The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada grew out of two movements seeking Christian unity. They sprang up almost simultaneously in western Pennsylvania and Kentucky – movements that were a backlash to the rigid denominationalism of the early 1800s.
Barton W. Stone, a fifth-generation American in Kentucky and a Presbyterian minister, objected to the use of creeds as tests of “fellowship” within the church, which were a cause of disunity, especially at the Communion Table. You see, back then the Presbyterian Church only celebrated communion quarterly, and, before you could take communion, you had to be approved by the Elders. Stone felt that decision should be made by each member on his or her own,
Stone had become a key participant in a Restoration Movement following The Great Revival of 1801, held at the Cane Ridge Meeting House near Paris, Kentucky. The Disciples of Christ have always held the Revival at Cane Ridge, Kentucky as its birthplace.
In 1932 the Cane Ridge Preservation Project came into existence to oversee restoration of the old meeting house. A superstructure to protect the log church was built over it, using native limestone. The Cane Ridge Meeting Houst was dedicated as a shrine to the Birth of what became the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
In 1786, Thomas Campbell, a Scottish Presbyterian minister, immigrated to America to establish a home for his family in the new frontier. Once in America, disagreement arose between Thomas and other Presbyterians over certain points, (wait for it), Doctrine, particularly as it related to Calvinist doctrine and the administration of the Lord’s Supper.
In 1809, Thomas Campbell sent for his family, including his adult son. By then, Alexander Campbell, was also a Scott Presbyterian minister. Alexander also had separated from the Presbyterian church. Guess Why! Doctrine! Around What? Yep! Communion.
Alexander joined his father in leading the restoration movement in Pennsylvania. In 1826 they took on Walter Scott as Evangelist for the movement. And in 1832 the Kentucky and Pennsylvania branches of the restoration movement officially joined. Hence, the four individuals thought of as the founders of what became The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) are Barton Stone, Alexander and Thomas Cambell and Walter Scott.
In its rejection of the doctrines and Creeds, the early movement has continued to be a creedless fellowship, stating “no creed but Christ,” and seeking to follow the New Testament as its guide.
Baptism by immersion is an example of their using scripture as their guide. After lengthy discussions over the accounts of Jesus’ baptism, the early movement finally decided immersion was most likely the way Jesus was baptized.
Two early slogans of this movement to restore a simple form of Christianity and unity was, “No creed but Christ.” and “Where the scriptures speak, we speak. Where the scriptures are silent, we are silent.” To this day there are no creeds or doctrines of belief required by the Disciples of Christ. Differing views were open to discussion. The Founders, especially the Campbells, valued education, and not just of the Bible. The Campbells started more than one school themselves. Over the following years the Disciples founded 19 colleges and universities, including Texas Christian University and our own nearby Eureka College.
The Administrative structure of the Disciples can be described as an inverted pyramid. The lowest power rests in the elected Minister, President and National. His administration is at the bottom of the pyramid. The Regional offices are in the middle of the Pyramid. The broadest power rests in the laity of the local congregations. Major decisions are made by the clergy and, at least two lay delegates from each congregation. They meet in an assembly every two years. In other words, the Disciples of Christ, like the United Church of Christ, is a congregational structure. Each congregation owns its own property and administrates its own functioning. There was a reason a former Minister President once said, “Leading the Disciples of Christ is like herding a room full of cats.”
The symbol of the Disciples of Christ was designed to keep the church grounded in its heritage. The red chalice reminds the members of the central role communion has in their worship. The Saint Andrew’s Cross, on the side of the chalice, is the National Cross of Scotland. It reminds them of their Scot-Presbyterian roots.
Finally, you have been hearing me use Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and just Disciples of Christ. The early Founders struggled with the two names. Eventually they settled on The Christian Church. But, alas, despite their wish for Christian unity around a simple and open faith, slogans can become un-conscious creeds. When that happens, disunity occurs.
That happened twice. One was when the slogan “…where the scriptures are silent, we are silent,” was used to say there are no musical instruments in the Bible, so they broke off and became the Church of Christ, Non-Instrumental. Another, allowing the same slogan to become a creed, broke off because there were no Missionary Societies in the Bible. That group kept the same name The Christian Church. Think of Eastview Christian Church.
Hence the Disciples began adding Disciples of Christ in parentheses to their name. Today you know a Christian Church is a Disciples church when it uses Disciples in its name. But, we are a “room full of cats.” So you’ll see a variety of ways Disciples is used.
Presbyterianism USA – Rev. Lori Kyle
Today is probably the closest I’ll ever come to having the opportunity to be stand-in a Presbyterian. I welcome this opportunity because it has allowed me to learn more about a faith tradition that, until now, I didn’t know much about.
I want to acknowledge the assistance of Presbyterian ministerial candidate Jamie Kaiser, who generously met with me on more than one occasion to offer insights, and shared the exceedingly useful resources of her textbooks from current seminary courses that cover some of the very questions we are addressing in our discernment process.
Also contributing to my preparations for today was Second Presbyterian senior pastor Trey Haddon and Rev. Eric Vinsel, Second Pres parish associate.
As a point of clarification, when we say refer to the Presbyterian tradition we are referring to PCUSA. There are other branches of Presbyterianism, with views on theology and morality differing significantly. PCUSA is the most liberal, and the sole branch of our focus today.
Here are some examples of the liberal aspects of the denomination:
PCUSA is open and affirming. In 2011 it began allowing the ordination of homosexual clergy. In 2014, they changed the definition of marriage in the Book of Order from the union of “a man and a woman” to “two people.”
PCUSA is also ecumenical…at the 2016 General Assembly, a Muslim offered a prayer to Allah during the opening plenary session. This denomination also takes a liberal stand on abortion, stating that “the considered decision of a woman to terminate a pregnancy can be a morally acceptable decision.”
More Light Presbyterians (of which NCC is a part) is an organization associated with PCUSA whose mission statement says: Following the risen Christ, and seeking to make the Church a true community of hospitality, the mission of More Light Presbyterians is to work for the full participation of LGBTQIA+ people in the life, ministry and witness of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and in society.
In my conversations with Jamie Kaiser, she insightfully remarked that, as is usually the case in religious traditions, there is a spectrum of liberal and conservative applications to scripture and theology.
She also noted that professor and theologian Donald K. McKim is considered in academia to be a credible voice regarding Presbyterianism.
I will now share with you some direct excerpts from McKim’s book Presbyterian Questions, Presbyterian Answers regarding theological issues.
What does it mean to be ‘saved’?
To be saved is to experience Christian Salvation. We Presbyterian Christians believe that sin is forgiven and then a restored relationship with God is established through the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the Messiah. Through his life, death and resurrection, we have been given the gift of salvation and eternal life. All this, plus the hope laid for us in heaven that comes to us in the gospel of salvation (p. 55)
Did Jesus really rise from the dead and what does his resurrection mean?
Presbyterians affirm this central doctrine of the resurrection, expressed simply in the Apostles Creed, where we confess of Christ that he ‘rose again from the dead.’ Jesus Christ was divine and human. This is an event that happened in history…totally unique from all other ‘historical events.’ The death of the eternal Son of God, who was vindicated in his life and death by his resurrection – this brings salvation! (p. 35).
Will non-Christians be saved?
Presbyterians should always maintain that who is saved is decided by God. There are other theological perspectives to keep in mind. First, salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ. As Presbyterian Christians we proclaim vigorously and persuasively that we come to salvation through Jesus Christ, God’s son, who was sent to save the world. (p. 56)
Thus far we’ve heard in basic terms about two categories – justice/inclusion/social morality and theological tenets that address:
- the nature of Jesus (divine or not)
- what theologians call ‘The depravity of man’ (which refers to humanity’s inherently sinful nature)
- “Salvation by faith’ (which refers to the belief that we our sinfulness is forgiven, and we are reconciled back to God, through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
There’s a third category that is more relational. This is a particularly interesting one, given the ebbs and flows of Presbyterianism through our Community’s history.
We were founded by a Presbyterian minister. Except for a Disciples of Christ interim and the present day, our history has been nothing but Presbyterian clergy.
The Presbyterians were the ones who gave me, a Unitarian-ordained minister, standing in their faith tradition so we could fulfill the requirements of our bylaws regarding ministerial standing (or official recognition of legitimacy or credentials) in one of our affiliated traditions.
It was a stretch and everyone knew it, and still they demonstrated presence and support to us in this significant way.
(This was after a local Presbytery leader, Rev. Laura Reason, affectionately said to me and her boss Ann Schwartz that NCC had ‘gone off the rails’ by hiring a UU minister.)
That little story seems to me to sum up the relationship we/NCC has with the Presbyterian denomination.
It’s one of history and support and presence. And our ‘rails’, the track our theological train runs on, are usually somewhat differing in shape and size.
This played out on two separate occasions…one by me and one by my buddy Trey, the minister here at Second Pres.
My occasion was when I was chatting with Second Pres’s Family Ministry Director Jamie Kaiser. When I told her that our fledgling children’s religious education program is very sparsely attended, she generously suggested that we consider sending our children to the Second Pres RE program, which is well-established.
I knew the answer before I asked the question, but it needed to be asked.
“Will the kids receive education in traditional Christian theology of the divinity of Jesus, and atonement theology of Jesus needing to die for our sins in order for us to be saved?”
“Of course!”
We both knew then that such an arrangement wouldn’t work. Jamie knew because she’s preached for us on multiple occasions and has chuckled at how much she has to revise the content of a service – sermon, hymns, etc… – when attempting to use the same materials for a service upstairs as for one here with us.
The time with Pastor Trey also involved Jamie. As director of their youth group Jamie was looking into bringing her high-school aged youth down to assist us in doing Fluff and Stuff for Wesley Distribution (as a field trip sort of experience).
In speaking with Trey about it, she mentioned also considering coming early enough to attend our worship service that day too.
Trey’s response, similar to mine and for the same reasons, was that their youth were welcome to participate in post-service activities, but not to attend our worship service.
It reminds me of one of our own NCC congregants who said for years he would metaphorically have his fingers crossed behind his back as he recited and received messaging that didn’t align with his theological leanings.
The fact of the matter is, there is more than theology makes a church. A church is also more than its socio-political leaning. And more than its history.
All of these things blend to make a denomination, and to make the relationship of that tradition with its congregations.
I can tell you unequivocally that we’ve been blessed beyond measure to have had our relationship with PCUSA. It’s fair to say that we likely would not exist without it!
Next week, before taking a break from affiliation-related services for a while, we’ll talk more broadly about the importance of these things – history and mystery, theology and sociology – as we continue our journey of discernment.
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