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Restoration Movement

Sources

Jennings, Walter Wilson (1919). Origin and Early History of the Disciples of Christ. Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

Morrill, Milo True (1912). History of the Christian Denomination in America. Dayton: The Christian Publishing Association. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

Murch, James DeForest (1962). Christians Only, A History of the Restoration Movement. Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

"A Short Course in UCC History: The Christian Churches". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

"UCC-Disciples Ecumenical Partnership". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

"A Short Course in UCC History: The Congregational Christian Churches". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

"A Short Course in UCC History: The Evangelical and Reformed Church". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

Historical Connection to Christian Churches and Disciples of Christ

In 1906, for the first time, the U.S. Religious Census reported two separate groups of churches of the Stone-Campbell movement: Churches of Christ a cappella and Disciples of Christ which used instrumental music in worship. The division had actually begun prior to the Civil War and grew deeper in the years that followed. Among the instrumental churches there were still differences regarding missionary societies, conventions and methods of understanding the Bible. Those differences led to two groups of churches that used instrumental music: The independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, and The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Churches of Christ Lead section as of edit by 68.186.207.89 (Talk) at 15:14, January 28, 2007

The Churches of Christ are non-denominational autonomous Christian congregations. These churches comprise about 2,000,000 members in over 15,000 individual congregations worldwide. [1]

Those who identify as members of Churches of Christ generally emphasize their intent to simply be part of the original church established by Jesus Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection, which became evident on the Day of Pentecost as described in the New Testament in Acts 2. Churches of Christ emphasize the use of the New Testament only to find doctrine, ecclesiastical structure, and moral beliefs, while maintaining that the Old Testament is also the inspired Word of God, is historically accurate, and that its principles remain true and beneficial (although its laws are not binding under the new covenant in Christ unless otherwise commanded in the New Testament).

In the United States, the churches' roots can be traced primarily to the Restoration Movement championed by American preachers/theologians of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, most notably Thomas Campbell and his son Alexander Campbell, Walter Scott, and Barton W. Stone. These and several other leaders from various denominations were seeking original Christianity as they were independently finding several beliefs, practices, and restrictive dogmas in their respective church traditions to no longer be acceptable or biblical.

Members of the Church of Christ point out that there have been those who have sought the return to a first century Christianity pattern throughout Christian history. They do not believe that it is necessary to be able to trace an unbroken lineage back to the church of the first century in order to be the church that was established by Christ. These assertions are based on the view that the church is a spiritual body and therefore differs from secular notions of lineage.

Today, Churches of Christ have the following distinctive traits: the refusal to hold to any creeds other than the Bible itself, and their beliefs in sola scriptura; the practice of repentance and youth and adult baptism in Christ's name as the response to receive remission of sins and the Holy Spirit (e.g., Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16); autonomous non-denominational congregational church organization, with congregations overseen by a plurality of male elders; the weekly observance of communion/eucharist The Lord's Supper; and the practice by most congregations of a cappella singing during worship, although several related congregations use instruments while keeping these other practices (also known as Christian Churches).