A Biblical Review and Response

Douglas Foster (ACU Professor) and the Disciples of Christ Historical Society are calling upon members of Churches of Christ, Disciples of Christ, and Christian Churches to celebrate “Great Communion” on October 4, Why October 4? This is the date for “World Communion Sunday,” a day of communion first established by the Presbyterians in Why 2009? This is the bicentennial year of Alexander Campbell’s famous Declaration and Address (1809).

We are calling on churches all around the world associated with this movement to gather in their own communities on World Communion Sunday - October 4, 2009, to share in communion using the resources on this website.

is the 200th anniversary of our call for Christian unity. In his “Declaration and Address” (written in 1809), Thomas Campbell said that the Church in the whole world is united...it is One. 100 years ago, our ancestors celebrated Campbell's call for unity with a Great Communion service. Our dream is that on Sunday, October 4, 2009, congregations all across the United States...and all around the world...will meet together and celebrate Communion and remember our common heritage.

One of the things we immediately remembered was the gathering in October 1909 in Pittsburgh for a “Great Communion” to celebrate the centennial of the movement. That, we believed, was worthy of imitation. So, this led to our decision to call upon congregations everywhere to celebrate World Communion Sunday, October 4, 2009 in a special way. This, we thought, was the perfect opportunity to remember Thomas Campbell and his contribution, as well as live out the unity that we all hold so dear.

By connecting with their joint heritage, congregations will (we hope) experience the renewal that comes through a mutually shared faith. Disciples of Christ Historical Society has established a Bicentennial Task Force to promote the celebration of our heritage.

The Stone-Campbell movement celebrates several bicentennials in the first decade of the twenty-first century, including, the Cane Ridge revival, publication of ‘The Last Will and Testament,’ and the arrival in America of both Thomas and Alexander Campbell. The most important event to be celebrated, however, is the publication of Thomas Campbell’s ‘Declaration and Address.’ In this document, he gave form and shape to Disciples identity. It is from this publication, more than any other one event, that we became a distinct religious movement in the history of Christianity.

Today, there are three streams that descend from the original movements of Barton W. Stone and the Campbells, father and son. The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Churches of Christ, and Christian Churches/Churches of Christ all trace their lineage to the same beginnings.

Several years ago the Board of Trustees of Disciples of Christ Historical Society looked toward 2009 and realized that we did not want to miss the opportunity to mark the bicentennial of Thomas Campbell’s “Declaration and Address.” While there are other events and documents that we have also remembered, everyone agreed that this 1809 document truly formed the constitution for our movement.

We have established a sixteen-member task force (five persons from each stream of the Stone-Campbell movement, plus the Executive Director of World Convention) for the purpose of promoting a worldwide celebration of the bicentennial of Thomas Campbell’s foundational document. In just a few weeks, congregations of the Stone- Campbell movement celebrate the 200th anniversary of Thomas Campbell's “Declaration and Address.”

Its thesis is “the church of Christ upon earth is essentially, intentionally, and constitutionally one.” It is the clarion call for unity that has been the hallmark of the Stone-Campbell movement. Our sincere hope is that congregations of all three streams will gather together in communities all across the globe on that special Sunday and share communion together.

Our prayer is that this on this one day, with communion being shared by Stone-Campbell believers all around the world, that a true beginning will be found to complete Christ’s desire for all humanity: May they all be one “a call for Christians … to come together … to work and worship … as one despite the difference they have… despite having differences we are one in Christ” – Douglas Foster (ACU Professor)

Through the work of the Historical Society, the Stone- Campbell Dialogue, and now the Bicentennial Task Force, we are re-forging ties among all streams and again pointing to unity in the essential matters of faith.

“Great communion” is patterned after man, Biblical communion is patterned after Jesus Christ and the NT church (Mt. 26; Mk. 14; Lk. 22; Acts 2:42; 20:7) “Great communion” remembers man, Biblical communion remembers Jesus Christ (Lk. 22:19; 1 Cor. 11:24-29) “Great communion” honors the writings of men, Biblical communion honors the all-sufficient word of God (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:3; Jude 3; see proposition 5 and 11 in Campbell’s Declaration and Address)

“Great communion” promotes man-made unity (unity in diversity), Biblical communion promotes true unity – “one body” - based upon God’s word (1 Cor. 10:15-17; Eph. 4:4-7; Jn. 17:20-21; 1 Cor. 1:10) “Great communion” elevates man instead of Christ. It is totally man-made and completely without scriptural authority; thus, sinful. “Great communion” must be rejected (Rom. 16:17-18; 2 Jn. 9-11)