History

Born on the American frontier, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is one of the largest churches to be founded in the United States. From the beginning, our message has appealed to those with a pioneer spirit. It is a message of independence mixed with responsibility, freedom mixed with commitment.

In the rolling hills of nineteenth-century Kentucky, Presbyterian minister Barton W. Stone began to be disillusioned by the discord within and among the traditional Protestant churches. Because of his experience at the 1801 Cane Ridge Revival, Stone recognized that these denominational divisions detracted from the simple message of the Gospel. He and several colleagues formed an alliance whose sole purpose was to "enter into unity with the body of Christ at large." In keeping with this mission, they used the simple name "Christians" to describe their movement.

Meanwhile, another Presbyterian minister, Thomas Campbell was coming to the same conclusion in Washington, Pennsylvania. Looking toward the simplicity of the New Testament church, Thomas and his son Alexander aimed to recreate the early church by casting off denominational creeds and restrictions. They believed that all Christians, regardless of denominational labels, are simply "Disciples of Christ," and that the Church should be one. They called themselves "Disciples."

In 1832, the "Christians" and the "Disciples" joined together into one fellowship of believers, hence our name, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).