These are scripture (hermeneutics), the church (ecclesiology) and the "plan of salvation" (soteriology).[77]: 737  The importance of theology, understood as teaching or "doctrine", has been defended on the basis that an understanding of doctrine is necessary to respond intelligently to questions from others, to promote spiritual health, and to draw the believer closer to God.[72]: 10–11 

Churches of Christ avoid the term "theology", preferring instead the term "doctrine": theology is what humans say about the Bible; doctrine is simply what the Bible says.

— Encyclopedia of Religion in the South[16]: 213 

Eschatology

Regarding eschatology (a branch of theology concerned with the final events in the history of the world or of humankind), Churches of Christ are generally amillennial, their originally prevalent postmillennialism (evident in Alexander Campbell's Millennial Harbinger) having dissipated around the era of the First World War. Before then, many leaders were "moderate historical premillennialists" who did not advocate specific historical interpretations. Churches of Christ have moved away from premillennialism as dispensational millennialism has come more to fore in Protestant evangelical circles.[31]: 219 [79] Amillennialism and postmillennialism are the prevailing views today.[21]: 125 

Premillennialism was a focus of controversy during the first half of the 20th century.[31]: 219  One of the most influential advocates for that point of view was Robert Henry Boll,[80]: 96–97 [81]: 306  whose eschatological views came to be most singularly opposed by Foy E. Wallace Jr.[82] By the end of the 20th century, however, the divisions caused by the debate over premillennialism were diminishing, and in the 2000 edition of the directory Churches of Christ in the United States, published by Mac Lynn, congregations holding premillennial views were no longer listed separately.[80]: 97 [83]

Work of the Holy Spirit

During the late 19th century, the prevailing view in the Restoration Movement was that the Holy Spirit currently acts only through the influence of inspired scripture.[84] This rationalist view was associated with Alexander Campbell, who was "greatly affected by what he viewed as the excesses of the emotional camp meetings and revivals of his day".[84] He believed that the Spirit draws people towards salvation but understood the Spirit to do this "in the same way any person moves another—by persuasion with words and ideas". This view came to prevail over that of Barton W. Stone, who believed the Spirit had a more direct role in the life of the Christian.[84] Since the early 20th century, many, but not all, among the Churches of Christ have moved away from this "word-only" theory of the operation of the Holy Spirit.[85] As one scholar of the movement puts it, "[f]or better or worse, those who champion the so-called word-only theory no longer have a hold on the minds of the constituency of Churches of Christ. Though relatively few have adopted outright charismatic and third wave views and remained in the body, apparently the spiritual waves have begun to erode that rational rock."[84] The Churches of Christ hold a cessationist perspective on the gifts of the Spirit.[citation needed][86]

The Trinity

Thomas Campbell and Barton W. Stone both publicly believed that God is made known in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit.[87] This traditional trinitarianism, greatly influenced the early church of Christ movement. Although churches of Christ have no formal overarching leadership, the Stone-Campbell belief on the Godhead prevailed throughout churches of Christ during their establishment.[88]

Church history

See also: Restorationism

The fundamental idea of "restoration" or "Christian Primitivism" is that problems or deficiencies in the church can be corrected by using the primitive church as a "normative model."[89]: 635  The call for restoration is often justified on the basis of a "falling away" that corrupted the original purity of the church.[34][90][91] This falling away is identified with the development of Catholicism and denominationalism.[22]: 56–66, 103–138 [34]: 54–73 [90][91] New Testament verses that discuss future apostasy (2 Thessalonians 2:3) and heresy (e.g., Acts 20:29, 1 Timothy 4:1, 2 Tim 4:1–4:4) are understood to predict this falling away.[90] The logic of "restoration" could imply that the "true" church completely disappeared and thus lead towards exclusivism.[91] Another view of restoration is that the "true Church ... has always existed by grace and not by human engineering" (italics in the original).[92]: 640  In this view the goal is to "help Christians realize the ideal of the church in the New Testament – to restore the church as conceived in the mind of Christ" (italics in the original).[92]: 640  Early Restoration Movement leaders did not believe that the church had ceased to exist, but instead sought to reform and reunite the church.[91][92]: 638 [93][94] A number of congregations' web sites explicitly state that the true church never disappeared.[95] The belief in a general falling away is not seen as inconsistent with the idea that a faithful remnant of the church never entirely disappeared.[22]: 153 [34]: 5 [96]: 41  Some have attempted to trace this remnant through the intervening centuries between the New Testament and the beginning of the Restoration Movement in the early 1800s.[97][98]

One effect of the emphasis placed on the New Testament church is a "sense of historylessness" that sees the intervening history between the 1st century and the modern church as "irrelevant or even abhorrent."[13]: 152  Authors within the brotherhood have recently argued that a greater attention to history can help guide the church through modern-day challenges.[13]: 151–157 [99]: 60–64 

Contemporary social and political views

The churches of Christ maintain a significant proportion of political diversity.[100] According to the Pew Research Center in 2016, 50% of adherents of the churches of Christ identify as Republican or lean Republican, 39% identify as Democratic or lean Democratic and 11% have no preference.[101] Despite this, the Christian Chronicle says that the vast majority of adherents maintain a conservative view on modern social issues. This is evident when the Research Center questioned adherents' political ideology. In the survey, 51% identified as "conservative", 29% identified as "moderate" and just 12% identified as "liberal", with 8% not knowing.[102] In contemporary society, the vast majority of adherents of the churches of Christ view homosexuality as a sin.[103] They cite Leviticus 18:22 and Romans 1:26–27 for their position. Most don't view same-sex attraction as a sin; however, they condemn "acting on same-sex desires".[104] Mainstream and conservative Churches of Christ bar membership for openly LGBT individuals and do not bless or recognize any form of sexual same-sex relationships. Churches oppose same-sex relationships, transitioning to align gender identity, and all forms of what they describe as "sexual deviation", however, they say they don't view it as any worse than fornication or other sins.[105]

History

See also: Restoration Movement
 
Interior of the original meeting house at Cane Ridge, Kentucky

Early Restoration Movement history

See also: Christianity in the 19th century

The Restoration Movement originated with the convergence of several independent efforts to go back to apostolic Christianity.[13]: 101 [33]: 27  Two were of particular importance to the development of the movement.[13]: 101–106 [33]: 27  The first, led by Barton W. Stone, began at Cane Ridge, Kentucky and called themselves simply "Christians". The second began in western Pennsylvania and was led by Thomas Campbell and his son, Alexander Campbell; they used the name "Disciples of Christ". Both groups sought to restore the whole Christian church on the pattern set forth in the New Testament, and both believed that creeds kept Christianity divided.[13]: 101–106 [33]: 27–32 

The Campbell movement was characterized by a "systematic and rational reconstruction" of the early church, in contrast to the Stone movement which was characterized by radical freedom and lack of dogma.[13]: 106–108  Despite their differences, the two movements agreed on several critical issues.[13]: 108  Both saw restoring the early church as a route to Christian freedom, and both believed that unity among Christians could be achieved by using apostolic Christianity as a model.[13]: 108  The commitment of both movements to restoring the early church and to uniting Christians was enough to motivate a union between many in the two movements.[60]: 8, 9  While emphasizing that the Bible is the only source to seek doctrine, an acceptance of Christians with diverse opinions was the norm in the quest for truth. "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, love" was an oft-quoted slogan of the period.[106] The Stone and Campbell movements merged in 1832.[33]: 28 [107]: 212 [108]: xxi [109]: xxxvii 

The Restoration Movement began during, and was greatly influenced by, the Second Great Awakening.[110]: 368  While the Campbells resisted what they saw as the spiritual manipulation of the camp meetings, the Southern phase of the Awakening "was an important matrix of Barton Stone's reform movement" and shaped the evangelistic techniques used by both Stone and the Campbells.[110]: 368 

Christian Churches and Churches of Christ separation

In 1906, the U.S. Religious Census listed the Christian Churches and the Churches of Christ as separate and distinct groups for the first time.[111]: 251  This was the recognition of a division that had been growing for years under the influence of conservatives such as Daniel Sommer, with reports of the division having been published as early as 1883.[111]: 252  The most visible distinction between the two groups was the rejection of musical instruments in the Churches of Christ. The controversy over musical instruments began in 1860 with the introduction of organs in some churches. More basic were differences in the underlying approach to Biblical interpretation. For the Churches of Christ, any practices not present in accounts of New Testament worship were not permissible in the church, and they could find no New Testament documentation of the use of instrumental music in worship. For the Christian Churches, any practices not expressly forbidden could be considered.[111]: 242–247  Another specific source of controversy was the role of missionary societies, the first of which was the American Christian Missionary Society, formed in October 1849.[112][113] While there was no disagreement over the need for evangelism, many believed that missionary societies were not authorized by scripture and would compromise the autonomy of local congregations.[112] This disagreement became another important factor leading to the separation of the Churches of Christ from the Christian Church.[112] Cultural factors arising from the American Civil War also contributed to the division.[114]

Nothing in life has given me more pain in heart than the separation from those I have heretofore worked with and loved

— David Lipscomb, 1899[115]

In 1968, at the International Convention of Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ), those Christian Churches that favored a denominational structure, wished to be more ecumenical, and also accepted more of the modern liberal theology of various denominations, adopted a new "provisional design" for their work together, becoming the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).[45]: 495  Those congregations that chose not to be associated with the new denominational organization continued as undenominational Christian churches and churches of Christ, completing a separation that had begun decades before.[45]: 407–409  The instrumental Christian Churches and Churches of Christ in some cases have both organizational and hermeneutical differences with the Churches of Christ discussed in this article.[16]: 186  For example, they have a loosely organized convention and view scriptural silence on an issue more permissively,[16]: 186  but they are more closely related to the Churches of Christ in their theology and ecclesiology than they are with the Disciples of Christ denomination.[16]: 186  Some see divisions in the movement as the result of the tension between the goals of restoration and ecumenism, with the a cappella Churches of Christ and Christian churches and churches of Christ resolving the tension by stressing Bible authority, while the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) resolved the tension by stressing ecumenism.[16]: 210 [45]: 383 

Race relations

Early Restoration Movement leaders varied in their views of slavery, reflecting the range of positions common in the Pre-Civil-War U.S.[116]: 619  Barton W. Stone was a strong opponent of slavery, arguing that there was no Biblical justification for the form of slavery then being practiced in the United States and calling for immediate emancipation.[116]: 619  Alexander Campbell represented a more "Jeffersonian" opposition to slavery, writing of it as more of a political problem than as a religious or moral one.[116]: 619  Having seen Methodists and Baptists divide over the issue of slavery, Campbell argued that scripture regulated slavery rather than prohibited it, and that abolition should not be allowed to become an issue over which Christians would break fellowship with each other.[116]: 619  Like the country as a whole, the assumption of white racial superiority was almost universal among those on all sides of the issue, and it was common for congregations to have separate seating for black members.[116]: 619 

After the Civil War, black Christians who had been worshiping in mixed-race Restoration Movement congregations formed their own congregations.[116]: 619  White members of Restoration Movement congregations shared many of the racial prejudices of the times.[116]: 620  Among the Churches of Christ, Marshall Keeble became a prominent African-American evangelist. He estimated that by January 1919 he had "traveled 23,052 miles, preached 1,161 sermons, and baptized 457 converts".[116]: 620 

To object to any child of God participating in the service on account of his race, social or civil state, his color or race, is to object to Jesus Christ and to cast him from our association. It is a fearful thing to do. I have never attended a church that negroes did not attend.

— David Lipscomb, 1907[117]

During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s the Churches of Christ struggled with changing racial attitudes.[116]: 621  Some leaders, such as Foy E. Wallace Jr., and George S. Benson of Harding University railed against racial integration, saying that racial segregation was the Divine Order.[118][119] Schools and colleges associated with the movement were at the center of the debate.[116]: 621  N.B. Hardeman, the president of Freed-Hardeman, was adamant that the black and white races should not mingle, and refused to shake hands with black Christians.[119] Abilene Christian College first admitted black undergraduate students in 1962 (graduate students had been admitted in 1961).[116]: 621  Desegregation of other campuses followed.[116]: 621 [120]

Efforts to address racism continued through the following decades.[116]: 622  A national meeting of prominent leaders from the Churches of Christ was held in June 1968.[116]: 622  Thirty-two participants signed a set of proposals intended to address discrimination in local congregations, church affiliated activities and the lives of individual Christians.[116]: 622  An important symbolic step was taken in 1999 when the president of Abilene Christian University "confessed the sin of racism in the school's past segregationist policies" and asked black Christians for forgiveness during a lectureship at Southwestern Christian College, a historically black school affiliated with the Churches of Christ.[116]: 622 [121]: 695 

Music

 
Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs (1843, 13th stereotype ed.)

The tradition of a capella congregational singing in the Churches of Christ is deep set and the rich history of the style stimulated the creation of many hymns in the early 20th century. Notable Churches of Christ hymn writers have included Albert Brumley ("I'll Fly Away") and Tillit S. Teddlie ("Worthy Art Thou"). More traditional Church of Christ hymns commonly are in the style of gospel hymnody. The hymnal Great Songs of the Church, which was first published in 1921 and has had many subsequent editions, is widely used.[75]

While the more conservative and traditional Churches of Christ do not use instruments, since the early 2000s about 20 in the U.S., typically larger congregations, have introduced instruments in place of a strictly a cappella style.[122][123]

Institutional controversy

After World War II, Churches of Christ began sending ministers and humanitarian relief to war-torn Europe and Asia.

Though there was agreement that separate para-church "missionary societies" could not be established (on the belief that such work could only be performed through local congregations), a doctrinal conflict ensued about how this work was to be done. Eventually, the funding and control of outreach programs in the United States such as homes for orphans, nursing homes, mission work, setting up new congregations, Bible colleges or seminaries, and large-scale radio and television programs became part of the controversy.

Congregations which supported and participated in pooling funds for these institutional activities are said to be "sponsoring church" congregations. Congregations which have traditionally opposed these organized sponsorship activities are said to be "non-institutional" congregations. The institutional controversy resulted in the largest division among Churches of Christ in the 20th century.[124]

Separation of the International Churches of Christ

The International Churches of Christ had their roots in a "discipling" movement that arose among the mainline Churches of Christ during the 1970s.[125]: 418  This discipling movement developed in the campus ministry of Chuck Lucas.[125]: 418 

In 1967, Chuck Lucas was minister of the 14th Street Church of Christ in Gainesville, Florida (later renamed the Crossroads Church of Christ). That year he started a new project known as Campus Advance (based on principles borrowed from the Campus Crusade and the Shepherding Movement). Centered on the University of Florida, the program called for a strong evangelical outreach and an intimate religious atmosphere in the form of soul talks and prayer partners. Soul talks were held in student residences and involved prayer and sharing overseen by a leader who delegated authority over group members. Prayer partners referred to the practice of pairing a new Christian with an older guide for personal assistance and direction. Both procedures led to "in-depth involvement of each member in one another's lives", and critics accused Lucas of fostering cultism.[126]

The Crossroads Movement later spread into some other Churches of Christ. One of Lucas' converts, Kip McKean, moved to the Boston area in 1979 and began working with "would-be disciples" in the Lexington Church of Christ.[125]: 418  He asked them to "redefine their commitment to Christ," and introduced the use of discipling partners. The congregation grew rapidly, and was renamed the Boston Church of Christ.[125]: 418  In the early 1980s, the focus of the movement moved to Boston, Massachusetts where Kip McKean and the Boston Church of Christ became prominently associated with the trend.[125]: 418 [126]: 133, 134  With the national leadership located in Boston, during the 1980s it commonly became known as the "Boston movement".[125]: 418 [126]: 133, 134  A formal break was made from the mainline Churches of Christ in 1993 with the organization of the International Churches of Christ.[125]: 418  This new designation formalized a division that was already in existence between those involved with the Crossroads/Boston Movement and "mainline" Churches of Christ.[45]: 442 [125]: 418, 419  Other names that have been used for this movement include the "Crossroads movement," "Multiplying Ministries," the "Discipling Movement" and the "Boston Church of Christ".[126]: 133 

Kip McKean resigned as the "World Mission Evangelist" in November 2002.[125]: 419  Some ICoC leaders began "tentative efforts" at reconciliation with the Churches of Christ during the Abilene Christian University Lectureship in February 2004.[125]: 419 

Restoration Movement timeline

Churches of Christ outside the United States

Most members of the Churches of Christ live outside the United States. Although there is no reliable counting system, it is anecdotally believed there may be more than 1,000,000 members of the Churches of Christ in Africa, approximately 1,000,000 in India, and 50,000 in Central and South America. Total worldwide membership is over 3,000,000, with approximately 1,000,000 in the U.S.[31]: 212 

Africa

Although there is no reliable counting system, it is anecdotally believed to be 1,000,000 or more members of the Churches of Christ in Africa.[31]: 212  The total number of congregations is approximately 14,000.[127]: 7  The most significant concentrations are in Nigeria, Malawi, Ghana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, South Africa, South Sudan and Kenya.[127]: 7 

Asia

Estimates are that there are 2,000 or more Restoration Movement congregations in India,[128]: 37, 38  with a membership of approximately 1,000,000.[31]: 212  More than 100 congregations exist in the Philippines.[128]: 38  Growth in other Asian countries has been smaller but is still significant.[128]: 38 

Australia

See also: Churches of Christ in Australia

Historically, Restoration Movement groups from Great Britain were more influential than those from the United States in the early development of the movement in Australia. Churches of Christ grew up independently in several locations.[129]: 47  While early Churches of Christ in Australia saw creeds as divisive, towards the end of the 19th century they began viewing "summary statements of belief" as useful in tutoring second generation members and converts from other religious groups.[129]: 50  The period from 1875 through 1910 also saw debates over the use of musical instruments in worship, Christian Endeavor Societies and Sunday Schools. Ultimately, all three found general acceptance in the movement.[129]: 51  Currently, the Restoration Movement is not as divided in Australia as it is in the United States.[129]: 53  There have been strong ties with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), but many conservative ministers and congregations associate with the Christian churches and churches of Christ instead.[129]: 53  Others have sought support from non-instrumental Churches of Christ, particularly those who felt that "conference" congregations had "departed from the restoration ideal".[129]: 53 

Canada

A relatively small proportion of total membership comes from Canada. A growing portion of the Canadian demographic is made up of immigrant members of the church. This is partly the result of Canadian demographics as a whole, and partly due to decreased interest amongst late generation Canadians.[130] The largest concentration of active congregations in Canada are in Southern Ontario, with notable congregations gathering in Beamsville, Bramalea, Niagara Falls, Vineland, Toronto (several), and Waterloo. However, many congregations of various sizes (typically under 300 members) meet all across Canada.[131]

Great Britain

See also: Churches of Christ in Europe

In the early 1800s, Scottish Baptists were influenced by the writings of Alexander Campbell in the Christian Baptist and Millennial Harbinger.[132] A group in Nottingham withdrew from the Scotch Baptist church in 1836 to form a Church of Christ.[132]: 369  James Wallis, a member of that group, founded a magazine named The British Millennial Harbinger in 1837.[132]: 369  In 1842 the first Cooperative Meeting of Churches of Christ in Great Britain was held in Edinburgh.[132]: 369  Approximately 50 congregations were involved, representing a membership of 1,600.[132]: 369  The name "Churches of Christ" was formally adopted at an annual meeting in 1870.[132]: 369  Alexander Campbell influenced the British Restoration Movement indirectly through his writings; he visited Britain for several months in 1847, and "presided at the Second Cooperative Meeting of the British Churches at Chester".[132]: 369  At that time the movement had grown to encompass 80 congregations with a total membership of 2,300.[132]: 369  Annual meetings were held after 1847.[132]: 369 

The use of instrumental music in worship was not a source of division among the Churches of Christ in Great Britain before World War I. More significant was the issue of pacifism; a national conference was established in 1916 for congregations that opposed the war.[132]: 371  A conference for "Old Paths" congregations was first held in 1924.[132]: 371  The issues involved included concern that the Christian Association was compromising traditional principles in seeking ecumenical ties with other organizations and a sense that it had abandoned Scripture as "an all-sufficient rule of faith and practice".[132]: 371  Two "Old Paths" congregations withdrew from the Association in 1931; an additional two withdrew in 1934, and nineteen more withdrew between 1943 and 1947.[132]: 371 

Membership declined rapidly during and after the First World War.[132]: 372 [133]: 312  The Association of Churches of Christ in Britain disbanded in 1980.[132]: 372 [133]: 312  Most Association congregations (approximately 40) united with the United Reformed Church in 1981.[132]: 372 [133]: 312  In the same year, twenty-four other congregations formed a Fellowship of Churches of Christ.[132]: 372  The Fellowship developed ties with the Christian churches and churches of Christ during the 1980s.[132]: 372 [133]: 312 

The Fellowship of Churches of Christ and some Australian and New Zealand Churches advocate a "missional" emphasis with an ideal of "Five Fold Leadership". Many people in more traditional Churches of Christ see these groups as having more in common with Pentecostal churches. The main publishing organs of traditional Churches of Christ in Britain are The Christian Worker magazine and the Scripture Standard magazine. A history of the Association of Churches of Christ, Let Sects and Parties Fall, was written by David M Thompson.[134] Further information can be found in the Historical Survey of Churches of Christ in the British Isles, edited by Joe Nisbet.[135]

South America

In Brazil there are above 600 congregations and 100,000 members from the Restoration Movement. Most of them were established by Lloyd David Sanders.[136]

See also

Categories

References

Citations

  1. ^ "Church numbers listed by country". ChurchZip. Retrieved December 5, 2014. This is a country-by-country tabulation, based on the enumeration of specific individual church locations and leaders. While it is known to under-represent certain developing countries, it is the largest such enumeration, and improves significantly on earlier broad-based estimates having no supporting detail.
  2. ^ "How Many churches of Christ Are There?". The churches of Christ. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  3. ^ Royster, Carl H. (June 2020). (PDF). 21st Century Christian. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 29, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  4. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". Christian Courier. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  5. ^ "About World Video Bible School". WBVS. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  6. ^ "About The Christian Chronicle". The Christian Chronicle. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  7. ^ "What We Believe". Apologetics Press. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  8. ^ Miller, Dave (December 31, 2002). "Who Are These People". Apologetics Press. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  9. ^ "Reaching the Lost" (PDF). House to House. Jacksonville church of Christ. July 2019. p. 2. Retrieved March 20, 2020. under the oversight of the elders
  10. ^ Hughes, Richard Thomas (2001). The Churches of Christ. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 5. ISBN 978-0-275-97074-1.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g Rubel Shelly, I Just Want to Be a Christian, 20th Century Christian, Nashville, Tennessee 1984, ISBN 0-89098-021-7
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Baxter, Batsell Barrett. . Archived from the original on June 16, 2006. Also available via these links to church-of-christ.org 2014-02-09 at the Wayback Machine, (archived June 22, 2006) and (archived July 13, 2006).
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j C. Leonard Allen and Richard T. Hughes, "Discovering Our Roots: The Ancestry of the churches of Christ," Abilene Christian University Press, 1988, ISBN 0-89112-006-8
  14. ^ "The church of Jesus Christ is non-denominational. It is neither Catholic, Jewish nor Protestant. It was not founded in 'protest' of any institution, and it is not the product of the 'Restoration' or 'Reformation.' It is the product of the seed of the kingdom (Luke 8:11ff) grown in the hearts of men." V. E. Howard, What Is the church of Christ? 4th Edition (Revised), 1971, page 29
  15. ^ a b Batsell Barrett Baxter and Carroll Ellis, Neither Catholic, Protestant nor Jew, tract, church of Christ (1960) ASIN: B00073CQPM. According to Richard Thomas Hughes in Reviving the Ancient Faith: The Story of churches of Christ in America, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1996 (ISBN 0-8028-4086-8, ISBN 978-0-8028-4086-8), this is "arguably the most widely distributed tract ever published by the churches of Christ or anyone associated with that tradition."
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Samuel S. Hill, Charles H. Lippy, Charles Reagan Wilson, Encyclopedia of Religion in the South, Mercer University Press, 2005, (ISBN 0-86554-758-0, ISBN 978-0-86554-758-2)
  17. ^ "On the cornerstone of the Southside Church of Christ in Springfield, Missouri, is this inscription: 'church of Christ, Founded in Jerusalem, A.D. 33. This building erected in 1953.' This is not an unusual claim; for similar wording can be found on buildings of churches of Christ in many parts of the United States. The Christians who use such cornerstones reason that the church of Jesus Christ began on Pentecost, A.D. 33. Therefore, to be true to the New Testament, the twentieth-century church must trace its origins to the first century." Robert W. Hooper, A Distinct People: A History of the churches of Christ in the 20th Century, p. 1, Simon and Schuster, 1993, ISBN 1-878990-26-8, ISBN 978-1-878990-26-6, 391 pages
  18. ^ "Traditional churches of Christ have pursued the restorationist vision with extraordinary zeal. Indeed, the cornerstones of many church of Christ buildings read 'Founded, A.D. 33.' " Jill, et al. (2005), "Encyclopedia of Religion", p. 212
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Stuart M. Matlins, Arthur J. Magida, J. Magida, How to Be a Perfect Stranger: A Guide to Etiquette in Other People's Religious Ceremonies, Wood Lake Publishing Inc., 1999, ISBN 1-896836-28-3, ISBN 978-1-896836-28-7, 426 pages, Chapter 6 – Churches of Christ
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  23. ^ Goldberg, Jonah. Eschatological Weeds. The Remnant. Retrieved June 6, 2020 – via Apple Podcasts.
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  25. ^ a b c Edward C. Wharton, The Church of Christ: The Distinctive Nature of the New Testament Church, Gospel Advocate Co., 1997, ISBN 0-89225-464-5
  26. ^ David Pharr, The Beginning of our Confidence: Seven Weeks of Daily Lessons for New Christians, 21st Century Christian, 2000, 80 pages, ISBN 0-89098-374-7
  27. ^ "Churches of Christ - 10 Things to Know about their History and Beliefs". November 1, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  28. ^ a b c "Church numbers listed by country". ChurchZip. Retrieved July 27, 2022. This is a country-by-country tabulation, based on the enumeration of specific individual church locations and leaders. While it is known to under-represent certain developing countries, it is the largest such enumeration, and improves significantly on earlier broad-based estimates having no supporting detail.
  29. ^ a b Barry A. Kosmin and Ariela Keysar, American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS 2008) April 7, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, Trinity College, March 2009
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  32. ^ a b Flavil Yeakley, Good News and Bad News: A Realistic Assessment of Churches of Christ in the United States: 2008; an mp3 of the author presenting some of the results at the 2009 East Tennessee School of Preaching and Ministry lectureship on March 4, 2009, is available here[permanent dead link] and a PowerPoint presentation from the 2008 CMU conference using some of the survey results posted on the Campus Ministry United website is available .
  33. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Monroe E. Hawley, Redigging the Wells: Seeking Undenominational Christianity, Quality Publications, Abilene, Texas, 1976, ISBN 0-89137-512-0 (paper), ISBN 0-89137-513-9 (cloth)
  34. ^ a b c d J. W. Shepherd, The Church, the Falling Away, and the Restoration, Gospel Advocate Company, Nashville, Tennessee, 1929 (reprinted in 1973)
  35. ^ "Campbellism and the Church of Christ" 2015-01-09 at the Wayback Machine Morey 2014.
  36. ^ The Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary describes the term as "sometimes offensive." Merriam-Webster, I. (2003). Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary. (Eleventh ed.). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc. Entry on "Campbellite."
  37. ^ a b Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, "Slogans", in The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8,
  38. ^ Thomas Campbell, Declaration and Address, 1809, available on-line here
  39. ^ O. E. Shields, "The Church of Christ," The Word and Work, VOL. XXXIX, No. 9, September 1945.
  40. ^ M. C. Kurfees, "Bible Things by Bible Names – The General and Local Senses of the Term 'Church'", Gospel Advocate (October 14, 1920):1104–1105, as reprinted in Appendix II: Restoration Documents of I Just Want to Be a Christian, Rubel Shelly (1984)
  41. ^ J. C. McQuiddy, "The New Testament Church", Gospel Advocate (November 11, 1920):1097–1098, as reprinted in Appendix II: Restoration Documents of I Just Want to Be a Christian, Rubel Shelly (1984)
  42. ^ a b c M. C. Kurfees, "Bible Things by Bible Names – Different Designations of the Church Further Considered", Gospel Advocate (September 30, 1920):958–959, as reprinted in Appendix II: Restoration Documents of I Just Want to Be a Christian, Rubel Shelly (1984)
  43. ^ Within the Restoration Movement, congregations that do not use musical instruments in worship use the name "Church of Christ" almost exclusively; congregations that do use musical instruments most often use the term "Christian Church." Monroe E. Hawley, Redigging the Wells: Seeking Undenominational Christianity, 1976, page 89.
  44. ^ As, e.g., for listings in the yellow pages.
  45. ^ a b c d e Leroy Garrett, The Stone-Campbell Movement: The Story of the American Restoration Movement, College Press, 2002, ISBN 0-89900-909-3, ISBN 978-0-89900-909-4, 573 pages
  46. ^ Examples of this usage include the Gospel Advocate website February 8, 2009, at the Wayback Machine ("Serving the church of Christ since 1855" – accessed October 26, 2008); the Lipscomb University website ("Classes in every area are taught in a faith-informed approach by highly qualified faculty who represent the range of perspectives that exist among churches of Christ." – accessed October 26, 2008); the Freed-Hardeman University website 2008-10-09 at the Wayback Machine ("Freed-Hardeman University is a private institution, associated with churches of Christ, dedicated to moral and spiritual values, academic excellence, and service in a friendly, supportive environment... The university is governed by a self-perpetuating board of trustees who are members of churches of Christ and who hold the institution in trust for its founders, alumni, and supporters." – accessed October 26, 2008); Batsell Barrett Baxter, Who are the churches of Christ and what do they believe in? (Available on-line here 2008-06-19 at the Wayback Machine, here, here 2014-02-09 at the Wayback Machine, here 2008-05-09 at the Wayback Machine and here 2010-11-30 at the Wayback Machine); Batsell Barrett Baxter and Carroll Ellis, Neither Catholic, Protestant nor Jew, tract, Church of Christ (1960); Monroe E. Hawley, Redigging the Wells: Seeking Undenominational Christianity, Quality Publications, Abilene, Texas, 1976; Rubel Shelly, I Just Want to Be a Christian, 20th Century Christian, Nashville, Tennessee 1984; and V. E. Howard, What Is the Church of Christ? 4th Edition (Revised), 1971; Website of the Frisco church of Christ ("Welcome to the Home page for the Frisco church of Christ in Frisco, Texas." – accessed October 27, 2008); website of the church of Christ Internet Ministries ("The purpose of this Web Site is to unite the churches of Christ in one accord." – accessed October 27, 2008) . Archived from the original on May 2, 2008. Retrieved May 21, 2009.
  47. ^ "Churches of Christ from the beginning have maintained no formal organization structures larger than the local congregations and no official journals or vehicles declaring sanctioned positions. Consensus views do, however, often emerge through the influence of opinion leaders who express themselves in journals, at lectureships, or at area preacher meetings and other gatherings" page 213, Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages
  48. ^ "Churches of Christ adhere to a strict congregationalism that cooperates in various projects overseen by one congregation or organized as parachurch enterprises, but many congregations hold themselves apart from such cooperative projects." Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, page 206, entry on Church, Doctrine of the
  49. ^ "It is nothing less than phenomenal that the Churches of Christ get so much done without any centralized planning or structure. Everything is ad hoc. Most programs emerge from the inspiration and commitment of a single congregation or even a single person. Worthwhile projects survive and prosper by the voluntary cooperation of other individuals and congregations." Page 449, Leroy Garrett, The Stone-Campbell Movement: The Story of the American Restoration Movement, College Press, 2002, ISBN 0-89900-909-3, ISBN 978-0-89900-909-4, 573 pages
  50. ^ a b c d e f Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, entry on Ministry
  51. ^ Everett Ferguson, "Authority and Tenure of Elders", 2008-05-16 at the Wayback Machine Restoration Quarterly, Vol. 18 No. 3 (1975): 142–150
  52. ^ a b c d e Everett Ferguson, The Church of Christ: A Biblical Ecclesiology for Today, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1996, ISBN 0-8028-4189-9, ISBN 978-0-8028-4189-6, 443 pages
  53. ^ a b Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, entry on Elders, Eldership
  54. ^ "Where elderships do not exist, most congregations function through a 'business meeting' system that may include any member of the congregation or, in other cases, the men of the church." Page 531, Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, entry on Ministry
  55. ^ Roberts, Price (1979). Studies for New Converts. Cincinnati: The Standard Publishing Company. pp. 53–56.
  56. ^ Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, entry on Preaching
  57. ^ Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, entry on Schools of Preaching
  58. ^ R. B. Sweet, Now That I'm a Christian, Sweet Publishing, 1948 (revised 2003), ISBN 0-8344-0129-0
  59. ^ Jeffery S. Stevenson, All People, All Times Rethinking Biblical Authority in Churches of Christ, Xulon Press, 2009, ISBN 1-60791-539-1, ISBN 978-1-60791-539-3
  60. ^ a b c d Richard Thomas Hughes and R. L. Roberts, The Churches of Christ, 2nd Edition, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2001, ISBN 0-313-23312-8, ISBN 978-0-313-23312-8, 345 pages
  61. ^ a b Ralph K. Hawkins, A Heritage in Crisis: Where We've Been, Where We Are, and Where We're Going in the Churches of Christ, University Press of America, 2008, 147 pages, ISBN 0-7618-4080-X, 9780761840800
  62. ^ a b c Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, entry on Instrumental Music
  63. ^ Ross, Bobby Jr (January 2007). . christianchronicle.org. The Christian Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 16, 2013. Retrieved September 19, 2008.
  64. ^ Ross, Bobby Jr. . Features. The Christian Chronicle. Archived from the original on December 19, 2011. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  65. ^ "Whenever there are disagreements in the Churches of Christ, a 'reference to the scriptures is made in settling every religious question. A pronouncement from the scripture is considered the final word.'" page 240, Carmen Renee Berry, The Unauthorized Guide to Choosing a Church, Brazos Press, 2003
  66. ^ See F. LaGard Smith, "The Cultural Church", 20th Century Christian, 1992, 237 pages, ISBN 978-0-89098-131-3
  67. ^ a b c d e f g Thomas H. Olbricht, "Hermeneutics in the Churches of Christ," 2008-09-22 at the Wayback Machine Restoration Quarterly, Vol. 37/No. 1 (1995)
  68. ^ Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, page 219
  69. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Tom J. Nettles, Richard L. Pratt, Jr., John H. Armstrong, Robert Kolb, Understanding Four Views on Baptism, Zondervan, 2007, ISBN 0-310-26267-4, ISBN 978-0-310-26267-1, 222 pages
  70. ^ a b c d Rees Bryant, Baptism, Why Wait?: Faith's Response in Conversion, College Press, 1999, ISBN 0-89900-858-5, ISBN 978-0-89900-858-5, 224 pages
  71. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, entry on Baptism
  72. ^ a b Harold Hazelip, Gary Holloway, Randall J. Harris, Mark C. Black, Theology Matters: In Honor of Harold Hazelip: Answers for the Church Today, College Press, 1998, ISBN 0-89900-813-5, ISBN 978-0-89900-813-4, 368 pages
  73. ^ a b Douglas A. Foster, "Churches of Christ and Baptism: An Historical and Theological Overview," May 20, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Restoration Quarterly, Volume 43/Number 2 (2001)
  74. ^ Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, entry on Regeneration
  75. ^ a b Wakefield, John C. (January 31, 2014). "Stone-Campbell tradition, the". The Grove Dictionary of American Music, 2nd edition. Grove Music Online. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  76. ^ Ross, Bobby Jr (January 2007). . christianchronicle.org. The Christian Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 16, 2013. Retrieved September 19, 2008.
  77. ^ a b c d Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, entry on Theology
  78. ^ "Creeds are rejected because they are believed to generate schisms in the body of Christ. As well, theological paradigms (such as Calvinism and Arminianism) are avoided because the New Testament alone is the proper guide to doctrinal belief." Ron Rhodes, The Complete Guide to Christian Denominations, Harvest House Publishers, 2005, ISBN 0-7369-1289-4, page 123.
  79. ^ Dispensational premillennialism is characterized by an emphasis on the rapture, the restoration of Israel, Armageddon and related ideas.
  80. ^ a b Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, entry on Boll, Robert Henry
  81. ^ Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, entry on Eschatology
  82. ^ Robert E. Hooper, A Distinct People: A History of the Churches of Christ in the 20th Century (West Monroe, LA: Howard Publishing, 1994), pp. 131–180 et passim, ISBN 1-878990-26-8.
  83. ^ Mac Lynn, Churches of Christ in the United States: inclusive of her commonwealth and territories, Twentieth Century Christian Books, 2000, ISBN 0-89098-172-8, ISBN 978-0-89098-172-6, 682 pages
  84. ^ a b c d Douglas A. Foster, "Waves of the Spirit Against a Rational Rock: The Impact of the Pentecostal, Charismatic and Third Wave Movements on American Churches of Christ," 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine Restoration Quarterly, 45:1, 2003
  85. ^ See for example, Harvey Floyd, Is the Holy Spirit for me?: A search for the meaning of the Spirit in today's church, 20th Century Christian, 1981, ISBN 978-0-89098-446-8, 128 pages
  86. ^ Olbricht, Thomas H (January 1, 2004). "Barton W. Stone and Walter Scott on the Holy Spirit and Ministry". Leaven. 12 (3): 1–6 – via Google Scholar.
  87. ^ Carter, Kelly D. (May 10, 2015). The Trinity in the Stone-Campbell Movement: Recovering the Heart of Christian Faith. ACU Press. ISBN 978-0-89112-681-2.
  88. ^ W. Stone, Barton (February 24, 1827). "HISTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN THE WEST" (PDF). The Christian Messenger. 1 (74): 9 – via Google Scholar.
  89. ^ Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, 9780802838988, 854 pages, entry on Restoration, Historical Models of
  90. ^ a b c Roy B. Ward, "The Restoration Principle": A Critical Analysis," 2013-12-11 at the Wayback Machine Restoration Quarterly, Vol. 8, No. 4, 1965
  91. ^ a b c d Leroy Garrett (editor), "Restoration or Reformation?," Restoration Review, Volume 22, Number 4, April 1980
  92. ^ a b c Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, 9780802838988, 854 pages, entry on "Restoration," Meanings of Within the Movement
  93. ^ Leroy Garrett (editor), "Why Church of Christ Exclusivism Must Go," Restoration Review, Volume 26, Number 8, October 1984
  94. ^ Leroy Garrett (editor), "What We've Been Saying (2)," Restoration Review, Volume 34, Number 9, November 1992
  95. ^ For example:
    • History, Church of Christ of Genesee County website, (accessed 12/04/2013);
    • A Missing Chapter in Church History 2014-12-05 at the Wayback Machine, West End Church of Christ website 2014-12-05 at the Wayback Machine (accessed 12/04/2013);
    • What is the church of Christ?, Woodbridge Church of Christ website (accessed 12/04/2013);
    • John Telgren, Some More About Us 2015-04-03 at the Wayback Machine, Leavenworth Church of Christ website 2015-04-03 at the Wayback Machine (accessed 12/04/2013);
    • A History of the Church of Christ!, Glendale church of Christ website (accessed 12/04/2013).
  96. ^ Mack Lyon, Churches of Christ: Who Are They?, Publishing Designs, Inc., Huntsville, Alabama, 2006
  97. ^ Hans Godwin Grimm. (1963). Tradition and History of the Early Churches of Christ In Central Europe. Translated by H.L. Schug. Firm Foundation Publishing House. ASIN B0006WF106.
  98. ^ Keith Sisman, Traces of the Kingdom, 2nd edition, self-published under the imprint "Forbidden Books," 2011, ISBN 978-0-9564937-1-2.
  99. ^ Jeff. W. Childers, Douglas A. Foster and Jack R. Reese, The Crux of the Matter, ACU Press, 2002, ISBN 0-89112-036-X
  100. ^ "U.S. religious groups and their political leanings". Pew Research Center. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  101. ^ bobbyross (February 25, 2016). "Elephant in the pews: Is the GOP the party of Churches of Christ?". The Christian Chronicle. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  102. ^ "Political ideology among members of the Churches of Christ - Religion in America: U.S. Religious Data, Demographics and Statistics". Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  103. ^ "Homosexuality and Transgenderism: The Science Supports the Bible". apologeticspress.org. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  104. ^ "Straight Talk About Homosexuality". Christian Courier. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  105. ^ "The Erosion of Marriage". Christian Courier. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  106. ^ Hans Rollmann, "In Essentials Unity: The Pre-history of a Restoration Movement Slogan," Restoration Quarterly, Volume 39/Number 3 (1997)
  107. ^ Garrison, Winfred Earnest and DeGroot, Alfred T. (1948). The Disciples of Christ, A History, St Louis, Missouri: The Bethany Press
  108. ^ Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, Introductory section entitled Stone-Campbell History Over Three Centuries: A Survey and Analysis
  109. ^ Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, Introductory Chronology
  110. ^ a b Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, entry on Great Awakenings
  111. ^ a b c McAlister, Lester G. and Tucker, William E. (1975), Journey in Faith: A History of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) – St. Louis, Chalice Press, ISBN 978-0-8272-1703-4
  112. ^ a b c Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, entry on Missionary Societies, Controversy Over, pp. 534-537
  113. ^ Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, entry on American Christian Missionary Society, pages 24-26
  114. ^ Reid, D. G., Linder, R. D., Shelley, B. L., & Stout, H. S. (1990). Dictionary of Christianity in America. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. Entry on Churches of Christ (Non-Instrumental)
  115. ^ David Lipscomb, 1899, as quoted by Leroy Garrett on page 104 of The Stone-Campbell Movement: The Story of the American Restoration Movement, College Press, 2002, ISBN 0-89900-909-3, ISBN 978-0-89900-909-4, 573 pages
  116. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, entry on Race Relations
  117. ^ David Lipscomb, Gospel Advocate, 49 (1 August 1907): 488–489.
  118. ^ Brown, Michael D (June 6, 2012). "Despite school sentiment, Harding's leader said no to integration". Arkansas Times. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  119. ^ a b "The manner in which the brethren in some quarters are going in for the negro meetings leads one to wonder whether they are trying to make white folks out of the negroes or negroes out of the white folks. The trend of the general mix-up seems to be toward the latter. Reliable reports have come to me of white women, members of the church, becoming so animated over a certain colored preacher as to go up to him after a sermon and shake hands with him holding his hand in both of theirs. That kind of thing will turn the head of most white preachers, and sometimes affect their conduct, and anybody ought to know that it will make fools out of the negroes. For any woman in the church to so far forget her dignity, and lower herself so, just because a negro has learned enough about the gospel to preach it to his race, is pitiable indeed. Her husband should take her in charge unless he has gone crazy, too. In that case somebody ought to take both of them in charge." Foy E. Wallace, Vol. 3, No. 8 March 1941, "Negro Meetings for White People," in the Bible Banner.
  120. ^ Don Haymes (June 9, 1961). "Abilene Christian College Desegregates its Graduate School". The Christian Chronicle. 18: 1, 6.
  121. ^ Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, entry on Southwestern Christian College
  122. ^ De Gennaro, Nancy (April 16, 2015). "Local Church of Christ adds Instruments to Worship". Daily News Journal. Murfreesboro. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  123. ^ Hall, Heidi (March 6, 2015). "Church of Christ opens door to musical instruments". USA Today. The Tennessean. Retrieved January 6, 2017. About 20 of 12,000 Church of Christ congregations nationwide offer instrumental music
  124. ^ Randy Harshbarger, "A history of the institutional controversy among Texas Churches of Christ: 1945 to the present," M.A. thesis, Stephen F. Austin State University, 2007, 149 pages; AAT 1452110
  125. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, entry on International Churches of Christ
  126. ^ a b c d Paden, Russell (July 1995). "The Boston Church of Christ". In Timothy Miller (ed.). America's Alternative Religions. Albany: State University of New York Press. pp. 133–36. ISBN 978-0-7914-2397-4. Retrieved August 7, 2007.
  127. ^ a b Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, entry on Africa, Missions in
  128. ^ a b c Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, entry on Asia, Missions in
  129. ^ a b c d e f Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, entry on Australia, The Movement in
  130. ^ Wayne Turner, "The Strangers Among Us," Gospel Herald, February 2007
  131. ^ "Church of Christ Directory," 2013-09-27 at the Wayback Machine Gospel Herald website (accessed December 6, 2013)
  132. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, entry on Great Britain and Ireland, Churches of Christ in
  133. ^ a b c d Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, entry on Europe, Missions in
  134. ^ David M. Thompson, Let Sects and Parties Fall: A Short History of the Association of Churches of Christ in Great Britain and Ireland, Berean Publishing Trust (January 1980), ISBN 978-0-85050-012-7, 160 pages
  135. ^ Joe Nisbet, gen. ed. Historical Survey of Churches of Christ in the British Isles. Aberdeen, Scotland, 1995. 580 pages
  136. ^ [The Churches of Christ / Christians and the Restoration Movement]. www.movimentoderestauracao.com (in Portuguese). Movimento de Restauração. Archived from the original on April 29, 2018. Retrieved June 17, 2019. (English and various other translations available)

Sources

  • Allen, Crawford Leonard (1988). Discovering Our Roots: The Ancestry of Churches of Christ. Abilene, Texas: Abilene Christian University Press. p. 161. ISBN 0-89112-008-4.
  • Brownlow, Leroy (1973). Why I Am a Member of the Church of Christ. Fort Worth, Texas: L. Brownlow Publishing Co. p. 192. OCLC 213866131.
  • Cartwright, Colbert S. (1987). People of the Chalice. St, Louis, Missouri: Chalice Press. ISBN 978-0-8272-2938-9.
  • Ferguson, Everett (1996). The Church of Christ: A Biblical Ecclesiology for Today. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 443. ISBN 978-0-8028-4189-6.
  • Foster, Douglas Allen; Dunnavant, Anthony L. (2004). The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 854. ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8.
  • Garrett, Leroy (1983). The Stone-Campbell Movement. Joplin: College Press. ISBN 0-89900-059-2.
  • Garrett, Leroy (2002). The Stone-Campbell Movement: The Story of the American Restoration Movement. College Press. p. 573. ISBN 978-0-89900-909-4.
  • Hawley, Monroe E. (1976). Redigging the Wells: Seeking Undenominational Christianity. Abilene, Texas: Quality Publications. ISBN 978-0-89137-513-5.
  • Holloway, Gary; Foster, Douglas A. (2001). Renewing God's People. Abilene, TX: Abilene Christian University Press. p. 151. ISBN 978-0-89112-010-0.
  • Hughes, Richard T. (1996). Reviving the Ancient Faith: The Story of Churches of Christ in America. Abilene, Texas: Abilene Christian University Press. p. 448. ISBN 978-0-8028-4086-8.
  • Hughes, Richard; Hatch, Nathan O.; Harrell, David Edwin Jr. (2000). American Origins of the Churches of Christ. Abilene, Texas: Abilene Christian University Press. p. 118. ISBN 978-0-89112-009-4.
  • McMillon, Lynn A. (1983). Restoration Roots. Dallas: Gospel Teachers Publications, Inc. p. 97. OCLC 10950221.
  • Murch, James DeForest (1962). Christians Only, A history of the Restoration Movement. Cincinnati: The Standard Publishing Company. OCLC 3047672.
  • Shelly, Rubel (1984). I Just Want to Be a Christian. Nashville, Tennessee: 20th Century Christian. ISBN 978-0-89098-021-7.

External links

 
Look up βαπτίζω in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
  • Church of Christ Internet Ministries
  • Brotherhood News – Online news source of the Churches of Christ
  • The Christian Chronicle – A newspaper of the Churches of Christ.
  • Christian Courier – A religious journal associated with the Churches of Christ.
  • HisLoveforme.com – A Church of Christ Ministry Website, providing Sound Doctrine Teaching Content from Sound Churches of Christ.
  • Fellowship of Churches of Christ in Great Britain & Ireland
  • at the Wayback Machine (archived June 15, 2012)
  • The Restoration Movement Pages (historical texts, images, biographies and other resources), Abilene Christian University, archived from the original on November 23, 2013
  • SOAS Special Collections – archive papers of the Missionary Committee of Churches of Christ Great Britain and Ireland

May 09, 2023
churches, christ, this, article, about, specific, fellowship, christian, congregations, that, agree, with, congregational, support, church, parachurch, organizations, institutional, groups, autonomous, congregations, europe, using, name, church, christ, that, . This article is about a specific fellowship of Christian congregations For Churches of Christ that do not agree with congregational support of church or parachurch organizations see Churches of Christ non institutional For groups of autonomous congregations in Europe using the name church of Christ that have unclear association with the Restoration Movement see Churches of Christ in Europe For other uses see Church of Christ The Churches of Christ most commonly known as the Church of Christ or church of Christ is a loose association of autonomous Christian congregations based on the sola scriptura doctrine Their practices are based on Bible texts and draw on the early Christian church as described in the New Testament Churches of ChristOrientationStone Campbell Restoration MovementPolityCongregationalistSeparationsChristian Church Disciples of Christ International Churches of ChristCongregations41 498 worldwide 11 790 U S 1 Members2 000 000 approx worldwide 2 1 113 362 in the United States 2020 3 PublicationsChristian Courier 4 WVBS videos educ material 5 The Christian Chronicle news 6 The Christian Worker UK Apologetics Press 7 8 House to House Heart to Heart 9 The Churches of Christ are represented across the world Typically their distinguishing beliefs are that of the necessity of baptism for salvation and the prohibition of instruments in worship Many Churches identify themselves as being nondenominational 10 The Churches of Christ arose to prominence in the United States from the Restoration Movement of 19th century evangelism by groups who declared independence from denominations and traditional creeds They sought the unification of all Christians in a single body patterned after the original church of the New Testament 11 54 The Restoration Movement was not a purely North American phenomenon There are now Churches of Christ in Africa Asia Australia South America Central America and Europe Contents 1 Overview 1 1 Demographics 2 Name 3 Church organization 3 1 Congregational autonomy and leadership 3 2 Variations within Churches of Christ 4 Beliefs 4 1 Doctrine of salvation soteriology 4 1 1 Baptism 4 2 A cappella worship 4 3 Other theological tendencies 4 3 1 Eschatology 4 3 2 Work of the Holy Spirit 4 3 3 The Trinity 4 3 4 Church history 4 3 5 Contemporary social and political views 5 History 5 1 Early Restoration Movement history 5 2 Christian Churches and Churches of Christ separation 5 3 Race relations 5 4 Music 5 5 Institutional controversy 5 6 Separation of the International Churches of Christ 5 7 Restoration Movement timeline 6 Churches of Christ outside the United States 6 1 Africa 6 2 Asia 6 3 Australia 6 4 Canada 6 5 Great Britain 6 6 South America 7 See also 8 References 8 1 Citations 8 2 Sources 9 External linksOverview EditModern Churches of Christ have their historical roots in the Restoration Movement which was a converging of Christians across denominational lines in search of a return to an original pre denominational Christianity 12 13 108 Participants in this movement sought to base their doctrine and practice on the Bible alone rather than recognizing the traditional councils and denominational hierarchies that had come to define Christianity since the first century A D 12 13 82 104 105 Members of the Churches of Christ believe that Jesus founded only one church that the current divisions among Christians do not express God s will and that the only basis for restoring Christian unity is the Bible 12 They simply identify themselves as Christians without using any other forms of religious or denominational identification 14 15 16 213 They believe that they are recreating the New Testament church as established by Christ 17 18 19 106 Members of the church of Christ do not conceive of themselves as a new church started near the beginning of the 19th century Rather the whole movement is designed to reproduce in contemporary times the church originally established on Pentecost A D 33 The strength of the appeal lies in the restoration of Christ s original church Batsell Barrett Baxter 12 Churches of Christ generally share the following theological beliefs and practices 12 Autonomous congregational church organization without denominational oversight 20 238 21 124 Refusal to hold to any formal creeds or informal doctrinal statements or statements of faith stating instead a reliance on the Bible alone for doctrine and practice 19 103 20 238 240 21 123 Local governance 20 238 by a plurality of male elders 21 124 22 47 54 Baptism by immersion of consenting believers 20 238 21 124 in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins 12 19 103 21 124 Weekly observance of the Lord s Supper 21 124 on Sunday 19 107 20 238 In British congregations the term breaking of bread is commonly used In American congregations the terms Communion or body and blood are used Churches of Christ typically offer open communion on the first day of each week offering the bread and fruit of the vine to all present at each person s self examination Practice of a cappella singing is the norm in worship 23 based on New Testament passages teaching to sing for worship with no mention of instrumental music and also that worship in church assemblies for centuries in the early Church practiced a cappella singing 20 240 21 125 Ephesians 5 19 In keeping with their history the Churches of Christ claim the New Testament as their sole rule of faith and practice in deciding matters of doctrine and ecclesiastical structure Col 2 14 They view the Old Testament as divinely inspired 19 103 and historically accurate but they do not consider its laws to be binding under the New Covenant in Christ unless they are repeated in the New Testament Hebrews 8 7 13 24 388 25 23 37 26 65 67 They believe that the New Testament demonstrates how a person may become a Christian and thus a part of the universal Church of Christ and how a church should be collectively organized and carry out its scriptural purposes 12 Demographics Edit In 2022 the total membership of Churches of Christ is estimated to be between 1 700 000 and 2 000 000 27 28 with over 40 000 individual congregations worldwide 28 In the United States there are approximately 1 087 559 members and 11 776 congregations 28 Overall U S membership was approximately 1 3 million in 1990 and 1 3 million in 2008 29 5 Estimates of the proportion of the US adult population associated with the Churches of Christ vary from 0 8 to 1 5 29 5 30 12 16 Approximately 1 240 congregations with 172 000 members are predominantly African American 240 congregations with 10 000 members are Spanish speaking 31 213 The average congregation size is approximately 100 members with larger congregations reporting over 1 000 members 31 213 In 2000 the Churches of Christ were the 12th largest religious group in the U S based on the number of members but the 4th largest in number of congregations 32 Within the U S membership in the Churches of Christ has declined by approximately 12 over the period from 1980 through 2007 The current retention rate of young adults graduating from high school appears to be approximately 60 Membership is concentrated with 70 of the U S membership in thirteen states Churches of Christ had a presence in 2 429 counties placing them fifth behind the United Methodist Church Catholic Church Southern Baptist Convention and Assemblies of God but the average number of adherents per county was approximately 677 The divorce rate was 6 9 much lower than national averages 32 Name Edit Church of Christ is the most common name used by this group In keeping with their focus of not being a denomination using Ephesians 1 22 23 as reference to the church being the body of Christ and a body cannot be divided congregations have identified themselves primarily as community churches and secondarily as Churches of Christ 31 219 220 A much earlier tradition is to identify a congregation as the church at a particular location with no other description or qualifiers 31 220 33 136 137 A primary motivation behind the name is the desire to use a scriptural or Biblical name to identify the church using a name that is found in the New Testament 11 22 163 164 33 34 7 8 Adherents are also referred to as Campbellites by academics 16 and other denominations 35 because it is assumed that they are followers of the teachings of Alexander Campbell similar to Lutherans or Calvinists Campbell himself refuted the idea that a denomination was started by him or that he was the head of one in The Christian Baptist publication in 1826 and 1828 stating Some religious editors in Kentucky call those who are desirous of seeing the ancient order of things restored the Restorationers the Campbellites This may go well with some but all who fear God and keep his commands will pity and deplore the weakness and folly of those who either think to convince or to persuade by such means The Christian Baptist Vol IV 88 89 and It is a nickname of reproach invented and adopted by those whose views feelings and desires are all sectarian who cannot conceive of Christianity in any other light than an ISM The Christian Baptist Vol V 270 He was also associated with the Baptist denomination until 1820 The term Campbellite is usually offensive to members of the churches of Christ because members claim no allegiance to anyone except Jesus Christ and teach only what is presented in biblical texts 36 Alexander Campbell said the goal was to c all Bible things by Bible names citation needed This became an early slogan of the Restorationist Movement 37 688 These congregations generally avoid names that associate the church with a particular man other than Christ or a particular doctrine or theological point of view e g Lutheran Wesleyan Reformed 11 15 They believe that Christ established only one church and that the use of denominational names serves to foster division among Christians 22 23 24 33 38 39 40 41 Thomas Campbell expressed an ideal of unity in his Declaration and Address The church of Jesus Christ on earth is essentially intentionally and constitutionally one 37 688 This statement essentially echoes the words of Jesus Christ in John 17 21 23 Other terms are derived from their use in the New Testament church of God church of the Lord churches of Christ church of the first born church of the living God the house of God and the people of God 33 42 while terms recognized as scriptural such as Church of God are avoided to prevent confusion or identification with other groups that use those designations 11 33 43 As a practical matter use of a common term is seen as a way to help individual Christians find congregations with a similar approach to the scriptures 33 44 Members understand that a scriptural name can be used in a denominational or sectarian way 11 31 33 83 94 134 136 42 Using the term Church of Christ exclusively has been criticized as identifying a denomination 11 31 33 83 94 134 136 42 Many congregations and individuals do not capitalize the word church in the phrases church of Christ and churches of Christ 45 382 46 This is based on the understanding that the term church of Christ is used in the New Testament as a descriptive phrase indicating that the church belongs to Christ rather than as a proper name 33 91 Church organization EditCongregational autonomy and leadership Edit Church government is congregational rather than denominational Churches of Christ purposefully have no central headquarters councils or other organizational structure above the local church level 16 214 19 103 20 238 21 124 47 Rather the independent congregations are a network with each congregation participating at its own discretion in various means of service and fellowship with other congregations see Sponsoring church Churches of Christ 12 21 124 48 49 Churches of Christ are linked by their shared commitment to Biblical restoration principles 12 19 106 Congregations which do not participate with other church congregations and which refuse to pool resources in order to support outside causes such as mission work orphanages Bible colleges etc are sometimes called non institutional Congregations are generally overseen by a plurality of elders who are sometimes assisted in the administration of various works by deacons 12 21 124 22 47 54 55 Elders are generally seen as responsible for the spiritual welfare of the congregation while deacons are seen as responsible for the non spiritual needs of the church 50 531 Deacons serve under the supervision of the elders and are often assigned to specific ministries 50 531 Successful service as a deacon is often seen as preparation for the eldership 50 531 Elders and deacons are appointed by the congregation based on the qualifications found in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 including that the persons must be male female elders and deaconesses are not recognized as these are not found in Scripture 22 53 48 52 51 52 323 335 Congregations look for elders who have a mature enough understanding of scripture to enable them to supervise the minister and to teach as well as to perform governance functions 53 298 In the absence of willing men who meet these qualifications congregations are sometimes overseen by the congregation s men in general 54 While the early Restoration Movement had a tradition of itinerant preachers rather than located Preachers during the 20th century a long term formally trained congregational minister became the norm among Churches of Christ 50 532 Ministers are understood to serve under the oversight of the elders 53 298 and may or may not also be qualified as an elder While the presence of a long term professional minister has sometimes created significant de facto ministerial authority and led to conflict between the minister and the elders the eldership has remained the ultimate locus of authority in the congregation 50 531 There is however a small segment of Churches of Christ who oppose the located minister concept see below Churches of Christ hold to the priesthood of all believers 55 No special titles are used for preachers or ministers that would identify them as clergy 19 106 25 112 113 Many ministers have undergraduate or graduate education in religion or specific training in preaching through a non college school of preaching 31 215 50 531 56 607 57 672 673 Churches of Christ emphasize that there is no distinction between clergy and laity and that every member has a gift and a role to play in accomplishing the work of the church 58 38 40 Variations within Churches of Christ Edit While there is an identifiable mainstream within the Churches of Christ there are also significant variations within the fellowship 16 212 31 213 59 31 32 60 4 61 1 2 The approach taken to restoring the New Testament church has focused on methods and procedures such as church organization the form of worship and how the church should function As a result most divisions among Churches of Christ have been the result of methodological disputes These are meaningful to members of this movement because of the seriousness with which they take the goal of restoring the form and structure of the primitive church 16 212 Three quarters of the congregations and 87 of the membership are described by The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement as mainstream sharing a general consensus on practice and theology 31 213 Congregational a cappella music from hymnals perhaps pitched from a pitch pipe but directed by any capable song leader motioning the time signature is notably characteristic of the Churches of Christ 20 240 62 417 63 Few congregations clap hands or use musical instruments during formal weekly convocations The remaining congregations may be grouped into four categories which generally differ from the mainstream consensus in specific practices rather than in theological perspectives and tend to have smaller congregations on average 31 213 The largest of these four categories is the non institutional Churches of Christ This group is notable for opposing congregational support of institutions such as orphanages and Bible colleges Similarly non institutional congregations also oppose the use of church facilities for non church activities such as fellowship dinners or recreation as such they oppose the construction of fellowship halls gymnasiums and similar structures In both cases opposition is based on the belief that support of institutions and non church activities are not proper functions of the local congregation Approximately 2 055 congregations fall into this category 31 213 64 The remaining three groups whose congregations are generally considerably smaller than those of the mainstream or non institutional groups also oppose institutional support as well as fellowship halls and similar structures for the same reasons as the non institutional groups but differ by other beliefs and practices the groups often overlap but in all cases hold to more conservative views than even the non institutional groups 31 213 One group opposes separate Sunday School classes for children or gender separated the groups thus meet only as a whole assembly in one area this group consists of approximately 1 100 congregations The no Sunday School group generally overlaps with the one cup group and may overlap with the mutual edification group as defined below Another group opposes the use of multiple communion cups the term one cup is often used sometimes pejoratively as one cuppers to describe this group there are approximately 550 congregations in this group Congregations in this group differ as to whether the wine should be fermented or unfermented whether the cup can be refilled if during the service it runs dry or even if it is accidentally spilled and whether the bread can be broken ahead of time or must be broken by the individual participant during Lord s Supper time The last and smallest group emphasize s mutual edification by various leaders in the churches and oppose s one person doing most of the preaching the term mutual edification is often used to describe this group there are approximately 130 congregations in this grouping Beliefs Edit An American family Bible dating to 1859 A D Churches of Christ seek to practice the principle of the Bible being the only source to find doctrine known elsewhere as sola scriptura 21 123 65 The Bible is generally regarded as inspired and inerrant 21 123 Churches of Christ generally see the Bible as historically accurate and literal unless scriptural context obviously indicates otherwise Regarding church practices worship and doctrine there is great liberty from congregation to congregation in interpreting what is biblically permissible as congregations are not controlled by a denominational hierarchy 66 Their approach to the Bible is driven by the assumption that the Bible is sufficiently plain and simple to render its message obvious to any sincere believer 16 212 Related to this is an assumption that the Bible provides an understandable blueprint or constitution for the church 16 213 If it s not in the Bible then these folks aren t going to do it Carmen Renee Berry The Unauthorized Guide to Choosing a Church 20 240 Historically three hermeneutic approaches have been used among Churches of Christ 24 387 67 Analysis of commands examples and necessary inferences Dispensational analysis distinguishing between Patriarchal Mosaic and Christian dispensations however Churches of Christ are amillennial and generally hold preterist views and Grammatico historical analysis The relative importance given to each of these three strategies has varied over time and between different contexts 67 The general impression in the current Churches of Christ is that the group s hermeneutics are entirely based on the command example inference approach 67 In practice interpretation has been deductive and heavily influenced by the group s central commitment to ecclesiology and soteriology 67 Inductive reasoning has been used as well as when all of the conversion accounts from the book of Acts are collated and analyzed to determine the steps necessary for salvation 67 One student of the movement summarized the traditional approach this way In most of their theologizing however my impression is that spokespersons in the Churches of Christ reason from Scripture in a deductive manner arguing from one premise or hypothesis to another so as to arrive at a conclusion In this regard the approach is much like that of science which in practice moves deductively from one hypothesis to another rather than in a Baconian inductive manner 67 In recent years changes in the degree of emphasis placed on ecclesiology and soteriology has spurred a reexamination of the traditional hermeneutics among some associated with the Churches of Christ 67 A debate arose during the 1980s over the use of the command example necessary inference model for identifying the essentials of the New Testament faith Some argued that it fostered legalism and advocated instead a hermeneutic based on the character of God Christ and the Holy Spirit Traditionalists urged the rejection of this new hermeneutic 68 Use of this tripartite formula has declined as congregations have shifted to an increased focus on spiritual issues like discipleship servanthood family and praise 24 388 Relatively greater emphasis has been given to Old Testament studies in congregational Bible classes and at affiliated colleges in recent decades While it is still not seen as authoritative for Christian worship church organization or regulating the Christian s life some have argued that it is theologically authoritative 24 388 Many scholars associated with the Churches of Christ embrace the methods of modern Biblical criticism but not the associated anti supernaturalistic views More generally the classical grammatico historical method is prevalent which provides a basis for some openness to alternative approaches to understanding the scriptures 24 389 Doctrine of salvation soteriology Edit Churches of Christ are strongly anti Lutheran and anti Calvinist in their understanding of salvation and generally present conversion as obedience to the proclaimed facts of the gospel rather than as the result of an emotional Spirit initiated conversion 31 215 Churches of Christ hold the view that humans of accountable age are lost because they have committed sins 21 124 These lost souls can be redeemed because Jesus Christ the Son of God offered himself as the atoning sacrifice 21 124 Children too young to understand right from wrong and make a conscious choice between the two are believed to be innocent of sin 19 107 21 124 There is no set age for this to occur it is only when the child learns the difference between right and wrong that they are accountable James 4 17 Congregations differ in their interpretation of the age of accountability 19 107 Churches of Christ generally teach that the process of salvation involves the following steps 12 One must be properly taught and hear Romans 10 14 17 One must believe or have faith Hebrews 11 6 Mark 16 16 One must repent which means turning from one s former lifestyle and choosing God s ways Acts 17 30 One must confess belief that Jesus is the son of God Acts 8 36 37 One must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ Acts 2 38 and One must live faithfully as a Christian 1 Peter 2 9 Beginning in the 1960s many preachers began placing more emphasis on the role of grace in salvation instead of focusing exclusively on implementing all of the New Testament commands and examples 60 152 153 This was not an entirely new approach as others had actively affirmed a theology of free and unmerited grace but it did represent a change of emphasis with grace becoming a theme that would increasingly define this tradition 60 153 Baptism Edit See also Baptism in early Christianity Baptism by immersionBaptism has been recognized as the important initiatory rite throughout the history of the Christian Church 69 11 but Christian groups differ over the manner and time in which baptism is administered 69 11 the meaning and significance of baptism 69 11 its role in salvation 69 12 and who is a candidate for baptism 69 12 Baptism in Churches of Christ is performed only by bodily immersion 19 107 21 124 based on the Koine Greek verb baptizw baptizō which is understood to mean to dip immerse submerge or plunge 12 22 313 314 25 45 46 69 139 70 22 Immersion is seen as more closely conforming to the death burial and resurrection of Jesus than other modes of baptism 12 22 314 316 69 140 Churches of Christ argue that historically immersion was the mode used in the first century and that pouring and sprinkling emerged later 69 140 Over time these secondary modes came to replace immersion in the State Churches of Europe 69 140 Only those mentally capable of belief and repentance are baptized e g infant baptism is not practiced 12 21 124 22 318 319 52 195 Churches of Christ have historically had the most conservative position on baptism among the various branches of the Restoration Movement understanding that repentance and baptism by immersion are necessary parts of conversion 71 61 The most significant disagreements concerned the extent to which a correct understanding of the role of baptism is necessary for its validity 71 61 David Lipscomb argued that if a believer was baptized out of a desire to obey God the baptism was valid even if the individual did not fully understand the role baptism plays in salvation 71 61 Austin McGary argued that to be valid the convert must also understand that baptism is for the forgiveness of sins 71 62 McGary s view became the prevailing one in the early 20th century but the approach advocated by Lipscomb never totally disappeared 71 62 More recently the rise of the International Churches of Christ who reimmersed some who came into their fellowship even those previously immersed for remission of sins in a Church of Christ has caused some to reexamine the question of rebaptism 71 66 Churches of Christ consistently teach that in baptism a believer surrenders his life in faith and obedience to God and that God by the merits of Christ s blood cleanses one from sin and truly changes the state of the person from an alien to a citizen of God s kingdom Baptism is not a human work it is the place where God does the work that only God can do 71 66 The term alien is used in reference to sinners as in Eph 2 12 Members consider baptism a passive act of faith rather than a meritorious work it is a confession that a person has nothing to offer God 72 112 While Churches of Christ do not describe baptism as a sacrament their view of it can legitimately be described as sacramental 70 186 71 66 They see the power of baptism coming from God who uses baptism as a vehicle rather than from the water or the act itself 70 186 and understand baptism to be an integral part of the conversion process rather than as only a symbol of conversion 70 184 A recent trend is to emphasize the transformational aspect of baptism instead of describing it as nothing more than a legal requirement or sign of something that happened in the past it is seen as the event that places the believer into Christ where God does the ongoing work of transformation 71 66 There is a minority that downplays the importance of baptism in order to avoid sectarianism but the broader trend is to reexamine the richness of the Biblical teaching of baptism and to reinforce its central and essential place in Christianity 71 66 Because of the belief that baptism is a necessary part of salvation some Baptists hold that the Churches of Christ endorse the doctrine of baptismal regeneration 73 However members of the Churches of Christ reject this arguing that since faith and repentance are necessary and that the cleansing of sins is by the blood of Christ through the grace of God baptism is not an inherently redeeming ritual 69 133 73 74 630 631 One author describes the relationship between faith and baptism this way Faith is the reason why a person is a child of God baptism is the time at which one is incorporated into Christ and so becomes a child of God italics are in the source 52 170 Baptism is understood as a confessional expression of faith and repentance 52 179 182 rather than a work that earns salvation 52 170 A cappella worship Edit The Churches of Christ generally combine 1 the lack of any historical evidence that the early church used musical instruments in worship 11 47 22 237 238 62 415 and 2 the lack of scriptural support in the New Testament authorizing the use of instruments in worship service 12 22 244 246 to decide that instruments should not be used today in worship The term a cappella comes from the Italian as the church as chapel or as the choir As such Churches of Christ have typically practiced a cappella music in worship services 12 20 240 21 124 However not all Churches of Christ abstain from instruments The use of musical instruments in worship was a divisive topic within the Stone Campbell Movement from its earliest years when some adherents opposed the practice on traditional grounds while others may have relied on a cappella simply because they lacked access to musical instruments Alexander Campbell opposed the use of instruments in worship As early as 1855 some Restoration Movement churches were using organs or pianos ultimately leading the Churches of Christ to separate from the groups that condoned instrumental music 75 Scriptural backing given by members for the practice of a cappella includes Matt 26 30 And when they had sung a hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives 22 236 Rom 15 9 Therefore I will praise thee among the Gentiles and sing to thy name 22 236 Eph 5 18 19 be filled with the Spirit addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart 12 22 236 1 Cor 14 15 I will sing with the Spirit and I will sing with the understanding also 22 236 Col 3 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your hearts unto God 22 237 Heb 2 12 I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee 22 237 Heb 13 15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name There are congregations that permit hand clapping and a few that use musical instruments in worship 20 240 62 417 76 Some of the latter describe themselves as a Church of Christ Instrumental 61 667 Other theological tendencies Edit Churches of Christ are generally amillennial Many leaders argue that the Churches of Christ only follow the Bible and have no theology 77 737 Christian theology as classically understood the systematic development of the classical doctrinal topics is relatively recent and rare among this movement 77 737 Because Churches of Christ reject all formalized creeds on the basis that they add to or detract from Scripture they generally reject most conceptual doctrinal positions out of hand 78 Churches of Christ do tend to elaborate certain driving motifs 77 737 These are scripture hermeneutics the church ecclesiology and the plan of salvation soteriology 77 737 The importance of theology understood as teaching or doctrine has been defended on the basis that an understanding of doctrine is necessary to respond intelligently to questions from others to promote spiritual health and to draw the believer closer to God 72 10 11 Churches of Christ avoid the term theology preferring instead the term doctrine theology is what humans say about the Bible doctrine is simply what the Bible says Encyclopedia of Religion in the South 16 213 Eschatology Edit Regarding eschatology a branch of theology concerned with the final events in the history of the world or of humankind Churches of Christ are generally amillennial their originally prevalent postmillennialism evident in Alexander Campbell s Millennial Harbinger having dissipated around the era of the First World War Before then many leaders were moderate historical premillennialists who did not advocate specific historical interpretations Churches of Christ have moved away from premillennialism as dispensational millennialism has come more to fore in Protestant evangelical circles 31 219 79 Amillennialism and postmillennialism are the prevailing views today 21 125 Premillennialism was a focus of controversy during the first half of the 20th century 31 219 One of the most influential advocates for that point of view was Robert Henry Boll 80 96 97 81 306 whose eschatological views came to be most singularly opposed by Foy E Wallace Jr 82 By the end of the 20th century however the divisions caused by the debate over premillennialism were diminishing and in the 2000 edition of the directory Churches of Christ in the United States published by Mac Lynn congregations holding premillennial views were no longer listed separately 80 97 83 Work of the Holy Spirit Edit During the late 19th century the prevailing view in the Restoration Movement was that the Holy Spirit currently acts only through the influence of inspired scripture 84 This rationalist view was associated with Alexander Campbell who was greatly affected by what he viewed as the excesses of the emotional camp meetings and revivals of his day 84 He believed that the Spirit draws people towards salvation but understood the Spirit to do this in the same way any person moves another by persuasion with words and ideas This view came to prevail over that of Barton W Stone who believed the Spirit had a more direct role in the life of the Christian 84 Since the early 20th century many but not all among the Churches of Christ have moved away from this word only theory of the operation of the Holy Spirit 85 As one scholar of the movement puts it f or better or worse those who champion the so called word only theory no longer have a hold on the minds of the constituency of Churches of Christ Though relatively few have adopted outright charismatic and third wave views and remained in the body apparently the spiritual waves have begun to erode that rational rock 84 The Churches of Christ hold a cessationist perspective on the gifts of the Spirit citation needed 86 The Trinity Edit Thomas Campbell and Barton W Stone both publicly believed that God is made known in three persons God the Father God the Son and God the Spirit 87 This traditional trinitarianism greatly influenced the early church of Christ movement Although churches of Christ have no formal overarching leadership the Stone Campbell belief on the Godhead prevailed throughout churches of Christ during their establishment 88 Church history Edit See also Restorationism The fundamental idea of restoration or Christian Primitivism is that problems or deficiencies in the church can be corrected by using the primitive church as a normative model 89 635 The call for restoration is often justified on the basis of a falling away that corrupted the original purity of the church 34 90 91 This falling away is identified with the development of Catholicism and denominationalism 22 56 66 103 138 34 54 73 90 91 New Testament verses that discuss future apostasy 2 Thessalonians 2 3 and heresy e g Acts 20 29 1 Timothy 4 1 2 Tim 4 1 4 4 are understood to predict this falling away 90 The logic of restoration could imply that the true church completely disappeared and thus lead towards exclusivism 91 Another view of restoration is that the true Church has always existed by grace and not by human engineering italics in the original 92 640 In this view the goal is to help Christians realize the ideal of the church in the New Testament to restore the church as conceived in the mind of Christ italics in the original 92 640 Early Restoration Movement leaders did not believe that the church had ceased to exist but instead sought to reform and reunite the church 91 92 638 93 94 A number of congregations web sites explicitly state that the true church never disappeared 95 The belief in a general falling away is not seen as inconsistent with the idea that a faithful remnant of the church never entirely disappeared 22 153 34 5 96 41 Some have attempted to trace this remnant through the intervening centuries between the New Testament and the beginning of the Restoration Movement in the early 1800s 97 98 One effect of the emphasis placed on the New Testament church is a sense of historylessness that sees the intervening history between the 1st century and the modern church as irrelevant or even abhorrent 13 152 Authors within the brotherhood have recently argued that a greater attention to history can help guide the church through modern day challenges 13 151 157 99 60 64 Contemporary social and political views Edit The churches of Christ maintain a significant proportion of political diversity 100 According to the Pew Research Center in 2016 50 of adherents of the churches of Christ identify as Republican or lean Republican 39 identify as Democratic or lean Democratic and 11 have no preference 101 Despite this the Christian Chronicle says that the vast majority of adherents maintain a conservative view on modern social issues This is evident when the Research Center questioned adherents political ideology In the survey 51 identified as conservative 29 identified as moderate and just 12 identified as liberal with 8 not knowing 102 In contemporary society the vast majority of adherents of the churches of Christ view homosexuality as a sin 103 They cite Leviticus 18 22 and Romans 1 26 27 for their position Most don t view same sex attraction as a sin however they condemn acting on same sex desires 104 Mainstream and conservative Churches of Christ bar membership for openly LGBT individuals and do not bless or recognize any form of sexual same sex relationships Churches oppose same sex relationships transitioning to align gender identity and all forms of what they describe as sexual deviation however they say they don t view it as any worse than fornication or other sins 105 History EditSee also Restoration Movement Interior of the original meeting house at Cane Ridge Kentucky Early Restoration Movement history Edit See also Christianity in the 19th century The Restoration Movement originated with the convergence of several independent efforts to go back to apostolic Christianity 13 101 33 27 Two were of particular importance to the development of the movement 13 101 106 33 27 The first led by Barton W Stone began at Cane Ridge Kentucky and called themselves simply Christians The second began in western Pennsylvania and was led by Thomas Campbell and his son Alexander Campbell they used the name Disciples of Christ Both groups sought to restore the whole Christian church on the pattern set forth in the New Testament and both believed that creeds kept Christianity divided 13 101 106 33 27 32 Thomas Campbell The Campbell movement was characterized by a systematic and rational reconstruction of the early church in contrast to the Stone movement which was characterized by radical freedom and lack of dogma 13 106 108 Despite their differences the two movements agreed on several critical issues 13 108 Both saw restoring the early church as a route to Christian freedom and both believed that unity among Christians could be achieved by using apostolic Christianity as a model 13 108 The commitment of both movements to restoring the early church and to uniting Christians was enough to motivate a union between many in the two movements 60 8 9 While emphasizing that the Bible is the only source to seek doctrine an acceptance of Christians with diverse opinions was the norm in the quest for truth In essentials unity in non essentials liberty in all things love was an oft quoted slogan of the period 106 The Stone and Campbell movements merged in 1832 33 28 107 212 108 xxi 109 xxxvii The Restoration Movement began during and was greatly influenced by the Second Great Awakening 110 368 While the Campbells resisted what they saw as the spiritual manipulation of the camp meetings the Southern phase of the Awakening was an important matrix of Barton Stone s reform movement and shaped the evangelistic techniques used by both Stone and the Campbells 110 368 Christian Churches and Churches of Christ separation Edit In 1906 the U S Religious Census listed the Christian Churches and the Churches of Christ as separate and distinct groups for the first time 111 251 This was the recognition of a division that had been growing for years under the influence of conservatives such as Daniel Sommer with reports of the division having been published as early as 1883 111 252 The most visible distinction between the two groups was the rejection of musical instruments in the Churches of Christ The controversy over musical instruments began in 1860 with the introduction of organs in some churches More basic were differences in the underlying approach to Biblical interpretation For the Churches of Christ any practices not present in accounts of New Testament worship were not permissible in the church and they could find no New Testament documentation of the use of instrumental music in worship For the Christian Churches any practices not expressly forbidden could be considered 111 242 247 Another specific source of controversy was the role of missionary societies the first of which was the American Christian Missionary Society formed in October 1849 112 113 While there was no disagreement over the need for evangelism many believed that missionary societies were not authorized by scripture and would compromise the autonomy of local congregations 112 This disagreement became another important factor leading to the separation of the Churches of Christ from the Christian Church 112 Cultural factors arising from the American Civil War also contributed to the division 114 David Lipscomb Nothing in life has given me more pain in heart than the separation from those I have heretofore worked with and loved David Lipscomb 1899 115 In 1968 at the International Convention of Christian Churches Disciples of Christ those Christian Churches that favored a denominational structure wished to be more ecumenical and also accepted more of the modern liberal theology of various denominations adopted a new provisional design for their work together becoming the Christian Church Disciples of Christ 45 495 Those congregations that chose not to be associated with the new denominational organization continued as undenominational Christian churches and churches of Christ completing a separation that had begun decades before 45 407 409 The instrumental Christian Churches and Churches of Christ in some cases have both organizational and hermeneutical differences with the Churches of Christ discussed in this article 16 186 For example they have a loosely organized convention and view scriptural silence on an issue more permissively 16 186 but they are more closely related to the Churches of Christ in their theology and ecclesiology than they are with the Disciples of Christ denomination 16 186 Some see divisions in the movement as the result of the tension between the goals of restoration and ecumenism with the a cappella Churches of Christ and Christian churches and churches of Christ resolving the tension by stressing Bible authority while the Christian Church Disciples of Christ resolved the tension by stressing ecumenism 16 210 45 383 Race relations Edit Barton W Stone Early Restoration Movement leaders varied in their views of slavery reflecting the range of positions common in the Pre Civil War U S 116 619 Barton W Stone was a strong opponent of slavery arguing that there was no Biblical justification for the form of slavery then being practiced in the United States and calling for immediate emancipation 116 619 Alexander Campbell represented a more Jeffersonian opposition to slavery writing of it as more of a political problem than as a religious or moral one 116 619 Having seen Methodists and Baptists divide over the issue of slavery Campbell argued that scripture regulated slavery rather than prohibited it and that abolition should not be allowed to become an issue over which Christians would break fellowship with each other 116 619 Like the country as a whole the assumption of white racial superiority was almost universal among those on all sides of the issue and it was common for congregations to have separate seating for black members 116 619 After the Civil War black Christians who had been worshiping in mixed race Restoration Movement congregations formed their own congregations 116 619 White members of Restoration Movement congregations shared many of the racial prejudices of the times 116 620 Among the Churches of Christ Marshall Keeble became a prominent African American evangelist He estimated that by January 1919 he had traveled 23 052 miles preached 1 161 sermons and baptized 457 converts 116 620 To object to any child of God participating in the service on account of his race social or civil state his color or race is to object to Jesus Christ and to cast him from our association It is a fearful thing to do I have never attended a church that negroes did not attend David Lipscomb 1907 117 During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s the Churches of Christ struggled with changing racial attitudes 116 621 Some leaders such as Foy E Wallace Jr and George S Benson of Harding University railed against racial integration saying that racial segregation was the Divine Order 118 119 Schools and colleges associated with the movement were at the center of the debate 116 621 N B Hardeman the president of Freed Hardeman was adamant that the black and white races should not mingle and refused to shake hands with black Christians 119 Abilene Christian College first admitted black undergraduate students in 1962 graduate students had been admitted in 1961 116 621 Desegregation of other campuses followed 116 621 120 Efforts to address racism continued through the following decades 116 622 A national meeting of prominent leaders from the Churches of Christ was held in June 1968 116 622 Thirty two participants signed a set of proposals intended to address discrimination in local congregations church affiliated activities and the lives of individual Christians 116 622 An important symbolic step was taken in 1999 when the president of Abilene Christian University confessed the sin of racism in the school s past segregationist policies and asked black Christians for forgiveness during a lectureship at Southwestern Christian College a historically black school affiliated with the Churches of Christ 116 622 121 695 Music Edit Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs 1843 13th stereotype ed The tradition of a capella congregational singing in the Churches of Christ is deep set and the rich history of the style stimulated the creation of many hymns in the early 20th century Notable Churches of Christ hymn writers have included Albert Brumley I ll Fly Away and Tillit S Teddlie Worthy Art Thou More traditional Church of Christ hymns commonly are in the style of gospel hymnody The hymnal Great Songs of the Church which was first published in 1921 and has had many subsequent editions is widely used 75 While the more conservative and traditional Churches of Christ do not use instruments since the early 2000s about 20 in the U S typically larger congregations have introduced instruments in place of a strictly a cappella style 122 123 Institutional controversy Edit After World War II Churches of Christ began sending ministers and humanitarian relief to war torn Europe and Asia Though there was agreement that separate para church missionary societies could not be established on the belief that such work could only be performed through local congregations a doctrinal conflict ensued about how this work was to be done Eventually the funding and control of outreach programs in the United States such as homes for orphans nursing homes mission work setting up new congregations Bible colleges or seminaries and large scale radio and television programs became part of the controversy Congregations which supported and participated in pooling funds for these institutional activities are said to be sponsoring church congregations Congregations which have traditionally opposed these organized sponsorship activities are said to be non institutional congregations The institutional controversy resulted in the largest division among Churches of Christ in the 20th century 124 Separation of the International Churches of Christ Edit The International Churches of Christ had their roots in a discipling movement that arose among the mainline Churches of Christ during the 1970s 125 418 This discipling movement developed in the campus ministry of Chuck Lucas 125 418 In 1967 Chuck Lucas was minister of the 14th Street Church of Christ in Gainesville Florida later renamed the Crossroads Church of Christ That year he started a new project known as Campus Advance based on principles borrowed from the Campus Crusade and the Shepherding Movement Centered on the University of Florida the program called for a strong evangelical outreach and an intimate religious atmosphere in the form of soul talks and prayer partners Soul talks were held in student residences and involved prayer and sharing overseen by a leader who delegated authority over group members Prayer partners referred to the practice of pairing a new Christian with an older guide for personal assistance and direction Both procedures led to in depth involvement of each member in one another s lives and critics accused Lucas of fostering cultism 126 The Crossroads Movement later spread into some other Churches of Christ One of Lucas converts Kip McKean moved to the Boston area in 1979 and began working with would be disciples in the Lexington Church of Christ 125 418 He asked them to redefine their commitment to Christ and introduced the use of discipling partners The congregation grew rapidly and was renamed the Boston Church of Christ 125 418 In the early 1980s the focus of the movement moved to Boston Massachusetts where Kip McKean and the Boston Church of Christ became prominently associated with the trend 125 418 126 133 134 With the national leadership located in Boston during the 1980s it commonly became known as the Boston movement 125 418 126 133 134 A formal break was made from the mainline Churches of Christ in 1993 with the organization of the International Churches of Christ 125 418 This new designation formalized a division that was already in existence between those involved with the Crossroads Boston Movement and mainline Churches of Christ 45 442 125 418 419 Other names that have been used for this movement include the Crossroads movement Multiplying Ministries the Discipling Movement and the Boston Church of Christ 126 133 Kip McKean resigned as the World Mission Evangelist in November 2002 125 419 Some ICoC leaders began tentative efforts at reconciliation with the Churches of Christ during the Abilene Christian University Lectureship in February 2004 125 419 Restoration Movement timeline EditChurches of Christ outside the United States EditMost members of the Churches of Christ live outside the United States Although there is no reliable counting system it is anecdotally believed there may be more than 1 000 000 members of the Churches of Christ in Africa approximately 1 000 000 in India and 50 000 in Central and South America Total worldwide membership is over 3 000 000 with approximately 1 000 000 in the U S 31 212 Africa Edit Although there is no reliable counting system it is anecdotally believed to be 1 000 000 or more members of the Churches of Christ in Africa 31 212 The total number of congregations is approximately 14 000 127 7 The most significant concentrations are in Nigeria Malawi Ghana Zambia Zimbabwe Ethiopia South Africa South Sudan and Kenya 127 7 Asia Edit Estimates are that there are 2 000 or more Restoration Movement congregations in India 128 37 38 with a membership of approximately 1 000 000 31 212 More than 100 congregations exist in the Philippines 128 38 Growth in other Asian countries has been smaller but is still significant 128 38 Australia Edit See also Churches of Christ in Australia Historically Restoration Movement groups from Great Britain were more influential than those from the United States in the early development of the movement in Australia Churches of Christ grew up independently in several locations 129 47 While early Churches of Christ in Australia saw creeds as divisive towards the end of the 19th century they began viewing summary statements of belief as useful in tutoring second generation members and converts from other religious groups 129 50 The period from 1875 through 1910 also saw debates over the use of musical instruments in worship Christian Endeavor Societies and Sunday Schools Ultimately all three found general acceptance in the movement 129 51 Currently the Restoration Movement is not as divided in Australia as it is in the United States 129 53 There have been strong ties with the Christian Church Disciples of Christ but many conservative ministers and congregations associate with the Christian churches and churches of Christ instead 129 53 Others have sought support from non instrumental Churches of Christ particularly those who felt that conference congregations had departed from the restoration ideal 129 53 Canada Edit A relatively small proportion of total membership comes from Canada A growing portion of the Canadian demographic is made up of immigrant members of the church This is partly the result of Canadian demographics as a whole and partly due to decreased interest amongst late generation Canadians 130 The largest concentration of active congregations in Canada are in Southern Ontario with notable congregations gathering in Beamsville Bramalea Niagara Falls Vineland Toronto several and Waterloo However many congregations of various sizes typically under 300 members meet all across Canada 131 Great Britain Edit See also Churches of Christ in Europe In the early 1800s Scottish Baptists were influenced by the writings of Alexander Campbell in the Christian Baptist and Millennial Harbinger 132 A group in Nottingham withdrew from the Scotch Baptist church in 1836 to form a Church of Christ 132 369 James Wallis a member of that group founded a magazine named The British Millennial Harbinger in 1837 132 369 In 1842 the first Cooperative Meeting of Churches of Christ in Great Britain was held in Edinburgh 132 369 Approximately 50 congregations were involved representing a membership of 1 600 132 369 The name Churches of Christ was formally adopted at an annual meeting in 1870 132 369 Alexander Campbell influenced the British Restoration Movement indirectly through his writings he visited Britain for several months in 1847 and presided at the Second Cooperative Meeting of the British Churches at Chester 132 369 At that time the movement had grown to encompass 80 congregations with a total membership of 2 300 132 369 Annual meetings were held after 1847 132 369 The use of instrumental music in worship was not a source of division among the Churches of Christ in Great Britain before World War I More significant was the issue of pacifism a national conference was established in 1916 for congregations that opposed the war 132 371 A conference for Old Paths congregations was first held in 1924 132 371 The issues involved included concern that the Christian Association was compromising traditional principles in seeking ecumenical ties with other organizations and a sense that it had abandoned Scripture as an all sufficient rule of faith and practice 132 371 Two Old Paths congregations withdrew from the Association in 1931 an additional two withdrew in 1934 and nineteen more withdrew between 1943 and 1947 132 371 Membership declined rapidly during and after the First World War 132 372 133 312 The Association of Churches of Christ in Britain disbanded in 1980 132 372 133 312 Most Association congregations approximately 40 united with the United Reformed Church in 1981 132 372 133 312 In the same year twenty four other congregations formed a Fellowship of Churches of Christ 132 372 The Fellowship developed ties with the Christian churches and churches of Christ during the 1980s 132 372 133 312 The Fellowship of Churches of Christ and some Australian and New Zealand Churches advocate a missional emphasis with an ideal of Five Fold Leadership Many people in more traditional Churches of Christ see these groups as having more in common with Pentecostal churches The main publishing organs of traditional Churches of Christ in Britain are The Christian Worker magazine and the Scripture Standard magazine A history of the Association of Churches of Christ Let Sects and Parties Fall was written by David M Thompson 134 Further information can be found in the Historical Survey of Churches of Christ in the British Isles edited by Joe Nisbet 135 South America Edit In Brazil there are above 600 congregations and 100 000 members from the Restoration Movement Most of them were established by Lloyd David Sanders 136 See also Edit Christianity portalChristian churches and churches of Christ Christianity in the United States Christian primitivism Churches of Christ non institutional Congregationalist polity Gospel Broadcasting Network GBN a television network affiliated with the Churches of Christ House to House Heart to Heart a printed outreach affiliated with the Churches of Christ List of universities and colleges affiliated with the Churches of Christ Regulative principle of worship Sponsoring church Churches of Christ World Convention of Churches of Christ World Mission Workshop an annual gathering of students of missions missionaries and professors of missions associated with Churches of ChristCategories Members of the Churches of Christ Ministers of the Churches of ChristReferences EditCitations Edit Church numbers listed by country ChurchZip Retrieved December 5 2014 This is a country by country tabulation based on the enumeration of specific individual church locations and leaders While it is known to under represent certain developing countries it is the largest such enumeration and improves significantly on earlier broad based estimates having no supporting detail How Many churches of Christ Are There The churches of Christ Retrieved March 20 2020 Royster Carl H June 2020 Churches of Christ in the United States PDF 21st Century Christian Archived from the original PDF on July 29 2020 Retrieved August 26 2020 Frequently Asked Questions Christian Courier Retrieved March 20 2020 About World Video Bible School WBVS Retrieved March 20 2020 About The Christian Chronicle The Christian Chronicle Retrieved March 31 2021 What We Believe Apologetics Press Retrieved March 20 2020 Miller Dave December 31 2002 Who Are These People Apologetics Press Retrieved March 23 2020 Reaching the Lost PDF House to House Jacksonville church of Christ July 2019 p 2 Retrieved March 20 2020 under the oversight of the elders Hughes Richard Thomas 2001 The Churches of Christ Greenwood Publishing Group p 5 ISBN 978 0 275 97074 1 a b c d e f g Rubel Shelly I Just Want to Be a Christian 20th Century Christian Nashville Tennessee 1984 ISBN 0 89098 021 7 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Baxter Batsell Barrett Who are the churches of Christ and what do they believe in Archived from the original on June 16 2006 Also available via these links to church of christ org Archived 2014 02 09 at the Wayback Machine cris com mmcoc archived June 22 2006 and scriptureessay com archived July 13 2006 a b c d e f g h i j C Leonard Allen and Richard T Hughes Discovering Our Roots The Ancestry of the churches of Christ Abilene Christian University Press 1988 ISBN 0 89112 006 8 The church of Jesus Christ is non denominational It is neither Catholic Jewish nor Protestant It was not founded in protest of any institution and it is not the product of the Restoration or Reformation It is the product of the seed of the kingdom Luke 8 11ff grown in the hearts of men V E Howard What Is the church of Christ 4th Edition Revised 1971 page 29 a b Batsell Barrett Baxter and Carroll Ellis Neither Catholic Protestant nor Jew tract church of Christ 1960 ASIN B00073CQPM According to Richard Thomas Hughes in Reviving the Ancient Faith The Story of churches of Christ in America William B Eerdmans Publishing Co 1996 ISBN 0 8028 4086 8 ISBN 978 0 8028 4086 8 this is arguably the most widely distributed tract ever published by the churches of Christ or anyone associated with that tradition a b c d e f g h i j k l Samuel S Hill Charles H Lippy Charles Reagan Wilson Encyclopedia of Religion in the South Mercer University Press 2005 ISBN 0 86554 758 0 ISBN 978 0 86554 758 2 On the cornerstone of the Southside Church of Christ in Springfield Missouri is this inscription church of Christ Founded in Jerusalem A D 33 This building erected in 1953 This is not an unusual claim for similar wording can be found on buildings of churches of Christ in many parts of the United States The Christians who use such cornerstones reason that the church of Jesus Christ began on Pentecost A D 33 Therefore to be true to the New Testament the twentieth century church must trace its origins to the first century Robert W Hooper A Distinct People A History of the churches of Christ in the 20th Century p 1 Simon and Schuster 1993 ISBN 1 878990 26 8 ISBN 978 1 878990 26 6 391 pages Traditional churches of Christ have pursued the restorationist vision with extraordinary zeal Indeed the cornerstones of many church of Christ buildings read Founded A D 33 Jill et al 2005 Encyclopedia of Religion p 212 a b c d e f g h i j k Stuart M Matlins Arthur J Magida J Magida How to Be a Perfect Stranger A Guide to Etiquette in Other People s Religious Ceremonies Wood Lake Publishing Inc 1999 ISBN 1 896836 28 3 ISBN 978 1 896836 28 7 426 pages Chapter 6 Churches of Christ a b c d e f g h i j k Carmen Renee Berry The Unauthorized Guide to Choosing a Church Brazos Press 2003 ISBN 1 58743 036 3 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Ron Rhodes The Complete Guide to Christian Denominations Harvest House Publishers 2005 ISBN 0 7369 1289 4 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r V E Howard What Is the Church of Christ 4th Edition Revised Central Printers amp Publishers West Monroe Louisiana 1971 Goldberg Jonah Eschatological Weeds The Remnant Retrieved June 6 2020 via Apple Podcasts a b c d e Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 854 pages entry on Hermeneutics a b c Edward C Wharton The Church of Christ The Distinctive Nature of the New Testament Church Gospel Advocate Co 1997 ISBN 0 89225 464 5 David Pharr The Beginning of our Confidence Seven Weeks of Daily Lessons for New Christians 21st Century Christian 2000 80 pages ISBN 0 89098 374 7 Churches of Christ 10 Things to Know about their History and Beliefs November 1 2018 Retrieved July 27 2022 a b c Church numbers listed by country ChurchZip Retrieved July 27 2022 This is a country by country tabulation based on the enumeration of specific individual church locations and leaders While it is known to under represent certain developing countries it is the largest such enumeration and improves significantly on earlier broad based estimates having no supporting detail a b Barry A Kosmin and Ariela Keysar American Religious Identification Survey ARIS 2008 Archived April 7 2009 at the Wayback Machine Trinity College March 2009 The Religious Composition of the United States U S Religious Landscape Survey Chapter 1 Pew Forum on Religion amp Public Life Pew Research Center February 2008 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant Churches of Christ in The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 a b Flavil Yeakley Good News and Bad News A Realistic Assessment of Churches of Christ in the United States 2008 an mp3 of the author presenting some of the results at the 2009 East Tennessee School of Preaching and Ministry lectureship on March 4 2009 is available here permanent dead link and a PowerPoint presentation from the 2008 CMU conference using some of the survey results posted on the Campus Ministry United website is available here a b c d e f g h i j k l m Monroe E Hawley Redigging the Wells Seeking Undenominational Christianity Quality Publications Abilene Texas 1976 ISBN 0 89137 512 0 paper ISBN 0 89137 513 9 cloth a b c d J W Shepherd The Church the Falling Away and the Restoration Gospel Advocate Company Nashville Tennessee 1929 reprinted in 1973 Campbellism and the Church of Christ Archived 2015 01 09 at the Wayback Machine Morey 2014 The Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary describes the term as sometimes offensive Merriam Webster I 2003 Merriam Webster s collegiate dictionary Eleventh ed Springfield MA Merriam Webster Inc Entry on Campbellite a b Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant Slogans in The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 Thomas Campbell Declaration and Address 1809 available on line here O E Shields The Church of Christ The Word and Work VOL XXXIX No 9 September 1945 M C Kurfees Bible Things by Bible Names The General and Local Senses of the Term Church Gospel Advocate October 14 1920 1104 1105 as reprinted in Appendix II Restoration Documents of I Just Want to Be a Christian Rubel Shelly 1984 J C McQuiddy The New Testament Church Gospel Advocate November 11 1920 1097 1098 as reprinted in Appendix II Restoration Documents of I Just Want to Be a Christian Rubel Shelly 1984 a b c M C Kurfees Bible Things by Bible Names Different Designations of the Church Further Considered Gospel Advocate September 30 1920 958 959 as reprinted in Appendix II Restoration Documents of I Just Want to Be a Christian Rubel Shelly 1984 Within the Restoration Movement congregations that do not use musical instruments in worship use the name Church of Christ almost exclusively congregations that do use musical instruments most often use the term Christian Church Monroe E Hawley Redigging the Wells Seeking Undenominational Christianity 1976 page 89 As e g for listings in the yellow pages a b c d e Leroy Garrett The Stone Campbell Movement The Story of the American Restoration Movement College Press 2002 ISBN 0 89900 909 3 ISBN 978 0 89900 909 4 573 pages Examples of this usage include the Gospel Advocate website Archived February 8 2009 at the Wayback Machine Serving the church of Christ since 1855 accessed October 26 2008 the Lipscomb University website Classes in every area are taught in a faith informed approach by highly qualified faculty who represent the range of perspectives that exist among churches of Christ accessed October 26 2008 the Freed Hardeman University website Archived 2008 10 09 at the Wayback Machine Freed Hardeman University is a private institution associated with churches of Christ dedicated to moral and spiritual values academic excellence and service in a friendly supportive environment The university is governed by a self perpetuating board of trustees who are members of churches of Christ and who hold the institution in trust for its founders alumni and supporters accessed October 26 2008 Batsell Barrett Baxter Who are the churches of Christ and what do they believe in Available on line here Archived 2008 06 19 at the Wayback Machine here here Archived 2014 02 09 at the Wayback Machine here Archived 2008 05 09 at the Wayback Machine and here Archived 2010 11 30 at the Wayback Machine Batsell Barrett Baxter and Carroll Ellis Neither Catholic Protestant nor Jew tract Church of Christ 1960 Monroe E Hawley Redigging the Wells Seeking Undenominational Christianity Quality Publications Abilene Texas 1976 Rubel Shelly I Just Want to Be a Christian 20th Century Christian Nashville Tennessee 1984 and V E Howard What Is the Church of Christ 4th Edition Revised 1971 Website of the Frisco church of Christ Welcome to the Home page for the Frisco church of Christ in Frisco Texas accessed October 27 2008 website of the church of Christ Internet Ministries The purpose of this Web Site is to unite the churches of Christ in one accord accessed October 27 2008 The Church of Christ at Woodson Chapel Welcome Archived from the original on May 2 2008 Retrieved May 21 2009 Churches of Christ from the beginning have maintained no formal organization structures larger than the local congregations and no official journals or vehicles declaring sanctioned positions Consensus views do however often emerge through the influence of opinion leaders who express themselves in journals at lectureships or at area preacher meetings and other gatherings page 213 Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 854 pages Churches of Christ adhere to a strict congregationalism that cooperates in various projects overseen by one congregation or organized as parachurch enterprises but many congregations hold themselves apart from such cooperative projects Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 page 206 entry on Church Doctrine of the It is nothing less than phenomenal that the Churches of Christ get so much done without any centralized planning or structure Everything is ad hoc Most programs emerge from the inspiration and commitment of a single congregation or even a single person Worthwhile projects survive and prosper by the voluntary cooperation of other individuals and congregations Page 449 Leroy Garrett The Stone Campbell Movement The Story of the American Restoration Movement College Press 2002 ISBN 0 89900 909 3 ISBN 978 0 89900 909 4 573 pages a b c d e f Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 854 pages entry on Ministry Everett Ferguson Authority and Tenure of Elders Archived 2008 05 16 at the Wayback Machine Restoration Quarterly Vol 18 No 3 1975 142 150 a b c d e Everett Ferguson The Church of Christ A Biblical Ecclesiology for Today Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 1996 ISBN 0 8028 4189 9 ISBN 978 0 8028 4189 6 443 pages a b Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 854 pages entry on Elders Eldership Where elderships do not exist most congregations function through a business meeting system that may include any member of the congregation or in other cases the men of the church Page 531 Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 854 pages entry on Ministry Roberts Price 1979 Studies for New Converts Cincinnati The Standard Publishing Company pp 53 56 Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 854 pages entry on Preaching Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 854 pages entry on Schools of Preaching R B Sweet Now That I m a Christian Sweet Publishing 1948 revised 2003 ISBN 0 8344 0129 0 Jeffery S Stevenson All People All Times Rethinking Biblical Authority in Churches of Christ Xulon Press 2009 ISBN 1 60791 539 1 ISBN 978 1 60791 539 3 a b c d Richard Thomas Hughes and R L Roberts The Churches of Christ 2nd Edition Greenwood Publishing Group 2001 ISBN 0 313 23312 8 ISBN 978 0 313 23312 8 345 pages a b Ralph K Hawkins A Heritage in Crisis Where We ve Been Where We Are and Where We re Going in the Churches of Christ University Press of America 2008 147 pages ISBN 0 7618 4080 X 9780761840800 a b c Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 854 pages entry on Instrumental Music Ross Bobby Jr January 2007 Nation s largest Church of Christ adding instrumental service christianchronicle org The Christian Chronicle Archived from the original on May 16 2013 Retrieved September 19 2008 Ross Bobby Jr Who are we Features The Christian Chronicle Archived from the original on December 19 2011 Retrieved August 26 2020 Whenever there are disagreements in the Churches of Christ a reference to the scriptures is made in settling every religious question A pronouncement from the scripture is considered the final word page 240 Carmen Renee Berry The Unauthorized Guide to Choosing a Church Brazos Press 2003 See F LaGard Smith The Cultural Church 20th Century Christian 1992 237 pages ISBN 978 0 89098 131 3 a b c d e f g Thomas H Olbricht Hermeneutics in the Churches of Christ Archived 2008 09 22 at the Wayback Machine Restoration Quarterly Vol 37 No 1 1995 Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 854 pages page 219 a b c d e f g h i j Tom J Nettles Richard L Pratt Jr John H Armstrong Robert Kolb Understanding Four Views on Baptism Zondervan 2007 ISBN 0 310 26267 4 ISBN 978 0 310 26267 1 222 pages a b c d Rees Bryant Baptism Why Wait Faith s Response in Conversion College Press 1999 ISBN 0 89900 858 5 ISBN 978 0 89900 858 5 224 pages a b c d e f g h i j Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 854 pages entry on Baptism a b Harold Hazelip Gary Holloway Randall J Harris Mark C Black Theology Matters In Honor of Harold Hazelip Answers for the Church Today College Press 1998 ISBN 0 89900 813 5 ISBN 978 0 89900 813 4 368 pages a b Douglas A Foster Churches of Christ and Baptism An Historical and Theological Overview Archived May 20 2010 at the Wayback Machine Restoration Quarterly Volume 43 Number 2 2001 Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 854 pages entry on Regeneration a b Wakefield John C January 31 2014 Stone Campbell tradition the The Grove Dictionary of American Music 2nd edition Grove Music Online a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a Missing or empty url help Ross Bobby Jr January 2007 Nation s largest Church of Christ adding instrumental service christianchronicle org The Christian Chronicle Archived from the original on May 16 2013 Retrieved September 19 2008 a b c d Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 854 pages entry on Theology Creeds are rejected because they are believed to generate schisms in the body of Christ As well theological paradigms such as Calvinism and Arminianism are avoided because the New Testament alone is the proper guide to doctrinal belief Ron Rhodes The Complete Guide to Christian Denominations Harvest House Publishers 2005 ISBN 0 7369 1289 4 page 123 Dispensational premillennialism is characterized by an emphasis on the rapture the restoration of Israel Armageddon and related ideas a b Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 854 pages entry on Boll Robert Henry Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 854 pages entry on Eschatology Robert E Hooper A Distinct People A History of the Churches of Christ in the 20th Century West Monroe LA Howard Publishing 1994 pp 131 180 et passim ISBN 1 878990 26 8 Mac Lynn Churches of Christ in the United States inclusive of her commonwealth and territories Twentieth Century Christian Books 2000 ISBN 0 89098 172 8 ISBN 978 0 89098 172 6 682 pages a b c d Douglas A Foster Waves of the Spirit Against a Rational Rock The Impact of the Pentecostal Charismatic and Third Wave Movements on American Churches of Christ Archived 2011 09 27 at the Wayback Machine Restoration Quarterly 45 1 2003 See for example Harvey Floyd Is the Holy Spirit for me A search for the meaning of the Spirit in today s church 20th Century Christian 1981 ISBN 978 0 89098 446 8 128 pages Olbricht Thomas H January 1 2004 Barton W Stone and Walter Scott on the Holy Spirit and Ministry Leaven 12 3 1 6 via Google Scholar Carter Kelly D May 10 2015 The Trinity in the Stone Campbell Movement Recovering the Heart of Christian Faith ACU Press ISBN 978 0 89112 681 2 W Stone Barton February 24 1827 HISTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN THE WEST PDF The Christian Messenger 1 74 9 via Google Scholar Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 9780802838988 854 pages entry on Restoration Historical Models of a b c Roy B Ward The Restoration Principle A Critical Analysis Archived 2013 12 11 at the Wayback Machine Restoration Quarterly Vol 8 No 4 1965 a b c d Leroy Garrett editor Restoration or Reformation Restoration Review Volume 22 Number 4 April 1980 a b c Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 9780802838988 854 pages entry on Restoration Meanings of Within the Movement Leroy Garrett editor Why Church of Christ Exclusivism Must Go Restoration Review Volume 26 Number 8 October 1984 Leroy Garrett editor What We ve Been Saying 2 Restoration Review Volume 34 Number 9 November 1992 For example History Church of Christ of Genesee County website accessed 12 04 2013 A Missing Chapter in Church History Archived 2014 12 05 at the Wayback Machine West End Church of Christ website Archived 2014 12 05 at the Wayback Machine accessed 12 04 2013 What is the church of Christ Woodbridge Church of Christ website accessed 12 04 2013 John Telgren Some More About Us Archived 2015 04 03 at the Wayback Machine Leavenworth Church of Christ website Archived 2015 04 03 at the Wayback Machine accessed 12 04 2013 A History of the Church of Christ Glendale church of Christ website accessed 12 04 2013 Mack Lyon Churches of Christ Who Are They Publishing Designs Inc Huntsville Alabama 2006 Hans Godwin Grimm 1963 Tradition and History of the Early Churches of Christ In Central Europe Translated by H L Schug Firm Foundation Publishing House ASIN B0006WF106 Keith Sisman Traces of the Kingdom 2nd edition self published under the imprint Forbidden Books 2011 ISBN 978 0 9564937 1 2 Jeff W Childers Douglas A Foster and Jack R Reese The Crux of the Matter ACU Press 2002 ISBN 0 89112 036 X U S religious groups and their political leanings Pew Research Center Retrieved March 20 2020 bobbyross February 25 2016 Elephant in the pews Is the GOP the party of Churches of Christ The Christian Chronicle Retrieved March 20 2020 Political ideology among members of the Churches of Christ Religion in America U S Religious Data Demographics and Statistics Pew Research Center s Religion amp Public Life Project Retrieved March 20 2020 Homosexuality and Transgenderism The Science Supports the Bible apologeticspress org Retrieved March 20 2020 Straight Talk About Homosexuality Christian Courier Retrieved March 20 2020 The Erosion of Marriage Christian Courier Retrieved March 20 2020 Hans Rollmann In Essentials Unity The Pre history of a Restoration Movement Slogan Restoration Quarterly Volume 39 Number 3 1997 Garrison Winfred Earnest and DeGroot Alfred T 1948 The Disciples of Christ A History St Louis Missouri The Bethany Press Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 854 pages Introductory section entitled Stone Campbell History Over Three Centuries A Survey and Analysis Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 854 pages Introductory Chronology a b Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 854 pages entry on Great Awakenings a b c McAlister Lester G and Tucker William E 1975 Journey in Faith A History of the Christian Church Disciples of Christ St Louis Chalice Press ISBN 978 0 8272 1703 4 a b c Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 854 pages entry on Missionary Societies Controversy Over pp 534 537 Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 854 pages entry on American Christian Missionary Society pages 24 26 Reid D G Linder R D Shelley B L amp Stout H S 1990 Dictionary of Christianity in America Downers Grove IL InterVarsity Press Entry on Churches of Christ Non Instrumental David Lipscomb 1899 as quoted by Leroy Garrett on page 104 of The Stone Campbell Movement The Story of the American Restoration Movement College Press 2002 ISBN 0 89900 909 3 ISBN 978 0 89900 909 4 573 pages a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 854 pages entry on Race Relations David Lipscomb Gospel Advocate 49 1 August 1907 488 489 Brown Michael D June 6 2012 Despite school sentiment Harding s leader said no to integration Arkansas Times Retrieved December 29 2018 a b The manner in which the brethren in some quarters are going in for the negro meetings leads one to wonder whether they are trying to make white folks out of the negroes or negroes out of the white folks The trend of the general mix up seems to be toward the latter Reliable reports have come to me of white women members of the church becoming so animated over a certain colored preacher as to go up to him after a sermon and shake hands with him holding his hand in both of theirs That kind of thing will turn the head of most white preachers and sometimes affect their conduct and anybody ought to know that it will make fools out of the negroes For any woman in the church to so far forget her dignity and lower herself so just because a negro has learned enough about the gospel to preach it to his race is pitiable indeed Her husband should take her in charge unless he has gone crazy too In that case somebody ought to take both of them in charge Foy E Wallace Vol 3 No 8 March 1941 Negro Meetings for White People in the Bible Banner Don Haymes June 9 1961 Abilene Christian College Desegregates its Graduate School The Christian Chronicle 18 1 6 Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 854 pages entry on Southwestern Christian College De Gennaro Nancy April 16 2015 Local Church of Christ adds Instruments to Worship Daily News Journal Murfreesboro Retrieved January 6 2017 Hall Heidi March 6 2015 Church of Christ opens door to musical instruments USA Today The Tennessean Retrieved January 6 2017 About 20 of 12 000 Church of Christ congregations nationwide offer instrumental music Randy Harshbarger A history of the institutional controversy among Texas Churches of Christ 1945 to the present M A thesis Stephen F Austin State University 2007 149 pages AAT 1452110 a b c d e f g h i j Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 854 pages entry on International Churches of Christ a b c d Paden Russell July 1995 The Boston Church of Christ In Timothy Miller ed America s Alternative Religions Albany State University of New York Press pp 133 36 ISBN 978 0 7914 2397 4 Retrieved August 7 2007 a b Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 854 pages entry on Africa Missions in a b c Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 854 pages entry on Asia Missions in a b c d e f Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 854 pages entry on Australia The Movement in Wayne Turner The Strangers Among Us Gospel Herald February 2007 Church of Christ Directory Archived 2013 09 27 at the Wayback Machine Gospel Herald website accessed December 6 2013 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 854 pages entry on Great Britain and Ireland Churches of Christ in a b c d Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L Dunnavant The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing 2004 ISBN 0 8028 3898 7 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 854 pages entry on Europe Missions in David M Thompson Let Sects and Parties Fall A Short History of the Association of Churches of Christ in Great Britain and Ireland Berean Publishing Trust January 1980 ISBN 978 0 85050 012 7 160 pages Joe Nisbet gen ed Historical Survey of Churches of Christ in the British Isles Aberdeen Scotland 1995 580 pages As Igrejas de Cristo Cristas e o Movimento de Restaurocao The Churches of Christ Christians and the Restoration Movement www movimentoderestauracao com in Portuguese Movimento de Restauracao Archived from the original on April 29 2018 Retrieved June 17 2019 English and various other translations available Sources Edit Allen Crawford Leonard 1988 Discovering Our Roots The Ancestry of Churches of Christ Abilene Texas Abilene Christian University Press p 161 ISBN 0 89112 008 4 Brownlow Leroy 1973 Why I Am a Member of the Church of Christ Fort Worth Texas L Brownlow Publishing Co p 192 OCLC 213866131 Cartwright Colbert S 1987 People of the Chalice St Louis Missouri Chalice Press ISBN 978 0 8272 2938 9 Ferguson Everett 1996 The Church of Christ A Biblical Ecclesiology for Today Wm B Eerdmans Publishing p 443 ISBN 978 0 8028 4189 6 Foster Douglas Allen Dunnavant Anthony L 2004 The Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement Christian Church Disciples of Christ Christian Churches Churches of Christ Churches of Christ Wm B Eerdmans Publishing p 854 ISBN 978 0 8028 3898 8 Garrett Leroy 1983 The Stone Campbell Movement Joplin College Press ISBN 0 89900 059 2 Garrett Leroy 2002 The Stone Campbell Movement The Story of the American Restoration Movement College Press p 573 ISBN 978 0 89900 909 4 Hawley Monroe E 1976 Redigging the Wells Seeking Undenominational Christianity Abilene Texas Quality Publications ISBN 978 0 89137 513 5 Holloway Gary Foster Douglas A 2001 Renewing God s People Abilene TX Abilene Christian University Press p 151 ISBN 978 0 89112 010 0 Hughes Richard T 1996 Reviving the Ancient Faith The Story of Churches of Christ in America Abilene Texas Abilene Christian University Press p 448 ISBN 978 0 8028 4086 8 Hughes Richard Hatch Nathan O Harrell David Edwin Jr 2000 American Origins of the Churches of Christ Abilene Texas Abilene Christian University Press p 118 ISBN 978 0 89112 009 4 McMillon Lynn A 1983 Restoration Roots Dallas Gospel Teachers Publications Inc p 97 OCLC 10950221 Murch James DeForest 1962 Christians Only A history of the Restoration Movement Cincinnati The Standard Publishing Company OCLC 3047672 Shelly Rubel 1984 I Just Want to Be a Christian Nashville Tennessee 20th Century Christian ISBN 978 0 89098 021 7 External links Edit Look up baptizw in Wiktionary the free dictionary Church of Christ Internet Ministries Brotherhood News Online news source of the Churches of Christ The Christian Chronicle A newspaper of the Churches of Christ Christian Courier A religious journal associated with the Churches of Christ HisLoveforme com A Church of Christ Ministry Website providing Sound Doctrine Teaching Content from Sound Churches of Christ Fellowship of Churches of Christ in Great Britain amp Ireland Restoration Movement Texts at the Wayback Machine archived June 15 2012 The Restoration Movement Pages historical texts images biographies and other resources Abilene Christian University archived from the original on November 23 2013 SOAS Special Collections archive papers of the Missionary Committee of Churches of Christ Great Britain and Ireland Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Churches of Christ amp oldid 1149581077, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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