Churches of Christ
The churches of Christ are a Christian - Protestant movement of autonomous religious communities. The focus of their understanding of faith is the absolute authority of the Bible as God's word and the restoration of New Testament Christianity in its original form. Its most distinctive features include the salvation-critical baptism of believers by immersion, the celebration of the Lord's Supper , and a congregational community organization.
history
Prehistory of the churches of Christ
The churches of Christ come from the Restoration Movement , a primarily American revival movement of the early 19th century under the leadership of the Scottish Presbyterians Thomas Campbell , Alexander Campbell , Walter Scott and Barton W. Stone .
The Restoration Movement evolved from the previous Protestant revival movements of the 18th century among preachers such as John Wesley , Charles Wesley , Jonathan Edwards, and George Whitfield , who particularly emphasized Reformation principles regarding access for all people to the Bible and personal relationship with God , and who had severely criticized the secular entanglements of the traditional church hierarchy. These principles were particularly popular in the American colonies and rural areas of England and Scotland and were closely related to the conceptions of the French Huguenots and the German Pietists .
Another revival movement started around 1800 from the Scottish capital Edinburgh . There, the well-known preacher James Haldane founded a church community in 1799, which was to be strictly based on the model of the early Christian community described in the New Testament . This became the model for many other radical Protestant Scottish preachers, including the Scottish-Irish Thomas Campbell and his son Alexander Campbell.
The two Campbells began their reform work in Scotland and England, but soon emigrated to the United States of America , where they became co-leaders of the movement that had formed around the Cane Ridge Revival , which included Presbyterians , Methodists and Baptists . After he had to give up his pastor in Washington County, Pennsylvania at the urging of the Presbyterian hierarchy because he allowed non-members to attend the sacrament , Thomas Campbell wrote his Declaration and Address in 1809 . It is considered the basis of the Restoration Movement. In it Thomas Campbell insisted on the unity of all Christians , on the sole authority of the Bible as God's word, on the nullity of human church politics, on the primacy of individual conscience and individual reason over learned interpretations of the biblical text, on the primacy of Christian brotherhood on theological differences of opinion, and on the example of the early Christian community for all Christian communities of the future.
The Campbells were henceforth the recognized leaders of the groups called Disciples, Christians, or Churches of Christ , which quickly united with groups similar to that of Barton W. Stone . Alexander Campbell became editor of the tract magazines The Christian Baptist and The Millennial Harbinger , which had great influence on the fast-growing Restoration Movement. He repeatedly debated publicly with other Christian figures of his time, e. B. John Walker , William McCalla , society reformer Robert Owen, and with Nathan Lewis Rice . Alexander Campbell also founded Bethany College , a preacher's school, in 1841 . The first congregation to officially call itself the Church of Christ was born in Knob Creek, southwest Kentucky , in 1834 . The church still exists today.
Towards the end of the 19th century there was increasing tension in the Restoration Movement. The American Civil War had sown deep distrust between members in the North and South, which fueled theological differences of opinion. In the south and in rural areas, the ideas of David Lipscomb , editor of the Gospel Advocate , and Austin McGary , editor of the Firm Foundation , dominated, who spoke out against any overarching organization, against instrumental music in worship and for the importance of adult baptism. In the north and in the cities, the followers of Isaac Errett , the editor of the Christian Standard, contradicted this . Ultimately, such debates and similar led to the division of the Restoration Movement into three groups, which were first listed separately in the 1906 American Census: the Disciples of Christ , the Christian Church , and the Church of Christ.
First half of the 20th century
The Churches of Christ were now largely under the influence of David Lipscomb and his student James A. Harding , both of whom taught at the Nashville Bible School . However, the Churches of Christ's insistence on congregational autonomy meant that influence remained modest and not necessarily enforced unless by consensus. The movement also spread further into the American Midwest and West, which until 1920 was mainly settled from the south and by rural ranchers and farmers. During this time, several sub-groups emerged in the Churches of Christ, which ultimately did not prevail and are now only a small minority.
The “one cup” faction insisted at the Lord's Supper that all baptized members drank the “wine” from the same cup, as in the example of Jesus' last Passover meal in the Gospels (the “wine” here was grape juice because in In the United States, alcohol had been frowned upon among Christians since the 19th century and was prohibited by law from 1920-1933 ). Many supporters of the "one cup" faction also spoke out against Sunday Bible lessons, which had become the norm in the Churches of Christ, because such lessons are not mentioned in the Bible.
The anti-institutional congregations strictly rejected any active participation in any supra -congregational institutions, including charitable orphanages and the Church of Christ-related universities that were being formed at that time.
The premillenarian churches interpreted the millennial reign of Christ as described in the Revelation of John as a process that will only take place after the return of Christ.
David Lipscomb was also a pacifist and warned that Christians should not interfere in the politics of this world: they should focus on spiritual matters. He also spoke out against the participation of Christians in elections. Lipscomb's attitude had a far larger following than the other groups, but almost completely disappeared after World War II .
However, among the majority of the Churches of Christ, today's character increasingly emerged. In addition to the identity issues of the 19th century, this includes a new urge to mission, especially to Africa and Asia , and the growing role of denominational universities as centers of exchange, especially Pepperdine University in California, Abilene Christian University in Texas, and Harding University in Arkansas , Oklahoma Christian University in Oklahoma, and in Tennessee Lipscomb University and Freed-Hardeman University .
Second half of the 20th century
The congregations of Christ established themselves in German-speaking countries after 1947 through the influence of missionaries from the American Churches of Christ. In many places, the first German-speaking congregations of Christ developed parallel to American congregations that arose near American military bases after the Second World War. Since the 1960s, however, the German-speaking congregations of Christ have become increasingly autonomous and are now largely independent of American missionaries.
In the German-speaking countries around 30 local congregations identify with the congregations of Christ.
Teaching, organization and practice
ideal
Like many other free churches, the churches of Christ strive for church life in the sense of the early church in the context of the 21st century .
The role of the Bible and its interpretation
For the churches of Christ, the Bible is the inspired word of God , complete and infallible. The churches of Christ believe that God has endowed everyone with the “ common sense ” to understand the biblical text and apply it to their lives. Usually this includes a literal interpretation of most of the biblical text.
The application of biblical texts in the churches of Christ is generally subject to three different reading modes. The first is to follow a direct instruction (for example, from Acts chapter 2, verse 38: “'Turn back to God!' Said Peter. 'Each of you should be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ . '"). The second is to follow a biblical example that the Bible endorses (e.g. from Acts 14, verse 23: "Paul and Barnabas put leaders in every church"). The third is a necessary inference, without which the first two types of reading would not be possible (e.g. the apostle Paul asks in the first letter to the church in Corinth to collect money on the first day of the week to give it to the poor from which one must conclude that the Corinthian church met the first day of the week and that there were poor to care for). Finally, the principle of silence still applies : where the Bible is silent, the Christian has nothing to add to it (hence, for example, the renunciation of instruments in worship, since instruments in worship are not mentioned in the New Testament ).
Most interpretations beyond these guidelines are rejected.
Exceptions are made, however. The erotic poem Song of Solomon is often understood as an allegory , either as in the Jewish tradition as a love song for the people of Israel or, as with Origen , the church father , as an allusion to the community as the bride of Christ. The Revelation of John , the obviously allegorical last book of the Bible , is generally recognized as such, mostly in the sense of amillennialism .
In addition, many of the prophetic books of the Old Testament are understood as metaphors . The original promises to the people of Israel are carried over to the Christian community itself, which according to this understanding is composed of a remnant of believing Jews and believing Gentiles from many peoples.
Organization of the communities
There is no superordinate organization in the churches of Christ. The independence of the individual, local community is emphasized. The local congregations are led by elders , deacons and, rarely in Germany, evangelists or the whole of the brothers. These roles are generally restricted to men and are subject to strict character requirements.
Full membership in the churches of Christ is reserved for baptized Christians. The congregations of Christ practice the baptism of believers , in which young people and adults immerse themselves in the forgiveness of sins, and see it as a salvific part of following Christ. Your view is based u. a. on the biblical commandments and examples in the Gospel of Mark , chapter 16, verse 16; in the book of Acts , chapter 2, verse 38 and in the first epistle of Peter , chapter 3, verse 21. Accordingly, in the baptism of the believer in Jesus, the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit take place . It means for the churches of Christ the "new birth of water and the Spirit", as it is mentioned in the Gospel of John , chapter 3, verse 5.
American missionaries are active in some local churches, usually trying to start new churches. The model according to which German members are trained to become evangelists who take on this work themselves has largely been abandoned; only a handful of mostly retired evangelists still exist. However, some of the larger local congregations have full-time staff who are particularly concerned with youth work and recruiting. Most of the community work is done by volunteers.
The church service
The service is led by a baptized man (brother) who usually reads from the Bible , spontaneously says prayers and leads the chant - or delegates these components to other brothers.
The Sunday supper is understood as a memorial service. Every baptized Christian can actively participate. The Lord's Supper is the purpose of Sunday gathering for the churches of Christ.
In many churches of Christ, a sermon is part of the worship service. Since most of the congregations of Christ in German-speaking countries do not have a permanent preacher , evangelist or missionary , the sermon in such cases is held alternately by brothers who are responsible.
The singing is a cappella . Instrumental church music is rejected as part of worship by many churches of Christ because it is neither taught nor practiced in the New Testament . However, this does not mean a general waiver of instruments for the purpose of entertainment or hobbies. The same applies to attitudes towards church holidays . In the congregations of Christ women have to be silent in worship; they are also not allowed to say prayers with reference to 1 Corinthians 14:34 (“Mulieres in ecclesia taceant”), as is prophecy. As in the USA, there are now also churches of Christ in Germany that use musical instruments in worship, involve women in the organization of worship and allow them to pray during the meeting.
Other meetings
Most of Christ's churches also have local weekdays for members and guests. The most common are so-called Bible studies or a home group, i.e. discussion groups about the application of the Bible in everyday life. These are often tailored to interest groups: men, women, seniors, singles, young people, etc. Childcare and entertainment in a Christian way is particularly important. Activities are often organized around a meal and the atmosphere is usually informal.
The congregations of Christ also organize regular meetings for various interest groups throughout the German-speaking area for mutual exchange, further training and to get to know each other. For this purpose, volunteers run so-called camps. These usually take place in the Biblical Leisure Center in Gemünden im Taunus or in the Schwarzwaldeckhaus near Kleinzell in Lower Austria . The most striking of these meetings are the annual children's and youth camps in Gemünden and in the Schwarzwaldeckhaus, the Easter youth meeting in Bad Marienberg in the Westerwald , skiing in Andiast , men's leisure in Neckarzimmern near Heidelberg , women's leisure in Neckarzimmern and in Filzmoos near Salzburg in Austria as well Seminars with theological academics and with preachers from the USA in Cologne or Gemünden im Taunus . In addition, individual local congregations organize youth meetings in the respective cities.
Attitude towards other religious communities
The churches of Christ often state that they do not see themselves as the only Christians, but want to be only Christians (a somewhat misleading translation of the English catchphrase “Not the only Christians, but only Christians” - better “Not the only Christians, but just Christians ”).
To date, most of the local congregations do not belong to any ecumenical organization. This demarcation exists u. a. Because of the doctrine of baptism, since from the point of view of the communities of Christ many churches do not lead people to the biblically true new birth. However, this position is not represented in all local congregations and in some cities the congregations of Christ work informally with other free church groups. In Germany , most of the congregations of Christ recognize Protestant groups other than Christians , even if they are known to be ready for a dialogue only on the basis of the Bible .
This openness has increased particularly since the congregations of Christ are increasingly orienting themselves towards the community church model, which is increasingly popular among free churches , whose early pioneers in Germany include free congregations developed from congregations of Christ, which do not bear the name congregation of Christ, but whose members are fully recognized by them.
Web links
- www.gemeinde-christi.ch Switzerland
- www.gemeinde-christi.de Germany
- "Das Feste Foundation" (monthly) magazine for New Testament Christianity
- www.vorzeitpfade.net Records from Swiss parishes of Christ
- www.vorzeitpfade.org Recordings from radio broadcasts of the churches of Christ
- www.bibelfreizeitheim.de Website of the Biblical Leisure Home in Gemünden Taunus