The Evangelical Christian Church (Christian Disciples)

The Evangelical Christian Church Inc., also known as the Christian Disciples, is one of a number of non-denominational churches that trace their origins back to June 28, 1804 and the work of Barton Warren Stone in Bourbon County, Kentucky.^[1] The movement begun by Stone, a former Presbyterian minister, later merged with the efforts of Thomas Campbell (1763-1844) and his son Alexander Campbell (1788-1866) to become the Restoration Movement that gave birth to the Churches of Christ (Non-Instrumental), the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).^[2]

The Evangelical Christian Church (Christian Disciples), founded in 1804, joined with other Canadian branches in 1832, and the first work of the Christian Disciples of Evangelical Christian Church to form was in 1810 in Stratford, PEI,^[3] in the Maritime provinces Canada.^[4]

In Laura,Ohio, in 1854, an anti-slavery remnant of the Christian Disciples organized as The Evangelical Christian Church took the message of Christ to the black community. The church was reorganized again in 2001 through the many church splits that took place. A number of early congregations of The Evangelical Christian Churches invited black ministers to preach in their pulpits, while many white Evangelical Christian Church ministers crossed cultural boundaries to preached to mixed congregations.^[5] Ministers and members were strong supporters of and workers in the Abolition Movement and participated in the Underground Railroad.

In the face of changes made by other churches of the American Restoration Movement, The Evangelical Christian Church became determined to remain true to the basic teachings of Stone in restoring the organization and practices of the church to the New Testament pattern. Christian unity and freedom reflected the beliefs of the Christian Disciples and Barton Stone during the Second Great Awakening. [1]

Further reading[edit]

• Barrie, Douglas S. "A History of the Christian Church and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Alberta, Canada." M.A. thesis, Lincoln, Illinois: Lincoln Christian Seminary, 1975

• Ellis, Geoffery H. "An Inquiry into the Growth of the Disciples of Christ in 19th Century Ontario." MTS thesis, Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, 1993

• Mahor, J.B. "The Role of Periodicals in the Development of the Disciples of Christ, 1850-1910." Ph.D. thesis, Vanderbilt University, 1966

References[edit]

1. ↑ http://www.kentaurus.com/domine/protestant.HTM Restoration Movement denominations in the United States
2. ↑ http://novelguide.com/a/discover/ear_01/ear_01_00100.html History of ECC
3. ↑ http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMR364_OLDEST_Christian_Disciples_Church_in_Canada_Stratford_PEI
4. ↑ http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/evangelical-christian-church-in-canada-christian-disciples/
5. ↑ http://twu.ca/sites/cprn/research/denominations.html Charismatic Movements in the United States