Christian Church ?1060? Amended Christadelphians ? Christadelphian
Book Supply 14651 Auburndale Livonia, MI 48154
In 1898, the prominent Birmingham, England, ecclesia of the
Christadelphians accepted an amended text of the statement of faith which
affirmed that some who had not been justified by the blood of Christ
would be resurrected for judgment by Christ prior to His establishment of
His kingdom. The revised text had been drawn up by Robert Roberts, the
editor of The Christadelphian, the group's leading periodical. The
majority of Christadelphians accepted Roberts' position. It is their
belief that those judged to be unworthy to receive immortality and life
in the kingdom will be annihilated. The Christadelphian remains the prime
organ among those who accept the amended statement. In the United
States, the majority also accepted the amendment. During the twentieth
century the position was championed for many years by Christadelphian
Tidings of the Kingdom of God, published by Donald H. Styles, of
Franklin, Michigan. Other periodicals include The Sunday School Journal
published in Meridian, Connecticut, and The Watchman published in Austin,
Texas. Located at San Mateo is the Christadelphia Retirement Community,
Inc., supported by the Amended ecclesias. Week-long, regional Bible
schools are held around the country. A mail-order library is operated by
the Christadelphian Book Supply, located at the address given above.
Affiliated amended assemblies in Australia publish materials through the
Gospel Publicity League. Membership: In 1992, there were
approximately 4,000 members in 90 amended assemblies in the United
States. There were an estimated 50,000 members worldwide.
Periodicals: Christadelphian Tidings. Send orders to Box 250305,
Franklin, MI 48025. Sources: Christadelphian Hymn Book. Birmingham,
England: Christadelphian, 1964. A Declaration of the Truth Revealed
in the Bible. Birmingham, England: Christadelphian, 1967. One
Hundred Years of The Christadelphian. Birmingham, England:
Christadelphian, 1964. ?1061? Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ) 130 E. Washington St. Box 1986 Indianapolis, IN 46206-1986
Continuing the thrust of the International Convention of Christian
Churches (described in the introductory material for this volume) is the
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). At the 1968 annual assembly of
the International Assembly, a restructuring of the Convention was
accomplished. The convention was voted out of existence and was replaced
with a strong international structure. The disciples were no longer a
loosely formed confederation of individuals and congregations with a
delegated general assembly. The change is a recognition by the disciples
that they have become another denomination. The general assembly
meets every two years and is composed of representatives from each
congregational region and all ministers. It elects the general board of
250 members, which in turn elects an administrative committee to
implement programs. Membership: In 2000, the church reported 823,018
members, 3,781 congregations, and 7,053 ministers. Educational
Facilities: Barton College, Wilson, North Carolina. Bethany College,
Bethany, West Virginia. Brite Divinity School, Fort Worth, Texas.
Chapman College, Orange, California. Christian Theological Seminary,
Indianapolis, Indiana. Columbia College, Columbia, Missouri. Culver-
Stockton College, Canton, Missouri. Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa.
Eureka College, Eureka, Illinois. Hiram College, Hiram, Ohio. Jarvis
Christian College, Hawkins, Texas. Lexington Theological Seminary,
Lexington, Kentucky. Lynchburg College, Lynchburg, Virginia. Northwest
Christian College, Eugene, Oregon. Texas Christian University, Fort
Worth, Texas. Tougaloo College, Tougaloo, Mississipppi. Transylvania
University, Lexington, Kentucky. William Woods College, Fulton,
Missouri. Sources: Cummins, D. Duane. Handbook for Today's
Disciples. St. Louis, MO: Chalice Press, 1991. Garrison, Winfred.
Heritage and Destiny. St. Louis, MO: Bethany Press, 1961. Harrell,
David Edwin, Jr. The Social Sources of Division in the Disciples of
Christ, 1865-1900. Atlanta, GA: Publishing Systems, 1973.
McAllister, Lester G., and William E. Tucker. Journey in Faith. St.
Louis, MO: Bethany Press, 1975. Short, Howard Elmo. Doctrine and
Thought of the Disciples of Christ. St. Louis: Christian Board of
Publication, 1951. Sprague, William L., and Jane Heaton, eds. Our
Christian Church Heritage: Journeying in Faith. St. Louis, MO: Christian
Board of Publication,[1978]. ?1062? Christian Church (Disciples
of Christ) in Canada PO Box 23030 417 Wellington St. St. Thomas, ON,
Canada N5R 6A3 The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Canada
operates both as an autonomous denomination in Canada and as one Region
of the larger Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) whose international
headquarters is in Indianapolis, Indiana. Disciples congregations first
appeared in Canada in the Maritime Provinces, the product of the efforts
of Scottish Baptist immigrants. The initial Canadian congregation of what
would become the Disciples of Christ was formed near Charlottetown,
Prince Edward Island, in 1811, by Alexander Crawford. These Scottish
immigrants proved receptive to the Restoration movement in the United
States, an early nineteenth-century movement led by Americans Barton
Stone (1772-1844) and Alexander Campbell (1788-1866). Through the 1830s,
many of these Scottish Baptist churches became a part of the larger
Restoration movement. Once started, the growth of the church was
relatively slow and the distances between congregations large. In
1922 the All-Canada Movement was begun as a way to coordinate and unite
the various churches and their ministries. At the same time, options were
discussed to unite with the United Church of Canada (formed in 1925), the
Baptists, and even the Anglicans, but these discussions largely ended
after 1925. Disciples strive for a New Testament church. They
believe that creeds and theological formulas divide the body of Christ,
and thus consider the Bible to be the only authority for faith and
practice. This belief is reflected in the popular disciple statement,
"Where the scriptures speak, we speak; where the scriptures are silent,
we are silent." Baptism is limited to those old enough to make a
profession of faith, and is commonly administered by immersion. The
Lord's supper is a weekly performed ordinance. Baptism and the Lord's
supper as ordinances are considered to be in obedience to Christ's
commands. Lay elders and deacons, both male and female, provide
leadership for the church and preside over the ordinances. The
Christian church (Disciples of Christ) in Canada is a member of the
Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.
Membership: At the end of the twentieth century there were 26
congregations in Canada, with approximately 2,700 members. Congregations
are located in six provinces, the greatest number being in Ontario.
Periodicals: Canadian Disciple, PO Box 23030, 417 Wellington St., St.
Thomas, ON, Canada N5R 6A3. Sources: Butchart, Reuben. The
Disciples of Christ in Canada Since 1830. Toronto: Canadian Headquarters'
Publications, 1949. Disciples of Christ in Canada.
www.web.net/~disciple/canada.html. 11 January 2002. McAllister, L.
G., and W. E. Tucker. Journey in Faith: A History of the Christian Church
Disciples of Christ. St Louis: Bethany Press, 1975. ?1063?
Christian Churches and Churches of Christ 110 Boggs Ln., Ste. 330
Cincinnati, OH 45246 Christian churches and churches of Christ
constitute one branch of the restorationist movement which emerged among
protestant and free church leaders in the early nineteenth century on the
American frontier. Prominent leaders of the movement included Barton
Stone (a former Presbyterian), Thomas Campbell and his son Alexander
Campbell (both also former Presbyterians), and evangelist Walter Scott (a
former Baptist). The movement was originally centered in Ohio,
Pennsylvania, and Kentucky. As the movement developed, the leaders
rejected denominational structures and labels, prefering to call
themselves simply Christians or disciples of Christ and the congregations
as churches of Christ or Christian churches. Accepting the New Testament
as the sole authority of faith and resting on the scriptural affirmation
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and head of all things for His
church, they accepted no creeds and wrote no formal confessions, though
they certainly held two strong positions on various sectarian issues
drawn from their reading and interpretation of the Bible. They practiced
baptism by immersion. The ordinance of the Lord's Supper was observed
weekly each Lord's Day (Sunday). They were organized congregationally.
Each congregation was considered autonomous and led by self-chosen elders
and deacons. Periodicals, schools, and the various benevolence
enterprises tended to be private self-supporting concerns, the
congregations eschewing any formal overall coordinated cooperative
activities. Individuals and individual congregations frequently and
informally cooperate on a variety of concerns. Tensions within the
movement in the early twentieth century led to its division into three
major branches. The introduction of organs of the church in the late
nineteenth century became a major issue that led many congregations to
separate around 1906 and they are today known as the Churches of Christ
(Non-Instrumental). In the ensuing years they have further divided into a
number of factions. Disagreements over issues of polity led to a second
division. One group, without giving up its congregational polity, began
to develop a central office and official structures for coordination of
activity and the collection of money, and a convention representative of
all the congregations in the fellowship. That process of centralization
continued through most of the twentieth century and culminated in 1968
with the restructuring of what is now known as the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ). Those who rejected that move toward centralization
are now known as the Christian churches and churches of Christ. The
churches are known for their biblical conservatism in relation to the
more liberal Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and have made no
attempt to relate to the National Council of Churches and World Council
of Churches. Working from the voluntary activity of members and
congregations and without any central office, the churches have been able
to build an impressive ministry beyond the local churches. They support
approximately 1,500 missionaries in 53 countries. They have established
38 colleges and three graduate seminaries. They maintain 40 homes for
children, 20 homes for the aged, eight nursing homes, and three hospitals
in the United States, plus a variety of related facilities in other
countries. None of these agencies are official, none are supported by all
the congregations. Each has arisen as individuals have seen a need and
have been able to solicit support within the fellowship. They are
primarily supported by those congregations which choose to avail
themselves of their services. In like measure, the churches support
numerous Christian camps, campus ministry programs, and radio and
television ministries. The same approach operates at various
national, regional, and state conventions and rallies that bring together
people for inspiration, instruction, and fellowship, and without the
adoption of any positions or the transaction of any business. Among the
major conventions nationally is the North American Christian Convention,
which met occasionally from 1927 to 1948 and has met annually since 1950.
An office in Cincinnati, Ohio, exists merely to manage the mechanics of
the convention, which is a significant effort, since some 20,000 persons
regularly attend its four-day program. A National Missionary Convention
serving the same constituency with a mission-oriented program has met
annually since 1947. A number of publishers serve the Christian
churches and churches of Christ. Among the most important is Standard
Publishing in Cincinnati, which produces books and study material
especially directed to their needs. It also publishes two major
periodicals, Christian Standard and The Lookout. Mission Services
Association in Knoxville, Tennessee, publishes many items concerned with
missions. Membership: Not reported. Educational Facilities:
Alaska Christian Bible Institute, Houston, Alaska. Alberta Bible
College, Calgary, Alberta. Atlanta Christian College, East Point,
Georgia. Bluefield College of Evangelism, Bluefield, West Virginia.
Boise Bible College, Boise, Idaho. Central Christian College of the
Bible, Moberly, Missouri. Christian Institute of Biblical Studies,
Louisville, Kentucky. Cinncinnati Bible College and Seminary,
Cincinnati, Ohio. Colegio Biblico, Eagle Pass, Texas. College of the
Scriptures, Louisville, Kentucky. Dallas Christian College, Dallas,
Texas. Eastern Christian College, Bel Air, Maryland. Emmanuel School of
Religion, Johnson City, Tennessee. Florida Christian College, Kissammee,
Florida. Great Lakes Christian College, Lansing, Michigan. Grundy Bible
Institute, Grundy, Virginia. Johnson Bible College, Knoxville,
Tennessee. Kentucky Christian College, Grayson, Kentucky. Lincoln
Christian College and Seminary, Lincoln, Illinois. Louisville Bible
College, Louisville, Kentucky. Manhattan Christian College, Manhattan,
Kansas. Maritime Christian College, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
Mid-South Christian College, Memphis, Tennessee. Midwestern School of
Evangelism, Ottumwa, Iowa. Milligan College, Milligan, Tennessee.
Minnesota Bible College, Rochester, Minnesota. Nebraska Christian
College, Norfolk, Nebraska. Northwest Christian College, Eugene, Oregon.
Northwest College of the Bible, Portland, Oregon. Ontario Christian
Seminary, Toronto, Ontario. Ozark Christian College, Joplin Missouri.
Pacific Christian College, Fullerton, California. Platte Valley Bible
College, Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Puget Sound Christian College, Edmonds,
Washington. Roanoke Bible College, Elizabeth City, North Carolina. St.
Louis Christian College, Florissant, Missouri. San Jose Christian
College, San Jose, California. Summit Theological Seminary, Peru,
Indiana. Winston-Salem Bible College, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Periodicals: Periodicals serving the churches include: Christian
Standard. · The Lookout. Both available from Standard Publishing, 8121
Hamilton Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45231. · The Restoration Herald. Available
from Christian Restoration Association, 5664 Cheviot Rd., Cincinnati, OH
45147. · Horizons. Available from Mission Services Association, Box 2427,
Knoxville, TN 37901-2427. · One Body. Available from College Press
Publishing Co., Box 113, Joplin, MO 64802. Sources: Dowling, Enos
E. The Restoration Movement. Cincinnati, OH: Standard Publishing, 1964.
Leggett, Marshall. Introduction to the Restoration Ideal. Cincinnati, OH:
Standard Publishing, 1986. Murch, James DeForest. Christians Only.
Cincinnati, OH: Standard Publishing, 1962. NACC, History and
Purpose. Cincinnati, OH: North American Christian Convention, 1973.
Walker, Dean E. Adventuring for Christian Unity. Cincinnati, OH: Standard
Publishing, 1935. Weishimer, P. H. Concerning the Disciples.
Cincinnati, OH: Standard Publishing, 1935. ?1064? Christian
Congregation Current address not obtained for this edition.
History. The Christian Congregation claims to be the oldest
denominational evangelistic association in the United States. Its work as
an unincorporated religious society dates to 1789. It was formally
constituted in 1887 during a period when leaders such as Isaac V. Smith,
John Chapman, and John L. Puckett were active in the Ohio River Valley.
During the early nineteenth century, the group became loosely identified
with the Barton Stone movement that later institutionalized as the
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) though never organically
associated. The first Christian Congregation was formally organized in
Kokomo, Indiana, by former members of the Christian Church. They sought a
means of union on a noncreedal and nondenominational basis. Beginning
with the new commandment of John 13: 34-35, they asserted that the church
is founded not upon doctrinal agreement, creeds, church claims, names, or
rites, but soley upon the individual's relation with God. Beliefs.
The basis of this Christian fellowship is love toward one another. The
church has doctrinally taken on a universalist, but strongly biblical,
perspective. Ethically activated, the perspective has led to a central
emphasis upon respect for life and a resultant condemnation of abortion,
capital punishment, and all warfare. Organization. The Christian
Congregation follows a congregational polity, as a "centralized
congregational assembly." Local congregations are semiautonomous. The
Bible Colportage Service distributes bibles, Bible helps, and literature
for field workers. Most congregations are located in either the inner-
city areas of metropolitan complexes or in relatively neglected rural and
mountainous regions. Membership: Not reported. ?1065?
Churches of Christ (Non-Instrumental) No central headquarters For
information: ? Gospel Advocate Box 150 Nashville, TN 37202 A non-
structured religious movement, churches of Christ (Non-Instrumental)
emerged from the more encompassing Stone-Campbell (the American
Restoration Movement) tradition in 1906. Paralleling much of the
Fundamentalist thrust of late nineteenth century, churches of Christ
continue to represent the most conservative elements of the American
Restoration Movement. Prior to the Civil War, the motto developed by
Thomas Campbell-"Where the Scriptures speak, we speak; where the
Scriptures are silent, we are silent"-began to be interpreted in two
ways. The more conservative (strict) interpretation led to eventual
separation over such issues as the missionary society and the use of an
instrument of music in worship. Tolbert Fanning's Gospel Advocate and
Benjamin Franklin's American Christian Review gave direction to the
conservatives during the years following the American civil conflict.
Unquestionably, the Civil War hastened the division within the Stone-
Campbell movement. Historically, churches of Christ have been more
numerous south of the Ohio River. Disciples, both North and South, gave
their allegiance to their section of the nation. However, the strict and
loose interpretations of the Bible, developed before the civil conflict,
must be recognized as the prime causes of the ultimate separation among
Disciples. The emergence of higher criticism impacted the Stone-Campbell
movement as it did other American religious groups. Northern Disciples
turned toward a more progressive stance on most issues. John W. McGarvey
led the opposition to higher criticism through the pages of the Christian
Standard. David Lipscomb, who became editor of the Advocate in 1866, gave
leadership to conservative Disciples during the last years of the
nineteenth century and into the twentieth century. The specific
issue that triggered Lipscomb's move toward separation was the wider use
of women in worship. Unable to share the cultural interpretation placed
on the biblical statements concerning women, he believed many of his
Disciple brethren had abandoned the Scriptures in favor of their own
positions. Add to this the controversy over becoming associated with the
National Federation of Churches and Christian Workers and the perceived
liberal stance of James H. Garrison and his associates on the Christian-
Evangelist, the division Lipscomb had opposed he now supported. This
division became reality with the census of 1906. To suggest unity
among those who became designated churches of Christ would not be true.
The most important issue was rebaptism, i.e., a person who does not
understand baptism for the remission of sins is not scripturally
baptized. A large segment of the Stone-Campbell tradition, including
Alexander Campbell and David Lipscomb, emphasized baptism as obedience to
a command of God. Austin McGary, founding editor of the Firm Foundation,
urged rebaptism. So strong was McGary's position that it dominated
churches of Christ in the 1930s. Heir to Benjamin Franklin's
American Christian Review was Daniel Sommer. Although not sharing
McGary's views on rebaptism, the two men did oppose the support of
schools and other institutions supported by local churches. Because
Lipscomb and other Advocate writers supported such organizations, they
were criticized for their liberal positions. Churches of Christ grew
substantially from the 159,000 reported in the 1906 census through the
1950s. Missionaries were sent to Africa and Japan prior to World War II.
After 1945, churches sent teachers to Germany, Italy, and Japan in
increased numbers. Domestically, the war years spread churches of Christ
to most corners of the United States. Although the numbers were not
accurate, reports appeared that suggested there were over two million
members early in the 1960s. Since 1906, churches of Christ have
experienced division within the ranks. Although all segments continue to
wear the name Churches of Christ, the major groups are: 1. Premillennial;
2. Non-Sunday school; 3. One-communion cup; and 4. Non-institutional.
These groups, with the exception of the non-Sunday school and the one
cup, do not share fellowship. The larger body of Churches of Christ do
not adhere to these positions, even though some of the congregations
would hold variant positions of fellowships. Membership: Not
reported. Educational Facilities: Abilene Christian University,
Abilene, Texas. Columbia Christian College, Portland, Oregon. David
Lipscomb University, Nashville, Tennessee. Faulkner University,
Montgomery, Alabama. Freed-Hardeman College, Henderson, Tennessee.
Harding Graduate School of Religion, Memphis, Tennessee. Harding
University, Searcy, Arkansas. Lubbock Christian University, Lubbock,
Texas. Michigan Christian College, Rochester, Michigan. Northeastern
Christian College, Villanova, Pennsylvania. Ohio Valley College,
Parkersburg, West Virginia. Oklahoma Christian University, Oklahoma
City, Oklahoma. Pepperdine University, Malibu, California. York
College, York, Nebraska. Periodicals: Firm Foundation. Send orders
to PO Box 690192, Houston, TX. · Gospel Advocate. · Image. Send orders to
3117N. 7th St., West Monroe, LA 71291. · Old Paths Advocate (One Cup). ·
Guardian of Truth (Non-institutional). Send orders to PO Box 9670,
Bowling Green, KY 42102. · Gospel Tidings (Non-Sunday school). Send
orders to PO Box 4355, Englewood, CO80155. · The Word and Work
(Premillennial). Send orders to 2518 Portland Ave., Louisville, KY 40212.
Sources: Brownlow, Lerow. Why I Am a Member of the Church of Christ.
Fort Worth, TX, n.d. Churches of Christ Around the World. Nashville:
Gospel Advocate Company, 1990. Churches of Christ in the United
States. Compiled by Lynn Mac. Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1990.
De Groot, A. T. New Possibilities for Disciples and Independents. St.
Louis: Bethany Press, 1963. Hooper, Robert E. Swift Transitions:
Churches of Christ in the Twentieth Century, (tentative title). Compiled
by Lynn Mac. West Monroe, LA: Howard Publishing Company, 1992. Reed,
Forest. Background of Division, Disciples of Christ and Churches of
Christ. Nashville, TN: Disciples of Christ Historical Society, 1968.
West, Earl. Search for the Ancient Order. 4 vols. Nashville,
Indianapolis, and Germantown, TN: Gospel Advocate Company and Religious
Book Service, 1950-87. Winkler, Herbert E. Congregational
Cooperation of the Churches of Christ. Nashville, TN: The Author, 1961.
?1066? Churches of Christ (Non-Instrumental, Conservative) ?
Florida College 119 Glen Arven Ave. Tampa, FL 33617 With the
growth of institutions serving large segments of the Churches of Christ
(Non-Instrumental), voices arose protesting church support for
institutions and various projects. The dissent became a movement in the
1950s, and became a separate discernible "group" in the 1960s. The Gospel
Guardian of Lufkin, Texas, remains a major voice of the group, but its
initial effort has been joined by a dozen more periodicals. Conservatives
vary from total isolation from non-conservatives, to fellowshipping with
individual non-conservatives on the basis of attitude. Missions are
supported in numerous areas around the world. Florida College at Temple,
Florida, and the associated CEI bookstore serve the Conservatives. The
college's annual lectureship serves as a time for many members to gather
around conservative issues. They hold strongly to the pattern principle,
that is, that the sum total of what God has said about any matter becomes
the pattern for it. Patterns are discovered in the Bible by considering
direct commands (such as the command to go into the whole world and
preach the gospel), approved example (such as monogamy), and necessary
inference from Scriptural passages (such as inferring from Scripture that
the Trinity exists.) Membership: Not reported. Educational
Facilities: Florida College, Tampa, Florida. ?1067? Churches of
Christ (Non-Instrumental, Non-Class, One Cup) ? Old Paths Advocate Box
10811 Springfield, MO 65808 Following a growing trend in American
Protestantism, Church of Christ minister G. C. Brewer introduced the use
of individual cups in the communion (as opposed to one cup for all
communing) into the churches of Christ in the congregation at
Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1915. Over the next three decades the practice
spread, not without controversy, and became dominant, especially in
newly-formed congregations. In 1913, a periodical, The Apostolic Way, was
founded by Dr. G. A. Trott, H. C. Harper, and W. G. Rice, to fight what
they considered the intrusion of Sunday schools into the worship of the
churches of Christ. This same periodical took up the fight against
individual cups. In 1928 Harper founded a second periodical, The Truth,
which in 1932 change dits name to Old Paths Advocate. The one cup faction
within the larger Churches of Christ movement remains a small minority
with congregations spread across the United States and in several foreign
countries. Membership: In 2002, the churches reported 450
congregations in the United States and 1,500 congregations spread through
Africa, Australia, the Philippines, Mexico, England, Scotland, and
Malaysia. Periodicals: Old Paths Advocate. ?1068? Churches
of Christ (Non-Instrumental, Non-Sunday School) Current address not
obtained for this edition. The issue of Sunday schools has plagued
the Churches of Christ during the entire twentieth century. An
increasingly smaller group of leaders held that anything practiced by the
church without command, example, and/or necessary inference from
Scripture was wrong, particularly Sunday schools. In 1936, Gospel
Tidings, edited by G. B. Shelburne, Jr., was begun in support of the non-
Sunday school cause. Jim Bullock has succeeded Shelburne as editor. It
has been joined by the Christian Appeal and the West Coast Evangel.
Churches are concentrated in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Indiana,
California, and Oregon. Missions are supported in Malawi, India, Mexico,
and Germany. Membership: Not reported. There are an estimated 500 to
600 congregations and 25,000 to 30,000 members. Educational
Facilities: West Angelo School of Evangelism, San Angelo, Texas.
Periodicals: Gospel Tidings. ?1069? Churches of Christ (Non-
Instrumental-Premillennial) Current address not obtained for this
edition. Premillennialism became a major issue in American
Protestantism in the late nineteenth century as fundamentalism developed.
Premillennialism means Christ will return before the end of the world and
the establishment of his thousand year reign. In the first quarter of the
twentieth century it invaded the Churches of Christ and a periodical,
Word and Work, emerged in Louisville, Kentucky, with a premillennialist
perspective. A radio show, "Words of Life," begun in the early 1930s, is
now heard in many of the eastern United States. Among
premillennialist congregations, several schools and one Christian home
are supported. Missionaries are active in Africa, Japan, the Philippines,
Hong Kong, and Greece. Approximately 100 congregations support the annual
Louisville Christian Fellowship Week every August. Churches are
concentrated in Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Texas. Membership:
Not reported. There is an estimated 12,000 members. ?1070?
Churches of Christ (Pentecostal) Conference on Spiritual Renewal Box
457 Missouri City, TX 77459 As the Charismatic movement moved
through the major denominations in the late 1960s, it began to attract
both ministers and laity in congregations of the Churches of Christ.
Among the early Charismatics was singer Pat Boone, who in 1971 was
disfellowshipped from his congregation in Inglewood, California. Among
the early ministers to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and
subsequently speak-in-tongues (the definitive experience of members of
the Charismatic movement) were Dean Dennis, Dwyatt Gantt, and Don Finto.
In 1976 a group of 12 ministers met in Nashville, Tennessee, where Finto
led the Belmont Church of Christ and organized the first Conference on
Spiritual Renewal. The conference, which still meets annually, provided a
unifying structure for those involved with the movement. Like other
segments of the Churches of Christ, the Charismatic churches are loosely
organized in a congregation-free church polity. There is no central
headquarters or governing structure. Inter-congregational gatherings are
for fellowship and inspiration only. Prominent congregations identified
with the charismatic Churches of Christ include Orange Park Christian
Church, Jacksonville, Florida; Calvary Chapel, Atlanta, Georgia; and
Quail Ridge Church of Christ, Houston, Texas. Some of these congregations
deviate from the main body of the Churches of Christ by their
introduction of instrumental music. Popular recording star Amy Grant is a
member of Belmont Church of Christ in Nashville, Tennessee.
Membership: Not reported. Sources: The Acts of the Holy Spirit in
the Church of Christ Today. Los Angeles, CA: Full Gospel Business Men's
Fellowship International, 1971. Ambrose, George. "God Said It. I
Believe It. That Settles It." Charisma 9, no. 11 (July 1984).
Buckingham, Jamie. "The Music of Spiritual Awakening." Charisma 9, no. 11
(July 1984). "Amy Grant, How the Word Is a Light Unto Her Path."
Charisma 11, no. 12 (July 1986). ?1071? Evangelical Christian
Church 3534 S. Shelby 750 W. Franklin, IN 46131 The Evangelical
Christian Church traces its beginnings to the formal organization of the
Christian Church in 1804, in Bourbon County, Kentucky, under the
leadership of Barton Warren Stone (1772-1844). The stone movement later
merged with the efforts of Thomas Campbell (1763-1854) and his son
Alexander Campbell (1788-1866) to become the Restoration Movement that
gave birth to the Churches of Christ (Non-Instrumental), the Christian
Churches and Churches of Christ, and the Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ). The Evangelical Christian Church, as a new group within the
Restoration tradition was reorganized in 2001. Through the early
twentieth century, many Restoration churches, not otherwise apart of the
three larger Restoration bodies existed under such names as Evangelical
Christian Churches, Christian Churches of North America, Christian
Missionary Churches, Bible Evangelical Churches, Community Churches and
Evangelical Congregational Churches. Some of these came together in 1966
as the Evangelical Christian Churches, Farmland, Indiana. The majority of
these congregations that have not been otherwise absorbed, continue as
the Evangelical Christian Churches, Albany, Indiana. The Evangelical
Christian Church attempts to continue the Restoration tradition as
embodied in its several slogans, "Where the Scriptures speak, we speak.
Where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent;" "In essentials, unity.
In nonessentials, liberty. In all things, love;" "We are not the only
Christians. We are Christians only.;" and "No creed but Christ. No book
but the Bible." It seeks to perpetuate the message first preached by
Barton Stone and his colleagues. It includes an empahasis on a non-
trinitarian approach to God as Father, Jesus Christ as Lord and savior,
the Holy Spirit as the power and energy of God, and the Bible as the
sufficient rule of faith and practice. In general, the church considers
itself a conservative non-creedal Christian body. The church has
divided the country into six regions and assigned a district minister as
a contact point with the congregations and ministers in the assigned
state. National leadership is placed in its officers, including the
National Pastor, the General Pastor, the Board of Elders, the Regional
Pastors, and the President of the Historical Society. The National and
General Pastor constitute the executive staff. Ordinations are approved
by the National Pastor, and ministerial credentials come from the Office
of the National Pastor. Women are welcomed into the ministry.
Membership: Not reported. Periodicals: New Wineskins Magazine, PO
Box 41028, Nashville, TN 37204-1028. · Restoration Herald, 7133 Central
Parke Blvd., Mason, OH 45040. Sources: Evangelical Christian
Church. http://www.angelfire.com/in3/EvanChrCh/. 14 April 2002.
?1072? International Churches of Christ (ICC) 3530 Wilshire Blvd.,
Ste. 1750 Los Angeles, CA 90010 The International Churches of
Christ (ICC) dates its history from June 1979, when a group of members in
a small and declining congregation of the Churches of Christ (Non-
Instrumental) in Lexington, Massachusetts (a Boston suburb), made a new
commitment to devote their lives to restoring the Christianity of the
Bible. Their new minister, Kip McKean, challenged the 30 members of the
small congregation to totally commit their lives to Christ and to hold
that same commitment as a biblical standard for all of the people they
would convert to Christ. He soon developed a series of Bible lessons
called First Principles, and asked the members of the church to learn
them and teach the Scriptures to others. This process became the bedrock
of a program of transforming nominal church members into active
disciples. Prior to being baptized, new members were asked to commit
themselves to becoming disciples, not just people who warmed a church
pew. Previously baptized Christians who had not made such a commitment
prior to their baptism, were rebaptized. The church came to believe and
teach that a true Church of Christ was composed totally of disciples. As
disciples, each member was expected to be evangelistic. As the
church grew, it moved into Boston proper and took the name the Boston
Church of Christ. It met for Sunday worship and midweek services in
rented facilities, thus allowing it to redirect its financial resources
to ministry rather than buildings. A new Christian was assigned an older
member as a discipleship partner and invited into a discipleship group
that met weekly. A special program was developed by Elena McKean and Pat
Gempel to meet the needs of the female disciples and to avoid possible
temptations in the dynamics of men and women in personal counseling. Due
to deep convictions and consistent with Churches of Christ
interpretations of the Scriptures, only males occupy the positions of
elder, deacon, and evangelist. Couples, however, always lead together and
the women have the full responsibility of the women's ministry. One of
the most successful programs of the ICC has been its Woman's Day seminars
held around the world. In 1997, 9,000 women attended this event in Los
Angeles alone. Imitating the spread of the New Testament church, in
1981, McKean developed a plan that he believed would allow for the
evangelism of the world in one generation. This plan envisioned sending a
small group of disciples to key urban centers. They would grow a
congregation and it would become the pillar from which teams of disciples
would be sent to each of the world's capitals. From the capitals, the
movement would move on to the other, smaller cities, until the world
would be evangelized in one generation. This plan was introduced to the
Boston Church of Christ as a whole in October 1981. In 1982, the first
churches were planted in Chicago and London. Over the next few years
additional churches were planted in New York City, Toronto, and
Providence, Rhode Island. In 1986, churches were opened in Johannesburg,
Paris, and Stockholm. In the meantime some older Churches of Christ
congregations and ministries became affiliated with the growing movement.
In order to do this each church went through a process termed
"reconstruction," and each of the former members were called upon to
decide if they wanted to be a disciple. The implementation of this
plan, with its direction coming from the leadership in Boston,
represented a major departure in organization from that traditionally
followed by the Churches of Christ (Non-instrumental). The Boston Church
of Christ leadership saw their movement as creating one church family.
The churches would start churches that would plant other churches and
they would all remain unified. The implementation of this plan led to a
separation by the traditional Churches of Christ denomination from the
new movement. Due to the rapid growth of the movement, men were set aside
as "world sector leaders" and given responsibility for evangelizing
different regions of the world. In 1990, McKean moved to Los Angeles to
build new churches, and the international movement has been centered in
that city since that time. In 1994, Kip and Elena McKean, the World
Sector Leaders, and their wives signed the Evangelization Proclamation
stating their intent to, by the year 2000, plant a church in every nation
that has a city of at least 100,000 in population. The International
Churches of Christ had 146 churches in 53 nations at the time of the
Evangelization Proclamation. By the end of 1997, it had 312 churches in
124 nations and was on track to meet its goal. Doctrinally, the
International Churches of Christ shares a Bible-based free church
perspective with the traditional Churches of Christ (Instrumental), but
has developed several unique beliefs. While the International Churches of
Christ does not believe it is the exclusive home of Christians, it
believes that it is God's movement for this period of history. It also
holds that each member should be a disciple, obey the Scriptures
according to Matthew 28:18-20, and be a part of evangelizing the world in
this generation. The ICC has organized a volunteer program, HOPE
Worldwide which conducts a variety of social service projects in 125
countries around the world. In 1996 HOPE Worldwide was granted special
consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United
Nations and registered with USAID. HOPE has since become a separate
benevolent organization. Discipleship Publications International is the
ICC publishing concern. In 1996, Church Growth Today, edited by Dr.
John Vaughn, named the Los Angeles church the fastest growing church in
North America (non-Catholic) for the second year in a row. The
International Churches of Christ placed nine churches in the top 100. At
the end of 1997, the Los Angeles church had an average Sunday attendance
of 12,000 (though segments of the congregations met in different
locations). The New York church had 8,000 and the Boston church nearly
7,000. The ICC is divided into regions called sectors headed by a
sector leader (all male) assisted by his wife. They appoint lead
evangelists to head local churches. Churches are organized
congregationally following the discipleship pattern that has emerged over
the years of the Churches' existence. Each member has a personal
discipleship partner with whom s/he is in contact weekly to discuss their
progress in the Christian life, their efforts in evangelism, and any
personal issues which they face. Membership: As of October 1997, the
ICC reported 93,000 members, with a worldwide Sunday attendance of over
155,000. There were 312 congregations in 124 countries. Periodicals:
LA Story. · Kingdom Network News (a video magazine). Remarks: While
the International Churches of Christ formally began in 1979, it
originated out of an older movement variously known as the Discipling
movement, an pan-denominational movement which emerged among Evangelical
Christians in the 1960s. It was distinguished by its attempts to
transform nominal Christians to active disciples and was characterized by
the assignment of each new Christian to an older, more mature Christian
with whom they met regularly, at least weekly. The older Christian had
the responsibility of mentoring the younger disciple and encouraging the
steady progress in the life of faith. The Discipling movement came
into the Churches of Christ through the Crossroads Church of Christ, a
congregation in Gainesville, Florida. By adopting a form of the
Discipleship program in its campus outreach, it grew spectacularly. Among
the people led into the ministry through the Crossroads Church was Kip
McKean. The Discipling movement spread through the Churches of
Christ and became quite controversial. As members of a conservative
movement, many with the Churches of Christ rejected the changes brought
by the new movement and a number of publications denouncing it appeared.
Eventually, the Crossroads Church withdrew its support from the movement
and the remnants of it within the Churches of Christ tended to reorient
its allegiance to the Boston Church of Christ. As the Boston Church of
Christ grew, its opponents among the Churches of Christ (Non-
instrumental) were joined by members of the anti-cult movement, and the
ICC was accused of being a destructive cult growing its membership
through brainwashing. That opposition based upon the brainwashing
hypothesis has waned as the Cult Awareness Network was dismantled.
Sources: The Disciple's Handbook. Los Angeles: Discipleship Publications
International, 1997. 177 pp. Ferguson, Gordon. Discipleship: God's
Plan to Train and Transform His People. Los Angeles: Discipleship
Publications International, 1997. 251 pp. -”-”. Prepared to Answer.
Los Angeles: Discipleship Publications International, 1995. 219 pp.
Geissler, Rex. Born of Water: What the Bible Really Says about Baptism.
Long Beach: Grand Commission International, 1996. 140 pp. Giambalvo,
Carol, and Herbert L. Rosedale, eds. The Boston Movement: Critical
Perspective on the International Churches of Christ. Bonita Springs, FL:
American Family Foundation, 1996. 243 pp. Jacoby, Doug. True &
Reasonable. Los Angeles: Discipleship Publications International, 1994.
109 pp. Nelson, Robert. Understanding the Crossroads Controversy.
Fort Worth, TX: Star Bible Publications, 1986. ?1073? National
Association of Free, Autonomous Christian Churches Current address not
obtained for this edition. Among the people who strongly opposed the
restructuring of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the 1960s
was Dr. Alvin E. Houser, pastor of a large congregation at Centex, Texas.
As the debate on restructuring continued, he formed the National
Association of Free Christians. His position was conservative
theologically and focused on the radical congregationalism of traditional
Christian Church thinking. After restructuring became inevitable, the
Association of Free Christians became the National Association of Free,
Autonomous Christian Churches, with most of its strength in the
Southwest. ?1074? Tioga River Christian Conference Current
address not obtained for this edition. The Tioga River Christian
Conference was formed in 1844 at Covington, Tioga County, Pennsylvania.
It was for many years a constituent part of the Christian Church. In
1931, however, the Conference rejected the merger of the Christian Church
with the Congregational Church. The Conference adopted articles of faith
manifesting belief in the Trinity, the Bible as the Word of God, sin and
salvation, the local church, Satan, resurrection, and eternal life. There
is an annual meeting of the conference for fellowship and business. A
nine-man mission board oversees missions in Bolivia, Peru, and India. His
Messenger is a quarterly periodical. There are 13 churches in New York
and Pennsylvania. Headquarters are in Binghamton, New York.
Membership: Not reported. Periodicals: His Messenger. ?1075?
Unamended Christadelphians ? Edward W. Farrar 4 Mountain Park Ave.
Hamilton, ON, Canada L9A 1A2 Alternate Address: Christadelphian
Advocate Publishing Committee, 9420 Stanmore Pl., Richmond, VA 23236.
In 1898, the prominent Birmingham, England, Ecclesia of the
Christadelphians adopted an amendment to the Statement of Faith then in
use, whose purpose was to define, more precisely, who will be raised for
a resurrectional judgement at the second coming of Jesus Christ. The
original unamended statement had read: "That at the appearing of Christ,
prior to the establishment of the Kingdom, the responsible (faithful and
unfaithful) dead and living of both classes, will, be summoned before his
judgment seat-¦" The amendment suggested "That at the appearing of Christ
prior to the establishment of the Kingdom, the responsible (namely those
who know the revealed will of God and have been called upon to submit to
it) dead and living-obedient and unobedient-will be summoned before the
judgment seat-¦" The introduction of this amendment caused a
division throughout the movement. Those who retain the Unamended
Statement refuse to define with certainty of a resurrectional judgment,
any others than those (in this dispensation) who have entered into a
covenant relationship with God by baptism. Those who adopted the
amendment believe that the basis of resurrection is response to
enlightenment, understanding, and knowledge of God's Word. As of
2001, virtually all of the Unamended Christadelphians reside in North
America. They are served by a monthly periodical, The Christadelphian
Advocate. This publication was begun in 1885 by Thomas Williams who was
opposed to the amendment as who indefatigably tried to heal the division
by proposing a more satisfactory definition of the basis for
resurrectional judgment. Talks looking toward reunion of the two
groups of Christadelphians were pursued in the 1970s and 1980s. Agreement
was reached on various points which had come to distinguish them
concerning fellowship, inspiration, baptism, and the nature of man.
However, in the end, no agreement was reached on either the primary issue
of resurrectional responsiblity or new differences which had developed on
matters related to Christ's atonement. As of 2001, reunion does not
appear to be imminent. Christadelphians are organized
congregationally, the authority in all matters resting in the collective
hands of the members of each local ecclesia (congregation). There is no
central headquarter, but the periodicals serving the fellowship as a
whole form a network to keep the ecclesias in communication with each
other. Each congregation elects serving brethren to perform various
tasks, there being no paid clergy. Membership: In 1997 there were
approximately 2,000 baptized adults in about 95 ecclesias in Canada and
the United States. Periodicals: The Christadelphian Advocate. Send
orders to 9420 Stanmore Pl., Richmond, VA 23236. Sources: The
Christadelphian Statement of Faith. Quincy, MA: Christadelphian Advocate
Publications, n.d. Roberts, Robert. A Guide to the Formation and
Conduct of Christadelphian Ecclesias. Birmingham, England:
Christadelphian, 1922. Roberts, Robert, and J. J. Andrew.
Resurrectional Responsibility. Birmingham, England: The Authors, 1894.
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