Christian churches and churches of Christ | |
Classification | Christian, Restoration Movement |
---|---|
Orientation | New Testament, Restorationism |
Polity | Congregationalist |
Separations | Churches of Christ, Disciples of Christ |
Members | 1,071,616 in the United States |
The Christian churches and churches of Christ are a part of the Restoration Movement and share historical roots with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the a cappella Churches of Christ.
These churches are best defined as those in the Restoration Movement who have chosen on the one hand not to be identified with the denomination known as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). On the other hand, the obvious difference from the Churches of Christ is the use of instrumental music in worship. The instrumental Christian Churches and the a cappella Churches of Christ are otherwise very similar.
Churches in this tradition have no formal denominational ties, and thus there are no official statistical data, but the 2006 Directory of the Ministry[1] documents some 5,500 congregations. Many estimate the number to be over 6,000.
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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 "[City Name] Christian Church," [2] but in some areas they may be known as "[The/First] Christian Church [of/at] [City, 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 [of/at] [City Name]", "[City Name] Community Christian Church", or "[City 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 Restoration Movement to use similar names (see Church of Christ (disambiguation)).
The separation of the independent Christian churches and churches of Christ from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (DoC) occurred over an extended period of time.[3]:185 The roots of the separation date back to a polarization that occurred during the early twentieth century as the result of three significant controversies.[3]:185 These controversies surrounded theological modernism, the impact of the ecumenical movement, and open membership (recognizing as full members individuals who had not been baptized by immersion).[3]:185 Theological modernism and ecumenism led to 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 criticism and social justice.
The official separation between the independent Christian churches and churches of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is difficult to date.[4]:407 Suggestions range from 1926 to 1971 based on the events outlined below:
Because of this separation, many independent Christian churches and 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 and firm conviction that Christ has founded only one church which is his body.
Because the Christian churches and churches of Christ are independent congregations there is no set creed, but The Directory of the Ministry[1] contains the following general description:
"Members of Christian Churches and churches of Christ believe in the deity and Lordship of Jesus Christ, the inspiration of the Bible, and the autonomy of local congregations. Following the basic principles of the 'Restoration Movement', they accept and teach regenerative baptism by immersion into Christ for the forgiveness of sins; they assemble for worship on the first day of the week, making the observance of the Lord's Supper 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 as their all-sufficient rule of faith and practice."
Of the principles cited above, one characteristic marks most Christian Churches and Churches of Christ as distinctly different from other modern evangelical Christian groups today. That is the teaching that a person is ultimately regenerated by the Holy Spirit, and receives the remission of sins, during his baptism. [5] Baptism is:
The teaching that "salvation coming by grace through faith at immersion into Christ" is the only New Testament example for Christians to follow today is viewed by many groups, particularly those of Calvinist persuasion, as too similar to a salvation by works rather than a salvation by faith alone. Christian Churches and Churches of Christ contend that true faith is not mere belief, but no less than a believing, trusting, and repentant obedience, that baptism is always mentioned in the passive verbal forms in the New Testament (i.e. "be baptized [at the hands of another]", as opposed to Old Testament-styled active commands), because it is a work of God, not man [Col 2:12]. In that respect, (being a work of God) baptism may be considered similar to belief [John 6:28, 29]. The assertion follows that it is Christ's redemptive work one trusts in as they, by faith, accept his free offer of grace. Finally, a life of trusting faithfulness until death is seen to demonstrate the authenticity of one's faith, and further makes his or her calling and election sure.
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.
Canada
Colleges and seminaries | Location | Date Founded |
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Alberta Bible College | Calgary, Alberta | 1932 |
Maritime Christian College | Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island | 1960 |
United States
Colleges and seminaries | Location | Date Founded |
---|---|---|
Atlanta Christian College | East Point, Georgia | 1937 |
Boise Bible College | Boise, Idaho | 1945 |
Carolina Christian College | Winston-Salem, NC | 1945 |
Central Christian College of the Bible | Moberly, Missouri | 1957 |
Cincinnati Christian University | Cincinnati, Ohio | 1924 |
Colegio Biblico[7] | Eagle Pass, Texas | 1945 |
Crossroads College | Rochester, Minnesota | 1913 |
Dallas Christian College | Dallas, Texas | 1950 |
Emmanuel School of Religion | Johnson City, Tennessee | 1965 |
Florida Christian College | Kissimmee, Florida | 1976 |
Great Lakes Christian College | Delta Township, Michigan | 1949 |
Hope International University | Fullerton, California | 1928 |
Johnson University | Knoxville, Tennessee | 1893 |
Kentucky Christian University | Grayson, Kentucky | 1919 |
Lincoln Christian University | Lincoln, Illinois | 1944 |
Louisville Bible College[8] | Louisville, Kentucky | 1948 |
Manhattan Christian College | Manhattan, Kansas | 1927 |
Mid-Atlantic Christian University | Elizabeth City, North Carolina | 1948 |
Mid-South Christian College[9] | Memphis, Tennessee | 1959 |
Milligan College | Milligan College, Tennessee | 1866 |
Nebraska Christian College | Papillion, Nebraska | 1945 |
Northwest Christian University | Eugene, Oregon | 1895 |
Ozark Christian College | Joplin, Missouri | 1942 |
Saint Louis Christian College | Florissant, Missouri | 1956 |
Summit Christian College | Scottsbluff, Nebraska | 1951 |
Summit Theological Seminary | Peru, Indiana | 1974 |
William Jessup University | Rocklin, California | 1939 |
Puget Sound Christian College, opened in 1950 but closed down in 2007[10]
A number of slogans have been used in the Restoration Movement to express some of the distinctive themes of the Movement.[11]:688 These include:
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