The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is distinct among Restorationist bodies in its connectional structure of congregations, regions, and a general ministry, and in its active participation in the ecumenical movement.
The Disciples grew out of the early nineteenth century Restoration Movement of Thomas and Alexander Campbell and Barton W. Stone, which sought Christian unity on a New Testament basis. The Lord's Supper is observed weekly and is open, baptism is by immersion, and the church has no creed beyond confession of Christ. A denominational restructure in 1968 gave the body its present form.
Sources
Primary
- Thomas Campbell, Declaration and Address (1809)
Secondary
- Winfred Ernest Garrison and Alfred T. DeGroot, The Disciples of Christ: A History (1948)