Articles for tag: Restoration Movement

Money & Debt Stewardship & Generosity

Financial Issues: Don’t Be Discouraged!

By Michael C. Mack The statistic is alarming. According to a Christian university study reported by the Center for Church Leadership, over a 10-year period 70 percent of ministers drop out of ministry. And some of the biggest reasons for that high attrition rate are financial. CCL’s September 2016 State of the Ministry research study of Christian church/church of Christ ministers reveals that 74 percent of responders who serve in vocational ministry have debt. It also found that 54 percent of churches do not provide retirement benefits and 47 percent don’t offer health/medical insurance. No wonder the survey determined 85

January 31, 2019

Colleges & Seminaries Organizations & Events

The Origins of Hope International University

Announcement of John Derry’s retirement as president of Hope International University this coming August after 15 years in that office served to remind me it is the 90th anniversary of that institution, which originally was known as Pacific Bible Seminary. Christian Standard announced the launch of that school with a front-page story Dec. 1, 1928, and also with an editorial in that same issue. Following are excerpts from the article, but some of its details open up a bit of mystery. _ _ _ Pacific Bible Seminary New School for the Training of Loyal Christian Preachers Is Launched in Los

January 29, 2019

Doctrinal Issues & Debates Theology & Bible

Debatable Issues

By Michael C. Mack As you read this issue, you may not agree with every writer’s viewpoint. Several articles contain debatable issues, and, in one case, we go “In the Arena” on a highly contentious matter: women’s involvement in teaching and leadership in the church. We believe it’s helpful to provide a forum in which readers can consider both sides of debatable issues. In churches large and small, leaders are discussing these issues, and we hope to provide biblical perspectives from others who have already done the hard work of studying, applying, and even teaching on these matters. I ask

January 29, 2019

The Fortification of the Restoration Movement (Part 3 of 3)

By Steve Carr “What religion are you?” “Christian.” “Well I get that, but what kind of Christian?” “Um, just Christian.” Growing up on Cincinnati’s west side, where Roman Catholicism reigned supreme, I constantly had this exchange with kids at school. Raised in a Restoration Movement congregation, I was taught that our church was simply Christian—nothing more, nothing less. It wasn’t until years later in seminary that I learned another biblical name that could describe my tribe. Alexander Campbell was repulsed that some referred to his group as “Campbellites,” so he sought a more biblical description of our fellowship. Terms like

January 24, 2019

Biographies Restoration Movement History

Orrin Root and ‘Sound the Battle Cry!’

I was thinking about Orrin Root the other day. He comes to mind quite often. Mr. Root was retired when I met him in 1998, but he still was writing The Lookout’s weekly Sunday school lesson commentary, as he had done since 1949. When Mr. Root died in 2003, he was several months ahead on his lesson writing. Oh, and he was 98. I always thought he wrote like a young man, only with much wisdom. Mr. Root came to work at Standard Publishing (former parent company of this magazine) in 1945, when he was 40 years old. He became

January 16, 2019

Culture & Public Square Race

A ‘Day of Pentecost Every Sunday’

By Jim Nieman In last week’s Christian Standard newsletter, editor Michael C. Mack mentioned a question asked in response to our January issue: “Should church leaders even bother to concern themselves with racial integration and building a multiethnic congregation?” Jim Book, senior minister with Kissimmee (Fla.) Christian Church—located in a cultural melting pot region just south of Orlando and right next door to Walt Disney World—provides an interesting viewpoint on that. “It’s the Day of Pentecost every Sunday at Kissimmee,” Book says. Kissimmee Christian Church provides multiple services every Sunday that go well beyond two “blended/contemporary” and one “traditional.” There

January 10, 2019

J. W. McGarvey’s Reminiscences of Thomas Campbell

– Jan. 9, 1909 – Among the crucial earliest triggers of the Restoration Movement, I typically think of two: The Cane Ridge Revival led by Barton W. Stone (1801) and the Declaration and Address penned by Thomas Campbell (1809). In January 1909, Christian Standard began a year-long series under this banner headline: “CENTENNIAL SPECIAL FOR JANUARY” with the subhead, “After One Hundred Years—A Century of Progress in America’s Greatest Christian Union Movement.” A number of articles in the issue carried that theme forward. In a moment, I will zero in on what probably is the most personable of them (“Reminiscences

January 3, 2019

Culture & Public Square Race

Building an Integrated Church

A Minister Speaks about His Experience in Building a Multiracial Congregation By Andy Daniell Most Restoration Movement church leaders I’ve talked to, both online and in person, say they desire to build more integrated, multiethnic congregations. They see advances in diversity in other parts of society and think their congregations are lagging behind. Bible verses such as Galatians 3:28, Colossians 3:11, and Revelation 5:9 and 7:9 suggest the church should lead in such efforts. And so it is dismaying that surveys consistently show only about 5 percent of Protestant and nondenominational congregations have a “minority” group—be it black, white,

January 3, 2019

Culture & Public Square Reconciliation

Racial Reconciliation: Strides in the Right Direction

By Michael C. Mack Most of us can agree on a few facts about racial prejudice, division, and conflict. It’s real. It has existed in our culture and in our churches in the past. It persists today. And it will likely continue to be an issue for some time. Thank God, it will not exist in Heaven. I think we’d all agree it’s wrong. It’s unbiblical. It’s definitely not Christlike. Most of us know the Bible verses: Matthew 28:19; Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11; 1 John 4:8-11; Revelation 7:9; and others. Many of us know something I didn’t. Most Restoration Movement

January 3, 2019

Addiction Ethics & Moral Issues

IN THE ARENA: Is It Fitting for Christians to Drink Alcohol in Moderation? (A. What If Abstinence Is the Stumbling Block?)

In the Arena In the arena of ideas and opinions, we offer a place for Christ-centered and Christ-honoring debate on nonessential issues. This month, Ken Idleman and Zach Spiering give us two opinions on a common hot-button issue among Christians: public drinking. Tell us what you think on this issue by leaving a comment below. (Also . . . tell us what other debatable issues we should discuss “In the Arena.”) _ _ _ By Zach Spiering During the time I taught at a Restoration Movement Bible college, I enjoyed the opportunities to work with wonderful, godly men and women

January 3, 2019

Giving & Fundraising Stewardship & Generosity

The Past, Present, and Future of the Restoration Movement (Part 1 of 3)

(Part one of a three-part series) By Steve Carr Let me start with the story of two movements. By virtue of reading this magazine, I’m sure you can guess the first one, so I’ll introduce you to the other. About four decades after the inception of the Restoration Movement, American innovation led to the creation of a game that would quickly become the national pastime: baseball. Abner Doubleday is often credited with creating the game, but historians have virtually refuted this. Regardless of who started it, the history of baseball is robust. It continued to spread rapidly across the United

January 3, 2019

Kent E. Fillinger

Giving Insights for the New Year

By Kent Fillinger Sermon series on giving, stewardship, and generosity are often popular to start a new year. To help church leaders gain a broader perspective on giving, here are some important research results. The State of Charitable Giving According to Giving USA 2018: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2017, Charitable giving reached record levels for the fourth consecutive year in 2017. Total giving in the United States rose 5.2 percent, ringing in a new all-time high of $410 billion. Over the course of a decade, charitable giving increased by nearly $100 billion. Studies show the

December 4, 2018

News & Updates

CRA Trustee, Former College President Harvey C. Bream Jr. Dies

Former Christian college president and longtime Christian Restoration Association trustee Harvey C. Bream Jr., 95, of Mason, Ohio, died on Saturday, Dec. 1. His funeral service will take place at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Christ’s Church at Mason. Mr. Bream served the Lord in many roles through the years. He was president of Cincinnati Bible College and Seminary (now called Cincinnati Christian University) from 1970 to 1986, and was chancellor an additional 3 years. He had served as trustee with the CRA since 1951, while also serving 10 years as CRA director and editor of The Restoration Herald, and 7

November 8, 2018

1964: When the NMC Traveled to NYC

– October 31, 1964 – The International Conference on Missions is taking place in Cincinnati next week, November 15-18. It’s the sixth time the gathering has come to the Queen City, and the first time it’s been there under its “new” name, ICOM. Cincinnati last served as host in 2007; the conference was known as the National Missionary Convention until 2011. As is the case with the North American Christian Convention—now known as Spire—the best-attended gatherings among our fellowship of churches traditionally take place in the heartland. And so, that’s where most of the ICOM/NMC gatherings have taken place during its

November 1, 2018

Biographies Restoration Movement History

‘Young Missionary’ J. Russell Morse Discusses Foreign Mission Methods

If you haven’t taken the opportunity to read Russell Johnson’s article from our November 2018 issue titled “Prayer, Power, Purpose: J. Russell & Gertrude Morse and Four Generations of Ministry to Southeast Asia and Beyond,” please be sure to treat yourself. The article details hardship, heartache, discouragement, and imprisonment, but also the prayers, purpose, and perseverance through which God’s Word has been faithfully preached over the past century. Thousands of people in isolated areas have heard the message and accepted Christ through God’s grace and the Morse family’s efforts. I scanned Christian Standard’s archives and reviewed the headlines of numerous

October 29, 2018

Kent E. Fillinger

Mission & Evangelism

Survey Sheds Light on Our Missionaries

By Kent Fillinger To coincide with this issue’s focus on global missions, I partnered with the International Conference on Missions to conduct a survey to learn more about our Restoration Movement missionaries. The survey was sent out via ICOM’s email distribution network in August and a total of 118 people completed it. While the sample size is small, the focus of the survey is significant. To my knowledge, this is the first time anyone has gathered this type of information about our missionaries. I hope we can build on this foundation as more and more missionaries participate in the future.

October 22, 2018

Prayer Worship & Prayer

Prayer, Power, Purpose

J. Russell & Gertrude Morse and Four Generations of Ministry to Southeast Asia and Beyond By Russell Johnson Starting from humble beginnings, the Morse family has made an eternal impact in lands few others had ever tried to reach. The Morses’ journey has taken them through some of the highest mountain passes in the world, where they discovered dozens of tribes who had never heard the name of Jesus. The early years were often devastating and discouraging. Several of the Morses’ friends were buried on unnamed mountainsides halfway around the world from their families. In time, some of these missionaries

October 11, 2018

Conferences & Gatherings Organizations & Events

Big Preaching

The Oct. 13, 1928, Christian Standard featured a printed version of the keynote address of George Taubman, serving that year as president of the second North American Christian Convention, then taking place in Kansas City, Mo. Taubman served as minister with First Christian Church, Long Beach, Calif., where his men’s Bible class exceeded 2,000 in attendance each Sunday. We will focus on an editorial from that week’s issue, but not anything related to Taubman or the NACC. “Big Preaching” most likely was written by then-editor Willard Lee Mohorter. _ _ _ Big Preaching When Abraham Lincoln was candidate for the

October 7, 2018