The Restoration Movement, also known as the Stone-Campbell Movement, refers to a Christian reform movement that began in the United States during the Second Great Awakening in the early 19th century. The movement sought to restore the church to the original simplicity and practices of the New Testament church. Key leaders in the movement included Barton W. Stone, Thomas Campbell, Alexander Campbell, and Walter Scott.
Some key beliefs and goals of the Restoration Movement included:
- A desire to unite all Christians into one body, transcending denominational divisions
- An emphasis on having no creed but the Bible, with the goal of restoring New Testament Christianity
- Belief that the Bible alone should determine church organization, worship, and practice
- Stressing immersion baptism of adult believers
- Weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper
- Names for the church drawn from the Bible (e.g. church of Christ, Christian church)
The Restoration Movement has given rise to three main groups that still exist today:
- Churches of Christ – Trace their history to Barton W. Stone. Practice a cappella singing and mostly non-institutional. Around 1.1 million members worldwide.
- Christian Churches/Churches of Christ – Trace their history to Stone and Campbell. Use instrumental music in worship. About 1 million members.
- Disciples of Christ – Trace their history to Campbell. More liberal. About 400,000 members.
While the specific histories and practices of these groups differ, they share the common heritage of the Restoration Movement’s attempt to unify Christians and restore New Testament Christianity. The movement has made a significant impact, with over 2.5 million adherents today from its efforts to call Christians back to biblical roots.
Key figures and events in the history of the Restoration Movement include:
Barton W. Stone
Barton W. Stone (1772-1844) was a Presbyterian minister in Kentucky who became disturbed by denominational divisions. In 1804, he and other ministers dissolved their presbyteries and formed the Springfield Presbytery, which they dissolved in 1806 after deciding only the Bible should rule the church. This gave rise to the “Christians” or Stone movement.
Key events in Stone’s movement:
- 1804 – Springfield Presbytery formed
- 1806 – Springfield Presbytery dissolved with the “Last Will and Testament of the Springfield Presbytery” which called for the Bible as the only creed
- 1811 – Publication of “The Last Will and Testament of the Springfield Presbytery” promoting Christian unity
- 1832 – Stone merges his Christians movement with Campbell’s Disciples
Thomas and Alexander Campbell
Thomas Campbell (1763-1854) was a minister from Ireland who, disturbed by denominational divisions in America, put forth his “Declaration and Address” in 1809 calling for unity of Christians based on the primitive practices of the New Testament. His son, Alexander Campbell (1788-1866), would emerge as the prominent leader of the Campbell wing of the movement.
Key events in the Campbell movement:
- 1809 – Thomas Campbell authors the “Declaration and Address” rejecting creeds and calling for Christian unity
- 1811 – Alexander Campbell begins publication of The Christian Baptist, promoting reforms
- 1823 – Campbell debates Presbyterian John Walker on baptism, winning many converts
- 1830 – First general meeting of the Disciples held, marking formal organization of the Campbell movement
- 1832 – Campbell merges his movement with Stone’s Christians
Walter Scott
Walter Scott (1796-1861) was an early preacher within the Restoration Movement. He developed the doctrinal system used by Campbell and Stone with an emphasis on immersion baptism of adults.
Key events in Scott’s influence:
- 1827 – Scott outlines his “five finger exercise” approach to preaching – faith, repentance, baptism, forgiveness of sins, gift of the Holy Spirit
- Scott’s approach leads to rapid growth of the movement, with estimates of 25,000 converts in a year
- Scott serves as an evangelist and promoter of Campbell’s teachings
Merger of the Stone and Campbell Movements
While Stone and the Campbells did not always agree on every doctrine or practice, they shared the common goal of Christian unity and restoration of the New Testament church. This led them to merge their movements in 1832:
- 1832 – Stone and Campbell ministers begin cooperation by writing a joint communion service
- At the 1832 Lexington, KY meeting, Barton Stone and “Raccoon” John Smith represented the Stone movement, while John Rogers and John T. Johnson represented the Campbell movement
- Handshake between Barton Stone and Smith and Rogers and Johnson sealed the merger
This merger brought together the Estimated 200,000 Stone movement Christians with the estimated 30,000 Campbell movement Disciples into one body. While divisions would emerge in the movement over time, the union represented an important milestone in joining these restoration strands.
Spread of the Movement
In the years following the union, the Restoration Movement rapidly spread across the frontier and into new areas:
- On the American frontier, evangelists like Walter Scott focused on winning converts
- Eastern cities saw growth in the movement’s message rejecting denominational division
- Alexander Campbell founded Bethany College in 1840 to educate ministers
- Journals, debates and pamphlets helped spread the message
- Estimates of up to 200,000 members by 1850 show rapid growth
The movement took hold in a time of religious experimentation on the frontier and proved very effective at winning converts.
Division and Controversies
While united in the goal of restoring the New Testament church, differences and controversies ultimately led to divisions:
- Debate over role and name of baptism led to division between Stone and Campbell factions
- Use of musical instruments in worship divided restoration churches through the 1860s
- Institutional structures like missionary societies caused strife between conservatives and progressives starting in the 1870s
- Higher criticism of the Bible was hotly debated around the start of the 20th century
- Today three major groups have emerged from the movement – Disciples of Christ, independent Christian Churches, and Churches of Christ
These controversies prevented a single unified church from emerging, but furnished the heritage for modern groups attempting to recapture New Testament faith.
Legacy and Impact
While not achieving the full unity hoped for, the Restoration Movement has had a significant impact, including:
- Establishing several religious groups and over 2.5 million modern adherents
- Restoring focus on Biblical authority and practices like baptism and the Lord’s Supper
- Spawning new restoration movements globally patterned after it
- Calling Christians back to unity and Biblical roots amidst denominational divisions
- Impacting American religion through its rapid growth on the frontier
- Contributing educational institutions like Bethany College and Abilene Christian University
The Restoration Movement reacted against the formalism and division of denominational Christianity and helped energize a return to New Testament faith and practice. The effort to recapture the simplicity of primitive Christianity continues to influence and challenge religious believers both within this heritage and beyond.
