The Restoration Movement
Every member, a minister (Geoff Snook)
From the earliest days the Restoration Movement saw equality and autonomy between Christians and between leadership roles. The ‘priesthood of all believers’ became a mark of Churches of Christ, in stark contrast to other movements that emphasised clear hierarchies with special roles and privileges. The independence of churches also became a distinguishing feature, in contrast to denominational control in other movements. Today we are still an autonomous church, but we value the mutual responsibilities we have with Churches of Christ…
Revival at Cane Ridge and the Last Will and Testament (Laura Snook)
Two of the more bizarre stories from the early days of Churches of Christ are connected to one of the founders, Barton Stone. Stone was a young Presbyterian minister who left behind the divisions of denominations to help launch the Restoration Movement. A significant turning point was his role in the Cane Ridge Revival in Kentucky in 1801. Tens of thousands of people came from far and wide, cutting across socio-economic and racial boundaries to experience an outpouring of the…
No creed but Christ, no book but the Bible (Geoff Snook)
As Churches of Christ sought to restore the church to its New Testament origins they removed many manmade barriers to faith. They had a serious devotion to the Bible and did their best to remove any emphasis on other books or on manmade creeds. Sometimes their devotion to the Bible was unhelpful and idolatrous, but we can recapture their devotion to the authority of scripture. Sometimes their rejection of creeds was throwing the baby out with the bathwater, but we…
The importance of practical care and communion (Laura Snook)
As Churches of Christ sought to restore the church to its New Testament origins, they focused on practices of practical care and communion. They found these things were central to the early church and they wanted to make them central to their faith too. In the history books of Churches of Christ in Australia we often find a church plant referred to as ‘they met for The Lord’s Supper’. And particularly in the early days in Queensland, practical care for…
Christians only, but not the only Christians (Geoff Snook)
The Restoration Movement: how history shapes our faith today In this series we’ll dive deep into the rich history of the Restoration Movement. Our church was planted from this movement 50 years ago, and its roots go back over 200 years and across the ocean. The founders of what we now call Churches of Christ had a deep conviction about restoring the church to its New Testament origins. As we journey from the past to the present, we’ll discover how…