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The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 

GENERAL INFORMATION
ORIGINS: The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) was born on the American frontier in the early 1800's as a movement opposing the rigid denominationalism imported from Europe and seeking Christian unity on a simple New Testament basis. Its founders were Alexander Campbell in western Pennsylvania and Virginia and Barton W. Stone in Kentucky. The basic principle was a fellowship built around the Lord's Table and tolerance of widely divergent viewpoints concerning "non-essentials". The Christian Church/Disciples of Christ congregations, and later the Church of Christ congregations, grew out of what became known as the Restoration Movement. Both Campbell and Stone had been Presbyterians.

ORGANIZATION: The Disciples of Christ have a history of congregational government although in 1968 they adopted a structure that sees the church in congregational, regional and general "manifestations". The manifestations are considered equal rather than pyramidal and each has its protected rights and identified responsibilities. Each is in covenantal relation to the others and calls or dismisses its own staff and handles its own finance and property. The general manifestation is called "general" rather than "national" because both the United States and Canada are included in the structure. There are 35 regions, many of them encompassing all of a single state.

The red chalice, bearing the "X-shaped" cross of St. Andrew was adopted as the symbol of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) by the denomination's General Assembly in 1971.  The chalice symbolizes the centrality of the Lord's Supper to Disciples life. The St. Andrew's Cross, the national cross of Scotland, focuses attention on the Scotch Presbyterian roots of the church.  Thomas and Alexander Campbell both studied in Scotland and were Presbyterians. St. Andrew has been identified with the laity and evangelism, a prominent emphases of the early Disciples.  The red color of the chalice signifies vitality, spirit and sacrifice.

The Restoration Movement
by Dr. Hans Rollmann

Alexander Campbell
Alexander Campbell

Barton W. Stone
Barton Stone