COC: Churches of Christ (A capella)
DOC: Disciples of Christ
ICC: Independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ
ICOC: International Churches of Christ
NI: Non-Institutional
CI: Conservative Institutional
ACU: Abeline Christian University
IDES: International Disaster Emergency Services
Church of Christ fellowships:
Non-Institutional Churches: The non-institutional churches (also called non-cooperative churches) do not believe in using money from the church treasury to support ministries administrated by other churches, or the use of money from the treasury to support independent para-church organizations. The same churches also typically object to use of the church treasury to support social or fellowship functions within the church, leading to objects to things such as church kitchens and potlucks inside the church building. Most non-institutional churches will not fellowship “institutional” churches of Christ.
Pre-Millienial Churches: Pre-Millenial churches believe that Christ will rapture the saints and then come to earth and reign for 1,000 years. Most other churches of Christ will not fellowship with Pre-Millenial churches. Many Pre-Millenial churches fellowship with Independent Christian Churches because of a lack of fellowship with other churches of Christ.
One-Cup Churches: One-Cup Churches believe that only the use of one communion cup is scriptural and acceptable for use in worship. These churches generally also believe that it is unscriptural to pay someone to preach in the church. Most One-Cup churches are also considered “No-Class” churches. There are several divisions within the One-Cup church division itself.
* Wine Only One-Cup Churches: Wine only churches believe that only wine may be used in the Lord’s Supper. Wine only churches generally will not fellowship with churches that use grape juice.
* Bread Breakers: Bread Breaker Churches break the bread of the Lord’s Supper into more than one piece to be served in communion, like most churches of Christ.
* Bread Pinchers: Bread Pincher Churches believe that the bread cannot be broken into pieces, but that each person must pinch off a small peice of bread from the loaf as it is passed around. Bread Pincher churches generally will not fellowship with churches that break the bread.
* Divorce and Fellowship splinters: In addition to the splits in the One-Cup churches above, there are futher splits over beliefs regarding divorce and remarriage, and fellowship with those that do not hold the same doctrinal beliefs on the Lord’s Supper.
No-Class Churches: The No-Class churches believe that it is unscriptural to split the assembly by age or gender for Sunday School classes or other bible classes. No-Class churches generally will not fellowship with churches that hold bible classes.
Charismatic Churches: Charismatic Churches are generally Pentacostal in nature and believe in current miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit. Non-Charismatic Churches usually refuse to fellowship with Charismatic Churches.
January 18th, 2006 at 15:59
Hello Clarke, concerning the statement made about “One-Cup Churches” in “Dictionary and Primer”. I would like to add some comments.
Here is what is the statement on your site:
One-Cup Churches: One-Cup Churches believe that only the use of one communion cup is scriptural and acceptable for use in worship. These churches generally also believe that it is unscriptural to pay someone to preach in the church. Most One-Cup churches are also considered “No-Class” churches. There are several divisions within the One-Cup church division itself.
I worship with some “One-Cup” congregations. As far as “believing that it is unscriptural to pay someone to preach in the church”, I have not ever heard that position by any congregation that I have been affiliated with since 1983. Most smaller congregations numbering from 10-50 members try to use their local teachers for the purpose of growing an individual’s talents in speaking, song leading and other services in leading worship. This sometimes is for economical purposes, as well as one’s growth. Also, their treasury may inhibit paying an evangelist very often, but they do hold gospel meetings where a preacher is paid. Or if a preacher drops by and the congregation can afford it, they will ask him to preach and he is compensated. But, I am not aware of any that consider it “unscriptural” to pay a preacher for his hire.
Keep up the good work.
Larry
January 20th, 2006 at 8:48
Larry:
Thanks for the comment. I’ve read that some one-cup congregations are against paying a preacher to preach as all members of the church should be ready and able to teach at anytime, and that a preacher usurps that responsibility. I’ve read that from a couple of different sources, but I have never worshipped at a one-cup congregation so I have no experience in the subject personally.
I’m glad you are hear to put some light on the subject.
-Clarke
January 21st, 2006 at 12:56
I cannot find articles on many teachings of the church of Christ that I read yesterday and now I dont know where to look. They were about the Lord’s Supper and musical instruments and etc. Please help. I teach a Bible class at the local jail and need this info. duke
January 23rd, 2006 at 11:47
Duke:
Was this on my page, or elsewhere?
One place to check is my website, Restorationmovement.org.
There are other sources as well…. one the clarke comments blog, look under “Doctrine” on the links section and you’ll find quite a few as well.
January 23rd, 2006 at 16:00
Duke: I don’t know exactly what you need, but here are some useful Church of Christ web sites. Sermons, tracts, articles, information, biblical articles and resourses. Enjoy!
Concerning links on, “teachings of the church of Christ” see:
Note: Duke, check web sites that you visit for the “links” taht tehy provide for further sources.
http://www.newtestamentchurch.org/
http://www.padfield.com/
http://www.apologeticspress.org
http://www.thegospelfortoday.com/
larrydbarnes@aol.com
January 24th, 2006 at 13:46
My name is Ryan and I grew up in an autonomous congregation which calls itself a church of Christ. My church was started during the 1800s as part of a movement to restore New Testament Christianity and has always identified with the Restoration Movement. However in spite of all this churches of Christ like mine are not included as one of the church of Christ fellowships on this page. I am a member of an instrumental church of Christ.
I realize that you did not include us as part of your churches of Christ because we are considered part of the Independent Christian churches and instrumental churches of Christ group, but this has always seemed peculiar to me. Why is there such a big distinction. My church, the church of Christ at Martins Ferry does not belong to any denomination… it’s fully independent of any other church. Who decided that we were fellowshipped with independent Christian churches and not with other churches of Christ? There are so many distinctions within churches of Christ already with Non-Institutional, Pre-Millenial, One Cup, etc. Why is the distinction of instruments so strong that it throws us completely into another realm? Most one cup churches that I am familiar with would not fellowship with a multiple cup church any more than it would fellowship with an instrumental church. So why aren’t instumental churches of Christ considered churches of Christ?
Having studied a lot of Restoration history and loving the ideals of Alexander Campbell and Barton Stone I long for unity. I’m not trying to debate theology, nor do I desire to make everyone accept instruments in worship… I’m just curious as to why things are the way they are. Many “instrumental” churches of Christ don’t even use instruments. My step-grandmother grew up in the Grassy Church of Christ in Grassy, Kentucky… they’ve always been acapella, yet they are considered instrumental because they chose to fellowship with instrumental churches. The lines were drawn in 1906 in an angry divorce, but they aren’t static. “Instrumental” churches are simply churches that have chosen not to make the use of mechanical instruments a test of fellowship. My church always has fellowship churches of Christ with and without instruments… we feel very much a part of the church of Christ family… yet are not particularly welcomed.
My understanding is that most main line acapella churches fellowship all of the smaller acapella groups, but the smaller sects of churches do not fellowship the mainline churches. I guess it’s the same way with us. We fellowship with you because we are one step more liberal even if you don’t fellowship with us.
I’m not opposed to being classified as part of the fellowship of independent Christian churches and instrumental churches of Christ… I’m proud to be associated with them, however at the same time I am saddenned to be seperated from my other church of Christ brethren. I was added to the Lord’s church the day that I obeyed the Gospel and was baptized into Christ… the same way all of you were. I am trying my hardest to follow the teachings and examples of the New Testament as close as I can to restore New Testament Christianity.
We may disagree on practices and on methods of restoring the church, but our goal is the same… To worship God in spirit and in truth… and to completely please Him through all of our actions. Churches are always going to be different because the people who make them up are different. Churches are always going to be flawed because the people in them make mistakes. That’s when we fall on the grace of God to cover us and make us whole in His sight! No we should never allow false doctrines to be taught and we must constantly strive for perfection… but ultimately only God is perfect… That’s why we rejoice in the blood of Jesus that covers our transgressions and makes us pure and whole as He is whole.
I pray for unity, I pray for peace… May we be one as He is one!
Your brother,
Ryan
January 24th, 2006 at 20:56
Ryan, I hope that what I say here will be accepted and considered in the intention of love and unity as I hopefully present it.
I think that we should not have to consider ourselves as part as the Restoration Movement, except when we distinguish ourselves from denominations. We should really consider ourselves linked to and originating with Jesus Christ and His teachings, which the Apostles continued to teach. When you identify yourself as an “instrumental” congregation, do you do this because the New Testament scriptures teach this or is it consensual agreement?
When you say “my church”, you of course intended to say the “Church of Jesus Christ”?
When you say that some “Churches of Christ” that are of a particular distinction in their worship won’t worship with your group due to “instrumental” designation, even though you don’t “practice” using instruments in worship.
You make this statement:
“We may disagree on practices and on methods of restoring the church, but our goal is the same… To worship God in spirit and in truth… and to completely please Him through all of our actions”.
If our “Goal is the same”…wouldn’t we reach the goal if we could all agree on the word of God?
I think that your question contains the answer!
“If we disagree on PRACTICES and METHODS of RESTORING the Church…”
Then let’s start agreeing by our actions. In other words, let’s make our actions in worship practices comply with the word of God as closely as possible. Not our “think-so’s”, but what Jesus taught and what the early church practiced in the book of Acts and all of the epistles.
How?
Find the PRACTICES and METHODS in the New Testament that we might do that may be questionable, study the text and context and apply the word of God to our worship practices. Let the word of God direct our steps.
If we can read and understand them, let’s do them!
Let’s WORSHIP GOD IN SPIRIT (attitude) and IN TRUTH (his words).
Fellowship should not be just because we want to be friends with others’, but we want to have fellowship where God wants us to have fellowship.
First our fellowship is with Christ
I Cor. 1:9 “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord”.
Next we have fellowship by means of the Apostle’s doctrine.
Acts 2:42 “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
We cannot fellowship doctrines that contradict God’s word.
I Cor 10:20 “But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.”
We cannot fellowship unbelievers.
2 Cor 6:14 “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”
We cannot fellowship “unfruitful works”.
Eph 5:11 “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them”.
Our fellowship is “IN THE GOSPEL” (not outside the gospel).
Phil 1:5 “For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now”
Our fellowship is with God, the Father and the Son Jesus Christ.
I John 1:3, 6-7 “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ”.
Our fellowship cannot be without walking in the TRUTH.
[6] “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:”
We have fellowship with one another by walking (practicing-doing) in his “light” (words).
[7] “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
I appreciate your striving for “perfection” or spiritual maturity. I think that we can all get there, if we all show our love for Jesus by “keeping his commandments”.
larrydbarnes@aol.com
January 26th, 2006 at 10:38
Ryan:
You are indeed my brother…I am glad you ended your comment with that. I’m glad that you have posted. I wish I could even begin to answer all of your questions…but I can’t..
I personally don’t have a problem considering an “instrumental” congregation as a church of Christ. We have three “Churches of Christ” in the area that are “instrumental,” and before I ever knew about the Independent Christian Churches, I knew about them…and I considered them “instrumental Churches of Christ,” just a different fellowship within our churches, much like the non-institutional and no-class congregations. In fact, I have a good friend who grew up in an instrumental church of Christ, and we’ve had lots of discussions about them.
I’d love to chat with you more about this subject, I hope you will comment again.
-Clarke
March 30th, 2006 at 11:17
This is in response to Ryan’s query about instrumental congregations. I grew up in “mainline” churches and now worship with NI group. It has always saddened me about the history of division in the church - how so much could have been avoided had there been true concern for one another and real love. Take instruments, for example. Both sides agree we have authority to sing accapella. Why insist on a divisive action, when you can still please God without the instrument in your own conscience? I have at times given up an idea for church work when it disturbed the conscience of another. Let me clarify that I believe we should recognize and be respectful of true faith (that backed by scripture) not just the whim or “think sos” of an individual.
In Chrisian Love,
Denise Lagrone
February 21st, 2007 at 13:47
I would like to say, that there are lines of which seperate, us who are of the one cup no class churches of Christ and the other main line groups. According to practice the Mainline churches are not churches of Christ. Name along can not bring you into fellowshio with Christ. If you wish to belong to Christ and ware the name Christian consider this, that to “walk in the light as he is in the light.” (1Jn.1:7) We need to worship in spirit and truth, thus we will never be ashamed of the gospel because it “is the power of God unto salvation.” according to (Rom.1:16) If we are not ashamed of the gopel let us put off those things which are not found in the bible, let us be silent were the bible is silent, let us speak were the bible speaks, when we do that, then we can put away instuments of music, cups and classes, pentocostal ideas, calvinism, women teachers and all the herises that in these latter times has divided us. May we contend for the faith.