The Restoration Movement

Growing up at Sunshine, I was always interested in information about The Restoration Movement. The restoration of the New Testament pattern of worship and congregational organization was the focus of these historical references. Naturally, I came to see Alexander Campbell and Barton W. Stone primarily as restorationists. Of course, my main source of historical information, in those days, was our congregation’s tract rack.

It was a shock to my sensibilities to learn that, for Campbell, restoration was secondary to the greater goal of Christian unity. Most readers of Campbell agree that unity was a greater value to him than restoration. Campbell’s emphasis on restoration, or as he characteristically referred to it, “the ancient order of things”, was the best available means to realizing unity among the denominations.

For Campbell, the NT pattern was the platform upon which all Christians could equally stand, thereby making unity possible. Campbell believed that the 17th Century American Frontier was a perfect setting for such historic events to occur. Advances in science and logic had produced the best conditions for biblical interpretation since the original Christian generation. America was truly a God-blessed nation, free from the confines of the church-state enmeshment that characterized much of Europe.

In Campbell’s most optimistic days, he believed that not only would the movement succeed in uniting Christendom, but would usher in the millennial reign of Christ. The title of Campbell’s most recognized journal is telling, The Millennial Harbinger.

Campbell initially believed that the interplay between the values of unity and restoration were completely complementary. As Campbell aged, he astutely recognized that these values were functioning in tension and were beginning to polarize the movement. After Campbell’s death and the fallout from the Civil War, the movement did divide. In 1906, the US Census listed the Stone-Campbell heirs separately as Disciples of Christ and Churches of Christ.

For me, the most interesting testimony to Campbell’s influence is the fact that his religious heirs are still pushing these competing agendas. The Churches of Christ continue to utilize the NT pattern of worship and congregational organization very similar to Campbell’s outline from the 1800’s. Though CofC’s are experiencing tremendous internal tensions adapting to an ever-changing world, no one is advocating an abandonment of the primary value of maintaining "the ancient order". Meanwhile, the Disciples have proven to be pioneers of Christian unity. The Disciples of Christ are founding members of the World Council of Churches, they have initiated ecumenical discussions with both the Eastern Orthodox Church and The Roman Catholic Church.

Today, Churches of Christ and the Disciples of Christ stand on opposite sides of the Christian world both claiming to be the legitimate heirs of Alexander Campbell. The most fascinating point of all is that both groups are arguably correct. Richard Hughes (CofC historian) has noted that Churches of Christ are loyal to a young Alexander Campbell, while the Disciples are more representative of Campbell toward the end of his life.