Churches of Christ
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about
a specific fellowship of Christian congregations. For Churches of
Christ that do not agree with congregational support of church or
para-church organizations, see The churches of Christ (non-institutional).
For groups of autonomous congregations using the name "church of
Christ" that have no historical connection with the Restoration
Movement, see Churches of Christ (non-Restoration Movement). For other uses, see Church of Christ.
| Churches of Christ | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Christian |
| Orientation | New Testament, Restoration Movement |
| Polity | Congregationalist |
| Congregations | 43,000[1] |
| Members | 2,034,338 worldwide; 1,367,859 in the United States[1] |
Churches of Christ in the United States have heritage in the American Restoration Movement. This evangelistic and Bible-based effort began in various places as several people sought a return to the original teachings and practices of the New Testament. Christian leaders including Robert Sandeman, Abner Jones, Elias Smith, James O'Kelly, Rice Haggard, Thomas Campbell, Alexander Campbell, Walter Scott, and Barton W. Stone were trailblazers of similar movements that impacted the eventual phenomenon known as the American Restoration Movement.
The Restoration ideal was also similar and somewhat connected to earlier restoration efforts in Europe (such as those of John Glas, Robert Haldane, and James Haldane), as well as Puritan movements in colonial America. Though differing somewhat in details, each group consisted of like-minded Christians who, although often independent of one another, had declared independence from their various denominations and the traditional creeds, seeking a fresh start to return to the doctrines and practices of the New Testament church. They did not see themselves as establishing a new church, but rather sought "the unification of all Christians in a single body patterned after the original church of the New Testament."[2]:54 The names "Church of Christ," "Christian Church," and "Disciples of Christ" were adopted by the movement because they believed these terms to be biblical, rather than denominational.
Prior to the U.S. Religious Census of 1906, all congregations associated with the Restoration Movement had been reported together by the Census Bureau. But as the movement developed, tensions grew between those who emphasized unity and those who emphasized restoration, resulting in a division between those who used musical instruments in worship (known as the Christian Church) and those who chose to sing a cappella. The congregations in the a cappella tradition are the subject of this article. While this was the most visible distinction between the two groups, there was also disagreement over the appropriateness of organizational structures above the congregational level such as missionary societies.[3]
Both issues highlighted differences in the groups' underlying approaches to Biblical interpretation. For the Churches of Christ, 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 practice not expressly forbidden could be considered.[4]:242–247 Though not officially recognized as distinct movements until 1906, the separation of the Churches of Christ and the Christian Churches had been taking place gradually for decades.
The Restoration Movement was not a purely North American phenomenon, and active mission efforts began in the 18th century.[5] There are now Churches of Christ in Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, Central America, and Europe.
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