Thomas Campbell, Alexander Campbell and Barton W. Stone
about us
The North Street Church of Christ is part of a tradition known as the Restoration Movement. This movement developed in the United States in the early 1800s. The impetus for the movement was to unite all Christians using the Bible only as the guide.
In the 18th and 19th centuries there was a spirit of “starting over” in the air in North America. It was this spirit that motivated the writing of the Declaration of Independence and the establishment of a new nation. This spirit of starting over was also in the air religiously among those who were interested in the restoration of the church that is found in the New Testament. It is from this spirit that Churches of Christ were born.
Early leaders in the Restoration Movement looked around at the varied denominations of Christians in the colonies and thought that all of the followers of Jesus could unite with one another if they would get rid of their creeds and embrace the Bible only.
While there were many who were coming to these conclusions, the three leaders who left the largest and most long-standing impact were Barton W. Stone (1772-1844), Thomas Campbell (1763-1854), and his son Alexander (1788-1866). These men later came into contact with one another and formed a bond in 1832.
By the mid 1800s the Restoration Movement was the fastest growing religious movement in the United States. However, like many other religious bodies, those of the Restoration Movement had disagreements with one another and major divisions followed. The first major split came over a period of time, but was recognized by the Federal Census Bureau in1906. Churches of Christ and Disciples of Christ had gone their separate ways. [i]
In the 1920s the Disciples of Christ began to experience some turmoil and a more conservative group began to emerge that officially withdrew fellowship from the Disciples in the 1960s. This group is recognized as the Independent Christian Church. Theologically, the Churches of Christ and Independent Christian Churches are close to one another. The most notable difference is that the Independent Christian Churches use instrumental music in worship and Churches of Christ do not. [ii]
Churches of Christ are not a denomination in the strict sense of the word. We do not have a national or international governing body. Every decision of the church is made at the local level, by the elders. [iii] These elders are chosen by the congregation. They provide spiritual direction and guidance for the members and make decisions for the church, including decisions about the allocation of funds.
Based on the tradition of trying to use the Bible only, there are some distinctions that one would notice about Churches of Christ.
(1) The person who does the preaching is not called “Pastor,” but usually “Minister” or “Preacher.” This comes from the practice of calling Bible things by Bible names. Technically speaking, a “Pastor” is an “Elder.”
(2) Because the New Testament makes no mention of the church using instruments in worship, and we know historically that early Christians did not use them, Churches of Christ usually do not have instruments in their worship.
(3) Churches of Christ place great emphasis on the part that baptism plays in one becoming a disciple of Jesus. This is because the New Testament connects baptism to forgiveness of sins and salvation (Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 3:21). This does not mean that we consider baptism to be the only or most significant part, but that it is a part that should not be overlooked or dismissed. Following the examples we find in the New Testament, we baptize those old enough to believe and we do so by immersion.
(4) Following the example we find in the New Testament and in early Christianity, Churches of Christ also take the Lord’s Supper (Eucharist) every Sunday morning. It is open to anyone to take.
Because our heritage allows anyone to read and interpret the Bible for themselves, there are great possibilities for disagreements and splits. While this has happened within our history, we recognize that God hates such division. As a result we attempt to emulate Christ by loving one another despite our disagreements and attempt to submit ourselves to one another.
Although there are doctrinal matters over which we would not see eye to eye with others who claim Christ (over matters such as baptism, for instance), we recognize that they are followers of Jesus and we do not make judgments about their lot with the Lord. We teach and practice what we believe is taught in the Bible and rely on the grace of God to help us in our failures. We assume others are attempting to do the same.
Finally, while there are statements made that provide some orientation to the North Street Church of Christ in particular, and to Churches of Christ in general, one ought to keep in mind that each Church of Christ is autonomous. This means that while there are a great many similarities between each congregation, there are also differences. Not all Churches of Christ offer the same perspective on the Bible as North Street, nor are their practices exactly the same.
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[i] Sometimes the Restoration Movement is referred to as the Stone-Campbell Movement. For more on Restoration history go to http://www.discipleshistory.org/history/brief-history-stone-campbell-tradition.
[ii] This is not as clear-cut as it may appear. Some churches that would normally be affiliated with the Independent Christian Churches have maintained the name Church of Christ and some Churches of Christ are now beginning to utilize instrumental music in their worship.
[iii] There are some congregations who do not have elders; and, therefore, utilize a men’s business meeting for making decisions.
In the 18th and 19th centuries there was a spirit of “starting over” in the air in North America. It was this spirit that motivated the writing of the Declaration of Independence and the establishment of a new nation. This spirit of starting over was also in the air religiously among those who were interested in the restoration of the church that is found in the New Testament. It is from this spirit that Churches of Christ were born.
Early leaders in the Restoration Movement looked around at the varied denominations of Christians in the colonies and thought that all of the followers of Jesus could unite with one another if they would get rid of their creeds and embrace the Bible only.
While there were many who were coming to these conclusions, the three leaders who left the largest and most long-standing impact were Barton W. Stone (1772-1844), Thomas Campbell (1763-1854), and his son Alexander (1788-1866). These men later came into contact with one another and formed a bond in 1832.
By the mid 1800s the Restoration Movement was the fastest growing religious movement in the United States. However, like many other religious bodies, those of the Restoration Movement had disagreements with one another and major divisions followed. The first major split came over a period of time, but was recognized by the Federal Census Bureau in1906. Churches of Christ and Disciples of Christ had gone their separate ways. [i]
In the 1920s the Disciples of Christ began to experience some turmoil and a more conservative group began to emerge that officially withdrew fellowship from the Disciples in the 1960s. This group is recognized as the Independent Christian Church. Theologically, the Churches of Christ and Independent Christian Churches are close to one another. The most notable difference is that the Independent Christian Churches use instrumental music in worship and Churches of Christ do not. [ii]
Churches of Christ are not a denomination in the strict sense of the word. We do not have a national or international governing body. Every decision of the church is made at the local level, by the elders. [iii] These elders are chosen by the congregation. They provide spiritual direction and guidance for the members and make decisions for the church, including decisions about the allocation of funds.
Based on the tradition of trying to use the Bible only, there are some distinctions that one would notice about Churches of Christ.
(1) The person who does the preaching is not called “Pastor,” but usually “Minister” or “Preacher.” This comes from the practice of calling Bible things by Bible names. Technically speaking, a “Pastor” is an “Elder.”
(2) Because the New Testament makes no mention of the church using instruments in worship, and we know historically that early Christians did not use them, Churches of Christ usually do not have instruments in their worship.
(3) Churches of Christ place great emphasis on the part that baptism plays in one becoming a disciple of Jesus. This is because the New Testament connects baptism to forgiveness of sins and salvation (Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 3:21). This does not mean that we consider baptism to be the only or most significant part, but that it is a part that should not be overlooked or dismissed. Following the examples we find in the New Testament, we baptize those old enough to believe and we do so by immersion.
(4) Following the example we find in the New Testament and in early Christianity, Churches of Christ also take the Lord’s Supper (Eucharist) every Sunday morning. It is open to anyone to take.
Because our heritage allows anyone to read and interpret the Bible for themselves, there are great possibilities for disagreements and splits. While this has happened within our history, we recognize that God hates such division. As a result we attempt to emulate Christ by loving one another despite our disagreements and attempt to submit ourselves to one another.
Although there are doctrinal matters over which we would not see eye to eye with others who claim Christ (over matters such as baptism, for instance), we recognize that they are followers of Jesus and we do not make judgments about their lot with the Lord. We teach and practice what we believe is taught in the Bible and rely on the grace of God to help us in our failures. We assume others are attempting to do the same.
Finally, while there are statements made that provide some orientation to the North Street Church of Christ in particular, and to Churches of Christ in general, one ought to keep in mind that each Church of Christ is autonomous. This means that while there are a great many similarities between each congregation, there are also differences. Not all Churches of Christ offer the same perspective on the Bible as North Street, nor are their practices exactly the same.
________________________________________________________
[i] Sometimes the Restoration Movement is referred to as the Stone-Campbell Movement. For more on Restoration history go to http://www.discipleshistory.org/history/brief-history-stone-campbell-tradition.
[ii] This is not as clear-cut as it may appear. Some churches that would normally be affiliated with the Independent Christian Churches have maintained the name Church of Christ and some Churches of Christ are now beginning to utilize instrumental music in their worship.
[iii] There are some congregations who do not have elders; and, therefore, utilize a men’s business meeting for making decisions.
Our Mission
The mission of North Street Church of Christ is to be a community of disciples of Jesus growing in his image by loving God and others.