Churches of Christ - Revision history

Cool6dad at 01:29, November 23, 2025

2025-11-23T01:29:21Z

Cool6dad at 20:14, October 5, 2025

2025-10-05T20:14:13Z

Cool6dad at 20:12, October 5, 2025

2025-10-05T20:12:45Z

Cool6dad at 20:10, October 5, 2025

2025-10-05T20:10:23Z

Cool6dad at 20:09, October 5, 2025

2025-10-05T20:09:59Z

Quidam65: /* Main Beliefs and Practices */

2023-02-08T00:53:57Z

‎Main Beliefs and Practices

Quidam65: /* Main Beliefs and Practices */

2023-01-13T19:11:51Z

‎Main Beliefs and Practices

Quidam65: /* Split from Disciples of Christ */

2022-12-28T17:31:39Z

‎Split from Disciples of Christ

Quidam65 at 21:48, July 24, 2022

2022-07-24T21:48:52Z

Quidam65: /* Splits within the movement */

2020-05-15T00:55:00Z

‎Splits within the movement

@@ Line 77: / Line 77: @@
 *[[Christianity in Africa]]
 *[[Christianity in Asia]]
-*[[Christianity in Australia]]
+*[[Christianity in Australia | Christianity in Australia, Oceania, New Zealand]]
 *[[Christianity in Europe]]
-*[[Christianity in North America]]
+*[[Christianity in North America | Christianity in North America, Caribbean]]
-*[[Christianity in South America]]
+*[[Christianity in South America | Christianity in South America, Central America]]
 *[[Christianity]]
 *[[Internet evangelism]]

@@ Line 74: / Line 74: @@
 *[[American Christianity]]
 *[[Canadian Christianity]]
 *[[Future of Christianity]]
 *[[Christianity in Africa]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:12, October 5, 2025
Line 71:		Line 71:

	[[Essay: Water baptism cannot save, the Church cannot save, Born again by faith alone]]		[[Essay: Water baptism cannot save, the Church cannot save, Born again by faith alone]]
		+	<div style="column-count:3;-moz-column-count:3;-webkit-column-count:3">
		+	*[[American Christianity]]
		+	*[[Canadian Christianity]]
		+	*[[Infant baptism]]
		+	*[[Future of Christianity]]
		+	*[[Christianity in Africa]]
		+	*[[Christianity in Asia]]
		+	*[[Christianity in Australia]]
		+	*[[Christianity in Europe]]
		+	*[[Christianity in North America]]
		+	*[[Christianity in South America]]
		+	*[[Christianity]]
		+	*[[Internet evangelism]]
		+	*[[Turning Point USA]]
		+	</div>

	==External links==		==External links==

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:10, October 5, 2025
Line 1:		Line 1:
−	''Not to be confused with the Liberal [[United Church of Christ]].''	+	''Not to be confused with the Liberal [[United Church of Christ]].'' <br>
	The '''Churches of Christ'''<ref>Many of this movement prefer to use the spelling "churches of Christ", differentiating between "the Church" (all Christians) and "the church" (a local congregation).</ref> are a group of autonomous churches in the United States made up of believers in Jesus Christ who have been baptised by immersion "for the remission of sins" as a component of the salvation process.		The '''Churches of Christ'''<ref>Many of this movement prefer to use the spelling "churches of Christ", differentiating between "the Church" (all Christians) and "the church" (a local congregation).</ref> are a group of autonomous churches in the United States made up of believers in Jesus Christ who have been baptised by immersion "for the remission of sins" as a component of the salvation process.

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:09, October 5, 2025
Line 1:		Line 1:
		+	''Not to be confused with the Liberal [[United Church of Christ]].''
	The '''Churches of Christ'''<ref>Many of this movement prefer to use the spelling "churches of Christ", differentiating between "the Church" (all Christians) and "the church" (a local congregation).</ref> are a group of autonomous churches in the United States made up of believers in Jesus Christ who have been baptised by immersion "for the remission of sins" as a component of the salvation process.		The '''Churches of Christ'''<ref>Many of this movement prefer to use the spelling "churches of Christ", differentiating between "the Church" (all Christians) and "the church" (a local congregation).</ref> are a group of autonomous churches in the United States made up of believers in Jesus Christ who have been baptised by immersion "for the remission of sins" as a component of the salvation process.

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 *Singing by a cappella means only (i.e., no musical instruments, though a pitch pipe may be used)
 *Weekly observance of the Lord's Supper
-**Technically Churches of Christ practice "[[closed communion]]"; however, in practice they do not prohibit visitors from taking communion, on the basis that according to I Corinthians 11:28 a visitor must "examine himself" and decide whether or not to participate (i.e. the minister, deacons, or elders do not decide who may or may not partake).
+**Although some Churches of Christ practice [[closed communion]], the majority of congregations practice [[open communion]], on the basis that according to I Corinthians 11:28 a visitor must "examine himself" and decide whether or not to participate (i.e. the minister, deacons, or elders do not decide who may or may not partake).
 *Church governance by elders, supported by deacons
 **The term "pastor" is rarely used among churches and the term "reverend" even less, due to lack of Biblical support for either name.  Instead, terms used to describe the person giving the weekly sermon include "minister", "evangelist", or (if the person is also an elder) "preaching elder".

@@ Line 37: / Line 37: @@
 However, long before then the two groups had serious disagreements over the use of music in worship and missionary societies.  More important was a fundamental division between the views of two early leaders of the movement: Campbell believed in progress toward the Kingdom of God and was both optimistic and not hostile toward the secular world, while Stone was pessimistic about human nature and the prospects for progress and wanted a radical separation from the world.
 From the end of the Civil War to 1917, [[David Lipscomb]] dominated the Churches of Christ and managed to balance the views of Campbell and Stone. After Lipscomb's death, the Churches of Christ moved away from the [[premillennialism]] of Stone and Lipscomb and embraced Campbell's views. Foy Wallace, whose views prevailed among the Churches of Christ from the 1930s through the 1950s, continued the movement away from the thought of Stone and Lipscomb.<ref>Richard T. Hughes, "The Apocalyptic Origins of Churches Of Christ and the Triumph of Modernism."  ''Religion and American Culture'' 1992 2(2): 181-214. 1052-1151</ref>
 ===The Non-Institutional Movement===

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 The '''Churches of Christ'''<ref>Many of this movement prefer to use the spelling "churches of Christ", differentiating between "the Church" (all Christians) and "the church" (a local congregation).</ref> are a group of autonomous churches in the United States made up of believers in Jesus Christ who have been baptised by immersion "for the remission of sins" as a component of the salvation process.
-They consider themselves to be non-denominational and prefer not to be categorized as a Protestant group (though many of their early followers came from Protestant denominations), saying that they do not seek to reform the Catholic Church but only to restore Christianity to authentic New Testament beliefs and practices.
+They consider themselves to be non-denominational (there is no "headquarters" for the group, unlike denominations) and prefer not to be categorized as a Protestant group (though many of their early followers came from Protestant denominations), saying that they do not seek to reform the Catholic Church but only to restore Christianity to authentic New Testament beliefs and practices.
 With roots going back into the 1700s, they were organized early in the 1800s from the union of two similar groups, one led by Barton Stone and the other by Alexander Campbell (the latter being the more influential, the group is sometimes referred to in a pejorative manner as "Campbellism").

@@ Line 36: / Line 36: @@
 Prior to 1906 the Churches of Christ and the [[Disciples of Christ]]<ref>Formally, the denomination is called Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).</ref> were listed in US Census records as one and the same movement, when the two groups parted ways (and, ever since, have been recorded as separate movements).
-However, long before then the two groups had serious disagreements over the use of music in worship and missionary societies.  More important was a fundamental division between the views of two early leaders of the movement: [[Alexander Campbell]] believed in progress toward the Kingdom of God and was both optimistic and not hostile toward the secular world. [[Barton Stone]], on the other hand, wanted a radical separation from the world, and he was pessimistic about human nature and the prospects for progress.
+However, long before then the two groups had serious disagreements over the use of music in worship and missionary societies.  More important was a fundamental division between the views of two early leaders of the movement: Campbell believed in progress toward the Kingdom of God and was both optimistic and not hostile toward the secular world, while Stone was pessimistic about human nature and the prospects for progress and wanted a radical separation from the world.
-Ultimately, the Disciples evolved into a centralized denomination which has increasingly become theologically and politically liberal.  The denomination is an active member of both the National and World Councils of Churches and is ardently committed to social change.  On the other hand, the Churches of Christ maintain an earlier system of fellowship between congregations which does not involve any surrender of congregational independence.  Furthermore, the Churches of Christ are theologically conservative and tend to avoid political controversies (though they will speak out against abortion and homosexuality).
+Ultimately, the Disciples evolved into a centralized denomination which has increasingly become theologically and politically liberal, is ardently committed to [[social justice]] and is an active member of both the [[National Council of Churches]] and the [[World Council of Churches]].  On the other hand, the Churches of Christ tend to be theologically conservative and politically neutral (though they will speak out against abortion and homosexuality), and maintain an earlier system of fellowship between congregations which does not involve any surrender of congregational independence.
 From the end of the Civil War to 1917, [[David Lipscomb]] dominated the Churches of Christ and managed to balance the views of Campbell and Stone. After Lipscomb's death, the Churches of Christ moved away from the [[premillennialism]] of Stone and Lipscomb and embraced Campbell's views. Foy Wallace, whose views prevailed among the Churches of Christ from the 1930s through the 1950s, continued the movement away from the thought of Stone and Lipscomb.<ref>Richard T. Hughes, "The Apocalyptic Origins of Churches Of Christ and the Triumph of Modernism."  ''Religion and American Culture'' 1992 2(2): 181-214. 1052-1151</ref>