Key Documents gathers important historical texts that shaped the Stone-Campbell/Restoration Movement and influenced churches across generations. Explore articles that introduce, explain, and provide context for foundational writings, statements, sermons, and publications—highlighting the convictions, debates, and developments that formed the movement’s identity. These resources help readers understand the historical setting, key themes, and lasting significance of major documents, and how they continue to inform unity, doctrine, and church practice today.
February 10, 2022
"I cannot remember when I first decided to enter the ministry," James B. North wrote in 1978. "It seems the decision has always been with me." Later in life, he learned the rest of the story. (Dr. North died earlier this week.)
January 6, 2022
"We have so long listened to prattle about the sermon being a work of art that we have come to believe it," Joseph H. Dampier wrote in 1941. "The sermon should not be a work of art; it should be a tool and the art should be the work it accomplishes."
December 23, 2021
Blanche Claycomb wrote in 1972, "A memory I shall always treasure is a mental picture of our eldest son. Jim was about fifteen months old, and the sights and sounds of Christmas filled his little eyes and heart with joy." . . .
December 16, 2021
Luke takes us to Bethlehem and gives us a glimpse of the events that transpired on that memorable night when Jesus was born. No other message in all literature has so blessed men, women, and children as this account of the birth of Jesus as recorded by Luke, the physician.
December 9, 2021
Here is a front-page Christmas editorial that appeared two weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and America’s entry into World War II.
November 25, 2021
In a 1954 editorial about Thanksgiving, Burris Butler wrote: "As a nation we have been blessed with abundant material benefits. For these we may properly give thanks, but our thanksgiving should not stop there . . ."
August 19, 2021
"It was here in the summer of 1838 that a very pretentious doctor . . . had so frightened one of our able debaters of those times, that he obtained and rejoiced in the name of ‘Campbellite Killer.’”
July 29, 2021
From 1935 to 1944, Joe B. Maffett penned a monthly column called “It Worked for Us.” Maffett, a minister from North Tonawanda, N.Y., sought input from readers for the aptly titled column. Here are three short items from 1941. . . .
Barry Cameron wrote this essay about church names in 1989 while he was serving with First Christian Church in Port Charlotte, Florida. Cameron started with First Christian, now called New Day Christian Church, in 1980. In 1992, Cameron became senior pastor with Crossroads Christian Church in Grand Prairie, Texas, where he continues to serve. _ _ _ “We’re Not the Only Christians . . . But We’re Christians Only” By Barry L. CameronApril 23, 1989; p. 15 “We’re not the only Christians . . . but we’re Christians only.” I heard that statement for the first time when I was
April 2, 2020
With coronavirus, or COVID-19, continuing to infect and kill people in the United States and around the world, we thought it an appropriate time to reflect on the 1918-19 influenza pandemic that caused at least 50 million deaths worldwide, with about 675,000 occurring in the United States. Last week we shared a Christian Standard editorial from Nov. 2, 1918 (click here to read it). This week we opt for a somber editorial from January 4, 1919. (By the way, in our last column we reported there had been 475,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide resulting in more than 21,000 deaths. As
February 6, 2020
This article acknowledging the contributions of “denominationalists” received much positive feedback from readers in the weeks following its publication 55 years ago. _ _ _ Our Debt to Denominationalists By James G. Van BurenFebruary 6, 1965; p. 9 We are, much more than we sometimes realize, indebted to denominationalists. By “we” I mean those of us committed to the Restoration ideal, who delight in designating ourselves as “undenominational” and as “Christians only.” By “denominationalists” I mean those who have not been aware, as far as we know, of the sinfulness of denominational divisions and who would be considered by us
January 2, 2020
In this editorial from the December 27, 1970, issue of Christian Standard, the late Edwin V. Hayden registered an objection to the term “Independent Christian Church.” _ _ _ We’re Still FriendsIsn’t it wonderful that we can be brotherswe can even be friendswithout agreeing with one another in some rather strong opinions? Consider, for example, the convenient use of the term, “Independent Christian Church,” to designate folk who generally concur in the historic position taken by CHRISTIAN STANDARD. Some of our best friends use the term pragmatically, arguing that it is brief, generally understood, and generally applicable. It communicates what
December 19, 2019
Here is a Christmas sermon by a quiet and godly man who preferred to preach with his pen. _ _ _ So Christmas Comes By Orrin Root Editor, Bible School Literature,The Standard Publishing Company, Cincinnati, O.;December 24, 1949; p. 11 O little town of BethlehemHow still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, The silent stars go by; Yet in thy dark street shineth The everlasting light; The hopes and fears of all the years Are met in thee tonight.” Still indeed must have been the little town of Bethlehem in the depths of that night long
November 14, 2019
In the week following the historic stock market crash of 1929, we ran this front-page story on an early foray into Christian broadcasting at a radio station in Wichita Falls, Texas. We know little of radio evangelist Paul Henry Packard, and we do not know how many months or years his program was broadcast (though a March 1933 news item indicates Packard would soon move to Kentucky). In 1929, radio was still in its infancy. Less than 10 years earlier, in 1920, KDKA in Pittsburgh became the first commercially licensed radio station. _ _ _ Hungry for Pure Gospel Broadcasting
November 7, 2019
The signature gathering marking the 100th anniversary of Thomas Campbell’s Declaration and Address took place in Pittsburgh in October 1909. It was called the Centennial Convention of the Disciples of Christ. Here is a summary of the keynote sermon from Oct. 11, opening night of the convention. I. J. Spencer, minister with Central Christian Church in Lexington, Ky., preached on “Centralization in Christ; or, The Sovereignty of Jesus.” _ _ _ The Keynote Sermon By I. J. Spencer;Oct. 16, 1909; p. 11 I thought at first of love as a fitting theme for a “keynote sermon,” but Christ is greater
October 24, 2019
In 1974, Christian Standard introduced a column called “Reflecting on the News!” The concept was straightforward, allowing much latitude for the writer. Today’s article by John Greenlee from October 1974 references “the expression of concern which came this summer from Lausanne, Switzerland.” That seems a rather vague reference to a newsworthy event, especially 45 years hence. Here’s a little background. The International Congress on World Evangelization—sometimes called Lausanne I, the Lausanne Congress, or Lausanne ‘74—was held July 16-25, 1974, in Lausanne, Switzerland. The gathering was called by a committee headed by Billy Graham and drew more than 2,300 evangelical leaders
September 12, 2019
Christian Standard pushed a program called Christian Action from 1934 to 1943 that James DeForest Murch—a name familiar to many—started “as a means of restoring the spiritual vitality in the church during this time of great social upheaval” (from an article about Murch by Jim Estep, available at www.biola.edu). Perhaps some day we will devote an entire column to Christian Action—and/or to Murch—but today we will focus on a “letter” Murch wrote 85 years ago that was part of that week’s Christian Action section. It seeks to answer this important question: “What does it mean to be a real Christian?”
August 15, 2019
Here is the eighth in our monthly series of excerpts from Christian Standard, circa 1909, a year the magazine devoted an issue each month to articles of particular interest to our movement. This editorial from 1871 is a simple but eloquent primer (surely written by Isaac Errett) about what it means to be a New Testament Christian. _ _ _ Union of Christians An editorial originally published Sept. 23, 1871;republished on p. 12, Aug. 14, 1909 Our plea for union differs from all others. It knows nothing of human policy or human invention. It simply proposes to go back to
April 18, 2019
“Coverage” of Easter in Christian Standard seems to have started rather slowly. The magazine began publishing in 1866, but the first original articles topically categorized as “Easter” didn’t appear until the 1890s. There were essays about Jesus’ resurrection, to be sure, but the lagging start to “Easter” references in the magazine’s centennial index seems curious. One might wonder, did the magazine opt not to write about “Easter” each spring because the Bible offers no description of annual observances of Jesus’ resurrection . . . and certainly not by that name? These two articles seem to offer some enlightenment. The first
March 14, 2019
For 45 years, Christian Standard regularly published a feature called “An Epistle from Thistle.” Editor Burris Butler introduced the feature with a brief editorial on page 4 of the May 3, 1952, issue. Beneath the headline, “Do You Like Thistle?” Butler wrote: “Let us introduce you to Thistle (page 14), our lighthearted and lightheaded friend. In his breezy way he corresponds with his unweighty friend, Down, on both light and heavy subjects, generally dealing directly or indirectly with religion. We hope you like him. If you do, we may be able to induce him to share more of his gems
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