Restoration Movement
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- This article is about the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement and churches that have a historical and/or theological connection to it (e.g., Churches of Christ, Independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
The Restoration Movement (also known historically as the "Stone-Campbell Movement") is a Christian reform movement that arose in the United States during the Second Great Awakening in the late 18th century and early 19th century. Barton W. Stone and Alexander Campbell were leading figures of four independent movements with like principles who merged together into two religious movements of significant size. Churches that developed from this movement now have a total membership of about 3,000,000 in the United States.[citation needed] Restorationism sought to renew the whole Christian church, on the pattern set forth in the New Testament, without regard to the creeds developed over time in Catholicism, Orthodoxy, or Reformed Protestantism, which Restorationists held kept Christianity divided. Stemming from Restorationism are churches established around the world which claim to "concentrate on the essential aspects of the Christian faith, allowing for a diversity of understanding with non-essentials." Their beliefs and doctrines differ but all of them hold the belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the savior and authority of the church. Key practices are weekly celebration of the Lord's Supper on the first day of each week and commitment to believer's baptism by immersion in water.
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[edit] Early History
The Restoration Movement began as two separate threads, each of which initially developed without the knowledge of the other, during the Second Great Awakening in the early 19th century. The first, led by Barton W. Stone began at Cane Ridge, Bourbon County, Kentucky. The group called themselves simply Christians. The second, began in western Pennsylvania and Virginia (now West Virginia), led by Thomas Campbell and his son, Alexander Campbell. Because the founders wanted to abandon all denominational labels, they used the biblical names for the followers of Jesus that they found in the Bible.[1] Both groups promoted a return to the purposes of the first century churches as described in the New Testament.
[edit] Stone movement
In 1801, the Cane Ridge Revival in Kentucky would plant the seed for a movement in Kentucky and the Ohio River valley to disassociate from denominationalism. The defining event of the Stone wing of the movement was the publication of Last Will and Testament of The Springfield Presbytery, at Cane Ridge, Kentucky, in 1804. The Last Will is a brief document in which Stone and five others announced their withdrawal from Presbyterianism and their intention to be solely part of the body of Christ.[2] The writers appealed for the unity of all who follow Jesus, suggested the value of congregational self-governance, and lifted the Bible as the source for understanding the will of God. They denounced the divisive use of the Augsburg Confession,[1] and adopted the name "Christian" to identify their group. [1]
[edit] Campbell movement
The Campbell wing of the movement was launched when Thomas Campbell published the Declaration and Address of the Christian Association of Washington, in 1809. The Presbyterian Synod had suspended his ministerial credentials. In The Declaration and Address he set forth some of his convictions about the church of Jesus Christ, as he organized the Christian Association of Washington, not as a church but as an association of persons seeking to grow in faith.[1] On May 4, 1811, however, the Christian Association constituted itself as a congregationally governed church. With the building it then constructed at Brush Run, it became known as Brush Run Church.[1] When their study of the New Testament led the reformers to begin to practice Baptism by Immersion, the nearby Redstone Baptist Association invited Brush Run Church to join with them for the purpose of fellowship. The reformers agreed provided that they would be "allowed to preach and to teach whatever they learned from the Scriptures."[3]
The Campbells worked within the Redstone Baptist Association during the period 1815 through 1824. While both the Campbells and the Baptists shared Baptism by Immersion and Congregational polity, it was soon clear that he and his associates were not traditional Baptists. Within the Redstone Association, the differences became intolerable to some of the Baptist leaders, when Alexander Campbell began publishing a journal, The Christian Baptist, promoting reform. Campbell anticipated the conflict and moved his membership to a congregation of the Mahoning Baptist Association in 1824. [1]
In 1827, the Mahoning Association appointed Walter Scott as an Evangelist. Through Scott’s efforts, the Mahoning Association grew rapidly. In 1828, Thomas Campbell visited several of the congregations formed by Scott and heard him preach. Campbell believed that Scott was bringing an important new dimension to the movement with his approach to evangelism.[1]
Several Baptist associations began disassociating congregations that refused to subscribe to the Philadelphia Confession. The Mahoning Association itself came under attack. In 1830, The Mahoning Baptist Association disbanded. Alexander ceased publication of the Christian Baptist. In January 1831, he began publication of the Millennial Harbinger.[1]
[edit] Merger of the Stone & Campbell movements
The two groups united at High Street Meeting House, Lexington, Kentucky with a handshake between Barton W. Stone and "Raccoon" John Smith, Saturday, December 31, 1831.[3] Smith had been chosen, by those present, to speak in behalf of the followers of the Campbells.[3] While contemporaneous accounts are clear that the handshake took place on Saturday, some historians have dated the merger for Sunday, January 1, 1832.[4] The 1832 date has become generally accepted. The actual difference is about 20 hours.
Two representatives of those assembled were appointed to carry the news of the union to all the churches: John Rogers, for the Christians and "Raccoon" John Smith for the reformers. Despite some challenges, the merger succeeded.[1]
With the merger, there was the challenge of what to call the new movement. Clearly, finding a Biblical, non-sectarian name was important. Stone wanted to continue to use the name "Christians." Alexander Campbell insisted upon "Disciples of Christ". As a result, both names were used. The confusion over names has been present ever since.[1]
[edit] Other related groups
James O'Kelly was an early advocate of seeking unity through a return to New Testament Christianity.[5] In 1792, dissatisfied with the role of bishops in the Methodist Episcopal Church, he separated from that body. O’Kelly's movement, centering in Virginia and North Carolina, was originally called Republican Methodists. In 1794 they adopted the name Christian Church.[6]
During the first several years of the 19th century, two Baptist ministers in New England espoused similar views to O’Kelly and began exclusively using the name "Christian." Working independently at first, Elias Smith of Vermont and Abner Jones of New Hampshire joined together in their efforts.
By 1808, O’Kelly's followers and the Smith/Jones movement were united. This loose fellowship of churches was called by the names "Christian Connection/Connexion" or "Christian Church."
When Stone and Alexander Campbell's Reformers (also known as Disciples and Christian Baptists) united in 1832, only a minority of Christian Churches participated. The participating churches largely were from Kentucky, Indiana, and southern Ohio. Those who did not unite with Campbell merged with the Congregational Churches in 1931 to form the Congregational Christian Churches. The Evangelical and Reformed Church formed in 1934 as a merger of the Reformed Church in the United States and the Evangelical Synod of North America. In 1957, the Congregational Christian Church and the Evangelical and Reformed Church merged to become the United Church of Christ.
Sources
Murch, James DeForest. Christians Only. Cincinnati: Standard Publishing, 1962.
Jennings, Walter Wilson. Origin and Early History of the Disciples of Christ Cincinnati: Standard Publishing, 1919.
Morrill, Milo True. History of the Christian Denomination in America. Dayton: The Christian Publishing Association, 1912.
[edit] Internal strains
In 1849, the first National Convention was held at Cincinnati, Ohio.[4] Alexander Campbell had concerns that holding conventions would lead the movement into divisive denominationalism. He did not to attend the gathering.[4] Among its actions, the convention elected Alexander Campbell its President and created The American Christian Missionary Society (ACMS).[4] By the end of the century, The Foreign Christian Missionary Society and the Christian Women's Board of Missions were also engaged in missionary activities. Forming the ACMS clearly did not reflect a consensus of the entire movement, and these para-church organizations became a divisive issue. In the succeeding decades, for some congregations and their leaders, co-operative work through missionary societies and the adoption of instrumental music was straying too far. Division over these issues grew after the American Civil War.
[edit] Division
In 1906, the U.S. Religious Census listed the Disciples of Christ and the Churches of Christ as separate and distinct groups for the first time.[1] This, however, was simply the recognition of a division that had been growing for years, with published reports as early as 1883.[1] The most obvious 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 Disciples, any practices not expressly forbidden could be considered.[1]
After the division Disciples churches used "Christian Church" as the dominant designation for congregations. While music and the approach to missionary work were the most visible issues, there were also some deeper ones. The process that led to the separation had begun prior to the American Civil War.[7]
[edit] Pioneers
Although Barton W. Stone, Thomas and Alexander Campbell, and Walter Scott were to become the best-known and most influential early leaders of the movement, others preceded them and laid the foundation for their work.
- Barton W. Stone (1772–1844) – Texts
- Thomas Campbell (1763–1854) – Texts
- Alexander Campbell (1788–1866) – Texts
- Walter Scott (1796–1861) – Texts
- James O'Kelly (1735?–1826), Durham, North Carolina – Texts
- Rice Haggard (1769–1819) – Texts
- Elias Smith (1764–1846) – Texts
- Abner Jones (1772–1841) – Texts
- Marshall Keeble (1878–1969) His successful preaching career notably bridged a racial divide in the Restoration Movement prior to the American Civil Rights Movement.
- Elijah Martindale (1793-1874), active in Indiana.
- Scholars such as C. Leonard Allen at Abilene Christian University say that, besides the New Testament, the Restoration Movement was also influenced by the philosophy of John Locke and Scottish common sense philosophy.
[edit] Early churches
According to the records of the Old Philadelphia congregation of the Church of Christ, this congregation came into existence in 1804. The records are in the possession of the church in Warren County, Tennessee. In 1807, a congregation gathered at Antioch in the Alabama Territory and moved, in 1847, two miles south to Rocky Springs, Jackson County, Alabama near where Bridgeport, Alabama is now. The records are in the possession of the Church of Christ at Rocky Springs. There were people who wanted to form a central control of congregations but this did not materialize.
The first congregation in this movement to take the name "Church of Christ" was established in June 1834 at Knob Creek, in southern Graves County, Kentucky. This church is still in active existence.
[edit] Key principles
- Christianity should not be divided, Christ intended the creation of one church.
- Creeds divide, but Christians should be able to find agreement by standing on the Bible itself (from which they believe all creeds are but human expansions or constrictions) instead of on the opinions of people about the Bible.
- Ecclesiastical traditions divide, but Christians should be able to find common ground by following the practice (as best as it can be determined) of the early church.
- Names of human origin divide, but Christians should be able to find common ground by using biblical names for the church (i.e., "Christian Church", "Church of God" or "Church of Christ" as opposed to "Methodist" or "Lutheran", etc.). It is in this vein that conservative members of the Churches of Christ object to the phrase "Stone-Campbell Movement."
[edit] 20th century divisions
[edit] Churches of Christ/Disciples of Christ split
In 1906 the Churches of Christ and the Disciples of Christ split over many issues that ran back to the Campbell-Stone Union in 1824. Actually, it is more correct to say that a split which had been brewing for decades was formalized in 1906, when the U.S. Census Bureau listed the groups separately for the first time in its religious census. One of the issues that lead to the split was congregationalism. In 1836 Campbell and Stone noticed a growing "furious zeal for orthodoxy." This manifested itself in two ways: pleas for unity by the group that would become the Disciples of Christ and pleas for congregational autonomy by the group that would become the Churches of Christ. In the majority of Northern churches, the call for unity prevailed; in the majority of the Southern churches, the calls for congregational purity prevailed. In the American South, churches of the Restoration tradition tend to identify themselves with the name Church of Christ and argue that it was their faction that remained true to the original principles of the Restoration Movement, not vice versa.
On October 23, 1849, a group of individuals met in Cincinnati, Ohio with the intention of creating a "general church organization for the furtherance of the work by the church collectively." This action caused immediate disagreements among the churches, because such organizations had previously been abolished. Barton W. Stone himself had in fact taken part in the abolition of the Springfield Presbytery, and authored at that time a very influential document, The Last Will and Testament of the Springfield Presbytery, which contained within it the idea that the existence of all such bodies was necessarily divisive and hence sinful.
About a decade later, L. L. Pinkerton, who was a member of the Midway, Kentucky church brought a melodeon into the church building. One of the elders of that assembly removed the melodeon that evening but it was soon replaced by another. Until that time all singing in the churches had been a cappella. Generally speaking, the bulk of the urban congregations, particularly in the Northern states, were not totally averse to this development, which was also gaining momentum in the other religious groups around them, while rural congregations, particularly in the Southern United States, tended to oppose this trend.
Approximately forty years later, the U.S. Census Bureau, in consultation with the leaders of the two groups, decided to list the members of these two movements separately. There were many factors involved in the split. Other issues revolving around baptism, plus the missionary society and instrumental music issues noted above, also contributed to the split. In most Churches of Christ, it is maintained that the prime issue was that of instrumental music in services of worship.
After the split the Churches of Christ generally became more congregational, while the Disciples of Christ became more denominational. The Churches of Christ remained more literal in biblical interpretation, while the Disciples of Christ became closer to "mainline" Protestant groups. In fact, Disciples of Christ have been very cooperative with other Protestant denominations, dismissing the exclusive quality what was once a part of the entire movement. Churches of Christ have maintained a more exclusive stance, although the lack of a "clearinghouse" for determining acceptable doctrine has led to myriad manifestations that the movement may credit as heresy.
By 1926 a split began to form within the Disciples over the future direction of the church. Conservatives within the group began to have problems with the perceived liberalism of the leadership, upon the same grounds described earlier in the accepting of instrumental music in worship. In 1927 they held the first North American Christian Convention, and the Independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ began to emerge as a distinct group from the Disciples, although the break was not totally formalized until the late 1960s. By this time the decennial religious census was a thing of the past and it is impossible to use it as a delineation as it was in 1906.
The Disciples of Christ today are still not totally devoid of the conservative-liberal tension. A related movement known as the Disciple Heritage Fellowship<http://www.disciple-heritage.org> (originally "Disciples Renewal"), has been particularly critical of perceived liberalism in the denomination and purports to call the church back to its Restorationist roots. It is closely related to the Confessing Movement found in several other mainline denominations.
[edit] Variations with the Churches of Christ
After the distinction between the Church of Christ and the Disciples of Christ movements, other issues would later distinguish various Churches of Christ from one another.
Since the members of the Churches of Christ agreed that there was no scriptural basis for a hierarchal government or a synod for congregations, the churches were all independent and autonomous. All disagreements in doctrine were handled locally, although open discussion was encouraged on a national or international basis. Many issues were discussed by the publishers of religious periodicals, who used their periodicals to present their own views and to debate the views of others. Between 1920 and 1960, various doctrinal issues were promoted that divided fellowship between some congregations in various locales. Some critics charged, and many within Churches of Christ voiced concerns, that the Churches of Christ had in some ways become a series of denominations within the body. This situation still exists to some extent today in some circles while many in Churches of Christ also extend fellowship to others regardless of a person's or a congregation's stand on various issues.
[edit] Largest subgroups
The most notable subgroups outside the mainstream Churches of Christ are:
- The "One Cup" churches, made up of those who consider the use of only one cup during the Lord's Supper to be acceptable. Most commonly in Churches of Christ, multiple cups are used.
- The non-Sunday school churches, made up of those who believe that Sunday School is wrong, since it is mentioned nowhere in the Bible and unheard of prior to the 18th century (this view is also held by many primitive Baptist churches).
-
- There is a considerable overlap between the first two groups listed. Almost all of the "one-cup" belief churches reject Sunday School, while around half of the non-class churches take the "one-cup" position. Almost all of congregations of one of these persuasions also reject institutions, though they have little association with churches classified in the third group (see below). These groups largely divided from the mainstream churches in the early twentieth century. Non-class churches in the United States number around 1100 (8% of Churches of Christ, or around 2% of membership), while about half these are also one-cup groups.
-
- Some of the churches in those groups (and others to a much lesser extent) have been at odds over whether to hire a full-time "minister" for a congregation. They asked whether this was in fact an acceptance and endorsement of the extra-Biblical concept of clergy. Many of them believe that preaching is properly done by male members of the church, perhaps occasionally reinforced by a travelling evangelist engaged only for a specific event or series of events. There has also been discussion in some churches about whether anyone now living truly meets what are seen as the New Testament requirements for the office of elder.
- The "Non-institutional" churches (sometimes pejoratively referred to as "anti" churches within institutional Churches of Christ) objected to various forms of centralization, including church-sponsored institutions such as orphanages and fund-pooling plans called "sponsoring churches." Adherents of this view contend that the Bible does not authorize such practices and thus prohibits the use of a congregation's money for collective ministry ventures. There are about 2,000 of these congregations (around 15% of churches and 9% of membership of the Churches of Christ).
- Premillennialist churches - While Premillennialism is mainstream doctrine in many Protestant denominations, it has never been so in Churches of Christ, but has had enough adherents that they were a visible subgroup. Division over this issue began in 1915 when Robert Henry Boll was front-page editor of the Gospel Advocate, but the division subsided somewhat until flaring again mostly in the 1930s after the Neal-Wallace Discussion on the Thousand-Years Reign, a debate in Winchester, Kentucky. Churches espousing the premillennial position numbered around 80 when in 1989 Mac Lynn published the first edition Churches of Christ in the United States. Nonetheless, the tension in the fissure has lessened considerably, and the second edition of Lynn's list, published in 2000, deliberately counted the premillennialist congregations as part of the mainline—a practice which Lynn continued in the 2006 edition (ISBN 0890983224).
[edit] Other issues
At one time, pacifism was an issue of serious concern. Prominent Church of Christ leaders before World War II such as David Lipscomb, J.W. McGarvey, Moses E. Lard, Robert Milligan, and Tolbert Fanning held pacifist positions. Post-World War II, the pacifist faction has largely died out as a recognizable subgroup.
[edit] Churches of Christ/International Churches of Christ Split
Another schism was the Crossroads Movement which started in the 1960s and 1970s (also called the "Boston Movement" or "Discipling Movement"). The Crossroads Movement was an evangelistic effort (originated by Chuck Lucas) that started in Gainseville, Florida as a campus outreach to the University of Florida. It later spread into some other Churches of Christ. The Crossroads Church of Christ used informal Bible Studies, called "Soul Talks" to evangelize entire campuses. They also believed in the use of "Prayer Partners" which paired believers together to work on spiritual issues. The Soul Talk Leaders held weekly meetings to discuss the spiritual development of the brothers and sisters in their small groups. The Crossroads Movement started at the 14th Street Church of Christ in Gainesville, Florida, which became known as "Crossroads Church of Christ", an incubator for the future International Churches of Christ. 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. It was there that the International Churches of Christ became a distinct denomination, officially dissociated from Churches of Christ and the Restoration Movement. This new designation in actuality made a distinction that was already in existence between those involved with the Crossroads/Boston Movement and Churches of Christ. Much of the outside literature during this period refers to it as the "Boston Movement" or occasionally the "Discipling Movement", after the practice of assigning each new church member a mentor who was to "disciple" the newer member through prayer and advice about a wide range of day-to-day decisions. This movement appears to be directly related to the Shepherding Movement that was gaining influence in the wider Evangelical world at the time.
[edit] Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) / Independent Christian Churches - Churches of Christ Split
Following the 1906 separation of the Churches of Christ (a cappella), controversy still existed within the movement over whether the missionary efforts should be cooperative or independently sponsored by congregations. Questions on the role of the methods of Biblical Criticism to the study and interpretation of the Bible were also among the issues in conflict.[4]
During the first half of the 20th century the opposing factions among the Christian Churches coexisted, but with discomfort. The three Missionary Societies were merged into the United Christian Missionary Society in 1920.[4] Human service ministries grew through the National Benevolent Association providing assistance to orphans, the elderly and the disabled.
Following World War II, it was believed that the organizations that had been developed in previous decades no longer effectively met the needs of the postwar era.[1] After a number discussions throughout the 1950s, the 1960 International Convention of Christian Churches adopted a process to plan the "restructure" of the entire organization.[1] The Commission on Restructure, chaired by Granville T. Walker, held its first meeting October 30 & November 1, 1962. [1] In 1968, the International Convention of Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ) adopted the Commission's proposed “Provisional Design of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).”[1] Soon the Provisional Design became “The Design.”
Under the Design, all churches in the 1968 yearbook of Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ) were automatically recognized as part of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). In the years that followed, many of the Independent Christian Church Congregations requested formal withdrawal from the yearbook. Many of those congregations became part of the Independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ.
The Independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ separated from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (DoC) due primarily to a belief that the Christian Church was becoming too liberal and discomfort with the development of a denominational structure within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The split occurred as local congregations refused to take part in rapidly developing extra-congregational organizations that eventually evolved into a General Assembly. They were also disturbed by what they saw as liberal influences within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) concerning Biblical crticism and social justice. This came to a head at the 1926 DoC Convention in Memphis, Tennessee.
The official separation between the independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is difficult to date. Suggestions range from 1926 to 1971 based on the events outlined below:
- 1926: The first North American Christian Convention (NACC) in 1927 was the result of disillusionment at the DoC Memphis Convention.
- 1930s - 1940s: Symbolic differences and disagreements flourished.
- 1955: The Directory of the Ministry was first published listing only the "Independents" on a voluntary basis.
- 1968: Final redaction of the Disciples Year Book removing Independent churches
- 1971: Independent churches listed separately in the Yearbook of American Churches.
Because of this separation, many independent Christian Churches/churches of Christ are not only non-denominational, they can be anti-denominational, avoiding even the appearance or language associated with denominationalism holding true to their Restoration roots.
[edit] Time line
[edit] Modern branches
Three modern North American religious groups trace their heritage back to roots in the Stone-Campbell Restoration movement:
- The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) - about 723,000 members in the United States and Canada.
- The Churches of Christ (a cappella) - about 1,500,000 members in the U.S.[1]
- This branch considers itself the conservative branch, generally going by the name Church of Christ. It differs from other Christian churches in that it believes that Biblical silence is prohibitive. A prominent example of this principle is their not using musical instruments. Since they see no direct or indirect examples of instrumental music use in the New Testament, and per Col. 3:16 and Eph 5:19, they don't include them in worship.[8]
- They insist on Bible names for Bible things. Elders/Pastors/Bishops are used for the leaders of the church, with Evangelist or Preacher reserved for the one who gives weekly sermons. Deacons are the servants, who assist the church more in its mundane functions while Elders deal more with the spiritual leadership of the church. Some Preachers will take on a leadership role with the other elders and at that point the title of pastor might be used, from the Latin pastor for shepherd. The Lord's Supper is often used instead of Communion or Eucharists.[9] They may also use the phrase "Godhead" instead of Trinity to attempt to be consistent with Bible titles instead of non biblical titles.[10]
- The (instrumental) Independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ - about 6,000 congregations, about 1,150,000 members worldwide; approx. 700,000 members in the United States as of 2001[citation needed] .
- This group is identical with the Churches of Christ in most all respects except for the use of instrumental music. This group does not view silence as prohibitive, but puts matters that the Bible does not address into the category of opinion. They are also more comfortable with national conventions and missionary societies. Though, both groups do not want to be a centralized denomination, the Independent Christian Churches think that working broadly with like minded churches is still a safe and beneficial practice.[citation needed]
- Since the 1980s many of the autonomous congregations of the Christian churches/churches of Christ have become increasingly more evangelical in their orientation and style. Their autonomy has also catalyst in the growth of some 52 megachurches [11](averaging 2000+ attendance), some among the largest in the US: Southeast Christian in Louisville (18,000+) and Central Christian Church in Las Vegas (11,000). This growth has been noticed by the larger Evangelical network and in recent years Willow Creek Community Church (the flagship megachurch) has added two Christian Church ministers to its teaching staff.[12] This growing interaction with Evangelicalism in an increasingly "post-denominational" American society presents a great growth opportunity for the brotherhood, but also threatens the loose ties that bind these congregations together.
The other large groups of the movement are:
- The Churches of Christ in Australia
- The United Reformed Church in the United Kingdom (also affiliated with the Reformed Church movement)
- The Fellowship of Churches of Christ in the United Kingdom
- The Associated Churches of Christ in New Zealand
Although they disassociate themselves from the Stone-Campbell Movement and have the least in common with the other branches, the Christadelphians share a heritage from the movement.
The Christian — Churches of Christ — Disciples of Christ family of Churches are linked through the World Convention of Churches of Christ. They will meet for the XVIIth World Convention of Churches of Christ in Nashville, Tennessee in July-August 2008. Also see Jesse Moran Bader
Christ's Church Fellowship Inc was formed in 1988 as Charismatic Stone-Campbell organization Christ's Church Fellowship Inc.
[edit] Christian Churches and Churches of Christ Reunion Efforts
These two traditions within the Restoration Movement are practically identical in doctrine, church structure, and worship, with the exception of instruments being used in Christian Churches. Therefore, there is a significant amount of interaction that occurs between several of these members and congregations in various places. Also, special efforts were made on the national scene in 2006 to create more intentional fellowship between Christians from both branches. This was in conjunction with the one hundredth anniversary of the "official" designation of these being two religious groups by the U.S. Census in 1906. One evidence of the renewed affinity between the two groups was the hosting, by Abilene Christian University (also founded in 1906), of the annual Restoration Forum, as part of ACU's annual Bible Lectureship.[2] During the program Don Jeanes, president of Milligan College and Royce Money, president of ACU, jointly gave a presentation on the first chapter of the Gospel of John.
Additionally, the compilation and publication of The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement (see Foster, Blowers, Dunavant, & Williams in "References") evidence that scholars in the three wings still work together on common projects. Collaboration on the Encyclopedia also included representatives of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
Inevitably such gestures have their supporters and detractors within each of the three wings of the movement.
[edit] The Restoration Movement internationally
Restoration Movement churches are found around the world and the World Convention of Churches of Christ provides a link for them.
Their genealogies are representative of developments in North America. Their theological orientation ranges from fundamentalist to liberal to ecumenical. In some places they have joined with churches of other traditions to form united churches at local, regional or national level.
Churches of Christ in Europe arose separately from the American Restoration Movement and during the 1840s onwards various movements came into fellowship. The Restoration Movement in the United Kingdom started before the Campbell/Stone movement in the USA. In England churches of Christ flourished in the 1600s and before; eventually many became Baptist.[3]
These trends can be seen with the Churches of Christ in Australia. The Restoration Fellowship is an online restoration movement dedicated to recovering the beliefs of the first-century disciples of Jesus.[13]
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- New Restoration Movement Information
- Restoration Movement Pages, Memorial University of Newfoundland
- British web site of early churches of Christ - web site detailing historical churches of Christ in Europe before the American Restoration Movement
- Churches of Christ in Australia
- The Christian - Churches of Christ - Disciples of Christ family of Churches XVIIth World Convention of Churches of Christ in Nashville, Tennessee, July-August 2008.
- The Christian Restoration Association
- The Christian Standard (periodical).
- Independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ Locator
- The LookOut (periodical).
- North American Christian Convention
- Restoration Movement Colleges, Universities, and Seminaries
- The Gospel Herald Periodical sharing perspectives of the Churches of Christ in Canada
- Ministry Employment Network
- Restoration Movement Internet Portal.
- RestorationUnity.com Representing greater unity among restoration churches
- List of People with Restoration Movement Ties
A different view of the history of this movement (from a "non-institutional" viewpoint) may be discovered by studying the publications of Truth Magazine Publications and Florida College publications. External links for these two publishing sources are:
[edit] History and Sources
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q 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 9780827217034
- ^ MARSHALL, ROBERT; DUNLAVY, JOHN; M'NEMAR,RICHARD; STONE,B. W.; THOMPSON, JOHN; and PURVIANCE,DAVID (1804). The Last Will and Testament of the Springfield Presbytery
- ^ a b c Davis, M. M. (1915). How the Disciples Began and Grew, A Short History of the Christian Church, Cincinnati: The Standard Publishing Company
- ^ a b c d e f Garrison, Winfred Earnest and DeGroot, Alfred T. (1948). The Disciples of Christ, A History, St Louis, Missouri: The Bethany Press
- ^ Jeff McFadden, One Baptism, published by Lulu.com, 2006, ISBN 1847283810, 9781847283818, 248 pages
- ^ Thomas H. Olbricht, "Who Are the Churcches of Christ?
- ^ *Cartwright, Colbert S. (1987). People of the Chalice, Disciples of Christ in Faith and Practice. St Louis, MO: Chalice Press. ISBN 978-0-827229-38-0.
- ^ "Some Things You May Have Wondered About the Churches of Christ". churches-of-christ.net. OnLine Ministries. Retrieved on 2008-08-04.
- ^ Hanson, David E. "Members of the Church Commune as Christ Ordained". Introducing the Church of Christ. South Green Street Church of Christ. Retrieved on 2008-08-04.
- ^ LittleJohns, Gene E. "Do you teach the trinity?". westarkchurchofchrist.org. West-Ark Church of Christ. Retrieved on 2008-08-04.
- ^ Kent Fillinger, "MEGACHURCHES: By the Numbers," Christian Standard, 4/15/2007
- ^ www.willowcreek.org
- ^ "Restoration Fellowship". focusonthekingdom.org. Restoration Fellowship. Retrieved on 2008-08-01.
[edit] References
- North, James B. (1994). Union in Truth: An Interpretive History of the Restoration Movement. Cincinnati, Ohio: The Standard Publishing Company. ISBN 0-7847-0197-0.
- Flavil R. Yeakley, ed., The Discipling Dilemma: A Study of the Discipling Movement Among Churches of Christ (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Co., 1988).
- C. Leonard Allen and Richard T. Hughes, Discovering Our Roots: The Ancestry of Churches of Christ (Abilene, Texas: ACU Press, 1988)
- Martin Edward Wooten, "The Boston Movement as a 'Revitalization Movement'" (D.Min. thesis, Harding Graduate School of Religion, 1990)
- Jerry Jones, What Does the Boston Movement Teach? vols. 1-3 (Bridgeton, Missouri: Jerry Jones, 12880 Bittick, 1991-93)
- United States Department of Commerce and Labor, Bureau of the Census, Religious Bodies, 1906 (United States Printing Office, 1910), 236
- West, Earl Irvin (2002). The Search for the Ancient Order Vol. 1. Gospel Light Publishing Company. ISBN 0-89225-154-9
- Douglas A. Foster (Editor), Paul M. Blowers (Editor), Anthony L. Dunnavant (Editor), D. Newell Williams (Editor). The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan. ISBN 0-8028-3898-7
- Douglas A. Foster, Jack Reese, Jeff W. Childers, The Crux of the Matter: Crisis, Tradition, and the Future of Churches of Christ. ACU Press. ISBN 0-89112-035-1
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