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Spring of Life Christian Church, Mesa, Arizona

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Is This? BY LEROY LAWSON

With so many groups today calling themselves a church, Obviously that desire is difficult to what is different about this one? achieve. Human nature resists oneness. We seem to believe with Robert Frost that One thing is certain–there is no short- is unity, not division. Christianity “good fences make good neighbors,” even age of churches. You can take your pick has suffered long enough from deep though something within us “doesn’t love among the hundreds of different kinds, divisions separating denomination a wall, [but] wants it down.” God desires from the proud old denominations like from denomination, Christian from unity, however, so it must be possible. the Episcopalian and Presbyterian to the Christian. When Jesus prayed “that all newer, more energetic Assembly of God OUR ROOTS or Seventh Day Adventists, to say noth- Christian churches and churches of ing of those amazingly numerous and The distinctive Christ trace their modern origins to the various cults that keep springing up. about this church is early 19th-century American frontier, a In the midst of such diversity, what is that it has no period of militancy among denomina- special about our church? What kind of tions. America’s pioneers brought their a church is it, anyway? distinctive. deeply rooted religious convictions to O the new land and perpetuated their old A PARADOX AND A CHALLENGE of them may be one, Father, just as you animosities. Presbyterian squared off We answer paradoxically. The distinc- are in me and I am in you. May they against Anglican who defended himself tive about this Christian church is that it also be in us” (John 17:21), he had us against Baptist who had no toleration has no distinctives. In fact we deliberately in mind. In the spirit of his prayer we for Lutheran. A reaction to this mutual seek not to be different, because our goal seek unity with all others in Christ. animosity was inevitable.

This download originally appeared in the March 27, 2005, issue of Christian Standard, a weekly magazine published by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, Ohio. This resource was downloaded at www.standardpub.com. The purchaser may 2 duplicate/print this download an unlimited number of times for ministry and educational purposes; the purchaser, however, may not convey such rights to third parties or resell this product. ©2009, Standard Publishing. When it came, the reaction was church that we should imitate, the ideal PRINCIPLES FOR TODAY spontaneous. A group of New England of the church as the body of Christ, the In his Declaration, Thomas Campbell Christians broke out of denomination- household of faith, the temple of the set forth principles that sound as modern alism, announcing their intention to Holy Spirit, and the people of God is as today to New Testament Christians: follow the Bible only. Another group clearly pictured. 1. That the church of Christ upon in Kentucky, and still another in In a unity effort initially separat- earth is essentially, intentionally, and con- Pennsylvania, each independent of the ed from the Stone movement, anoth- stitutionally one; consisting of all those others, felt the spirit of unity moving er Presbyterian minister, Thomas in every place that profess their faith in them to stand with, not against, fel- Campbell, published his now famous Christ and obedience to him in all things low Christians. Under the leadership Declaration and Address in 1809. He had according to the Scriptures. . . . of minister Barton W. Stone, some earlier migrated to Pennsylvania from 2. That . . . there ought to be no Presbyterian leaders in Kentucky pub- his home in Ireland. While still there, he schisms, no uncharitable divisions lished The Last Will and Testament of the had grown restless with the strictures of among [local congregations]. Springfield Presbytery, putting to death his denomination, the Old-Light Anti- 3. That . . . nothing ought to be incul- their denominational connections. Burgher Seceder Presbyterian Church, cated upon Christians as articles of faith; They said, “We will, that this body die, nor required of them as terms of com- be dissolved, and sink into union with Early leaders munion; but what is expressly taught and the Body of Christ at large; for there is enjoined upon them, in the Word of God. but one body, and one Spirit . . .” believed unity 4. That . . . the New Testament is as The early leaders of what later came was–and is–possible. perfect a constitution for the worship, to be called the Restoration Movement discipline, and government of the New believed unity in Christ was—and is— Testament church, and as perfect a rule possible. To achieve it required letting a splinter of a split of a division in the of the particular duties of its members, go of human traditions and loyalties denomination. as the Old Testament was for the wor- to dynamic personalities. Christ alone When he found the divisions caused ship, discipline, and government of the could be exalted. The ideal of the church by local grievances in Scotland sep- Old Testament church. . . . that emerges from the pages of the New arating Presbyterians in America, he 5. That . . . [no] human authority Testament must be the standard for rebelled. He would not exclude non- [has] power to impose new commands today’s congregations. members of his denomination from or ordinances upon the church, which Communion in his church. He was our Lord Jesus Christ has not enjoined. Studying the Ideal expelled from his presbytery. It was There are more propositions, but While gratefully acknowledging their really a question of who fired whom, for these are enough to show Campbell’s debt to great reformers like Martin by this time Campbell could not carry unusual good judgment. From his day Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, and out policies he deplored. until now, millions of others have decid- others, these “Christians only” believed His son Alexander, meanwhile, had ed they also wanted to be Christians their reforms remained unfinished. The reached similar conclusions in his stud- only, without the complications of only way to determine what the church ies in Ireland and Scotland and, when denomination. should be and how Christians should father and son were reunited in America behave is to study New Testament docu- in 1809, each embraced the other’s LeRoy Lawson is international consultant with Christian Missionary Fellowship and a contribut- ments in which the churches of Christ position. In time, the son surpassed ing editor for Ch r i s t i a n St a n d a r d , Cincinnati, are presented in splendor—and in the father as the leader of their unity Ohio. Adapted from The Family of God (Cincinnati: Standard Publishing, 1980). shortcomings. While there is no single movement.

Valley View Christian Church, Littleton, Colorado

“What church are you with?” just that, the 19th-century American to the very roots and heart of what the “Christian.” religious leader Alexander Campbell church is and is supposed to be. It is the “No, I mean what denomination.” clearly signaled a return to fundamen- body of Christ on earth. It is supposed “Christian. We just call ourselves tals and equipped us with a marvelous to be—despite all the well-intentioned Christians.” intellectual “foot-in-the-door.” additions and accretions we humans have “Oh.” put upon it—nothing more or less than I could not begin to count how SIMPLICITY spiritually reborn people worshiping God many times I have engaged in such an Once we begin to explain why we call and living by his Word. exchange, and I am sure it is familiar ourselves “Christians only,” once we intro- Why am I a member of the church of to many in our fellowship. By insisting duce the biblical foundation, the logic, the Christ? Because I believe independent Wthat Christians should call themselves simplicity of it, we have opened the way Christian churches and churches of

church seek to be one in Christ with all others he 6. A thinking church calls his own. In the same Ephesian letter, Paul prays that God Our Position will give a “Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so 4. A church seeking to restore that you may know him better. . . .” Christian faith How shall we summarize what kind of church As much as possible, we imitate the New demands the best our minds can give, so we are we are talking about? Perhaps the following terms Testament precedents. That is why our baptism is a studying church, seeking to apply biblical truth will help. by immersion, our Communion is every Lord’s Day, intelligently. our leaders are called elders, our preaching is 1. A Christian church about Christ, and our prayers are in Christ’s name. 7. A feeling church Our message is that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son Even our church name is rooted in the earliest Ours is not a dryly intellectual approach to God, of the living God.” We require no other creed. He days, when disciples were called Christians and however. We rejoice and praise and pray and love alone is Lord and Savior. their congregations were often addressed as and serve from the heart. We are unashamed of the “churches of Christ.” gospel and not embarrassed to let our excitement 2. A church of Christ be seen. The church belongs to him. We have no authority to change the teachings, rewrite the 5. An apostolic church rules, alter membership requirements, or usurp his The church, Ephesians 2:20 states, is “built on the 8. A sharing church place. The church is not a democracy. foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ We share our faith and love with as many as we Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.” Whatever can reach and our possessions as persons who 3. A church seeking unity we know about Christ and the church we learned know that everything we have belongs to God to be Like the Campbells and Stone, members of this from Jesus’ closest companions, the apostles. used for his purposes.

VARIETY On the other hand, the New Testament picture of Christian living is a rich tapes- try of transformed lives. Weak men grow strong in faith, fire-breathing persecutors become courageous defenders of faith, ordinary people battle with sin and tri- umph—learning to love, to share, to com-

9. A free church James A. Garfield, former We have no bishops or superintendents president of the United States, or national headquarters to determine local is one of the best-known individ- Garfield‘s Answer church policies. We elect our own leaders, uals associated with Christian call and support our own ministers, and decide churches/churches of Christ. He even 5. We accept both the Old and the New Tes- where our mission money will go. We are not served as a “lay preacher.” To answer the tament Scriptures as the inspired Word of God. isolationists, though. Our congregations freely many questions he received about the group 6. We believe in the future punishment of the associate with one another to accomplish of believers with whom he worshiped, he wicked and the future reward of the righteous. tasks too big for one church alone. wrote a classic statement: 7. We believe that the deity is a prayer- hearing and a prayer-answering God. 10. A growing church 1. We call ourselves Christians, or Disciples 8. We observe the institution of the Lord’s We want to grow, because we are under of Christ. Supper on the Lord’s Day. To this table we Christ’s commission to disciple the world. We 2. We believe in God the Father. neither invite nor debar; we say it is the Lord’s haven’t completed the task yet, so Christian 3. We believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Supper for all of the Lord’s children. churches and churches of Christ are renewing Son of the living God, and our Savior. We 9. We plead for the union of God’s people our commitment to go unto the ends of the regard the divinity of Christ as the fundamental on the Bible and the Bible alone. earth, preaching and baptizing and teaching, truth of the Christian system. 10. The Christ is our only creed. until the whole world knows the one Lord of 4. We believe in the Holy Spirit, both as to 11. We maintain that all the ordinances all. his agency in conversion and as indwelling in should be observed as they were in the days —Leroy Lawson the heart of the Christian. of the apostles.

Just like a Staying far-flung family, members of this fellowship have learned how Connected to keep in touch.

Without denominational structure or workshops, and fellowship. It is not a NATIONAL MISSIONARY CONVENTION headquarters, Christian churches and delegate convention. It conducts no www.nationalmissionaryconvention.org churches of Christ still stay remarkably business except that of approving a Also high on ideas and information, well connected. Several agencies and steering committee to plan future con- the National Missionary Convention entities help this happen. ventions. It is a time of inspiration and is a major source of encourag- connecting. Many would say that seeing ing the missionary activity that is NORTH AMERICAN CHRISTIAN CONVENTION friends from far and wide is the main so strong among Christian churches. www.nacctheconnectingplace.org reason they attend the NACC each Understandably, it has more of an The North American Christian year, although the program offers many international flavor than the NACC. Convention usually meets once each opportunities to learn from nationally At the same time it usually attracts Wsummer for several days of preaching, known speakers and leaders. many hundreds of young people from

Working Together A Growing Fellowship

About 5,500 congregations in the United States today consider The front page of the themselves as part of the fellowship of independent Christian September 18, 2002, New York churches and churches of Christ. They do not comprise a Times featured an article about the denomination, and there is no organization of national or growth of evangelical churches international oversight. Each church is locally autonomous. in America during the 1990s. The Despite diversity in many areas, the churches have much in study, “Religious Congregations common: (1) a common understanding of Scripture, (2) a common and Membership: 2000,” found that heritage, and (3) a common goal: to restore the biblical pattern so among Christian fellowships of 1 that Christians united can connect the world to the God who made million or more, the independent them. Christian churches and churches Those 5,500 churches have a total membership of more than of Christ grew faster than any 1.5 million. They support more than 40 colleges and seminaries, other group, with 18.6 percent with more than 10,000 students. They also support hundreds of growth over the decade of the parachurch ministries, including church camps, church planting ’90s. Much of that growth was due associations, children’s homes, campus ministries, publishing to large churches in growing sub- houses, and benevolent agencies. They participate in regional and urban areas and new churches all national conventions, and avail themselves of other opportunities across the nation. for cooperation in ministry. Many Christian churches con-

CHRISTIAN CHURCH TODAY www.christianchurchtoday.com Posted and supported by several agencies in this fellowship, this Web site seeks to represent and connect members of the Christian churches. It’s high on news and contains a Forums section where members can interact about issues of the day. There’s a Job Search section, a Church Locator, and columns written by leaders in these churches.

CHRISTIAN STANDARD www.christianstandard.com Not only is Christian St a n d a r d around the world and essays about cur- of every age—babies through adults. the oldest weekly magazine among rent issues and ideas. In addition, children’s books, study this fellowship of churches, we believe books, devotions, and church supplies it is the oldest weekly magazine in STANDARD PUBLISHING provide resources for local churches America! Published since 1866, it has www.standardpub.com around the world. Standard Publishing never wavered from its mission “devoted From the ministry of Christian is expanding its offerings for adults to the restoration of New Testament St a n d a r d has grown the work of a and teenagers and exploring every pos- Christianity, its doctrines, its ordinanc- whole independent Christian publish- sible medium for remaining as true to es, and its fruit.” Today it is aimed at ing house, Standard Publishing. The its mission today as it has for far more leaders in this fellowship of churches, company publishes a wide range of than a century: “Bringing the Word to with news from these congregations teaching materials for Bible students Life.”TM

A Growing Fellowship BY PAUL S. WILLIAMS

tinue to grow rapidly. There are more than 100 in Healthy as our domestic growth is, Christian the United States with more than 1,000 in average churches are growing even faster overseas. Sunday attendance. Though only one-half of 1 per- Hundreds of mission enterprises exist in Latin cent of the American population attends a Christian America, Africa, Asia, Eastern and Western Europe, church, these congregations comprise more than 6 and other regions around the globe. In fact, there percent of the number of megachurches in the U.S. are more members in Christian churches abroad Christian churches are also leaders in new than there are in the United States. More than 1,000 church planting, starting more churches per cap- American missionaries serve on six continents. ita than almost any other group. Many are being Christian churches will continue to grow as planted in regions not historically represented by long as each congregation keeps its eyes firmly Christian churches. New churches are also start- on Christ, the cornerstone of our faith, and on the ing larger and growing faster than ever before, great ministry of restoration to which we have been with many averaging more than 500 within five called. That has been the hallmark of our growth, years of starting. and will continue to be so until Christ returns. Churches also continue to grow in small towns and rural areas in middle America, long consid- Paul S. Williams is president of Orchard Group, a ered a stronghold for Christian churches and church planting organization, and editor-at-large with Ch r i s t i a n St a n d a r d . churches of Christ. University Christian Church, Cincinnati, Ohio

These mottoes speak of life and eternity and indicate what kind of church Slogans we want to be. BY Mark A. Taylor

Every day you see and hear more adver- where the Bible is silent, we are silent.” focusing on him helps us deal with our tising slogans than you can ever count “No creed but Christ, no book but disagreements. or remember. Estimates range from a the Bible, no law but love.” The third thread is love. Our goal is few hundred to several thousand. Every “In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, to extend love to all who call themselves day. liberty; in all things, love.” Christian; to demonstrate it to non- Every TV show or radio station or Several threads tie these slogans Christians so they can see Christ in us; computer screen we turn to offers more together. One is our commitment to the and to experience it day by day within ways to spend our money. Every page Bible. We believe it is from God and each local congregation. we see, every grocery cart, every city These are lofty ambitions, and that’s bus asks us to consider yet another pos- why these slogans have stood the test Esibility. It’s no surprise when we ignore SURE, WE IGNORE of time. They are not the brainchild of most of these pitches and jingles and MOST PITCHES AND some slick advertising campaign. They come-ons. JINGLES. BUT SOME are statements about life and eternity Yet some slogans arise from heartfelt from a people trying to follow Jesus. conviction. SLOGANS ARISE FROM They give a good starting point for “Give me liberty or give me death!” HEARTFELT CONVICTION. answers to the question on our cover, “Remember the Alamo!” “What kind of church is this?” “The war to end all wars!” We are a church of Christ’s disciples They weren’t crafted by ad writ- should be the only authority for per- who believe his way is the only path to ers but were spoken by leaders and sonal decisions and church practice. satisfaction and hope. And we’ve dis- thinkers summarizing the sentiment But the Bible does not speak specifi- covered the journey is so much easier of their times and the hopes of their cally to many details about 21st-cen- when we join hands with others who people. tury life, and inevitably Christians see have their eyes on him. Together we Such are several slogans repeated again some things differently. This leads to want to be what Jesus wants, welcoming and again by members of Christian a second thread: freedom in Christ. We everyone who will consider him with us. churches and churches of Christ: try not to turn matters of opinion into That’s the kind of church we are. “We are not the only Christians, but dividing walls among Christ-followers. Mark Taylor is publisher and editor of Ch r i s t i a n we are Christians only.” Jesus himself was the Word of God St a n d a r d , Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, Ohio. www. “Where the Bible speaks, we speak; walking on the earth. We’ve found that christianstandard.com.