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NEWS ABOUT GREAT COMMUNION

An Example of Unity
Jeff Weston

Each Wednesday morning I tumble out of bed early (before the sun rise!) and drive for 30 minutes to a meeting of Christian men, unless I am very sick or out of town I do not miss that meeting, I have even been known to drive through heavy snow to be there! I was first initiated into this group some three and a half years back when I was new to Nashville and the United States. I was looking to connect with people at the Disciples Church my wife and I attend. I had struck up a friendship with a delightful guy named “Woody”. He had visited Australia many times and so was able to cope with my strange sense of humor! Woody, knowing my desire to connect, invited me to join him on a Wednesday morning at the men’s Bible study. Since that day the men in this unusual group have become my closest friends.

What makes this group unusual? While it meets in the Disciples of Christ building, the group is composed of 30 or so men who come from a range of Churches in the Nashville area. We have men from four Presbyterian Churches, a couple of Methodists, some from the non instrumental Churches of Christ, an independent, a couple of Pentecostals, and a Baptist or two as well as a group of Disciples. However I have to say it is hard to tell what label these men worship under because it is never discussed or promoted. It wasn’t until after attending for a few weeks that I discovered most of these men don’t worship with our Congregation!

This group is not newly formed in order to promote Christian Unity it has evolved over 30 years as men have felt comfortable in the group and invited others to join them. No one asks what Church you belong too we are all “just Christians” (to use a Campbellian phrase!) sharing the journey together. We sit around the table and study the word together and pray for each other and needs within the world we live. However, the thing I love most about this group is that there is a genuine love and concern for each other. If one of our members is missing he can expect a call from a number of people to see if he is traveling ok. Even when one gets sick or infirm so that they are unable to attend, we visit and share with them. This past year we have lost two of our brothers, one of whom was 99 years old and a regular attendee. On both occasions our group of men attended the memorial services in mass and witnessed to the love we had for our brother. We are a Christian community in the true sense and it didn’t matter that one service was in the non instrumental Church of Christ and the other in the Presbyterian Church,we all attended and worshipped together.

Perhaps one of the reasons we appreciate each other so much is because like Thomas and Alexander Campbell and Barton Stone and all the other founders of the American Restoration Movement, we see Christ in each other and have decided the denominational label isn’t important it is the essence of the person that counts, we are Christian and therefore we are one. My wish is that we will see more of these groups develop perhaps even in your neighborhood.

A Great Communion 2009
Three churches that split a century ago, call all churches everywhere to commune together October 4, 2009

NASHVILLE, TENN.—The United States was founded on great documents and historic meetings. Churches also have these pivotal moments and writings. Three major churches in America were originally founded as one new movement two hundred years ago. The Stone-Campbell movement was sparked by writings such as the “Declaration and Address” by Thomas Campbell and fueled further by the Holy Spirit’s movement in revivals and meetings of people who wanted to be disciples of Christ alone.

Two hundred years ago and as recently as 1909, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Churches of Christ, and Christian Churches/Churches of Christ were all part of the same reform movement in America that centered around Christian unity, return to the Bible rather than denominational creeds, and revival that would bring the apocalyptic reign of Christ.

It is around these common beliefs and this shared background that a new wave of believers in each of the three churches have rallied to plan a historic event in 2009 to commemorate a document that was not only the foundation of their churches but has played a part in the very identity and shape of each one. That’s why a task force—comprised of representatives of all three streams of the Restoration Movement—began three years in advance to plan a bicentennial celebration of Campbell’s prescient and historic work. The task force is calling on all Stone-Campbell Churches to celebrate and reclaim the vision of Christian unity in the “Declaration and Address” for the twenty-first century.

“We were looking for a way to celebrate the bicentennial of this movement and continue to open this doorway of developing dialogue among Churches of Christ, Christian Churches and Disciples of Christ,” said Glenn Carson, president of the Nashville-based Disciples of Christ Historical Society, which is sponsoring the event.

The 2009 Task Force was called together by the Disciples of Christ Historical Society in Nashville, Tennessee. A small group of original dreamers and visionaries had a glimpse of a celebration that could light up the world for Christ, a “Great Communion Celebration.” The celebration would bring together all three streams of a unity movement that is divided. Reemerging unity is itself reason for celebration, but, even more important, the “Great Communion Celebration” will serve as a dramatic way to inspire a vision of the unity of the church in the 21st century.

Rather than plan one mega-event limited to one location, the 2009 Task Force envisions a global network of events focused on the common meal, the Lord’s Supper, that is central to worship in all three streams of the movement. To support the work of local congregations, the 2009 Task Force has created and assembled a wealth of resources easily available on at www.greatcommunion.org

Some of these resources will provide a contemporary understanding of the principles of the “Declaration and Address.” Others will be directed to a deeper understanding of the Lord’s Supper. Yet another group of resources will provide materials for use in worship services.

“These resources will be designed to educate people about the genius of the Stone-Campbell movement,” said Foster. “They also will prepare churches and members around the world to participate in communion services in October 2009, commemorating the Great Communion service in Pittsburg, Pa., in October 1909 that marked the centennial of the ‘Declaration and Address.’” Leafwood Publishers has just released a new book titled, One Church: A Bicentennial Celebration of Thomas Campbell’s Declaration and Address, edited by Glenn Thomas Carson, Douglas A. Foster, and Clinton J. Holloway. “One Church is a never before imagined volume,” says Newell Williams, president of Brite Divinity School, Fort Worth, Texas. “Along with a history of the reception of Thomas Campbell’s ‘Declaration and Address,’ combined with communion meditations from around the globe, voices from across the divided streams of the Stone-Campbell movement—women and men, Anglo, Black, Latino, and Asian—issue an earnest self-critical and challenging contemporary call for reformation and unity in the spirit of Thomas Campbell.”

In each community, believers will celebrate this centennial/bicentennial in the ways most meaningful to them, but in every case focused on the Lord’s Supper and the unity of the church. These celebrations will honor both Jesus’ command to “Do this in remembrance of me” and his prayer for the unity of all believers. No one on the 2009 Task Force wants to return to 1809 or even 1909. We have a dream for 2009. We hear the words of Jesus praying in the garden that all his disciples will be one, and we want to participate in that unity. We want to make the idea and the reality of unity as exciting today as it was to those who listened to Thomas Campbell in 1809. His language sounds old-fashioned to us, but his ideas are as relevant as ever. Maybe you have had dreams of unity in your community. Perhaps this celebration will provide the opportunity you have been looking for to live out Christian unity.

Leading up to 2009, plans also call for “major involvement” of members of all three churches as speakers and workshop leaders in the August 2008 World Convention of Churches of Christ in Nashville, according to Jeff Weston, General Secretary of the event. The Convention began in 1930 to provide fellowship and cooperation among Churches of Christ and Christian Churches internationally.

As we celebrate the great events of 1809 and 1909, we can make 2009 a year worth remembering.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the significance of the Declaration and Address? It might be helpful for some who are not familiar with the document to see the connection between the initials in the title, Declaration and Address and DNA, because this document coded a certain DNA into what would become three distinct churches in America today. This DNA can still be seen in what these churches practice and believe.

Who is the task force behind this? Is it just one church? No, members of all three branches of the Stone-Campbell or Restoration Movement. Members of the Bicentennial Task Force include: Doug Foster, Abilene, Texas; Glenn Carson; Nashville; Dara Cobb, Kansas City, Mo.; Charles Gaines, Arlington, Texas; Clint Holloway; Nashville; Why Huxford, Atlanta, Ga.; Victor Knowles, Joplin, Mo.; Pat Magness, Johnson City, Tenn.; Irie Sessions, Dallas; Diane Spleth, Indianapolis, Ind.; Jerry Taylor, Abilene, Texas; Greg Taylor, Tulsa, Ok., Mark Taylor, Cincinnati, Oh.; Robert Welsh, Indianapolis, Ind.; and Jeff Weston, Nashville.

What is the 2009 event celebrating? One reason for the celebration is to remember the vision of Thomas Campbell for the worldwide church. In October 1809 in a small town in western Pennsylvania, Thomas Campbell—after years of Bible study, discussion with other Christians, and fervent prayer—set out his famous 13 Propositions known as the Declaration and Address in a way that has inspired thousands of people for the past 200 years. One of his propositions includes the memorable statement, “The church is essentially, intentionally, and constitutionally one.”

The second reason for celebration is to remember the great centennial celebration held in 1909 in Pittsburgh to honor the writing of the Declaration and Address. The program from this event was a bound book more than 200 pages long, with many photographs, including a photograph of the steamship that was purchased by the assembly for missionary work in Africa. The theme of the convention was “The Union of All Believers, on a Basis of Holy Scriptures, to the End that the World May Be Evangelized.”

More than 25,000 people attended, and the central event was a huge Communion service at Forbes Field. One of the task force members, Pat Magnuss, said her grandfather (born in 1896) was one of the young people present at this great assembly. “The event shaped his commitment to Christian unity and his role as a preaching elder in the little country church where many of my ancestors worshiped,” Magnuss said.

Celebrating a Celebration
By Pat Magness
from Christian Standard
reprinted with permission

Celebrations light up my life, from major events like birthdays and anniversaries to lesser-known occasions such as the first daffodil of spring or the last tomato of summer. But even with my commitment to celebrations, I was surprised to receive an invitation to be a part of the 2009 Task Force that will plan centennial/bicentennial celebrations in 2009.

I must confess that I did not immediately resonate to the significance of the year 2009. Why celebrate in 2009? I began doing some research and learned there are some very important reasons to celebrate, important enough that I am helping recruit others to join in the celebration.

Reasons to Celebrate The first reason for celebration is it is the bicentennial of the Declaration and Address written by Thomas Campbell. This document sets forth the ideals of the unity of the body of Christ and a commitment to the teachings of Scripture. The Declaration and Address has been described as the “DNA of our movement.” In October 1809 in a small town in western Pennsylvania, Thomas Campbell— after years of Bible study, discussion with other Christians, and fervent prayer— set out his ideals in a way that has inspired thousands of people for the past 200 years. One of his propositions includes the memorable statement, “The church is essentially, intentionally, and constitutionally one.”

The second reason for celebration is to remember the great centennial celebration held in 1909 in Pittsburgh to honor the writing of the Declaration and Address. A historian friend of mine loaned me a copy of the original program—it is a bound book more than 200 pages long, with many photographs, including a photograph of the steamship that was purchased by the assembly for missionary work in Africa. The theme of the convention was “The Union of All Believers, on a Basis of Holy Scriptures, to the End that the World May Be Evangelized.” More than 25,000 people attended, and the central event was a huge Communion service at Forbes Field. According to family tradition, my grandfather (born in 1896) was one of the young people present at this great assembly, and the event shaped his commitment to Christian unity and his role as a preaching elder in the little country church where many of my ancestors worshiped. For those who consider it odd to “celebrate a celebration,” that is, to commemorate the centennial celebration of 1909, I would suggest that many of our celebrations commemorate previous celebrations. On a personal level, I think of the celebration of a wedding anniversary. Partly an anniversary celebration honors the years of marriage, and partly it recalls a joy-filled day from the past, the day the wedding was celebrated. Thus, a wedding anniversary celebrates a celebration.

In terms of our Christian faith and practice, we celebrate a celebration in the Lord’s Supper every week. Yes, we celebrate the death and resurrection and presence of our Lord, and we anticipate the great heavenly feast, but at the same time we remember the night Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, the night of a Passover celebration with his disciples. We celebrate a celebration every single Sunday when we meet for worship.

Finding Ways to Work Together While we have good reasons to celebrate, we must admit that a dark shadow falls over the light of celebration as we recognize many divisions in a movement dedicated to unity. As we have divided, we have devised a number of labels—“a cappella,” “independent,” and “denominational”—and at times we have used these labels in a pejorative or belittling way.

More accurately, the three great streams of the movement are referred to as the churches of Christ, the Christian churches/churches of Christ, and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Each group has its own colleges, its own camps, its own publishing houses, and its own conventions.

At times these divisions have led to bitter hostility, at other times, indifference. Through it all, however, all three of these groups have maintained a heartfelt commitment to the unity of the church as prayed for by Jesus, and in recent years there have been many coordinated projects, many healing actions, and many living demonstrations of unity. From the sharing of pulpits in local congregations and great conventions, to the publication of The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell movement, to Restoration Forum events and joint publications, the three divided streams of the movement are finding ways to work together for the cause of Christ. Thus, there is much to celebrate! Honoring Jesus

The 2009 Task Force was called together by the Disciples of Christ Historical Society in Nashville, Tennessee. A small group of original dreamers and visionaries had a glimpse of a celebration that could light up the world for Christ, a “Great Communion Celebration.” The celebration would bring together all three streams of a unity movement that is divided. Reemerging unity is itself reason for celebration, but, even more important, the “Great Communion Celebration” will serve as a dramatic way to inspire a vision of the unity of the church in the 21st century.

Rather than plan one megaevent limited to one location, the 2009 Task Force envisions a global network of events focused on the common meal, the Lord’s Supper, that is central to worship in all three streams of the movement. To support the work of local congregations, the 2009 Task Force will create and assemble a wealth of resources easily available on a Web site. Some of these resources will provide a contemporary understanding of the principles of the Declaration and Address. Others will be directed to a deeper understanding of the Lord’s Supper. Yet another group of resources will provide materials for use in worship services.

In each community, believers will celebrate this centennial/bicentennial in the ways most meaningful to them, but in every case focused on the Lord’s Supper and the unity of the church. These celebrations will honor both Jesus’ command to “Do this in remembrance of me” and his prayer for the unity of all believers. Dreaming for the Future

No one on the 2009 Task Force wants to return to 1809 or even 1909. We have a dream for 2009. We hear the words of Jesus praying in the garden that all his disciples will be one, and we want to participate in that unity. We want to make the idea and the reality of unity as exciting today as it was to those who listened to Thomas Campbell in 1809. His language sounds old-fashioned to us, but his ideas are as relevant as ever. Maybe you have had dreams of unity in your community. Perhaps this celebration will provide the opportunity you have been looking for to live out Christian unity.

Now that I know the significance of 2009, I am getting ready for a celebration. I plan to begin my celebration by attending the World Convention of Churches of Christ to be held in Nashville in 2008. Christian unity will be visibly demonstrated at that convention, and from there I hope to see the celebration spread around the world, community by community, congregation by congregation.

As we celebrate the great events of 1809 and 1909, we can make 2009 a year worth remembering.

Pat Magness is professor of humanities and English at Milligan College in Tennessee.