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Christian churches and churches of Christ

This article is about Christians known as the Christian Churches or Churches of Christ. For other uses, see Christian Church (disambiguation).
Independent "Christian Churches" and "Churches of Christ"
ClassificationProtestant[1]
OrientationRestorationist
PolityCongregationalist
AssociationsWorld Convention of Churches of Christ
Founder
Origin
Separations
Members1,071,616 in the United States

The group of churches known as the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ is a fellowship of congregations within the Restoration Movement (also known as the Stone-Campbell Movement and the Reformation of the 19th Century) that have no formal denominational affiliation with other congregations, but still share many characteristics of belief and worship.[2] Churches in this tradition are strongly congregationalist and have no formal denominational ties, and thus there is no proper name that is agreed upon and applied to the movement as a whole. Most (but not all) congregations in this tradition include the words "Christian Church" or "Church of Christ" in their congregational name. Due to the lack of formal organization between congregations, there is a lack of official statistical data, but the 2016 Directory of the Ministry[3] documents some 5000 congregations in the US and Canada; some estimate the number to be over 6,000 since this directory is unofficial.[who?] By 1988, the movement had 1,071,616 members in the United States.[4]

These congregations share historical roots with other, similarly named congregations within the Restoration Movement, including congregations organized within formal fellowships, such as the "Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)" or the "Churches of Christ". The congregations discussed in this article, however, have chosen to remain fully autonomous. Further distinguishing these congregations is their use of instrumental music within their worship, unlike the "Churches of Christ" who do not use instrumental music. The instrumental congregations discussed here and the a cappella "Churches of Christ" are otherwise very similar but have little contact with each other in most communities, although there is some cooperation among some larger churches and also in some educational institutions.[clarification needed]

  1. ^ “Though some in the Movement have been reluctant to label themselves Protestants, the Stone-Campbell Movement is in the direct lineage of the Protestant Reformation. Especially shaped by Reformed theology through its Presbyterian roots, the Movement also shares historical and theological traits with Anglican and Anabaptist forebears." Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, "Protestant Reformation", in The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8.
  2. ^ ARDA 2012.
  3. ^ Directory of the Ministry 2019.
  4. ^ "Groups - Religious Profiles | US Religion". www.thearda.com. Retrieved 2024-01-04.

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