This year also marks the 200th anniversary of the Declaration and Address, a "charter document" of the Christian churches/churches of Christ. This writing was an appeal for Christian unity penned by Thomas Campbell in 1809. The major tenets of this plea included these professions:
1. "That the Church of Christ upon earth is essentially, intentionally, and constitutionally one; consisting of all those in every place that profess their faith in Christ and obedience to him in all things according to the Scriptures..."
2. Only the authority of Jesus Christ and his apostles, conveyed primarily through the New Testament, is binding upon Christians.
3. Theological inferences from scripture may be valued for their doctrinal benefit, but are not binding on Christians and cannot become terms of communion.
4. Believers are added to the church when they become conscious of their sin, profess faith in Jesus Christ, and obey his commands.
5. Matters of "expedience" and opinion in following the will of God must not be allowed to cause strife and division.
"The Declaration and Address was an appeal to the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church grounded in the apostolic tradition embodied in New Testament Scripture" (The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement).
This year we hope to celebrate the writing of this document by attempting to live out its call for Christian unity. We will continue to meet, to worship with, to work with and meet around the table with other Christian congregations around town in an effort
