The group of churches known as the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ is a fellowship of congregations within the

Restoration Movement The Restoration Movement (also known as the American Restoration Movement or the Stone–Campbell Movement, and pejoratively as Campbellism) is a Christian movement that began on the United States frontier during the Second Great Awakening (17 ...

(also known as the Stone-Campbell Movement and the Reformation of the 19th Century) that have no formal denominational affiliation with other congregations, but still share many characteristics of belief and worship. Churches in this tradition are strongly congregationalist and have no formal denominational ties, and thus there is no

proper name A proper noun is a noun that identifies a single entity and is used to refer to that entity (''Africa'', ''Jupiter'', ''Sarah'', ''Microsoft)'' as distinguished from a common noun, which is a noun that refers to a class of entities (''continent, ...

that is agreed to apply to the movement as a whole. Most (but not all) congregations in this tradition include the words "Christian Church" or "Church of Christ" in their congregational name. Due to the lack of formal organization between congregations, there is a lack of official statistical data, but the 2016 ''Directory of the Ministry'' documents some 5000 congregations in the USA and Canada; some estimate the number to be over 6,000 since this directory is unofficial. These congregations share historical roots with other, similarly named congregations within the Restoration Movement, including congregations organized within formal fellowships, such as the "

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. The denomination started with the Restoration Movement during the Second Great Awakening, first existing during the 19th ...

" or the " Churches of Christ". The congregations discussed in this article, however, have chosen to remain fully autonomous. Further distinguishing these congregations is their use of instrumental music within their worship, unlike the "Churches of Christ" who do not use instrumental music. The instrumental congregations discussed here and the ''a cappella'' "Churches of Christ" are otherwise very similar but have little contact with each other in most communities, although there is some cooperation among some larger churches and also in some educational institutions.

Congregational nomenclature

The churches are independent congregations and typically go by the name "Christian Church", but often use the name "church of Christ" as well. Though isolated exceptions may occur, it is generally agreed within the movement that no personal or family names should be attached to a congregation which Christ purchased and established with his own blood, though geographical labels are acceptable. Thus, it is common for a congregation to be known as "'' ity Name' Christian Church," but in some areas they may be known as " he/FirstChristian Church f/at'' ity, Community, or Other Location Name'." In recent history, individual congregations have made the decision to change their formal name to break with traditional nomenclature and to adopt more generic names like "Christ's Church f/at'' ity Name'", "'' ity Name' Community Christian Church", or "'' ity Name' Community Fellowship". The tendency in Restoration churches to choose names such as "Christian Church" and "Church of Christ" can cause difficulties in identifying the affiliation (if any) of an individual church based solely on its name. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for churches outside of the

to use similar names (see

Church of Christ (disambiguation) Church of Christ may refer to: Church groups * When used in the plural, a New Testament designation for local groups of people following the teachings of Jesus Christ: "...all the churches of Christ greet you", Romans 16:16. * The entire body of Ch ...

Separation from the Disciples of Christ

The separation of the independent Christian churches and churches of Christ from the

(DoC) occurred over an extended period of time. The roots of the separation date back to a polarization that occurred during the early twentieth century as the result of three significant controversies. These controversies surrounded

theological Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the s ...

modernism Modernism is both a philosophy, philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western world, Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new fo ...

, the impact of the

ecumenical movement Ecumenism (), also spelled oecumenism, is the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships among their churches and promote Christian unity. The adjec ...

, and open membership (recognizing as full members individuals who had not been baptized by immersion). The Disciples of Christ were, in 1910, a united, growing community with common goals Support by the United Christian Missionary Society of missionaries who advocated open membership became a source of contention in 1920. Efforts to recall support for these missionaries failed in a 1925 convention in

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...

and a 1926 convention in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

. Many congregations withdrew from the missionary society as a result. A new convention, the North American Christian Convention, was organized by the more conservative congregations in 1927. An existing brotherhood journal, the '' Christian Standard'', also served as a source of cohesion for these congregations. From the 1960s on, newer unaffiliated missionary organizations like the Christian Missionary Fellowship (today,

Christian Missionary Fellowship International Christian Missionary Fellowship International (CMFI or CMF International) is a non-denominational, non-profit, Christian organization that sends out missionaries and partners with Christian ministries around the globe. Based in Indianapolis, CMF ...

) were working more on a national scale to rally

Christian Church/Church of Christ congregations The group of churches known as the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ is a fellowship of congregations within the Restoration Movement (also known as the Stone-Campbell Movement and the Reformation of the 19th Century) that have no forma ...

in international missions. By this time the division between liberals and conservatives was well established. 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. * 1944: International Convention of Disciples elects as president a proponent of open membership * 1948: The Commission on Restudy, appointed to help avoid a split, disbands * 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.

Identity

Because the Christian churches and churches of Christ are independent congregations there is no set creed, but The Directory of the Ministry contains the following general description:

Members of Christian Churches and churches of Christ believe in the deity and Lordship of
Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
, the inspiration of the
Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...
, and the autonomy of local congregations. Following the basic principles of the '
Restoration Movement The Restoration Movement (also known as the American Restoration Movement or the Stone–Campbell Movement, and pejoratively as Campbellism) is a Christian movement that began on the United States frontier during the Second Great Awakening (17 ...
', they accept and teach believers' baptism by immersion into Christ for the forgiveness of sins; they assemble for
worship Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. It may involve one or more of activities such as veneration, adoration, praise, and praying. For many, worship is not about an emotion, it is more about a recogniti ...
on the first day of the week, making the observance of the
Lord's Supper The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...
a focal point in such worship. They seek the unity of all believers on the basis of faith in and obedience to Christ as the divine Son of God and the acceptance of the Bible particularly the
New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chri ...
as their all-sufficient rule of
faith Faith, derived from Latin ''fides'' and Old French ''feid'', is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or In the context of religion, one can define faith as " belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". Religious people ofte ...
and practice.

Baptism

Of the principles cited above, one characteristic marks most Christian Churches and Churches of Christ as distinctly different from other modern

Evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...

Christian groups today. That is the teaching that a person receives the remission of sins, during his baptism. Baptism is: :* by

immersion Immersion may refer to: The arts * "Immersion", a 2012 story by Aliette de Bodard * ''Immersion'', a French comic book series by Léo Quievreux#Immersion, Léo Quievreux * Immersion (album), ''Immersion'' (album), the third album by Australian gro ...

, :* for publicly confessing believers in Jesus Christ cts 8:37 :* a work of God's grace, not a work of man ol 2:12 :* a promise received through obedient submission cts 2:40, 41 :* necessarily accompanied with confession of sinfulness and repentance cts 2:38; Acts 3:19; Rom 10:9,10 :* the occasion when one receives God's forgiveness for their sins cts 2:36-37; Acts 2:40-41 :* the occasion when one calls on His name for salvation cts 22:16 :* the occasion when the equipping, indwelling Holy Spirit is received as a seal and promise of heaven cts 2:38; Titus 3:5 :* a "circumcision" or transformation of the believer's heart by the hands of Christ himself ol 2:11,12 :* foreshadowed in the Old Testament ceremonial washings, now fulfilled in a believer's shared experience with Christ eb 10:22 :* sharing in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ om 6:4 and the only assurance of the hope of the

resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and is resurrected. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions, whic ...

from the dead om 6:5-7 :* specifically emphasized and commanded by Christ in his brief closing remarks ("

The Great Commission In Christianity, the Great Commission is the instruction of the resurrected Jesus Christ to his disciples to spread the gospel to all the nations of the world. The Great Commission is outlined in Matthew 28:16– 20, where on a mountain i ...

") before ascending into heaven, :* not only an outward sign of an inward change, but is both simultaneously .g. "born again" John 3:4, 5 :* one baptism indeed, both physically in water and spiritually in the blood of Jesus ph 4:5; John 3:5 :* entry into the body of Christ at large, and hence, the only viable entry into the membership of a local

congregation A congregation is a large gathering of people, often for the purpose of worship. Congregation may also refer to: * Church (congregation), a Christian organization meeting in a particular place for worship *Congregation (Roman Curia), an administr ...

of the Independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ (as in the Church of Christ (non-instrumental), a candidate for membership is not usually required to be re-baptized if they have previously been "baptized into Christ" in accordance with the above general understanding and/or guidelines) ph 4:5

Educational institutions

The Christian Churches/churches of Christ support a variety of Bible colleges and seminaries. Because there is no official "denominational" structure in the movement, the local colleges often serve as information centers and allow the local churches to maintain connections with each other. India Canada Philippines United States Defunct schools *Puget Sound Christian College, opened in 1950 but closed in 2007. *Cincinnati Christian University, opened in 1924 but closed in 2019.

Slogans

A number of slogans have been used in the Restoration Movement to express some of the distinctive themes of the Movement. These include: * "Where the Scriptures speak, we speak; where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent." * "The church of Jesus Christ on earth is essentially, intentionally, and constitutionally one." * "We are Christians only, but not the only Christians." * "In essentials, unity; in opinions, liberty; in all things love." * "No creed but Christ, no book but the Bible, no law but love, no name but the divine." * "Call Bible things by Bible names."

References

Citations

Sources

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Christian churches and churches of Christ Restoration Movement Restoration Movement denominations Arminian denominations