Frequently Asked Questions

When we first started meeting together we had all come from different religious backgrounds and we had many questions. Most of the questions we asked Dave either turned into a sermon for us, or he dedicated several weeks to Bible studies. We've learned a lot, and continue to learn on a weekly basis.

  1. What is the call of the church of Christ?
  2. What is the history of the church of Christ?
  3. What is the size of the churches of Christ?
  4. How are the churches of Christ organized?
  5. Is there a common form of government among the churches of Christ?
  6. What place does the Bible have in the church of Christ?
  7. Is the virgin birth of Christ taught?
  8. Does the church of Christ believe in predestination?
  9. What does the church of Christ believe about baptism?
  10. Is confession practiced by the churches of Christ?
  11. Is the Lord's Supper practiced?
  12. Is music a part of worship?
  13. Is there a heaven and hell?
  14. Does the church of Christ believe in purgatory?
  15. How are the churches of Christ supported financially?
  16. Is there a creed in the churches of Christ?
  17. How does one become a member of the church of Christ?

1. What is the call of the church of Christ?

A. The church of Christ calls for God-fearing people to unite around the Bible alone for matters of faith and practice. New Testament Christianity should be restored by speaking authoritatively only when the Bible speaks authoritatively.    Top↑

2. What is the history of the church of Christ?

A. In 1793, James O'Kelly of the Methodist Episcopal church, desiring to take the Bible as the only creed, withdrew from the Baltimore Conference of his church and sought to return to New Testament Christianity. In 1802, Abner Jones and Elias Smith led a similar movement among Baptists in New England. They desired to take the Bible as their only guide and wanted to become known only by the name of "christians". In 1804, Barton W. Stone and others from the Presbyterian church led a similar movement to use only the Bible rather than church creeds as their "only sure guide to heaven". In 1809, Thomas and Alexander Campbell of West Virginia took similar steps. All four movements were independent of each other yet eventually joined together to restore a return to Biblical christianity. Christ's church began on Pentecost in A.D. 30. The churches of Christ movement is a return to the original church.
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3. What is the size of the churches of Christ?

A. There are approximately 15,000 individual churches with a total membership of about 2,000,000. The largest number of churches are in Texas, Tennessee and the southern U.S. However, all fifty states have congregations as well as over eighty foreign countries. It is a growing movement throughout the world.    Top↑

4. How are the churches of Christ organized?

A. Each church of Christ is self governing and independent. There is no organization higher than the local church. They have a common faith in the Bible as the only source of faith and practise and this is what unites them. However, they do cooperate voluntarily in works of outreach and training. There are some forty colleges and secondary schools, seventy-five orphanages and homes for the elderly, forty magazines and periodicals, and nationwide radio and TV programs supported by churches of Christ. However, there are no conventions, annual meetings, or official publications.    Top↑

5. Is there a common form of government among the churches of Christ?

A. Yes. Each congregation is governed by a plurality of elders who serve as the governing body. These men are selected by the local congregations based on qualification set down in 1 Timothy 3:1-8 in the Bible. These men are to shepherd and oversee under the headship of Christ. To assist them in doing so there are deacons, teachers, evangelists, and others who may serve in the congregation. However, there is no authority upon earth superior to the elders of each local church.    Top↑

6. What place does the Bible have in the church of Christ?

A. The church of Christ believes the Bible is the final word in all matters of faith and practice. The original authors of the sixty-six books which make up the Bible are considered to be divinely inspired, infallible and authoritative. All religious questions are answered with reference to the Biblical text. The clear teaching of the Bible are considered to be the final word.    Top↑

7. Is the virgin birth of Christ taught?

A. Yes. Jesus was born of a virgin according to Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:20,25. He is the Son of God and the Son of Man, uniting in his person perfect divinity and perfect manhood.    Top↑

8. Does the church of Christ believe in predestination?

A. Each individual person determines his own destiny. However, the righteous are predestined to be eternally saved and the unrighteous are predestined to be eternally lost as a group.    Top↑

9. What does the church of Christ believe about baptism?

A. Since the word for baptism in the New Testament means "to dip, to immerse, to plunge" churches of Christ baptize by immersion. This was the practice of the church during the lives of the apostles as well. Faith must always precede baptism. Therefore, only those who are old enough to understand and believe the gospel are considered able to be baptized.    Top↑

10. Is confession practiced by the churches of Christ?

A. No. Ministers and evangelists of the church counsel and advise those seeking help, but there is no special title or privilege given to them. They, along with all men of the church, are simply addressed by the term "brother".
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11. Is the Lord's Supper practiced?

A. Yes. Every Lord's day. Weekly worship is central to the life of a believer and the Lord's Supper is a central part of each week's worship.    Top↑

12. Is music a part of worship?

A. Yes. However, in returning to the New Testament Faith and practice, singing is the only music used in worship. There is no authority for engaging in acts of worship not found in the New Testament. Therefore, this eliminates the use of instrumental music and the use of candles, incense, and other similar elements.    Top↑

13. Is there a heaven and hell?

A. Yes. Many places in the Bible both heaven and hell are taught to exist (see Matthew 25). After death each person must stand before God and will be judged. After judgment they will spend eternity either in heaven or hell.
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14. Does the church of Christ believe in purgatory?

A. No. There is no reference in the Bible to a temporary place of punishment from which the soul will eventually be allowed to enter heaven.    Top↑

15. How are the churches of Christ supported financially?

A. 1 Corinthians 16:2 in the Bible teaches that believers are to "set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income" upon the first day of each week. This is a free-will offering that is between each believer and the Lord. No other assessments or levies, money-making activities, etc. are engaged in.    Top↑

16. Is there a creed in the churches of Christ?

A. No. The Bible alone is considered sufficient and the only infallible guide to heaven. There is no other manual or discipline to which allegiance is given.    Top↑

17. How does one become a member of the church of Christ?

A. In the salvation of man's soul there are 2 necessary parts: God's part and man's part. God's part is the big part, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift if God-- not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9). The love which God felt for man led him to send Christ into the world to redeem man. The life and teaching of Jesus, the sacrifice on the cross, and the proclaiming of the gospel to men constitute God's part in salvation. Though God's part is the big part, man's part is also necessary if man is to reach heaven. Man must comply with the conditions of pardon which the Lord has announced. Man's part can clearly set forth in the following steps:

  1. Hear the Gospel. "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?"(Romans 10:14).

  2. Believe. "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Hebrews 11:6).

  3. Repent of past sins. "In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent."(Acts 17:30).

  4. Confess Jesus as Lord. "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9)."

  5. Baptized for the forgiveness of sins. "Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."(Acts 2:38).

  6. Live a Christian life. "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light" (1 Peter 2:9)."



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