The Restoration Movement

The Restoration Movement occurred during the Second Great Awakening. The movement lasted from 1790-1840. The goal of the movement was to "restore" the church back to New Testament principles. The movement was led by three men. They were Barton W. Stone, Thomas Campbell, and Alexander Campbell. These three men were former Presbyterian Ministers. The teachings that they would be responsible for would lay the foundation for what would come to be known as the church of Christ. Some of the things that they believed were no women leading worship, no instruments in worship, Lord's Supper on the first day of the week, among various other things. The Restoration Movement became very popular. The most famous meeting was at Cane Ridge, Kentucky, in 1801. The goal of this meeting was to spread the "good news" and hopefully convert people. By the time the meeting was over, around 800-1,100 had taken communion. The meeting was largely led by Stone, who was the more liberal of the three men. The two Campbell's goal was to interpret the Bible as close as possible. They came up with the idea of Baptism by immersion, as well as the idea of acapella singing in worship services. In the end this movement led to the creation of the church of Christ. Stone's ideas became known as the Disciples of Christ. In the end, these men were able to do great things, and they helped to restore religion in a nation that was still trying to find its way. I am very happy to say that I am a member of the church of Christ. The history of how we came to be is priceless.

Above is a picture of Barton W. Stone.

Above is a picture of Thomas Campbell.

Above is a picture of Alexander Campbell.

Inside of the Cane Ridge meeting house.

Alexander Campbell home in Bethany, West Virginia.

The East Main Street church of Christ (pictured above) in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, is one of the oldest churches of Christ in the state of Tennessee. It was established during the Restoration Movement, and both Thomas and Alexander Campbell preached sermons at this congregation. During the Civil War the church was transformed into a field hospital during the Battle of Stones River. Eventual president James Garfield worshipped at the church, serving as song leader. This is one of many instances where the Civil War and the Restoration Movement overlap. My two favorite periods in history.

For more information on this story, check out this article in Murfreesboro's "Daily News Journal:" http://www.dnj.com/story/news/local/2015/04/18/east-main-street-church-christ-offers-rich-heritage/26010749/

Stay tuned for more blog posts about tales from Tennessee and beyond.