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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)" or the "
Churches of Christ The Churches of Christ is a loose association of autonomous Christian congregations based on the '' sola scriptura'' doctrine. Their practices are based on Bible texts and draw on the early Christian church as described in the New Testament. ...
". 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
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 ...
to use similar names (see Church of Christ (disambiguation)).


Separation from the Disciples of Christ

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. 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 philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new forms of art, philosophy, an ...
, 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, and ...
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-mo ...
. 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 The ''Christian Standard'' is a religious periodical associated with the Restoration Movement that was established in 1866.Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, ''The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Discipl ...
'', 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) were working more on a national scale to rally Christian Church/Church of Christ congregations 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 relig ...
, 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 Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus ...
, and the
autonomy In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy, from , ''autonomos'', from αὐτο- ''auto-'' "self" and νόμος ''nomos'', "law", hence when combined understood to mean "one who gives oneself one' ...
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 recogni ...
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 institut ...
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 Chris ...
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, :* 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 In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts as ...
is received as a seal and promise of
heaven Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...
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 The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The ...
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 ...
") 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 administra ...
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."


See also

*
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...
*
Christian Church In ecclesiology, the Christian Church is what different Christian denominations conceive of as being the true body of Christians or the original institution established by Jesus. "Christian Church" has also been used in academia as a synonym fo ...
*
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 ...
*
Churches of Christ The Churches of Christ is a loose association of autonomous Christian congregations based on the '' sola scriptura'' doctrine. Their practices are based on Bible texts and draw on the early Christian church as described in the New Testament. ...
* Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) * Christian primitivism * Sponsoring church (Churches of Christ) * Churches of Christ (non-institutional)


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