Can anyone tell me about the Disciples of Christ? (Full Version)

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owntwofeet3021 -> Can anyone tell me about the Disciples of Christ? (9/6/2008 1:06:55 PM)

Can anyone tell me a bit about the Disciples of Christ? I'm not trying to get a debate going -- we're just looking for a home church in a new town, and we'd like to be prepared before we try the church down the street. I've poked around on the internet, but most of what I've found has been a bit thin of specific details.

Some of our biggest questions:

1) Do they consider Christianity the only path to heaven?

2) Do they consider the Bible to be infallible and true?

3) Do they sprinkle or immerse? Baptize infants?


Our previous home church is Church of Christ/Christian, if that helps.

Thanks!
Pam



earthless -> RE: Can anyone tell me about the Disciples of Christ? (9/6/2008 2:19:21 PM)

If we're talking about the same organization as this ONE some circles in evangelical Christianity find them to be too liberal, stating that their purposeful lack of having a doctrinal statement/belief statement allows for abhorrent or morally troublesome allowances (openly gay and practicing members , women pastors, etc..) - THOUGH - the latter two issues are open for debate because there are many groups that call themselves by the same title but are not associated with this group.

So I cannot state the moral issues as absolutes for this group as it may be categorically incorrect with the church you're talking about.

Others in the same circle find them to be a great collection of believers.

From Wiki:

quote:



For modern Disciples the one essential is the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and obedience in baptism.

There is no requirement to give assent to any other statement of belief or creed. Nor is there any "official" interpretation of the Bible.

Beyond the essential commitment to follow Jesus there is a tremendous freedom of belief and interpretation.

As the basic teachings of Jesus are studied and applied to life, there is the freedom to interpret Jesus' teaching in different ways. As would be expected from such an approach, there is a wide diversity among

Disciples in what individuals and congregations believe. It is not uncommon to find individuals who seemingly hold diametrically opposed beliefs within the same congregation affirming one another's journeys of faith as sisters and brothers in Christ.

Members and seekers are encouraged to take seriously being disciples, meaning student followers, of Jesus. Often the best teaching comes in the form, “I’ll tell you what I think, but read the Bible for yourself, and then study and pray about it. Decide in what ways God is calling you to be a follower of Jesus."

When united in Christ and free to hold differing understandings of the faith, the church becomes an environment in which to practice the respect, tolerance, and love Jesus taught.

Modern Disciples reject the use of creeds as "tests of faith," i.e. as required beliefs, necessary to be accepted as a follower of Jesus. Although Disciples respect the great creeds of the church as informative affirmations of faith, they are never seen as binding.


I hope someone else can chime in and provide some more information or perhaps even correction to my own.

God bless.



rarepair -> RE: Can anyone tell me about the Disciples of Christ? (9/6/2008 5:05:40 PM)

I was a member of a Disciples of Christ church in Texas for about 10 years and left it to find a larger, more vigorous youth program for my daughter. Let me share with you the pros and cons as I found them:

PROS
Baptism by immersion; no infant baptism.
Communion every Sunday.
Emphasis on individual faith journey.
The nearest thing to a creed is "Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and do you accept him as your lord and savior?"
Professes to have room for both liberals and conservatives.
Lay people play a significant role in worship.
Women play a significant role in leadership, including being ordained.

CONS
There are, in fact, almost no conservatives in the pulpit.
The denominational leaders are extremely liberal, pretty much advocating the standard "progressive" left wing political agenda -- gay rights, abortion, etc.
Worship style tends to be very old school.
The emphasis on a personal faith journey means I ran across many people who did not believe Jesus is the only way to God.
I found more passion about social causes and less passion about Jesus.

As you can imagine, as a group, they are awkward about evangelism...."who are we to tell someone what to believe?"

And so, not surprising, the denomination is shrinking.

Hope this helps.



greatdivide46 -> RE: Can anyone tell me about the Disciples of Christ? (9/6/2008 5:51:08 PM)

I would second what rarepair has said.

The Disciples of Christ are the liberal stream of the Restoration Movement which began with Thomas and Alexander Campbell, Barton W. Stone, et. al. They chose to become a denomination while the other two streams chose to remain congregationally independent.

If you were a member of the Church of Christ/Christian, then chances are you may have heard something about the Restoration Movement. But, maybe not, too, since each congregation is independent.

Personally, I would attend the church for a few weeks before I made a decision one way or the other.



owntwofeet3021 -> RE: Can anyone tell me about the Disciples of Christ? (9/6/2008 9:11:05 PM)

Thank you so much everyone! Your answers are exactly what I was after!

Pam



SuspenseWriter -> RE: Can anyone tell me about the Disciples of Christ? (9/7/2008 10:34:55 PM)

I was raised in the Disciples of Christ denomination, and due to us moving a lot a when I was kid, I experienced several forms of it. When I was very young the DC church we attended was a small country gathering, very Baptist in its feel.

On the other end of the spectrum, when I was fourteen we moved to Nashville, Tennessee and the large DC church we attended there just about killed any interest I had in Christianity. It was very liberal, very New Age (our youth group leader tried to instruct us astral travel), and generally as dead as a hammer. It was a large part of why I turned athiest until I was in my early twenties, when I was then radically saved and Spirit-filled in the early-70's Jesus Movement.

That's my story.



MeganRenee -> RE: Can anyone tell me about the Disciples of Christ? (9/9/2008 2:12:43 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: rarepair


PROS
Baptism by immersion; no infant baptism.
Communion every Sunday.
Emphasis on individual faith journey.
The nearest thing to a creed is "Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and do you accept him as your lord and savior?"
Professes to have room for both liberals and conservatives.
Lay people play a significant role in worship.
Women play a significant role in leadership, including being ordained.

CONS
There are, in fact, almost no conservatives in the pulpit.
The denominational leaders are extremely liberal, pretty much advocating the standard "progressive" left wing political agenda -- gay rights, abortion, etc.
Worship style tends to be very old school.
The emphasis on a personal faith journey means I ran across many people who did not believe Jesus is the only way to God.
I found more passion about social causes and less passion about Jesus.


You have laid out what I have seen in this church extremely accurately.
I grew up in the Disciples of Christ. (I was a member from birth until I was 16 or 17 years old, then I stopped going to church except for holidays or special occasions. Then I truly became a follower of Christ when I was 24 and started attending an independent Baptist church.) My granparents still go to that church. The minister is a woman, and a rather liberal one at that.



rarepair -> RE: Can anyone tell me about the Disciples of Christ? (9/12/2008 12:31:13 PM)

Megan,

I am so grateful to the Lord that your faith was resurrected! What's happening in the Disciples church is, I think, indicative of most mainline denominations, where the personal dependence on Jesus' love and mercy has been replaced with a more abstract, philosophical approach that puts the individual's reason in the driver's seat. It really just sets the table for non-belief, which was your personal experience.



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