Ecclesiology in Churches of Christ
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The Free Methodist Church, the Wesleyan Methodist Church, the Salvation Army and the Church of the Nazarene)
A Study of Denominations 1 Corinthians 14:33 (KJV 1900) - 33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. Holiness Churches - Introduction • In historical perspective, the Pentecostal movement was the child of the Holiness movement, which in turn was a child of Methodism. • Methodism began in the 1700s on account of the teachings of John and Charles Wesley. One of their most distinguishing beliefs was a distinction they made between ordinary and sanctified Christians. • Sanctification was thought of as a second work of grace which perfected the Christian. Also, Methodists were generally more emotional and less formal in their worship. – We believe that God calls every believer to holiness that rises out of His character. We understand it to begin in the new birth, include a second work of grace that empowers, purifies and fills each person with the Holy Spirit, and continue in a lifelong pursuit. ―Core Values, Bible Methodist Connection of Churches • By the late 1800s most Methodists had become quite secularized and they no longer emphasized their distinctive doctrines. At this time, the "Holiness movement" began. • It attempted to return the church to its historic beliefs and practices. Theologian Charles Finney was one of the leaders in this movement. When it became evident that the reformers were not going to be able to change the church, they began to form various "holiness" sects. • These sects attempted to return to true Wesleyan doctrine. Among the most important of these sects were the Nazarene church and the Salvation Army. -
Differences Baptists and Campbellites
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BAPTISTS AND CAMPBELLITES By J. W. PORTER; " "'}1': -t;1' -.. ' ," ~ ,; .' • - .1" Jifftrtncts Jttwttn Japtists and tampbtllilts By 1. w. PORTER Price 35c Published by MRS. J. W. PORTER 189 Kentucky Ave. Lexington, Ky. 1938 Copies of this book may be obtained from Mrs. J. W. Porter, 189 Kentucky Avenue, Lex ington, Kentucky, upon receipt of the price, 35c per copy. Churches desiring to use this book for train ing schools and study courses are urged to write for special prices on orders of this nature. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BAPTISTS AND CAMPBELLITES J. W. PORTER INTRODUCTION Some years since, the writer was requested by the Baptist State Mis sion Board of Kentucky to prepare a statement of the differences between the faith of the Baptists, and the 'Ancient Gospel", as propounded by Alexander Campbell. In pointing out these differences, all quotations will be made directly from the writings of Alexander Campbell. This would seem to be perfectly fair and to place us on safe ground. Mr. Campbell, by common consent, was the founder of the sect, known as the "Christian Church"; "Church of the Disciples"; "Reformers"; "Campbellites", et al. He was the propounder of its faith, and the pastor of its first society, and therefore to him we must go to ascertain its teachings. It may be said that many of his people no longer believe the tenets and teachings of Mr. Campbell. This may be true, and we trust it is, but since not one single article of his faith has been repudiated by his people, as a de nomination, it is but fair to hold tha.t they still believe the tenets that called them into being. -
The Nature of Christian Unity: Historical Understandings of Churches of Christ *
The Nature of Christian Unity: Historical Understandings of Churches of Christ * Douglas A. Foster Abilene Christian University Abilene, Texas The nineteenth-century origins of Churches of Christ are suffused with ideas that could easily be labeled ecumenical despite the communion’s twentieth-century reputation for exclusivist sectarianism. The Stone-Campbell Movement from which Churches of Christ emerged was clearly a Christian unity movement. The strategy for effecting unity proposed by leaders like Barton W. Stone and Thomas and Alexander Campbell, however, was an appeal to individual Christians—the faithful scattered throughout the sects—not to denominations. When true Christians abandoned the divisions represented by the mutually exclusive denominations to unite on the clear teachings of Scripture—those ideas on which all evangelical Christians already agreed—without human philosophies and traditions, visible unity would be the result. In every locality persons united to Christ would come together to form a church of Christ, inherently one with all other such groups. Early leaders rejected the Protestant invisible church idea of an existing spiritual unity because they believed it justified continued division between denominations.1 Thomas Campbell articulated the idea in 809 in one of the classic documents of the movement, “The Declaration and Address of the Christian Association of Washington (PA).” __________ *This paper was presented at the meeting of the Stone- Campbell Dialogue in June 2004 at the Disciples Center, Indianapolis, Indiana. It was presented earlier to The Faith and Order Commission of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, November 1999. 88 Lexington Theological Quarterly Prop. 1. -
Baptist History
180 Baptist History Periodicals Tennessee Baptist History . Vol. 7. Fall 2005. No. 1. (Published annually by TN Baptist Historical Society, 8072 Sunrise Baptist History Circle, Tn 37067). Thomas. Both Sides. New York Independent. Four Editorials. Published as a tract. 1897. Sermons of the 27th Annual Sovereign Grace Conference August 5-7, 2008 Web Sites Gameo—http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/ H8358.html Haemestede. Dutch Martyrology— 1559. http:// gracewood0.tripod.com/foxefreeman.html [Mcusa] Mantz.—http://www.mcusa-archives.org/ events/news_release_Anabaptist Library. Edited by —http://www.apostolicchristianchurch.org/ Pages/Library-Anabaptist%20History,% Laurence and Lyndy Justice 20Rise.htm Pilgrim Publications—http://members.aol.com/pilgrimpub/ spurgeon.htm Whitsitt—http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whatwehave/bio/whitsitt/ index.htm —http://geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/8297/diss/dis- c31.htm#N_101_#N-101 Victory Baptist Church 9601 Blue Ridge Extension Kansas City, Missouri 64134 816-761-7184 www.victorybaptist.us Printer’s logo And/or info Bibliography 179 Shackelford, J. A. Compendium of Baptist History . Louisville: Baptist Book Concern, 1892. Spurgeon, C.H. and Susannah, and J.W. Harrald. C.H. Spurgeon: The Early Years and The Full Harvest (2 vols.). Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1967. Thomas, Joshua. The American Baptist Heritage in Wales . La- fayette, TN: Church History Research and Archives, 1976. Torbet, Robert G. A History of the Baptists. 1950. Tull. Shapers of Baptist Thought . 1972. —Study of Southern Baptist Landmarkism in the Light of Historical Baptist Ecclesiology . Arno Press, 1980. Verduin, Leonard. The Reformers and Their Stepchildren . Sarasota, Florida: The Christian Hymnary Publishers Reprint, 1997 (First Published in 1964). -
Journalism's Deep Roots in the Stone-Campbell Movement
Journal of Discipliana Volume 74 Issue 1 Journal of Discipliana Volume 74 Article 2 2021 Journalism’s Deep Roots in the Stone-Campbell Movement John M. Imbler Phillips Theological Seminary, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.discipleshistory.org/journalofdiscipliana Part of the Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, History of Christianity Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Imbler, John M. (2021) "Journalism’s Deep Roots in the Stone-Campbell Movement," Journal of Discipliana: Vol. 74 : Iss. 1 , Article 2. Available at: https://digitalcommons.discipleshistory.org/journalofdiscipliana/vol74/iss1/2 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ Disciples History. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Discipliana by an authorized editor of Digital Commons @ Disciples History. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Imbler: Journalism’s Deep Roots in the Stone-Campbell Movement Journalism’s Deep Roots in the Stone-Campbell Movement John M. Imbler As the recently constituted nation was expanding beyond the settled northeast, in- formation on a variety of subjects was carried by an increasing number of newly estab- lished local presses. Presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin observes, “With few public entertainments in rural America (c. 1850s), villages and farmers regarded the spo- ken word and political debates as riveting spectator sports.” She continues, “Following such debates, the dueling remarks were regularly printed in their entirety in newspapers then reprinted in pamphlet form…where they provoked discourse over a wide space and prolonged time.”1 While her analysis refers to the general population, it also reflects the character of the Stone-Campbell people who were heavily invested in publications. -
The Holy Spirit in the Churches of Christ
Leaven Volume 8 Issue 3 Theology and Ministry Article 7 1-1-2000 The Holy Spirit in the Churches of Christ James W. Thompson [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/leaven Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Thompson, James W. (2000) "The Holy Spirit in the Churches of Christ," Leaven: Vol. 8 : Iss. 3 , Article 7. Available at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/leaven/vol8/iss3/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Religion at Pepperdine Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Leaven by an authorized editor of Pepperdine Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. Thompson: The Holy Spirit in the Churches of Christ Theology and Ministry 129 The Holy Spirit in the Churches of Christ BY JAMES W. THOMPSON Several years ago a student from a Pentecostal that is primarily associated with form and structure. church remained after class to follow up on our dis- Hence our canon-within-the-canon has consisted of cussion of the Holy Spirit, which had been a major those books that are known in Protestant scholar- topic of the evening's lecture from Romans 8. Dur- ship as "early Catholic." ing the conversation he expressed his amazement This focus on the early Catholic literature has had that the Churches of Christ, with their great empha- significant consequences for our understanding of sis on Acts, devote little attention to the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit, inasmuch as our own hermeneuti- particularly to the charismatic gifts. -
Footnotes: What Is an Evangelical? W: Palmer+Hicks+Howell+Huffman
Harding University Scholar Works at Harding Footnotes: Curated Resources for Ministers Harding School of Theology 2-26-2020 Footnotes: What is an Evangelical? w: Palmer+Hicks+Howell+Huffman Bob Turner Harding School of Theology Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.harding.edu/hst-footnotes Recommended Citation Turner, B. (2020). Footnotes: What is an Evangelical? w: Palmer+Hicks+Howell+Huffman. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.harding.edu/hst-footnotes/36 This Newspaper is brought to you for free and open access by the Harding School of Theology at Scholar Works at Harding. It has been accepted for inclusion in Footnotes: Curated Resources for Ministers by an authorized administrator of Scholar Works at Harding. For more information, please contact [email protected]. February 26, 2020 Hey friends, You hear it all the time. Evangelical Megachurches, Evangelical publishers, The Evangelical vote, White, Evangelical males. It's everywhere. They're everywhere. You can't escape them: those Evangelicals. That not-terribly-specific religious group who gets all the press. I'm not sure I know who they are. I'm a bit unsure of what they believe. Most importantly...am I one of them? We'll find out in this issue. I have a roundtable with three great thinkers who know Evangelicalism from the Church of Christ side, in addition to a second roundtable with prominent Memphis Evangelical pastor, Cole Huffman. Also: Across the Spectrum All-Pro Dad A Few More Footnotes. Footnotes Roundtable: Are Churches of Christ Evangelical? John Mark Hicks teaches at Lipscomb University. His most recent book Searching for the Pattern was recently reviewed in Footnotes. -
Churches of Christ and Christian Churches in Early Oregon, 1842-1882 Jerry Rushford Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University Pepperdine Digital Commons Churches of Christ Heritage Center Jerry Rushford Center 1-1-1998 Christians on the Oregon Trail: Churches of Christ and Christian Churches in Early Oregon, 1842-1882 Jerry Rushford Pepperdine University Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/heritage_center Part of the Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Rushford, Jerry, "Christians on the Oregon Trail: Churches of Christ and Christian Churches in Early Oregon, 1842-1882" (1998). Churches of Christ Heritage Center. Item 5. http://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/heritage_center/5 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Jerry Rushford Center at Pepperdine Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Churches of Christ Heritage Center by an authorized administrator of Pepperdine Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CHRISTIANS About the Author ON THE Jerry Rushford came to Malibu in April 1978 as the pulpit minister for the University OREGON TRAIL Church of Christ and as a professor of church history in Pepperdine’s Religion Division. In the fall of 1982, he assumed his current posi The Restoration Movement originated on tion as director of Church Relations for the American frontier in a period of religious Pepperdine University. He continues to teach half time at the University, focusing on church enthusiasm and ferment at the beginning of history and the ministry of preaching, as well the nineteenth century. The first leaders of the as required religion courses. movement deplored the numerous divisions in He received his education from Michigan the church and urged the unity of all Christian College, A.A. -
History of the Church: Lesson 5 the Restoration Movement
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH: LESSON 5 THE RESTORATION MOVEMENT INTRODUCTION: The reformers sought to REFORM the apostate church, but those active in the Restoration movement were desirous of RESTORING the true church of the first century (cf. Jer.6:16). I. RESTORATION LEADERS: A. James O'Kelly (1757-1826) 1. Methodist preacher who labored in Virginia and North Carolina. 2. Favored congregational government, and the New Testament as the only rule of faith and practice. a) Wanted Methodist preachers to have the right to appeal to the conference if they didn't like their appointment. 3. James O'Kelly, Rice Haggard and three other men withdrew from the conference in 1792. They formed the "Republican Methodist Church" in 1793. 4. In 1794, at a meeting conducted at the Lebanon Church in Surrey County, Virginia, they adopted the name, "Christian" and devised a plan of church government. 5. Agreed to recognize the scriptures as sufficient rule of faith and practice. The formulated the "Five Cardinal Principles of the Christian Church." a) Christ as head of the church. b) The name "Christian" to the exclusion of all others. c) Bible as the only creed - - rule of faith and practice. d) Character, piety, the only test of church fellowship and membership. e) The right of private judgment and liberty of conscience. B. Elias Smith (1769-1846) and Abner Jones (1772-1841) 1. Both Baptists. 2. Agreed with O'Kelly on his major points 3. In 1808, Smith and Jones established churches in New England. 4. Organized an independent "Christian Church" at Lyndon, Vermont in 1801. -
12 Reasons Why Baptism Is Not Essential for Salvation
Twelve Baptist Objections Met & Answered A series of radio addresses directed at answering twelve objections raised by a Baptist preacher to the Bible doctrine concerning baptism “for the remission of sins” as taught in Acts 2:38 and other New Testament texts. These sermons were delivered by Jeff Asher over KGAS 1590AM on the Words of Life Broadcast sponsored by the Northside Church of Christ which meets at 701 West Cottage Road in Carthage, Texas. Prepared by Jeff Asher (2005) 12 Reasons Why Baptism Is Not Essential For Salvation By Dr. Robert Morey The idea that baptism is essential for salvation is a pernicious doctrine taught by Roman Catholics, Mormons, Lutherans, United Pentecostals, and the Campbellites who have the gall to call themselves the “Church of Christ.” The Campbellites are referring only to those baptisms performed according to their doctrine of baptism. No one else’s baptisms are viewed as valid, not even those done by other Campbellite cults! While the first reason applies only to the Campbellites, the other arguments can be used against anyone who claims that baptism is essential for salvation. The Twelve Reasons 1. If the Campbellite doctrine of baptism is true then the very men who founded the “Restoration Movement” which later developed into the “Church of Christ” churches were never saved! All Thomas and Alexander Campbell had was the infant baptism they received from the Presbyterians and the adult baptism they received from the Baptists! They were never baptized a third time “in order to obtain remission of sins” according to the Campbellite doctrine of baptism. -
Why the Churches of Christ Are Not a Denomination
Why the Churches of Christ Are Not A Denomination By Donald A. Nash When just a lad in high school, I was in a class in which the teacher questioned all the students concerning their religious faith, whether they were Catholic or Protestant, and as to what denomination they belonged if Protestant. I had just heard a great gospel preacher discourse on the theme of this tract, so when she came to me, I said simply, "Christian," in reply to her question. "Yes, I know," she said, "but are you Protestant or Catholic?" "Neither," I replied. "But you have to be one or the other," she exclaimed, becoming very aggravated. After she could not move me on this declaration, she attempted to discover to what denomination I belonged, and again I insisted that I belonged to none and was simply a Christian. This position astounded her, and I believe she simply credited it to my ignorance from the subsequent grades I received. However, the incident was illuminative of the ignorance on the part of the majority of denominational people in regard to the position of the churches of Christ. The cause for this ignorance stems in the lack of understanding by the membership of the churches themselves who do not understand the undenominational position of the Christian church. To the end of educating those who profess to be Christians only, and to lead denominational people to the simple New Testament church, this tract is written. The historical position of the members of the Churches of Christ, or Christian churches, has been un- or non-denominational. -
John Augustus Williams, Life of Elder John Smith with Some Account of the Rise and Progress of the Current Reformation (Cincinnati: R.W
Journal for Baptist Theology and Ministry Vol. 3 No. 1 (Spring 2005): 81-97 “To Answer or Not to Answer”: A Case Study on the Emergence of the Stone-Campbell Movement Amongst the Baptist Churches of Kentucky in the 1820s Rodrick Durst Academic Dean and Vice President of Academic Affairs Professor of Historical Theology Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary 201 Seminary Drive Mill Valley, CA 94941 It was the first Sunday of the month, the day on which the half-time pastor of David’s Fork Baptist Church, Kentucky was to preach.1 “Bishop Vardeman was of magnificent proportions, being upwards of six feet in stature, weighing three hundred pounds . possessing uncommon and undiminished energy and vigor, though [56] years of age.”2 His people well knew that Rev. Vardeman was “probably the most effective pulpit orator, and the most successful preacher who ever lived in Kentucky.”3 Vardeman loved these people and had been with them nineteen years. They believed that Rev. Vardeman could preach louder and longer 1Vardeman also became pastor at Bryant’s Station Baptist Church in 1811. See James Taulman, “Baptists and Disciples of Christ,” Baptists in Kentucky, 1776-1976 (Middletown, KY: Kentucky Baptist Convention, 1975), 204. 2J. J. Haley, Debates that Made History: The Story of Alexander Campbell's Debates with Rev. John Walker, Rev. W.L. MacCalla, Mr. Robert Owen, Bishop Purcell and Rev. Nathan L. Rice (St. Louis, MO: Christian Board of Publication, 1920), 51. Also see Alexander Campbell, Debate on Christian Baptism between the Rev. W. L. MacCalla, a Presbyterian teacher, and Alexander Campbell: Held at Washington, KY.