March 1, 2024
A Bright Future Across the Pond: Restoration Churches in the U.K.
By Martin Robinson and Mont Mitchell Some have claimed that Christian Churches and Churches of Christ are the first group of churches to grow up in America—as if they’re an entirely American creation. Well, there’s more to the story. Shared Understanding Churches with a broadly “Restorationist” ideal had arisen in various parts of Britain in the late 18th century. Though they varied in ideas and went by different names—Scotch Baptists, Haldane churches, Sandemanian churches—they shared a commitment to congregational autonomy, governance by elders and deacons, weekly Communion, and believers’ baptism. Some congregations could trace their origins to somewhere around the
