Christian churches and churches of Christ


The group of Christians known as the Christian Churches or Churches of Christ are congregations within the Restoration Movement 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 that is agreed to apply to the movement as a whole. Most 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 " or the "Churches of Christ". 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 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 "' Christian Church," but in some areas they may be known as " Christian Church '." 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 '", "' Community Christian Church", or " 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 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.

Separation from the Disciples of Christ

The separation of the independent Christian churches and churches of Christ from the Christian Church 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 modernism, the impact of the ecumenical movement, and open membership.
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 and a 1926 convention in Memphis, Tennessee. 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, also served as a source of cohesion for these congregations. From the 1960s on, newer unaffiliated missionary organizations like the Christian Missionary Fellowship 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 is difficult to date. Suggestions range from 1926 to 1971 based on the events outlined below:
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, the inspiration of the Bible, and the autonomy of local congregations. Following the basic principles of the 'Restoration Movement', they accept and teach believers' 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.

Baptism

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 receives the remission of sins, during his baptism. Baptism is:

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
Colleges and seminariesLocationDate Founded
India Christian Bible CollegeKerala, South India1980

Canada
Colleges and seminariesLocationDate Founded
Alberta Bible CollegeCalgary, Alberta1932
Maritime Christian CollegeCharlottetown, Prince Edward Island1960

Philippines
Colleges and seminariesLocationDate Founded
International Christian College of ManilaSan Jose, Antipolo City, province of Rizal, Philippines2005
Manila Bible SeminaryPablo Ocampo Street, Barangay San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City, Philippines

United States
Colleges and seminariesLocationDate Founded
Boise Bible CollegeBoise, Idaho1945
Blueridge College of EvangelismWytheville, Virginia1971
Central Christian College of the BibleMoberly, Missouri1957
Cincinnati Christian UniversityCincinnati, Ohio1924
Colegio BiblicoEagle Pass, Texas1945
Crossroads CollegeRochester, Minnesota1913
Dallas Christian CollegeDallas, Texas1950
Emmanuel Christian SeminaryJohnson City, Tennessee1965
Florida Christian College
now Johnson University Florida		Kissimmee, Florida1976
Great Lakes Christian CollegeDelta Township, Michigan1949
Hope International UniversityFullerton, California1928
Johnson UniversityKnoxville, Tennessee1893
Kentucky Christian UniversityGrayson, Kentucky1919
Lincoln Christian UniversityLincoln, Illinois1944
Louisville Bible CollegeLouisville, Kentucky1948
Manhattan Christian CollegeManhattan, Kansas1927
Mid-Atlantic Christian UniversityElizabeth City, North Carolina1948
Mid-South Christian CollegeMemphis, Tennessee1959
Milligan CollegeMilligan College, Tennessee1866
Nebraska Christian CollegePapillion, Nebraska1945
Northwest Christian UniversityEugene, Oregon1895
Ozark Christian CollegeJoplin, Missouri1942
Point UniversityEast Point and West Point, Georgia1937
Saint Louis Christian CollegeFlorissant, Missouri1956
Summit Christian CollegeScottsbluff, Nebraska1951
Summit Theological SeminaryPeru, Indiana1974
William Jessup UniversityRocklin, California1939

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: