The Symbol

The symbol of The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a red chalice (or communion cup) with an embedded X-shaped cross.

The cup symbolizes the centrality of communion in our worship. We believe all believers, regardless of denomination, are welcome at the Lord's table.

The X-shaped cross is called the St. Andrew's Cross. Tradition has it that the apostle Andrew was crucified because of his ministry. When the terrible moment came, he declared himself unworthy of being crucified on a cross like his Lord's, and requested that he be nailed to an X-shaped cross instead. The X-shaped cross has ever after served to signify humility and sacrifice.

Our Name

The official name of our church body is "the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)." Individual churches (First Christian Church of Rogers, Millwood Christian Church, etc.) are referred to as congregations of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), which has approximately one million members in the United States and Canada, and is involved in mission work around the world.

In essentials, unity; In non-essentials, liberty; In all things, love.
This is our overriding principal.

Summary of Our Beliefs

•  As Disciples of Christ, we put our trust in God and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior through our Confession that He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
• We practice believers' Baptism by immersion, while recognizing and accepting the validity of other forms.
• Communion is central to our worship experience, and we invite all Christians to participate in the weekly celebration of the Lord's Supper together.
• We believe in the Integrity of each individual before God and allow for diversity of conviction and opinion. Every Christian should study Scripture and listen for the Holy Spirit him/herself, since we will each give an accounting for ourselves.
• We believe the Bible is the inspired word of God and is best understood when studied within a community of faith. Diversity offers a rich context to fully appreciate and learn from scripture.
• Finally, we believe in the Unity of all Christians, and seek to foster greater understanding and cooperation. We believe the Body of Christ is one. Therefore, we seek to bring people together, rather than divide, based upon differences. 

Our Confession

We believe in "The Great Confession."
When Jesus asked his Disciples "Who do you say that I am?" Peter responded, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God" (Matthew 16:16). Christians refer to these words as "The Great Confession." 

As Disciples of Christ, we believe all Christians should be able to affirm these words. Therefore, when one wishes to join a Disciples church, he or she is simply asked: "Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and do you accept Him as your Lord and Savior?" 

Baptism

We accept Jesus' gift of baptism.

Disciples of Christ regard baptism as an important command of Christ. Jesus was baptized himself, and he told his disciples, "Go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."

Therefore, we believe in the importance of baptism. We see full immersion as the most symbolic mode and the way that baptism was practiced in the New Testament. However, we also freely accept members into our congregation who have been baptized by other means: infant baptism and confirmation, or adult baptism by sprinkling. We do not question the validity of other forms of baptism or require re-baptism for membership.

Communion

We gratefully receive God's gift of communion.

Looking at our sanctuary you will note that the communion table takes the central position. In the Disciples church, we share in holy communion every Sunday and view it as the central highlight of our worship experience.

Regarding the table as Christ's, and not our own, we bar no one from that table. All believers, whether they are members of our church, another church, or no church, may partake. We set the table as Jesus charged, offer the invitation, and serve the elements of grace to all who receive them. We believe in the power of this simple meal with our Lord and share in it every Sunday.

Integrity

We believe in the integrity of individuals, and in matters of theology we allow for diversity of interpretation.

We believe all persons have a right and responsibility to read and interpret the Bible for themselves. We recognize that because of background, experience, and the moving of God's Spirit, not all people will see things exactly alike. We don not regard this variety as wholly negative, but see our diversity as a strength.

In a Disciples of Christ church, one can freely ask questions an express opinions. The luxury of such freedom means that you will hear a variety of convictions and opinion, and that you may express ideas of your own. As we see it, we are ultimately responsible only to God for our opinions and actions. Therefore, we do not see it as our place to judge the opinions of others.

For us, church is not the dictator of faith, but a place for its expression, growth, and nurturing.

Unity

We believe strongly in Christian unity.

Our church was born as a dream and movement to unite all Christians into Christ's one Church. The divisions that have plagued our congregations are not born of God. We yearn to break down the walls that separate us into fractured and separated denominations. We work toward the common goal of spreading Christ's love together. Consequently, we eagerly cooperate with other churches and denominations whenever possible. 

A Brief History

Our history begins two hundred years ago on the American frontier when many people from different cultural and church backgrounds were thrown together in search of religious freedom in the American West. Though Christians in the New World felt united by their common faith in Christ, many frustrating denominational differences kept them apart. Out of that frustration grew a movement for Christian unity.

I. Leaders 

There were three main leaders of the movement: Thomas Campbell, Alexander Campbell, and Barton W. Stone. Thomas Campbell, a Presbyterian minister, immigrated to America from Northern Ireland in 1807. Deeply disturbed by the infighting within his own denomination in Ireland and Scotland, he came to America where he found the situation equally bad. Soon after his arrival, he was asked to preside over a worship service in which rival factions of Presbyterians were present. As they came to the Lord's Table, Campbell invited all present to join in communion.

Because of their disagreements, the groups were not supposed to share in communion. Consequently, Campbell was summoned before his governing presbytery, and for his action, he was suspended from the ministry. Suspension galvanized his resolve to bring Christians together beyond the sectarian divisions that tore them apart.

Soon Thomas' son, Alexander, immigrated from Scotland to join his father in the work. The Campbells and those following them did not want to create a new denomination or add to the divisive names already in existence. Therefore, they called themselves only "disciples" or "disciples of Christ."

These leaders then made the decision to break down sectarian walls by rejecting the individual traditions and creeds of all denominations as tests of faith and fellowship. Their goal was to return to the Bible and the practices of the earliest Christians, as described in the New Testament. Their rigorous search through scripture led them to conclude that in the early church, communion was shared every Sunday and baptism was practiced by immersion.

The third leader in the early 1800s was another Presbyterian minister by the name of Barton W. Stone. 

For ordination, Stone was required to affirm the doctrines taught in the Presbyterian "Confession of Faith." After much study of the doctrines and of Scripture, Stone found that she could not fully accept the content of the Confession of Faith. As a result, he told his superiors that he could only accept the confession insofar as he saw it consistent with the teachings of the Bible. They accepted his response and ordained him to the ministry. As time went on, however, Stone became increasingly concerned about the various doctrines. He eventually left the Presbyterian Church, seeking to be only "a Christian." Other disgruntled Presbyterians followed. They worshiped and worked together and called themselves "Christians,"seeking to sink into union with the Body of Christ.

The "Disciples" led by the Campbells and the "Christians" led by Stone eventually found each other and united as one movement on January 1, 1832. Bound by a common goal for unity, the two groups puzzled over a common name by which to be known. No official decision was reached, but congregations called themselves "Christian Churches" or "Churches of Christ." Despite the ambiguity, the movement grew rapidly. By the 1870s there were more that a million members in the United States.

II. Conflict

Around the turn of the century, a terrible irony occurred. This fast-growing movement, bound by the common goal to unite the Church split in two! The movement to heal divisions divided! The issue that launched the fatal fight was the introduction of an organ to provide music in the worship service. It seemed like a small issue to split people with so large a vision! To one group, it was a matter of principle, as there is no mention of instrumental music in early Christian worship. This group considered this type of music to be without authority and, therefore, a sin. The other group pointed to the multitude of examples of instrumental music in the Old Testament, and held that the New Testament was not a legal document and that anything that aided in the worship of God was appropriate.

The issue was not resolved, and in 1906 the U.S. Census officially listed a new category of churches calling themselves "Church of Christ." To this day, the Church of Christ does not use instrumental music in worship.

III. Second Conflict

During the first half of the twentieth century, the group that accepted instrumental music in the worship service, "the Christian Church," had other issues to dispute. Many felt the need for organization beyond the local congregation, on the a regional and national level. They felt that this broader organization would more effectively coordinate the ministry of the church and fill the need for a Christian Missionary Society.

Others felt that such organization would turn the movement into another denomination, adding division in the Church. They argued that each congregation should send to its own missionaries. They feared a loss of control over the work of their churches. This disagreement, sadly, led to another split. The separating churches continued to call themselves "Christian Churches," and desired independence from any "organized" church.

In 1968, the division became officially recognized. The group using instruments in worship and utilizing a cooperative, national organization for missions called itself "The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)." "(Disciples of Christ)" in parenthesis distinguishes our group from the "Independent Christian Churches," and also points back to the two original movements of "Disciples" and "Christians."

This is the group that we are a part of, although we still seek unity with all, even with those from whom we have divided.