OUR DENOMINATION
Background on Disciples of Christ
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) grew out of two movements seeking Christian unity that sprang up almost simultaneously in western Pennsylvania and Kentucky - movements that were backlashes against the rigid denominationalism of the early 1800s.
Thomas and Alexander Campbell, a Scottish Presbyterian father and son in Pennsylvania, rebelled against the dogmatic sectarianism that kept members of different denominations - and even factions within the same denomination - from partaking of the Lord's Supper together.
Barton W. Stone in Kentucky, also a Presbyterian, objected to the use of creeds as tests of "fellowship" within the church, which were a cause of disunity, especially at the Lord’s table. "Christians," the name adopted by Stone's movement, represented what he felt to be a shedding of denominational labels in favor of a scriptural and inclusive term. Campbell had similar reasons for settling on "Disciples of Christ" but he felt the term "Disciples" less presumptuous than "Christians." The aims and practices of the two groups were similar, and the Campbell and Stone movements united in 1832 after about a quarter of a century of separate development.
The Identity Statement of the Disciples of Christ is: We are Disciples of Christ, a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world. As part of the one body of Christ we welcome all to the Lord’s Table as God has welcomed us.
What does that mean?
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We practice unity and inclusion at the Lord’s Table for the sake of mission and for the sake of the world as the one family of God. Most congregations do this by celebrating communion every Sunday. That’s why we use a chalice as our logo.
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We practice believer baptism – that a person makes the choice to follow God’s call rather than the choice being made for them as an infant. Baptism is the basis of membership in the Church and also a mark that every person is called to serve God – the idea of the “priesthood of all believers.”
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We are called to study and read scripture for ourselves. Rather than having tests of faith and creedal statements, we critically and thoughtfully study scripture, taking into account the history and background – the context – in which it was written.
More information can be found at: www.disciples.org
OUR HISTORY
We are a growing congregation. Let us share some of our history with you...
1845
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) was organized. There were 48 members, most of whom came from Kentucky, where the Campbellite church was strong. The congregation contained almost 10 percent of the adult population of Macomb.
1845
The first FCC was erected in Macomb, IL, on Carroll Street, near the southwest corner of the current Chandler Park. It was the third church in Macomb. The Methodist and Presbyterian churches were already established. The lot cost $40.
1878
C.V. Chandler was acquiring the title to the block where the original church was located for a city park. He offered to secure
another lot for the church and to donate to a building fund in exchange for the property. The church accepted and put Chandler on the building committee for the new building. The second FCC was erected at our current site. The building and furnishings cost a total of $4,970.
1910
Thirty years later, the congregation had grown and decided the building was inadequate for their needs. The old structure was torn down. The third and present FCC was erected at our current site. During construction, church met in the courthouse. This time the cost was $21,652.
1910-1995
Significant changes have been made over the years, including construction of an education building, addition of an elevator,
and rebuilding of the pipe organ.
1945
The 100th Anniversary was observed with a week of celebration. Dedication services were held on September 27, 1958 when Rev. R. M. Hall was minister.
1995
The church celebrated its 150th Anniversary. Dedication services were held on September 17, 1995, when Rev. James Stovall was minister.
2010
We celebrated the 100th anniversary of the present building while Rev. Steve Workman was minister.
2013
All of this history leads us to today. We began a Capital Campaign to make needed renovations to our church home which will allow us to enhance our worship services and enjoy our church building for years to come. See the brochure below for more details.