www.disciples.org

Basic History

Thomas and Alexander Campbell, a Scottish Presbyterian father and son in Pennsylvania, rebelled against the sectarianism that kept members of different denominations from taking the Lord's Supper together. Barton W. Stone in Kentucky, also a Presbyterian, objected to the use of creeds as tests of "rightness" of belief.

The aims and practices of the two groups were similar, and the Campbell and Stone movements merged quite naturally in 1832 after about a quarter of a century of separate development.

The founders of the Christian Church hoped to restore Christian unity by returning to simple New Testament practices. One group that opposed practices not specifically authorized by the New Testament, such as instrumental music in the church and organized missionary activity, gradually pulled away. That group finally was listed separately in the 1906 federal religious census as the "Churches of Christ." (Some Disciples congregations still bear the name "Church of Christ" also.)

Basic Beliefs
The Disciples claim no official doctrine. Worship practices vary from congregation to congregation, from the more common informal services to what some might describe as "high church" in others. Disciples congregations also run the theological spectrum from ultra-liberal to solidly conservative and everything in between.

Membership is granted after a simple statement of belief in Jesus Christ and baptism by immersion --though most congregations admit transfers baptized differently in other denominations.

The Lord's Supper -- generally called "communion" -- is open to all Christians. The practice is weekly communion, though, once again, no church law insists upon it. Laypersons routinely assist in presiding over the Lord's Supper as the central celebration at each worship. The laypersons, working as colleagues with ordained ministers, also perform other pastoral functions.

The church is identified with the Protestant "mainstream" and is widely involved in social and other concerns. Disciples have supported vigorously world and national programs of education, agricultural assistance, racial reconciliation, care of the developmentally disabled and aid to victims of war and calamity. The denomination continues to be influenced by its founding ideals of informality, openness and diversity.

Leadership
The chief executive of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is called the general minister and president. The Rev. Richard L. Hamm currently holds the office. Other denomination leaders include:

Basic facts
The publishing house, the higher education division and the social and health services unit, are headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., and the Disciples of Christ Historical Society is in Nashville, Tenn.

Congregations number 3,792. Membership is currently at 834,037. The denomination has 7,113 ministers. Of approximately 3,335 clergy serving congregations, 22% are women. Numerically, the strength of the Disciples of Christ runs in a broad arc that sweeps from Ohio and Kentucky through the Midwest and down into Oklahoma and Texas.

Location
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
P.O. Box 1986
Indianapolis, IN 46206
Phone (317) 635-3100 / (800) 458-3318
Fax (317) 635-3700