Nathan Hale's List: Disciples of Christ Research

• The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a Mainline Protestant denomination in North America. It is often referred to as The Christian Church, The Disciples of Christ, or more simply as The Disciples.
• The early history of The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is shared by two other groups, The Churches of Christ and the independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ. They all emerged from the same roots
• The defining event of the Stone wing of the movement was the publication of the Last Will and Testament of The Springfield Presbytery, at Cane Ridge, Kentucky, in 1804. The Last Will is a brief document in which Stone and five others announced their withdrawal from Presbyterianism and their intention to be solely part of the body of Christ.^[4] The writers appealed for the unity of all who follow Jesus, suggested the value of congregational self-governance, and lifted the Bible as the source for understanding the will of God. They denounced the divisive use of the Augsburg Confession
• When their study of the New Testament led the reformers to begin to practice Baptism by Immersion, the nearby Redstone Baptist Association invited Brush Run Church to join with them for the purpose of fellowship.
• While the reformers and the Baptists shared the same beliefs in Baptism by Immersion and Congregational polity, it was soon clear that the reformers were not traditional Baptists. Within the Redstone Association, the differences became intolerable to some of the Baptist leaders, when Alexander Campbell began publishing a journal, The Christian Baptist, promoting reform.
• They wanted to found the unity of the church in the simple acknowledgment that Jesus is the Christ, the messiah, and an acceptance of Him as Lord. Both were opposed to the use of creeds as a test of faith. They believed that the simple confession that Jesus Christ is Lord was sufficient to unite all Christians. They considered man-made creeds divisive.
• For modern Disciples the one essential is the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and obedience to him in baptism.^[41] There is no requirement to give assent to any other statement of belief or creed
• Members and seekers are encouraged to take being disciples seriously, meaning that they are student followers, of Jesus.
• Modern Disciples reject the use of creeds as "tests of faith," i.e., as required beliefs, necessary to be accepted as a follower of Jesus. Although Disciples respect the great creeds of the church as informative affirmations of faith, they are never seen as binding.

• Congregations of the Christian Church are self governing in the tradition of congregational polity. They select their own leadership, own their own property, and manage their own affairs.

   

  In Disciples congregations, the priesthood of all believers finds its expression in worship and Christian service. Typically, Lay Elders, rather than ordained ministers, preside at the Lord's Table in celebration of Communion. The lay Elders and called Pastors provide spiritual oversight and care for members in partnership with one another.^[44]
• The Logo of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a red chalice with a white St. Andrew's Cross. The chalice represents the centrality of Communion to the life of the church. The cross of Saint Andrew is a reminder of the ministry of each person and the importance of evangelism, and recalls the denomination's Scottish Presbyterian ancestry.
• Like many other mainline Protestant denominations, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has experienced a significant loss of membership since the middle of the twentieth century. Membership peaked in 1958 at just under 2 million.
• In 2006, the denomination reported 3,774 churches and 698,686 members
• Texas has the largest number of members, with over 100,000.

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• The chalice symbolizes the central place of communion in worship for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The X-shaped cross of the disciple Andrew is a reminder of the ministry of each person and the importance of evangelism.

• Those who founded the Disciples movement taught baptism by immersion as the accepted form.

• The Lord's Supper or Communion is celebrated in weekly worship. It is open to all who are followers of Jesus Christ. The practice of Holy Communion has become the central element of worship within the Disciples tradition.
• Disciples' observance of the Lord's Supper emanates from the upper room, where Jesus shared bread and wine with his disciples on the eve of his crucifixion. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the living Christ is met and received in the sharing of the bread and the cup, representative of the body and blood of Jesus. The presence of the living Lord is affirmed and he is proclaimed to be the dominant power in our lives

• The Four Priorities are:

   
   
   
  • Becoming a Pro-reconciling/Anti-racist church
   
  • Formation of 1,000 new congregations by 2020
   
  • Transformation of 1,000 current congregations by 2020
   
  • Leadership development necessary to realize these new and renewed congregations

• The denomination was born in the 1800s, and continues to be influenced by its founding ideals of our unity in Christ with openness and diversity in practice and belief.