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Frequently asked questions about what we believe
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What is the distinctive plea of the Christian Church?
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The Christian Church pleads for religious unity of all
believers in Christ. This unity must be based upon the Bible (especially
the New Testament) because the Bible is the only possible basis upon which
godly people can unite. This is an appeal encourages believers to speak
where the Bible speaks and to remain silent where the Bible is silent.
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What is the Historical Background of the
Restoration Movement
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One of the earliest advocates of the return to New Testament
Christianity, as a means of achieving unity of all believers in Christ, was
James O'Kelly of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
In 1793 he withdrew from the Baltimore
Conference of his church and called upon others to join him in taking the
Bible as their only religious creed. His influence was largely felt in Virginia and North
Carolina, where approximately
seven thousand people followed his leadership.
Abner Jones
and Elias Smith began a similar movement among the Baptists in New
England in 1802. They were concerned about
"denominational names and creeds" that were dividing the
believers. Like the early Church at Antioch, they
chose to be called "Christians" and to take the Bible as their
only guide.
In 1804, a similar movement began in western Kentucky under
Barton W. Stone. He and several
other Presbyterian ministers declared that they would take the Bible as the
"only sure guide to heaven."
Thomas Campbell and his son, Alexander, followed
with the same message in 1809 in what is now the state of West
Virginia.
Although completely independent in their
beginnings, these restoration movements eventually united into one due to
their common purpose and plea. These men did not advocate the starting of a
new church, but rather a return to the church of Christ as
described in the New Testament. Thus, members of the Christian
Church/Churches of Christ do not consider themselves to be a new church
started near the beginning of the 19th century. They simply want to
reproduce in contemporary times the church established by Jesus in the New
Testament.
For more information on the Restoration Movement,
click HERE.
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How large is the brotherhood of Christian Churches?
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The most recent dependable estimate lists more than 15,000
individual Christian Churches/Churches of Christ. The Christian Herald,
a general religious publication which presents statistics concerning all
the churches, estimates that the total membership of the Christian
Churches/Churches of Christ is approximately 2,000,000.
The heaviest concentration of the church is in
the southern part of the United
States,
particularly Tennessee, Kentucky, and Texas, though
congregations exist in each of the fifty states and in more than 80 foreign
countries.
The largest Christian Church is the Southeast
Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky (http://www.southeastchristian.org/),
with approximately 25,000 members.
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How are the churches
organizationally connected?
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Following the plan of organization found in the New
Testament, local congregations are completely autonomous. Elders who are
elected from the membership govern them.
There is no central headquarters of the church and no organization
superior to the elders of the local congregation. The overall church is
bound together by the member’s common faith in the Bible and adherence to
its teachings. Congregations do cooperate voluntarily in supporting each
other, caring for orphans and the aged, in preaching the gospel in new
fields, and other similar works.
Members of the Christian Church/Churches of
Christ conduct forty colleges and secondary schools. Individual members of
the church also publish approximately 40 magazines and other periodicals.
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How are the Christian Churches governed?
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A group of elders is elected independently by each
congregation to serve as spiritual leaders and the earthly authority for
the congregation. These men are selected on the basis of the qualifications
listed in I Timothy
3:1-8. Serving with the elders are deacons, teachers, and ministers.
Deacons are nominated by the Elders in accordance with Acts 6 and are then
approved by the congregation.. In most congregations,
the elders and deacons form a church board that is responsible for the
normal operations of the church.
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What does the Christian Church believe about the Bible?
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The Bible is God’s Word to all men. It was written by human
authors under the supernatural guidance of God through the Holy Spirit.
Thus, the Bible is truth without error and authority without question.
(Proverbs 30:5; Psalm 119:105; II Timothy
3:16; and Hebrews 4:12). The Bible is used as the supreme source of truth
for Christian belief and daily living.
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Does the Christian Church believe in the Virgin Birth?
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Absolutely. The statement in Isaiah 7:14 is taken as a prophecy of the
virgin birth of Christ. New Testament passages such as Matthew 1:20, 25, are accepted at face value as declarations of the
prophesied virgin birth. Christ is accepted as the only begotten Son of
God, the uniting of divinity and mankind.
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Does the Christian Church believe in predestination?
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Only in the sense that God predestines those who accept him
and obey his commands to be eternally saved and those who do not to be
eternally lost. The statement of the apostle Peter, "Of a truth I
perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness
is acceptable unto him"(Acts 10:34-35) is taken as evidence that God
did not predestine individuals to be eternally saved or lost, but that each
person chooses their destiny.
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Why does the Christian Church baptize only by immersion?
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The word translated baptize in the Bible is the Greek word
"baptizo" that literally means,
"to dip, to immerse, or to plunge." In addition to the literal
meaning of the word, the Bible describes baptism as a "burial and
resurrection" (Romans 6:3-5). Immersion is practiced as a burial of
the old sinful man in a watery grave to be resurrected as a new man in
service to God. .
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Is infant baptism practiced?
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No. Only those who have reached an age of understanding
(sometimes referred to as the "age of accountability") are
accepted for baptism. The examples given in the New Testament are always of
those who have heard the gospel preached and have believed it. Faith must
always precede baptism. So only those old enough to understand their sins
and believe that Jesus was sent by God to remove those sins can be baptized.
HCC does
practice infant dedications. In
these ceremonies the parents dedicate the child to God and promise to raise
the infant in a Christian environment.
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How often is the Lord's Supper (Communion) taken?
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The example of the early Church was to assemble for worship
and the “breaking of bread” on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). The Christian Church follows this example
and makes Communion the focus of the worship service.
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Does the Christian Church believe in Heaven and Hell?
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Yes. God created man to exist forever. He will either exist
eternally separated from God by sin, or in union
with God through salvation. Hell is the place created for eternal separation
from God. Heaven is where God is and
is the place prepared for his believers to be eternally united with
Him. The statements of Jesus in
Matthew 25 are taken to be literal. After death the soul of each person
shall come before God and be judged according to their earthly deeds. After
judgment is pronounced, the soul will either inherit the Kingdom of Heaven or be cast into Hell. (Also see
Matthew 1:8; 2:44-46; John 2:25, Romans 6:23;
Hebrews 9:27; and Revelation 20:15.)
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How are God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit
related?
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This concept is difficult to explain. God is the Creator and supreme Ruler of
the universe. He exists in three forms: the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one being
(God). Each form simply serves
different purposes. (See Genesis 1:1, 26; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; I
Peter 1:2: and II Corinthians 13:14.)
Jesus is the only son of God. He was sent to
earth as God in human form. He lived
a sinless life but accepted all the sins of the entire world and died in
our place on the cross. He arose from death after three days and ascended back
to heaven to prepare a home for those who believe in Him. He will one day
return to gather His followers and bring judgment to the world. (See Isaiah
9:6; Matthew 1:22-23; John 1:1-5, 14; Acts 1:9-11; Romans 1:3-4)
The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the
Son. The Holy Spirit is the presence
of God on the earth. His purpose is
to make sinners aware of their need for Jesus and to guide Christians in
their daily lives. He lives in every
Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with
power for daily living, the understanding of spiritual truth, and the
guidance for doing what is right. (See John 14:16-17; 16:7-13; Acts 1:8; I
Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; and Galatians 5:25.)
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By what means does the church secure financial support?
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Each first day of the week the members of the church
"lay by in store as they have been prospered" (I Corinthians
16:2) and give willingly as they feel in their heart. Tithing of 10% is
encouraged and practiced by many of the members, but is not mandatory. This
free-will offering is the only call that the church makes. No assessments
or other levies are made. In general, HCC does
not engage in money-making activities such as bazaars or suppers.
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Does the Christian Church have a creed?
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No. At least, there is no creed in the usual sense of the
word. The belief of the church is stated fully and completely in the Bible.
Allegiance to no other manual or discipline is required for the members of
the Christian Church. The Bible is considered as the only infallible guide
to heaven.
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Thanks to Huntsville Christian Church for doing the
work for this page for us.
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