Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)[note 1] is a mainline

Christian Church
Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and
(Disciples of Christ)
Canada.[2][3] The denomination started with the Restoration
Movement during the Second Great Awakening, first existing
during the 19th century as a loose association of churches
working towards Christian unity, then slowly forming quasi-
denominational structures through missionary societies, regional
associations, and an international convention. In 1968, the
Disciples of Christ officially adopted a denominational structure at
which time a group of churches left to remain nondenominational.

It is often referred to as The Christian Church, The Disciples of

Christ, The Disciples, or the DOC.[note 2] The Christian Church
was a charter participant in the formation of the World Council of
Churches (WCC) and of the Federal Council of Churches (now
the National Council of Churches), and it continues to be engaged
in ecumenical conversations.

The Disciples' local churches are congregationally governed. In The church's logo, depicting a
2008 there were 679,563 members in 3,714 congregations in chalice with the Cross of St Andrew.
North America.[4] By 2015, this number had declined to a Classification Protestant
baptized membership of 497,423 in 3,267 congregations, of
whom about 306,905 were active members, while approximately Orientation Mix of
177,000 attended Sunday services each week.[5] In 2018, the Restorationist,
denomination reported 380,248 members with 124,437 people in Liberal,
average worship attendance.[6] Progressive, and
Pluralist

History Polity Congregationalist

General Minister Teresa Hord
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) traces its roots to the and President Owens
Stone-Campbell Movement on the American frontier. The
Associations Churches Uniting
Movement is so named because it started as two distinct but
similar movements, each without knowledge of the other, during in Christ
the Second Great Awakening in the early 19th century. The first Christian
of these two groups, led by Barton W. Stone began at Cane Churches
Ridge, Bourbon County, Kentucky. The group called themselves Together
simply Christians. The second, began in western Pennsylvania
Disciples
and Virginia (now West Virginia), led by Thomas Campbell and
his son, Alexander Campbell. Because the founders wanted to Ecumenical
abandon all denominational labels, they used the biblical names Consultative
for the followers of Jesus that they found in the Bible.[7] Council
National Council
of Churches
Stone
 In 1801, the Cane Ridge Revival in World Council of
Kentucky planted the seed for a movement in Churches
Kentucky and the Ohio River Valley to
World
disassociate from denominationalism. In
Convention of
1803 Stone and others withdrew from the
Kentucky Presbytery and formed the Churches of
Springfield Presbytery. The defining event of Christ
the Stone wing of the movement was the Full communion United Church of
Barton W. Stone publication of the Last Will and Testament of
Christ (1989)
the Springfield Presbytery, at Cane Ridge,
Kentucky, in 1804. "The Last Will" is a brief United Church of
document in which Stone and five others announced their Canada (2019)
withdrawal from Presbyterianism and their intention to be solely Region United States
part of the body of Christ.[8] The writers appealed for the unity of and Canada
all who follow Jesus, suggested the value of congregational self-
governance, and lifted the Bible as the source for understanding Headquarters Indianapolis,
the will of God. They denounced the use of the Westminster Indiana
Confession of Faith as divisive.[9] Founder Barton Stone

Soon, they adopted the name "Christian" to identify their group. Thomas
Thus, the remnants of the Springfield Presbytery became the Campbell
Christian Church.[10] It is estimated that the Christian Church Alexander
numbered about 12,000 by 1830.[11] Campbell
Walter Scott
Campbells Origin 1804–Last Will
and Testament
Independently of Stone, Thomas Campbell published the
1809–Declaration
Declaration and Address of the Christian Association of
Washington, (Pennsylvania) in 1809. In The Declaration and and Address
Address, he set forth some of his convictions about the church of 1832–Union in
Jesus Christ, emphasizing Christian unity and the restoration of Lexington
the New Testament church. He organized the Christian 1849–General
Association of Washington, not as a church but as an association
Convention
of persons seeking to grow in faith.[12] On May 4, 1811,
however, the Christian Association constituted itself as a 1917–
congregationally governed church. With the building it then International
constructed at Brush Run, it became known as Brush Run Convention
Church.[13] 1968–The
Design adopted
When their study of the New Testament led the reformers to begin
to practice baptism by immersion, the nearby Redstone Baptist Separated from Churches of
Association invited Brush Run Church to join with them for the Christ (1906)
purpose of fellowship. The reformers agreed provided that they Christian
would be "allowed to preach and to teach whatever they learned
churches and
from the Scriptures."[14]
churches of
Thus began a sojourn for the reformers among the Baptists within Christ (1926–
the Redstone Baptist Association (1815–1824). While the 1971)
reformers and the Baptists shared the same beliefs in baptism by Congregations 3,624
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 Members 277,864 (2022)
Baptist leaders, when Alexander Campbell began publishing a [1]
journal, The Christian Baptist, promoting reform. Campbell
Official website www.disciples.org
anticipated the conflict and moved his membership to a
(https://www.disci
congregation of the Mahoning Baptist Association in 1824.[15]
ples.org/)
In 1827, the Mahoning Association
appointed reformer Walter Scott as an Evangelist. Through Scott's
efforts, the Mahoning Association grew rapidly. In 1828, Thomas
Campbell visited several of the congregations formed by Scott
and heard him preach. The elder Campbell realized that Scott was
bringing an important new dimension to the movement with his
approach to evangelism.[16]
Young
Alexander Several Baptist associations began disassociating congregations
Campbell that refused to subscribe to the Philadelphia Confession. The Thomas
Mahoning Association came under attack. In 1830, the Mahoning Campbell
Baptist Association disbanded. Alexander ceased publication of
The Christian Baptist. In January 1831, he began publication of the Millennial
Harbinger.[17]

1832 Merger

The two groups united at High Street Meeting House, Lexington, Kentucky, with a
handshake between Barton W. Stone and "Raccoon" John Smith, on Saturday,
December 31, 1831.[18] Smith had been chosen, by those present, to speak on behalf
of the followers of the Campbells.[19] While contemporaneous accounts are clear that Walter Scott
the handshake took place on Saturday, some historians have changed the date of the
merger to Sunday, January 1, 1832.[20] The 1832 date has become generally accepted.
The actual difference is about 20 hours.[21]

Two representatives of those assembled were appointed to carry the news of the union
to all the churches: John Rogers, for the Christians and "Raccoon" John Smith for the
reformers. Despite some challenges, the merger succeeded.[22]

With the merger, there was the challenge of what to call the new movement. Clearly,
"Raccoon" John
finding a Biblical, non-sectarian name was important. Stone wanted to continue to use
Smith
the name "Christians." Alexander Campbell insisted upon "Disciples of Christ".
Walter Scott and Thomas Campbell sided with Stone, but the younger Campbell had
strong reasons and would not yield. As a result, both names were used.[23]

National Conventions

In 1849, the first National Convention was held at Cincinnati, Ohio.[24] Alexander Campbell had concerns
that holding conventions would lead the movement into divisive denominationalism. He did not attend the
gathering.[25] Among its actions, the convention elected Alexander Campbell its President and created the
American Christian Missionary Society (ACMS).[26]
 The formation of a missionary society set the stage for further "co-operative" efforts.
By the end of the century, the Foreign Christian Missionary Society and the Christian
Women's Board of Missions were also engaged in missionary activities. Forming the
ACMS did not reflect a consensus of the entire movement. Sponsorship of missionary
activities became a divisive issue. In the succeeding decades, for some congregations
and their leaders, co-operative work through missionary societies and the adoption of
instrumental music in church worship was straying too far from their conception of the
Alexander
early church. After the American Civil War, the schism grew. While there was no
Campbell, age disagreement over the need for evangelism, many believed that missionary societies
65 were not authorized by scripture and would compromise the autonomy of local
congregations.[27] This became one important factor leading to the separation of the
Churches of Christ from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).[27]

Journals

From the beginning of the movement, the free exchange of ideas among the people was fostered by the
journals published by its leaders. Alexander Campbell published The Christian Baptist and The Millennial
Harbinger. Barton W. Stone published The Christian Messenger.[28] In a respectful way, both men
routinely published the contributions of others whose positions were radically different from their own.[29]

Following Campbell's death in 1866, journals continued to keep the discussion and conversation alive.
Between 1870 and 1900, two journals emerged as the most prominent. The Christian Standard was edited
and published by Isaac Errett of Cincinnati. The Christian Evangelist was edited and published by J. H.
Garrison from St. Louis. The two men enjoyed a friendly rivalry, and kept the dialog going within the
movement.[30] A third journal became part of the conversation with the publication in 1884 of The
Christian Oracle, later to become The Christian Century, with an interdenominational appeal.[31] In 1914,
Garrison's Christian Publishing company was purchased by R. A. Long, who then established a non-profit
corporation, "The Christian Board of Publication" as the Brotherhood publishing house.[32]

First Division

In 1906, the U.S. Religious Census listed Churches of Christ for the first time as a group which was
separate and distinct from the Disciples of Christ.[33] However, the division had been growing for years,
with published reports as early as 1883.[34] The most obvious distinction between the two groups was the
Churches of Christ rejecting the use of musical instruments in worship. The controversy over musical
instruments began in 1860, when some congregations introduced organs, traditionally associated with
wealthier, denominational churches. More basic were the underlying approaches to Biblical interpretation.
The Churches of Christ permitted only those practices found in accounts of New Testament worship. They
could find no New Testament documentation of the use of instrumental music in worship. The Disciples,
by contrast, considered permissible any practices that the New Testament did not expressly forbid.[35]
While music and the approach to missionary work were the most visible issues, there were also some
deeper ones. The process that led to the separation had begun prior to the American Civil War.[36]

The Brotherhood

In the early 20th century, a central point of conflict for the remaining Christian Churches was cooperative
missionary efforts, both nationally and internationally. Several missionary societies had already been
established, and the congregations that contributed to these societies and attended the national convention
became known as "cooperative" and began referring to the larger grouping of these congregations as "the
Brotherhood." In 1917 the National Convention became the International Convention of Christian
Churches (Disciples of Christ) with the incorporation of Canadian Disciples.[37] In 1920, three separate
missionary societies merged into the United Christian Missionary Society in 1920, which undertook
missions work both in the "homeland" and abroad. Over the next fifty years, the UCMS was the largest
agency of the Brotherhood. The National Benevolent Association was also established during the early
20th century as a social services ministry providing assistance to orphans, the elderly and the disabled.[38]

The congregations that did not participate were known as "independents." Until the cooperative churches
underwent the process of restructure in the 1960s, the cooperatives and independents coexisted together
under the same identity, but were following different paths by the 1940s, with the independents forming the
North American Christian Convention in 1947.[39]

While issues of ecclesiology were at the forefront of the growing division, theological issues also divided
the two groups, with the cooperative churches largely adopting the new methods of Biblical analysis
developed in the late 19th century.[40]

Restructure

Following World War II, it became obvious that the organizations that had been developed in previous
decades no longer effectively met the needs of the postwar era.[41] After a number of discussions
throughout the 1950s, the 1960 International Convention of Christian Churches adopted a process to
"restructure" the entire organization.[42] The Commission on Restructure, chaired by Granville T. Walker,
held its first meeting on October 30 & November 1, 1962.[43] In 1968, the International Convention of
Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ) adopted the commission's proposed Provisional Design of the
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).[44] Soon The Provisional Design became The Design.[45]

The Brotherhood's adoption of The Design made the earlier split between the cooperative and independent
churches official. Under The Design, all churches in the 1968 yearbook of Christian Churches (Disciples of
Christ) were automatically recognized as part of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). In the years that
followed, many of the Independent Christian Church Congregations requested formal withdrawal from the
yearbook. Many of those congregations were already part of the North American Christian Convention;
this group would become known as the Christian churches and churches of Christ and became the third
primary group of the Stone-Campbell Movement.[39]

Logo

In 1971, the General Assembly adopted a logo for the denomination. The logo depicts a red chalice with a
white St. Andrew's Cross. Symbolically the chalice is said to represent the Lord's Supper, which is central
to Disciples practice, and the cross of St. Andrew is said to represent the denomination's roots in Scottish
Presbyterian and the ministry of all people. The logo was designed by Ronald E. Osborn who drew the
logo with a red pen, leading to the red color of the logo, and refined by Bruce Tilsley. The logo can be used
by all Disciples congregations, ministries, and other affiliated institutions and provides clarity among
confusion from the "Christian Church" moniker many Disciple and non-Disciple congregations use.[46]

Beliefs and practices

As a congregational denomination, each Disciple congregation determines the nature of its worship, study,
Christian service, and witness to the world. Through belief in the priesthood of all believers, Disciples also
practice freedom of interpretation among its members, with only baptism and confession of Christ as Lord
required.

Doctrine and interpretation

Early members of the Stone-Campbell Preamble

Movement adopted the slogan "In
essentials, Unity; In non-essentials, Liberty;
and in all things, Charity."[note 3] For
modern disciples the one essential is the
acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and
Savior, and obedience to him in baptism.[47]
There is no requirement to give assent to
any other statement of belief or creed. Nor
is there any official interpretation of the
Bible.[48] Hierarchical doctrine was
traditionally rejected by Disciples as
human-made and divisive, and
subsequently, freedom of belief and
scriptural interpretation allows many
Disciples to question or even deny beliefs
common in doctrinal churches such as the
Incarnation, the Trinity, and the Atonement.
Beyond the essential commitment to follow
Jesus, there is a tremendous freedom of
belief and interpretation. As the basic
teachings of Jesus are studied and applied to
life, there is the freedom to interpret Jesus'
teaching in different ways. As would be
expected from such an approach, there is a
wide diversity among Disciples in what
individuals and congregations believe. It is
not uncommon to find individuals who
seemingly hold diametrically opposed
beliefs within the same congregation
affirming one another's journeys of faith as
sisters and brothers in Christ.[39]
Modern Disciples reject the use of creeds as
"tests of faith", that is, 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. Since the adoption of The Design of the
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ),[49] in 1968, Disciples have celebrated a sense of unity in reading the
preamble to the Design publicly.
As members of the Christian Church,
We confess that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of the living God,
and proclaim him Lord and Savior of the world.
In Christ's name and by his grace
we accept our mission of witness
and service to all people.
We rejoice in God,
maker of heaven and earth,
and in God's covenant of love
which binds us to God and to one another.
Through baptism into Christ
we enter into newness of life
and are made one with the whole people of God.
In the communion of the Holy Spirit
we are joined together in discipleship
and in obedience to Christ.
At the Table of the Lord
we celebrate with thanksgiving
the saving acts and presence of Christ.
Within the universal church
we receive the gift of ministry
and the light of scripture.
In the bonds of Christian faith
we yield ourselves to God
that we may serve the One
whose kingdom has no end.
Blessing, glory, and honor
be to God forever. Amen.
The Design of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Worship and Communion

Most congregations sing hymns, read from the Old and New Testaments, hear the word of God proclaimed
through sermon or other medium and extend an invitation to become Christ's Disciples.

Most Disciple congregations practice weekly celebrations of the Lord's Supper, often referred to by
Disciples as Communion, as an integral part of worship.[50] Through the observance of Communion,
individuals are invited to acknowledge their faults and sins, to remember the death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ, to remember their baptism, and to give thanks for God's redeeming love.[51] Because Disciples
believe that the invitation to the table comes from Jesus Christ, Communion is open to all who confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, regardless of their denominational affiliation.[52] For most Disciples, Communion is
understood as the symbolic presence of Jesus within the gathered community.[53]

Baptism

Most Disciple congregations practice believer's baptism in the form of immersion, believing it to be the
form used in the New Testament. The experiences of yielding to Christ in being buried with him in the
waters of baptism and rising to a new life have profound meaning for the church.[54] While most
congregations exclusively practice baptism by immersion, Disciples also accept other forms of baptism
including infant baptism.[55]

Ecumenical efforts

The Disciples celebrate their "The church of Christ upon earth is essentially, intentionally,
oneness with all who seek God and constitutionally one; consisting of all those in every place
through Jesus Christ, throughout that profess their faith in Christ and obedience to him in all things."
time and regardless of location. In
local communities, congregations
share with churches of other Thomas Campbell — Proposition 1 of the Declaration and address
denominations in joint worship
and in community Christian
service. Ecumenical cooperation and collaboration with other Christian Communions has long been
practiced by the Regions.

At the General Church level, the Christian Unity and Interfaith Ministries Unity (CUIM)[56] coordinates the
ecumenical and interfaith activities of the church. The Disciples continues to relate to the National Council
of Churches and Canadian Council of Churches, both of which it was a founding member. It shares in the
dialog and in the theological endeavors of the World Council of Churches. The Disciples has been a full
participant in the Consultation on Church Union since it began in the 1960s. It continues to support those
ongoing conversations which have taken on the title Churches Uniting in Christ.

The Disciples have two full communion partners: the United Church of Christ, since 1989, and the United
Church of Canada, since 2019. These three denominations all share mutual full communion with each
other.[57] CUIM describes these partnerships as the proclamation of "mutual recognition of their sacraments
and ordained ministry." Ordained Disciple ministers are able to directly serve in the United Church of
Christ without having to seek additional qualifications.[58] Additionally, the Disciples combined their
overseas ministries with the United Church of Christ in 1996. Known as Global Ministries, it is a common
agency of both denominations with a joint staff and is a continuance of decades of cooperative work in
global missions.[59]
While the Disciples of Christ and United Church of Canada have entered full communion, the recentness of
the agreement means that the provisions for mutual recognition of clergy are not yet finalized and
adopted.[60]

Ordained ministry

The Disciples believe in the priesthood of all believers, in that all people baptized are called to minister to
others with diverse spiritual gifts. The Disciples view their Order of Ministry as a specific subset of all
believers who are called with spiritual gifts specifically suited for pastoral ministry.[61] Congregations use
different terms to refer to persons in the Order of Ministry including Pastor and Reverend but most call
them Ministers, including the denomination's governing documents.[62]

Congregations sponsor members seeking ordination or commissioning as a Minister, and Regional

Ministries organize committees to oversee the process. Ordination can be achieved by obtaining a Master of
Divinity from a theological institution, which does not have to be an institution associated with the
Disciples. Ordination can also be achieved through an "Apprentice" track which has candidates shadow
ordained ministers. Finally, Ministers can be Commissioned, a shorter process for seminary students and
those seeking short-term ministry in a Region. Regional requirements for ministry vary. Ordination is made
official through a service which includes members of the church, clergy, and Regional Minister laying their
hands on the candidate as the ordaining act. Ecumenical representatives are often included to emphasize the
Disciples' desire for Christian unity.[61]

Disciples recognize the ordinations of the United Church of Christ as do they for Disciples.[63]

A General Commission on the Order of Ministry exists to interpret and review definitions of ministry, give
oversight to Regions and congregations, provide other support, and maintain the standing of Regional
Ministers and Ministers of General (National) Ministries.[64]

LGBTQ inclusion

In 1977, the General Assembly of the denomination debated resolutions about homosexuality for the first
time; a resolution condemning the "homosexual lifestyle" was defeated by the Assembly and a resolution to
ban gay people from the ordained ministry was referred to the General Minister and President for further
study.[65] At the next General Assembly two years later, the Assembly approved a resolution that declared
"The ordination of persons who engage in homosexual practices is not in accord with God's will," but
concurrently declared that "The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) intends to continue the current
pattern of assigning responsibility to the regions with respect to the nurture, certification, and ordination of
ministers."[65] Since then, some regions have ordained LGBTQ ministers before the denomination
officially supported it. Concerns about LGBTQ people continued to be an issue at the General Assembly,
but resolutions that called on more civil rights protections for LGBTQ people were passed with
overwhelming majorities and resolutions to ban the "homosexual lifestyle" continued to be rejected.[66]

In 2011, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) stated that "Disciples do not have a formal policy on
same-sex marriage. Different congregations have the autonomy to discern on issues such as this one".[67] In
2013, the Disciples of Christ voted in favor of a resolution affirming all members regardless of sexual
orientation.[68] After same-sex marriage was legalized in the US, the denomination reiterated that it leaves
"all decisions of policy on same-sex marriage to local congregations".[69]

In 2019, the General Assembly passed a resolution specifically affirming that transgender and gender non-
conforming people are welcome in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).[70]
Disciples LGBTQ+ Alliance provides resources to congregations that want to be certified as "Open and
Affirming" to show that they are accepting of all gender identities and sexual orientations.[71] The Alliance
was founded as the Gay, Lesbian, and Affirming Disciples Alliance (GLAD) during the 1979 General
Assembly.[72] The Disciples of Christ supports the right to an abortion.[73]

Structure
The structure of the Disciples is unique among Mainline Protestant churches. The Design, the governing
document of the denomination, describes three "expressions" of the church: congregational, regional, and
general. Each of these expressions are "characterized by its integrity, self-governance, authority, rights, and
responsibilities." In relating to each other, they work in covenant and not authority to support the ministry
and work of the church.[49]

Congregations

Congregations of the Disciples are self-governing in the tradition of congregational polity. They call their
own Ministers, select their own leadership, own their own property, and manage their own affairs.[74]

In Disciples congregations, the priesthood of all believers finds its expression in worship and Christian
service. Congregations elect and ordain lay persons as Elders to share in duties of congregational ministry
with the staff ministers, including visiting the sick and administering communion to them, providing
spiritual guidance for the congregation, and presiding over Communion during worship, either with or
without the staff ministers.[75]

Regional Ministries

Regional churches consist of all Disciples in a given area, usually a state or group of states. As of 2023, the
denomination has 31 regions, which includes the region of Canada that also acts as a national church in
relation to other churches in Canada.[76]

Regions meet in a Regional Assembly every two to three years to conduct business. Each Region calls a
Regional Minister to serve as its primary pastor and chief executive; most regions also have Associate
Regional Ministers and other staff to serve specific aspects of its ministries. Canada calls a national pastor
instead of a Regional Minister. Regions are analogous to the middle judicatories of other denominations,
and Regional Ministers are analogous to Bishops.[39]

One of the primary responsibilities of the Regions is the care for and oversight of clergy. The Design places
primary responsibility for ordination and licensing of ministers with the region. Candidates seeking
ordination are sponsored by a congregation but must be approved by their region, which usually entails a
process of interviews and other evaluations by a committee made up of clergy and lay people. The
Regional Minister usually officiates the ordination service in the sponsoring congregation. After ordination,
regions continue to oversee clergy through a process known as standing, which requires ministers to
undergo certain trainings periodically and maintain membership in a Disciples congregation. Ministers can
lose their standing for violating the ministerial code of ethics the denomination maintains. Finally, Regional
Ministers often provide pastoral care to ministers in their region.

Regions also nurture congregations in their region, including planting new churches, providing guidance,
supporting struggling congregations, and helping congregations hire their ministers. This latter process
consists of a system known as Search and Call, in which ministers seeking a church declare which regions
they would like to serve in and the region then suggests those candidates to congregations seeking a
minister. Regional Ministers usually provides congregations with a set of candidates that they feel will meet
the congregation's particular needs.

Regions also provide fellowship and education opportunities for its members. Many regions have summer
camping experiences for children and youth.[77]

As with all parts of the Disciples, Regions do not have authority to control congregations and
congregations are not required to use regional programming, including the search and call system.

General Ministries

The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) at the "General Church" level consists of a number of self-
governing agencies, which focus upon specific Christian witnesses to the world. The church agencies
report to the General Assembly, which meets biennially in odd-numbered years and is an assembly of
representatives selected by congregations and ordained ministers with standing in the denomination. The
General Minister and President (GMP) is the lead pastor for the denomination and the chief executive
officer of the legal corporation. Following the covenantal understanding of the denomination, the GMP
does not have direct executive power over the General Ministries, regions, or congregations. The GMP is
elected to a six-year term by the General Assembly, with the option for a second term.[49]

The current General Minister and President is Teresa Hord Owens. When she was elected in 2017, Owens
was the first black woman to lead a mainline denomination as their chief executive.[78] Her presidency
followed the presidency of Sharon E. Watkins, the first woman to lead a mainline denomination as their
chief executive.[79]

The General Ministries are:[80]

Office of the General Minister and President: executive office for the denomination and
includes communications, fundraising for the denominational mission fund, Week of
Compassion, and anti-racist/pro-reconciliation efforts
Central Pastoral Office for Hispanic Ministries-Obra Hispana: promotes, undergirds, and
coordinates work of Disciples Hispanic Ministries and Spanish speaking and bilingual
congregations
Christian Board of Publication-Chalice Press: denominational publishing house
Christian Church Foundation: provides assistance on giving and endowments
Christian Unity and Interfaith Ministry (formerly the Council on Christian Unity): ecumenical
and interfaith engagement and dialogue
Disciples Church Extension Fund: support for congregational finances, new church ministry,
and congregational renewal
Disciples Home Missions: provides support for congregational and local ministries including
education and faith formation, church vocations, environmental justice, immigration and
refugee ministries, families and children, youth, young adults, men's and women's ministries,
and volunteering.[81]
Disciples of Christ Historical Society: maintains archives for the denomination and the larger
Stone-Campbell Movement
Division of Overseas Ministries-Global Ministries: global mission and volunteer work in joint
partnership with the United Church of Christ
Higher Education and Leadership Ministries: works with higher education partners and
theological education partners and provides leadership development
 National Benevolent Association: partners with and connects independent health and social
service ministries to Disciples and each other
National Convocation: historical association of Black Disciple congregations that merged
with the White Disciples in 1968, now continues as an association connecting and
supporting black members and congregations
North American Pacific/Asian Disciples: association of Pacific and Asian-American
Disciples members and congregations
Pension Fund of the Christian Church: provides pensions and investment/savings products
to clergy and lay employees of Stone-Campbell/Restoration Movement churches and
organizations.

One highly popular and respected General Agency program is the "Week of Compassion," named for the
special offering to fund the program when it began in the 1950s. The Week of Compassion is the disaster
relief and Third World development agency.[82] It works closely with Church World Service and church-
related organizations in countries around the world where disasters strike, providing emergency aid.[39]

The General Church has challenged the entire denomination to work for a 2020 Vision[83] for the first two
decades of the 21st Century. Together the denomination is well on the way to achieving its four foci:

Seeking racial justice, which it describes as becoming a pro-reconciling/anti-racist

church.[84]
Forming 1,000 new congregations across the United States and Canada by 2020.[85]
Seeking God's transformation of 1,000 existing Congregations in ways that will renew their
witness.[86]
Working to nurture leadership for newly formed and transformed congregations.[87]

Membership trends
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has experienced a very significant loss of membership since the
middle of the 20th century. Membership peaked in 1958 at just under 2 million.[88] In 1993, membership
dropped below 1 million. In 2009, the denomination reported 658,869 members in 3,691 congregations.[88]
In 2010, the five states with the highest adherence rates were Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Kentucky and
Oklahoma.[89] The states with the largest absolute number of adherents were Missouri, Texas, Indiana,
Kentucky and Ohio.[90] In 2017, membership had declined to 450,425 members.[91][92]

Affiliated academic institutions

From the very beginnings of the movement, Disciples have founded institutions of higher learning.
Alexander Campbell taught young leaders and founded Bethany College. The movement established
similar schools, especially in the years following the American Civil War.[93]

Because intellectual and religious freedom are important values for the Disciples of Christ, the colleges,
universities, and seminaries founded by its congregations do not seek to indoctrinate students or faculty
with a sectarian point of view.[94]
In the 21st century, the relationship between the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and its affiliated
universities is the purview of Higher Education and Leadership Ministries (HELM), an agency of the
General Church.[95]

Universities and colleges

Barton College – Wilson, North Carolina
Bethany College – Bethany, West Virginia
Chapman University – Orange, California
Columbia College – Columbia, Missouri
Culver-Stockton College – Canton, Missouri
Drury University – Springfield, Missouri
Eureka College – Eureka, Illinois
Hiram College – Hiram, Ohio
Jarvis Christian College – Hawkins, Texas
University of Lynchburg – Lynchburg, Virginia
Midway University – Midway, Kentucky
Texas Christian University – Fort Worth, Texas
Tougaloo College – Tougaloo, Mississippi[96]
Transylvania University – Lexington, Kentucky
William Woods University – Fulton, Missouri

Seminaries and theological institutions

The Disciples have four seminaries and divinity schools directly affiliated with the denomination. These
institutions have an ecumenical student body, a reflection of the Disciples' focus on church unity. They are:

Brite Divinity School – Fort Worth, Texas

Christian Theological Seminary – Indianapolis, Indiana
Lexington Theological Seminary – Lexington, Kentucky
Phillips Theological Seminary – Tulsa, Oklahoma

The Disciples have three additional institutions that provide supplementary education and community living
for ecumenical theological institutions. They are:

Disciples Divinity House of the University of Chicago, affiliated with the University of
Chicago Divinity School – Chicago, Illinois
Disciples Divinity House at Vanderbilt, affiliated with the Vanderbilt Divinity School –
Nashville, Tennessee
Disciples Seminary Foundation, affiliated with Claremont School of Theology, Iliff School of
Theology, Pacific School of Religion, and San Francisco Theological Seminary –
Claremont, California

Ecumenical relations
The Disciples of Christ maintains ecumenical relations with the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian
Unity.[97] It is also affiliated with other ecumenical organizations such as Churches Uniting in Christ,
Christian Churches Together, the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.[98] It
maintains Ordained Ministerial Partner Standing with the United Church of Christ, which means that clergy
ordained in the Disciples of Christ may also serve in the United Church of Christ.[99] Since 2019, it has
been a full Communion partner and had an agreement for mutual recognition of ministerial credentials with
the United Church of Canada. It is affiliated with the Disciples Ecumenical Consultative Council and the
World Communion of Reformed Churches.

Prominent members
Jesse Moren Bader, evangelist
William Barber II, Disciples pastor and President of North Carolina NAACP
Andy Beshear, current Governor of Kentucky
Edgar Cayce, American mystic
Fred Craddock, professor and preacher
J. William Fulbright, U.S. Senator from Arkansas
James A. Garfield, 20th President of the United States, ordained Disciples minister, Principal
(President) of Western Reserve Eclectic Institute (now named Hiram College) in Hiram, Ohio
Murry Hammond, singer
Grey DeLisle, voice actress
Dean Hess, US Air Force Pilot
Ben Hogan, professional golfer, tied for fourth all-time with nine career professional major
championships
Archie Ijames, assistant pastor of Jim Jones' Peoples Temple.
Lyndon Baines Johnson, 36th President of the United States
Jim Jones, cult leader, who was ordained as a Disciples minister before the denomination
was organized in 1968; at that time requirements for ordination varied greatly in different
regions and congregations. Two investigations were undertaken in 1974 and 1977 by the
denomination that did not find any wrongdoings. No rules or precedent existed for the
Disciples for removing ministers, and the Disciples responded to the Jonestown mass
killings with significant changes for ministerial ethics and the process to remove ministers
from the list of ordained.[100][101]
Marinda Lemert (1811–1891), religious writer who argued for the ordination of women
Frances McDormand, actress; winner of the Triple Crown of Acting
James Clark McReynolds, United States Supreme Court Justice (1914–1941)
Harold Bell Wright early 20th century author; pastor at churches in the association prior to
becoming an author. The author is best known for the novel The Shepherd of the Hills, and
is the first fiction author to sell 1 million copies.
John Muir, Scottish founder of the environmental movement. Raised in the church, but later
left it.[102]
Francis Gary Powers, American CIA U-2 spy plane pilot shot down while flying a
reconnaissance mission in Soviet Union airspace
Betsy Price, Former mayor of Fort Worth, Texas (2011–2021), the 16th most populous city in
the United States
Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United States, baptized into the Disciples as a youth,
and graduated from the Disciples' Eureka College, but a member of Bel Air Presbyterian
Church in his later years. He married Nancy at The Little Brown Church in Studio City,
California, a Disciples Church.
 Susanna Carson Rijnhart, Tibetan explorer, missionary
Gene Robinson, raised in a Disciples church, later joined the Episcopal Church in the
United States of America and became the first openly gay priest to be consecrated as a
bishop in a major Christian denomination believing in the historic episcopate
Colonel Harlan Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken
Tom Selleck, actor
John Stamos, actor
Preston Taylor, African American minister, businessperson and philanthropist; founder of the
National Christian Missionary Convention
William Thomas Jr., actor
Marion Tinsley, considered the all-time greatest human Checkers player
Jessie Trout, Canadian missionary in Japan, author, Japanese-American internment camp
worker, co-founder of the Christian Women's Fellowship (1950) and the International
Christian Women's Fellowship (1953)
Emily Harvie Thomas Tubman, businesswoman and philanthropist from Augusta, Georgia,
early supporter of the Restoration Movement and correspondent of Alexander Campbell.
She financed the construction of many Christian churches in the United States and donated
to several Disciples-affiliated colleges.
Roger Williams (U.S. politician), Congressman representing Texas' 25th District in the U.S.
House of Representatives. Former Secretary of State of Texas (2004–2007)
John Wooden, legendary UCLA basketball coach, raised in a Disciples Church in
Martinsville, Indiana

See also
Christianity portal

First Christian Church, a typical name for many Disciples congregations, links to a
disambiguation page with a list of congregations
National City Christian Church, the Disciples' main congregation in Washington, D.C.
DisciplesWorld, now-defunct magazine that covered the denomination
Restoration Movement
Churches of Christ, separated officially in 1906
Christian churches and churches of Christ, separated officially in 1968
World Convention of Churches of Christ
Christianity

Notes
1. The full name of the denomination, "Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)", includes the
parenthetical phrase.
2. The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) shares similar names with the other streams of
the Stone-Campbell Movement. Prior to the 1906 separation of the Churches of Christ,
congregations would typically be named "Disciples of Christ," "Christian Church," and
"Church of Christ." After the split was recognized in 1906, cooperative Disciples churches
began to change their names to the more common Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). By
1968 when the Disciples formally organized themselves as a denomination, another group
of churches which had not "cooperated" in common ministries of mission and service
 beyond the congregation level remained separate and began calling themselves Christian
Church, Church of Christ, or Independent Christian Church without the "(Disciples of Christ)"
moniker. Disciples churches are most easily recognizable by the use of the red chalice logo,
since many do not always use the "(Disciples of Christ)" moniker, preferring only the
Christian Church moniker.
3. From Marco Antonio de Dominis, De Repubblica Ecclesiastica

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"Ronald Reagan Facts" (https://web.archive.org/web/20141016063155/http://www.reagan.ut
exas.edu/archives/reference/facts.html). Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Archived from
the original (http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/reference/facts.html) on October 16,
2014. Retrieved December 8, 2005.
Watkins, Sharon E. (publisher) (2006). Yearbook & Directory of the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) - 2006, Indianapolis: The Office of The General Minister and President
Williams, D. Newell (2008). The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ): A Reformed North
American Mainstream Moderate Denomination (https://web.archive.org/web/201109271839
04/http://www.disciples.org/ccu/PDF/Newell%20Williams%20paper.pdf), presentation given
during the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Consultation on "Becoming a Multicultural
and Inclusive Church," March 27, 2008. Retrieved January 4, 2010.

Further reading
Butchart, Reuben. The Disciples of Christ in Canada Since 1930... in series, Canadian
Headquarters' Publications. Toronto, Ont.: Churches of Christ (Disciples), 1949. xv, 674 p.

External links
Official website (http://www.disciples.org)
Disciples of Christ Historical Society (http://www.discipleshistory.org)
 Profile of Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) on the Association of Religion Data Archives
website (http://www.thearda.com/Denoms/D_1071.asp) Archived (https://web.archive.org/we
b/20141028230822/http://www.thearda.com/Denoms/D_1071.asp) October 28, 2014, at the
Wayback Machine

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