FORMATION

The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) grew out of two movements seeking Christian unity that sprang up almost simultaneously in western Pennsylvania and Kentucky – movements that were backlashes against the rigid denominationalism of the early 1800s. The movement’s purpose was to return to the principles of the early churches described in the New Testament. Barton W. Stone, a fifth-generation American in Kentucky and also a Presbyterian, objected to the use of creeds as tests of “fellowship” within the church, which was the cause of disunity, especially at the Lord’s Table.

TIMELINE

  • 1796 – Barton W. Stone arrived in Tennessee
  • 1810 – Stone’s wife died. Established congregations in Sumner and Wilson counties of Tennessee.
  • October 19, 1894 – The Tennessee Christian Missionary Convention was established and the state of Tennessee recognized its charter.
  • October 20, 1908 – Name change. The Tennessee Christian Missionary Society.
  • April 29, 1965 –  Name change. The Tennessee Association of Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ).
  • May 1, 1971 – Name change. Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Tennessee.

Content collected from and more information found on Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) website.