Page Title

Church History

History & Tradition

AMERICAN RESTORATIONIST=20 ROOTS

The Church of Christ = Disciples of=20 Christ began as an organized fellowship in America in the
mid-1800s as=20 a branch of the restoration movement. Restorationists sought to = restore=20 the church to
New Testament teachings and practices by = following the=20 Bible as its rule and guide, dropping
denominational = contrivances=20 such as creeds and non-Biblical rituals. In North Carolina the
preaching of James O'Kelly, Barton Stone, Joseph Thomas (the White=20 Pilgrim), and Thomas
Campbell delivered the message of = Discipleship to=20 the Carolina coast and across to central North
Carolina. = Churches=20 that came out of their evangelism were the forerunners of Disciple = congregations=20
among African American = believers.

THE AIM AND=20 PLEA
In 1809, Thomas Campbell, a = Presbyterian minister, became displeased with the doctrines of both the = Presbyterian and Baptist Church and decided that he would oversee a = new=20 congregation at Bush Run,
Pennsylvania. He organized this = Church of=20 Christ on one principle, "Where the Scripture speaks, we
speak; = where=20 the Scripture is silent, we are silent." From that statement came our = Aim and=20 Plea.

Congregation: We, the Disciples of Christ, wishing to = be in=20 complete accord and agreement with the
doctrine of Christ, set = forth=20 the following principles, which have been the focus of the Church for = more than a century.

Minister: General aim of the=20 Church.

Congregation: Restoration of the New Testament teachings = and=20 practices.

Minister: Plea of the Church.

Congregation: No = creed=20 but Christ, no book but the Bible; no name but the = Divine.

Minister:=20 Where the Bible speaks, we speak.

Congregation: Where the Bible = is=20 silent, we are silent.

Minister: In essentials=20 unity.

Congregation: In nonessentials, liberty; in all things,=20 charity.

The Aim and Plea of the Church of Christ is not a = statement that=20 seeks to define God, Christ, or the
Holy Spirit, for the Bible = has=20 adequately done this. It is a statement that clarifies and reminds = all Disciples who we are. This petition is scripturally sound and = should=20 be studied and learned by all
Disciples.

We, the = Disciples of=20 Christ,
This statement identifies us by name. "So shall ye be my = Disciples"=20 (John 15:8). Christ calls us His
Disciples.

Wishing to = be in=20 complete accord
This refers to the unity of the Church on the matters = of=20 government as well as faith. The early
Church was not divided. = It was=20 united in Christ (Ephesians 4:4-6). Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, condemned divisions in "the body of Christ" (1 = Corinthians=20 1:10).

And agreement with the doctrine of Christ,
The Church = agrees on=20 the principles and precepts that Christ left for all of His followers = (Matthew=20
28:20, John 7:16).

Set forth the following = principles which=20 have been the focus of the Church for more than a century.
We = understand that=20 the Church has a history of followers in between Apostolic times and the = present=20
day who lived and died to hold the light of Jesus (2 = Thessalonians=20 2:15).

Restoration of the New Testament teachings and=20 practices.
As the New Testament Church moved through the Middle Ages, = the=20 Renaissance and into modern
times, heresies were introduced by = evil=20 gain seekers (1 Corinthians 11:19, 2 Peter 2:1).

The Church is = first=20 called to teach (Matthew 28:19) so that it may give insight to the blind = and=20 liberty
to the captives (Luke 4:18-21, Mark = 16:20).

No creed=20 but Christ;
Creed comes from the Greek root credo (to believe). We do = not=20 accept human-inspired statements of
belief regarding Christ. = Christ is=20 our only creed (Matthew 17:5, John 11:27, Acts 16:31).

No = book but=20 the Bible;
The Bible is the only rule of faith and direction that God = left=20 for the Church to follow (Isaiah 8:16,
Matthew 4:4, Hebrews=20 4:12).

No name but the divine.
There is no other name by = which one=20 can be saved other than Jesus. "For whosoever shall call upon
the name=20 of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13). Jesus Christ is = divine, so His=20 name is a divine
name. We are to hear Him and His commandments = (Matthew=20 17:5, Acts 4:12).

Where the Bible speaks, we speak.
We are to = rely on=20 what the Bible says instead of relying on what people's opinions are. = The Church=20
cannot shun any subject in the scripture because others may = think it is=20 controversial
(Proverbs 30:56, Matthew 5:37, 2 Timothy=20 3:16).

Where the Bible is silent, we are silent.
For = subjects that=20 are not presented in the scriptures, we use the scripture as a = reference, but=20 our
applications never blur the messages of any text = (Deuteronomy 4:2,=20 Revelation 22:8).

In essentials, unity;
In spiritual matters = spoken of=20 in the scriptures, the Church strives to be on one accord without wavering. With one voice we speak the gospel and the doctrine of = Christ=20 (Psalm 133:1-3, John 17:11,
Acts 2:42-47, Ephesians 4:4-6, 1 = Peter=20 3:8).

In nonessentials, liberty;
For those things that are not = Biblical priorities, we exercise wisdom or our own judgment, with diligent care and concern to work out our own salvation (Galatians = 5:1-13;=20 1 Peter 2:16).

In all things, charity.
All works must be done = in love=20 (John 3:16, 1 Corinthians 13, 1 John=20 4:8).

AFRICAN AMERICAN=20 EVANGELISM
IN NORTH CAROLINA AND = BEYOND

Before=20 Emancipation, a number of free African American Disciples convened to = form=20 churches.
Uniontown Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ = is the=20 oldest documented church organized and run
by African = Americans.=20 After the Civil War, three modes of evangelism worked to bring = together=20 the
Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ:
(1) Free African=20 Americans east of the Tar River sought out free and freed Africans to = begin=20 churches;
(2) Freed slaves worked with Christian Church Disciples = west of the=20 Tar River to start congregations;
(3) African Americans on both sides = of the=20 Tar River evangelized the unchurched and African
Americans from = denominational churches to become members of the Church of Christ, = Disciples of=20
Christ. The following table outlines key events in the = 19th- and=20 20th-century chronicles of the Church.

RESTORATION COMES=20 TO NORTH CAROLINA

1790 James O' Kelly of the = newly=20 formed Republican Methodists goes to N.C. to preach = Discipleship.

1801=20 Cane Ridge revival begins Barton Stone's ministry for Christian union. = Part of=20 America's Second
Great Awakening.

1813 Joseph Thomas = begins his=20 evangelistic ministry as the White Pilgrim, visiting central = N.C.

1833=20 Thomas Campbell visits Edenton, Pantego, and Greenville, NC, for five=20 months.

INDEPENDENT=20 AFRICAN AMERICANS AND CHURCH = RE-IDENTIFICATION

1849-1850 Eastern North=20 Carolina
Reports of free African Americans in Uniontown (Free Union); = slaves registered as Disciples. In
Pantego Church of = Christ and=20 Pungo Chapel.

1854 Uniontown Church of Christ Disciples=20 organized.

1870 African American Congregationalists, O'Kellyites, = and=20 members of the Christian Connection
rename their four-year old=20 communion the North Carolina Colored Christian = Conference.

1873=20 Disciple elders from the Martin County Convention, including Elders = Robert Esom=20 Green, Alfred
Pettiford, and Joseph Whitley, are listed in the=20 Christian Annual report on the North Carolina
Colored Christian = Conference.

1874 African American Disciple elders leave the North = Carolina Colored Christian Conference due to
differences in = doctrine=20 and church order.

1868 West of the Tar River
Annual Conference = of=20 Disciples of Christ in N.C. votes to separate from black Disciples.=20 Benevolent
elders such as Dr. John J. Harper and Pastor, = J. R.=20 Winfield assist the new churches.

1869 African American Disciples = submit=20 funds to white Disciples to have their minutes printed.

1872 = Alexander C.=20 Hart and Joseph Henry Foy (white Disciples) sent by the Hookerton = District to=20
preach to African American Baptists in the west and to Stony = Creek in=20 October.

1872 First recorded meeting of African American = Disciples=20 Assembly minutes west of the Tar River at
Stony Creek, in = Lenoir=20 County, organized by Elder Alfred Lovick, Sr., Elder Demas Hargett, and = Elder=20
Allen Chestnut.

1883 The Church Unites
In Oct., a = letter sent=20 by African American Disciples from the east coast of North Carolina to = those in=20
Bentonville (west of the Tar River) by Elder Robert Esom Green, = urging=20 a merger between the African
American Disciples.

1886 = Elder=20 Robert E. Green of eastern N.C. goes west to attend the Fifteenth Annual = Conference of
the Goldsboro-Raleigh Disciples at Vine Swamp = Church,=20 Lenoir County; Green was named Asst.
Moderator over the = session.=20

The 1886 Minutes read: That we shall incorporate ourselves = to be=20 known as the Eastern and Western
North Carolina Disciples of = Christ,=20 and that we petition the [state] General Assembly of North
Carolina to=20 be incorporated as such.

1887 October, first official meeting of = east and=20 west Disciples of Christ (African American) at St.
Mary's = Church, Lake=20 Comfort, Hyde County.

1892 Elder Alfred Offie Pettiford, pastor = of=20 Uniontown and Spring Green, dies, March 6.

1892 Western Assembly=20 assembles at Bentonville, Johnston County, November 17.

1894=20 Establishment of a Women's Home Mission to build new churches and=20 ministries.

1895 Elder William A. James writes for the Christian=20 Disciples newspaper, The Watch-White Tower.

1898 Disciples = collect=20 pledges to build an institute in Pantego.

1902 Disciples purchase = a=20 printing press at South Mills, N.C., and publish a monthly publication = called Signs of the Times, edited by H. F.=20 Woodhouse.

ORGANIZATIONAL=20 AND DOCTRINAL GROWTH AMONG AFRICAN AMERICAN DISCIPLES OF CHRIST

1904 The Eastern Virginia = Assembly=20 adds approx. 10 churches to the Church of Christ Assembly in
North=20 Carolina, led by Elder J. Tom Pettiford.

1909 Elder Edgar = Stonewall=20 Lapidoth Whitfield writes A Message to the Negro Disciples of Christ of = Eastern North Carolina.

1910 Goldsboro Christian Institute = opens=20 Jan. 3, in Goldsboro, N.C. with 40 pupils. Elder Edgar
Whitfield=20 was the principal.

1910 General Assembly reorganized into two = districts;=20 Quadrennial Assembly instituted; the names
Goldsboro-Raleigh = and=20 Washington-Norfolk Assemblies coined.

1913 Elder William A. James = prints=20 a defense of feet-washing as an ordinance of the church.

1914 = First=20 quadrennial General Assembly convened. Elder William A. James = named Chief=20 Elder of
the General Assembly for life.

1922 Elder = Charles R. D.=20 Whitfield writes a combination history and theology, Brief History of = the Negro Disciples of Christ.

1923 Chief Elder William A. James = passes.

1926 Teacher J. H. Battle writes a historical and = theological=20 treatise, The Colored Disciples of Eastern
North = Carolina.

1931=20 Elder Clinton Whitfield begins publication of the Christian Reformer, = which=20 becomes in 1932
The Disciples' Herald, with Elder Oscar S. = Lucas of the=20 NEDA as editor.

NORTHERN AND=20 INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION

1925=20 Elder Charles H. Cordon and Elder Oscar S. Lucas organize St. Peter's = Church of=20 Christ in
Philadelphia.

1929 St. Mary Church of Christ = organized=20 in Brooklyn.

1932 Northeastern District Assembly Church of = Christ,=20 Composed of Disciples incorporated.

1940 Title of Chief Elder = replaced by=20 Bishop.

1944 Elder Charles R. D. Whitfield passes, July = 17.

1948=20 The Union Assembly established under the leadership of Bishop W. M=20 Hopson.

1954 Disciples resolve to use Church of Christ, Disciples = of=20 Christ in their official name.

1959 Elder William Joseph Barber = completes=20 research and thesis for The Disciple Assemblies of
Eastern = North=20 Carolina, the Church's first critical history, published in = 1966.

1961=20 First General Assembly held in the North Eastern District Assembly = convened at=20 Shiloh Church
of Christ, Disciples of Christ. Resolutions = and=20 Bylaws Committee submits reconstituted regulations
approved by = the=20 church.

1970 First edition of General Manual: The Disciples' = Guide to=20 Christian Living published, dealing
with doctrine, ethics, and=20 polity.

1972 Ministerial ordination for women confirmed as a = General=20 Assembly standard.

1977 Beryl Smith Garrett publishes A Disciple = of=20 Christ Church Manual on history and polity.

1987 From Glory to = Glory, a=20 book of systematic theology by Bishop William C. Gillams, published posthumously.

1988 All Souls Winning Church of Christ, = Disciples of=20 Christ in Liberia adds Nineteen churches.
Mission in Guyana, South = America=20 begins.

1993 United Fellowship Assembly rejoins General=20 Assembly.

1999 Eleven churches from Ghana join the = Goldsboro-Raleigh=20 District.

2000 Mission in Panama begins.

2005 Two-Thousand = Disciples convene for their first convention in Togo, West Africa.

General Assembly Church of = Christ=20 Disciples of Christ, International

Church History