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Famous members of the
the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ (CC/CC)
(the so-called "moderate" branch of the Stone-Campbell/Restoration Movement)


Related pages:
- Names of Christian Politicians
- Famous Members of the churches of Christ (i.e., Church of Christ)
- Famous Members of the churches of Christ (i.e., Church of Christ)
- Famous Members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
- Famous Members of the International Churches of Christ
The religious body known as the "Christian Churches and Churches of Christ" (also known as the "Independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ" or "Christian Church/Churches of Christ", often abbreviated "CC/CC") is part of the Stone-Campbell/Restoration Movement that began in 1832. The CC/CC is generally regarded as the "moderate" or "middle" branch of the Stone-Campbell movement. Theologically, it falls in between the more conservative "Churches of Christ" and the more liberal "Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)." The individual congregations within the "Christian Churches and Churches of Christ" typically identify themselves as "independent" and typically use the phrase "Christian Church" as part of their congregation's name.

The Christian Churches and Churches of Christ continues to be strongly associated with the Stone-Campbell movement as a whole, and with few exceptions its theology and practice matches that of other Stone-Campbell churches and groups. The Christian Churches and Churches of Christ split from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) denomination, although it is difficult to specify exactly when this split occurred, as it happened in stages over the course of many years, principally from 1926 to 1971. In 1926, disillusionment among many like-minded congregations at the Memphis Convention of the Disciples of Christ led them to organize the first North American Christian Convention (NACC) in 1927. The NACC has remained a key organizational event of this movement up through the present time. In fact, it is not uncommon to find congregations within the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ which do not even acknowledge this broader affiliation, but state only that they participate in the North American Christian Convention - an "event" or "convention" and not a "denomination." During the 1930s and 1940s differences between the Disciples of Christ and the "independent" congregations (which became the CC/CC) increased. The major point of disagreement was the Independent congregations' refusal to be part of a "denomination," which is what the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) became. Although outsiders may view the "Christian Churches and Churches of Christ" as simply another denomination, albeit one with a distinctive organizational pattern, congregations within this movement continue to identify themselves as "non-denominational" and are often even anti-denominational. Also, NACC congregations did not wish to make rejection instrumental music in worship services a test of fellowship, as in the Churches of Christ (the conservative Stone-Campbell branch). During the 1950s congregations adhering fully to the "mainstream" Disciples of Christ began to be listed and enumerated separately from the independent movement. In 1968 the Disciples of Christ Year Book finally removed listings of the "Independent" churches. In 1971 the Yearbook of American Churches began listing the Independent churches separately. These became known as the "Christian Church/Churches of Christ."
Web page created 17 October 2005. Last modified 1 December 2005.
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