• What kind of denomination are we? Christ?

• What does the church of Christ believe about the Bible ?

• What kind of people are we?

• What is the distinctive plea of the church of

• Why does the church of Christ baptize only by immersion ?

• Is infant baptism practiced ?

• My Sunday School Lesson on Baptism from 07/13/03

• How are the churches organizationally connected ?

• What about use of music in worship ?

• By what means does the church secure financial support ?

•  How are the churches of Christ governed ?

• How often do we partake of the Lord's supper (communion)?

• Historical background of the Restoration movement

• How many churches of Christ are there ?

• How many members?

• Does the church of Christ believe in heaven and hell ?

• Does the church of Christ believe in purgatory ?

• Do ministers of the church hear confession ?

• Do members of the churches of Christ believe in virgin birth ?

• Does the church of Christ believe in predestination ?

• Are prayers addressed to the saints ?

• What is the role of Women according to the New Testament?

•  Does the church of Christ have a creed ?

• How does one become part of the family of God?

• What must I do to be saved?
   

It is primarily a plea for religious unity based upon the Bible. In a divided religious world it is believed that the Bible is the only possible common denominator upon which most, if not all, of the God-fearing people of the land can unite. This is an appeal to go back to the Bible. It is a plea to speak where the Bible speak and to remain silent where the Bible is silent in all matters that pertain to religion. It further empathizes that in everything religious there must be a "Thus saith the Lord" for all that is done. The objective is religious unity of all believers in Christ. The basis is the New Testament. The method is the restoration of New Testament Christianity.

   Members of churches of Christ are a people of a restoration spirit wanting to restore in our time the original New Testament church.  Dr. Hans Kung, a well-known European theologian, published a book a few years ago entitled "The Church".  Dr. Kung lamented the fact that the established church has lost its way; has become burdened down with tradition; has failed to be what Christ planned it should be.
   The only answer, according to Dr. King is to go back to the scriptures to see what the church was in its beginning, and then to recover in the twentieth century the essence of the original church.  This is what churches of Christ are seeking to do.
   In the latter part of the 18th century, men of different denominations, studying independently of each other, in various parts of the world, began to ask:

    - Why not go back beyond denominationalism to the simplicity and purity of the first-century   church?
    - Why not take the Bible alone and once again continue "steadfastly in the apostles' teaching..." (Acts 2:42)
    - Why not plant the same seed (the Word of God, Luke 8:11), that first century Christians planted, and be Christians only, as they were?

   They were pleading with everyone to throw off denominationalism, to throw away human creeds, and to follow only the bible.
   They taught that nothing should be required of people as acts of faith except that which is evident in the scriptures.
   They emphasized that going back to the Bible does not mean the establishment of another denomination, but rather a return to the original church.
   Members of churches of Christ are enthusiastic about this approach.  With the Bible as our only guide we seek to find what the original church was like and restore it exactly.
   We do not see this as arrogance, but the very opposite.  We are saying that we do not have the right to ask for men's allegiance to a human organization but only the right to call upon men to follow God's blueprint. 

(courtesy Pathway Publishing)

   Because we are a people of restoration and desire to return to the Church as Christ created it we are not interested in man made creeds, but simply in the New Testament pattern.  We do not conceive of ourselves as being a denomination -- nor as Catholic, Protestant, or Jewish -- but simply as members of the church which Jesus established and for which he died.
   And that , incidentally, is why we wear his name.  The term "Church of Christ" is not used as a denominational designation, but rather as a descriptive term indicating that the church belongs to Christ.
   We recognize our own personal shortcomings and weaknesses -- and this is all the more reason for wanting to carefully follow the all sufficient and perfect plan God has for the church.
We do not consider ourselves the only Christians, but Christians only.

(courtesy Pathway Publishing)

One of the earliest advocates of the return to New Testament Christianity, as a means of achieving unity of all believers in Christ, was James O'Kelly of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1793 he withdrew from the Baltimore conference of his church and called upon others to join him in taking the Bible as the only creed. His influence was largely felt in Virginia and North Carolina where history records that some seven thousand communicants followed his leadership toward a return to primitive New Testament Christianity.
In 1802 a similar movement among the Baptists in New England was led by Abner Jones and Elias Smith. They were concerned about "denominational names and creeds" and decided to wear only the name Christian, taking Bible as their only guide. In 1804, in the western frontier state of Kentucky, Barton W. Stone and several other Presbyterian preachers took similar action declaring that they would take the Bible as the "only sure guide to heaven." Thomas Campbell, and his illustrious son, Alexander Campbell, took similar steps in the year 1809 in what is now the state of West Virginia. They contended that nothing should be bound upon Christians as a matter of doctrine which is not as old as the New Testament. Although these four movements were completely independent in their beginings eventually they became one strong restoration movement because of their common purpose and plea. These men did not advocate the starting of a new church, but rather a return to Christ's church as described in the Bible.
Members of the church of Christ do not conceive of themselves as a new church started near the begining of the 19th century. Rather, the whole movement is designed to reproduce in contemporary times the church originally established on Pentacost, A.D. 30. The strength of the appeal lies in the restoration of Christ's original church.

The most recent dependable estimate lists more than 15,000 individual churches of Christ. The "Christian Herald," a general religious publication which presents statistics concerning all the churches, estimates that the total membership of the churches of Christ is now 2,000,000. There are more than 7000 men who preach publicly. Membership of the church is heaviest in the southern states of the United States, particularly Tennessee and Texas, though congregations exist in each of the fifty states and in more than eighty foreign countries. Missionary expansion has been most extensive since the second World War in Europe, Asia and Africa. More than 450 full time workers are supported in foreign countries. The churches of Christ now have five times as many members as were reported in the U.S. Religious Census of 1936.

   Worldwide there are some 20,000 congregations of churches of Christ with a total of 2.5 to 3 million individual members.  There are small congregations, consisting of just a few members and large ones made up of several thousand members.
   The greatest concentration of numerical strength in churches of Christ is in the southern United States where, for instance, there are about 40,000 members, or in Dallas Texas where there are approximately 36,000 members in 69 congregations.  in such states as Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Kentucky and others there is a Church of Christ in practically every town no matter how large or small.
   While the number of congregations and members is not so numerous in other places, there are Churches of Christ in every state in the U.S. and in 109 other countries

(courtesy Pathway Publishing)

   Following the plan of organization found in the New Testament, churches of Christ are autonomous. They have none of the trappings of modern-day organizational bureaucracy.  There are no governing boards -- neither district, regional, national nor international -- no central earthly headquarters and no man-designated organization.  Their common faith in the Bible and adherence to its teachings are the chief ties which bind them together. Congregations do cooperate voluntarily in supporting each other, the orphans and the aged, in preaching the gospel in new fields, and in other similar works however participation is strictly voluntary on the part of each congregation and o person nor group issues policies or makes decisions for others congregations.
   There are no conventions, annual meetings, or official publications. The "tie that binds" is a common loyalty to the principles of the restoration of New Testament Christianity.

In each congregation, which has existed long enough to become fully organized, there is a plurality of elders who serve as the governing body. These men are selected by the local congregations on the basis of qualifications set down in the scriptures (1 Timothy 3:1-8). Serving under the elders are deacons, teachers, and evangelists or ministers. The latter do not have the authority equal to or superior to the elders. The elders are shepherds or overseers who serve under the headship of Christ according to the New Testament, which is a kind of constitution. There is no earthly authority superior to the elders of the local church.

The original autographs of the sixty six books which make up the Bible are considered to have been divinely inspired, by which it is meant that they are infallible and authoritative. Reference to the scriptures is made in settling every religious question. A pronouncement from the scripture is considered the final word. The basic textbook of the church and the basis for all preaching is the Bible.

Yes. The statement in Isaiah 7:14 is taken as a prophecy of the virgin birth of Christ. New Testament passages such as Matthew 1:20, 25, are accepted at face value as declarations of the virgin birth. Christ is accepted as the only begotten Son of God, uniting in his person perfect divinity and perfect manhood.

Only in the sense that God predestines the righteous to be eternally saved and the unrighteous to be eternally lost. The statement of the apostle Peter, "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is acceptable unto him"(Acts 10:34-35.) is taken as an evidence that God did not predestine individuals to be eternally saved or lost, but that each man determines his own destiny.

The word baptize comes from the Greek word "baptizo" and literally means, "to dip, to immerse, to plunge." In addition to the literal meaning of the word, immersion is practiced because it was the practice of the church in apostolic times. Still further, only immersion conforms to the description of baptisms as given by the apostle Paul in Romans 6:3-5 where he speaks of it as a burial and resurrection.

No. Only those who have reached the "age of accountability" are accepted for baptisms. It is pointed out that the examples given in the New Testament are always of those who have heard the gospel preached and have believed it. Faith must always precede baptism, so only those old enough to understand and believe the gospel are considered fit subjects for baptism.

No. Ministers or evangelists of the church have no special perogatives. They do not wear the title of Reverand or Father, but are addressed simply by the term Brother as are all other men of the church. Along with elders and others they do counsel and advise those seeking help.

No. God the Father is considered the only one to whom the prayers may be addressed. It is further understood that Christ stands in a mediatorial position between God and man (Hebrews 7:25). All prayers are therefore offered through Christ, or in the name of Christ (John 16:23-26).

It is expected that every member of the church will assemble for worship on each Lord's day. A central part of the worship is the eating of the Lord's supper (Acts 20:7). Unless providentially hindered, each member considers this weekly appointment as binding. In many instances, as in the case of illness, the Lord's supper is carried to those who are hindered from attending the worship.

   One of the things people most frequently notice about churches of Christ is that some use musical instruments (instrumental) and others do not (A Capella).  The Marengo Church of Christ is a instrumental church in as we do make use of a sound system and piano.  We believe in allowing the use of instruments because throughout the Old Testament there was numerous mention of the use of musical instruments, most notably in David's praises to God.  While A Capella churches believe that because there is no mention of instruments in the New Testament that such should not be used whereas we believe that because no mention was made and God did not condemn the use of such in the New Testament that it is fitting to continue their use.  On a personal note I have and will continue to worship God in both instrumental and A Capella and have had the most blessed time in both during my worship.  Under no circumstance should we ever make the use or non use of instruments a test of fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Yes. The statement of Christ in Matthew 25, and elsewhere, are taken at face value. It is believed that after death each man must come before God in judgement and that he will be judged according to the deeds done while he lived (Hebrews 9:27). After judgement is pronounced he will spend eternity either in heaven or hell.

No. The absence of any reference in the scriptures to the temporary place of punishment from which the soul will eventually be released into heaven prevents the acceptance of the doctrine of purgatory.

Each first day of the week the members of the church "lay by in store as they have been prospered" (1 Corinthians 16:2). The amount of any individual gift is generally known only to the one who gave it and to the Lord. This free-will offering is the only call which the church makes. NO assessments or other levies are made. No money-making activities, such as bazaars, suppers or bakesales are engaged in. By following scripture in this manner the Lord has never failed to provide for our needs and we have never found ourselves without the resources to accomplish the Lords work..

No. At least, there is no creed in the usual sense of the word. The belief of the church is stated fully and completely in the Bible. There is no other manual or discipline to which the members of the church of Christ give their allegiance. The Bible is considered as the only infallible guide to heaven.

In the salvation of man's soul there are 2 necessary parts: God's part and man's part. God's part is the big part, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift if God; not of works, that no man should glory" (Ephesians 2:8-9). The love which God felt for man led him to send Christ into the world to redeem man. The life and teaching of Jesus, the sacrifice on the cross, and the proclaiming of the gospel to men constitute God's part in salvation.

Though God's part is the big part, man's part is also necessary if man is to reach heaven. Man must comply with the conditions of pardon which the Lord has announced. Man's part can clearly set forth in the following steps:

Hear the Gospel. "How shall they call on him whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?"(Romans 10:14).

Believe. "And without faith it is impossible to be wellpleasing unto him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek after him" (Hebrews 11:6).

Repent of past sins. "The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent."(Acts 17:30).

Confess Jesus as Lord. "Behold here is water; What doth hinder me to be baptized ? And Philip said, if thou believeth with all thy heart thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" (Acts 8:36-37).

Be baptized for the remission of sins. "And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."(Acts 2:38).

Live a Christian life. "Ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).

Now that you are aware of a church in the 20th century which is built according to the blue prints of Christ's original church, why not become a member of it ? In becoming a member of it, you will be called upon to do nothing which you cannot read in the New Testament. You will then live and worship just as the apostle-guided Christians of the first century did.

Not only is this return to New Testament Christianity a wonderful basis upon which all believers in Christ can unite, it is absolutely solid ground. If we do just what our Lord commanded we know that our salvation is certain. Come with us as we go back to the Bible, back to Christ and his church!