Please scroll to the very bottom for a VIDEO about the Christian Church (DOC) denomination!
Our Congregation's History
First Christian Church Baton Rouge traces its beginnings to 1847. Through the period of Reconstruction until the early 20th century, the congregation struggled to exist. In 1903, the revival of a Christian-Disciples church occurred and the congregation has remained active in the community ever since. Undergoing several geographical moves throughout Baton Rouge, the church moved to its present location on Old Hammond Highway in 1964 with our first four buildings dedicated in 1965. Construction of the seventh and final building was completed in 1991.
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States
The Restoration Movement, of which the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) finds its connection, attempted to complete the Protestant Reformation by returning the church to its New Testament beliefs and practices. The three primary founders of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) were part of this Restoration Movement on the western frontier of the United States.
Barton Stone left his Presbyterian Church in Kentucky in 1802 in order to start a movement that would take on the biblical name of “Christians.” He believed in the unity of all Christians and that this unity could only take place through the emphasis of the scripture Christians had in common and the removal of creeds churches used to distinguish themselves from one another. Experiencing a revival at his Cane Ridge congregation the previous year that launched the Second Great Awakening, Stone also believed that all believers, regardless of denominational affiliation should be allowed to partake of communion.
Several years later Thomas Campbell and his son Alexander also left the Presbyterian Church in western
Pennsylvania. They believed in weekly communion and baptism by immersion, as prescribed in the New Testament. They practiced an open table (all who believed in Christ could partake of the bread and cup) and believed in the ability of the laity to lead worship. They also held that the Bible alone, and not creeds or doctrines, should be the only rule in matters of faith. With Stone, they shared a belief in the unity of all Christians and chose for themselves the New Testament name “Disciples.”
In 1832, in Lexington, Kentucky, Stone's “Christians” and the Campbells' “Disciples” joined forces to form the
Christian-Disciples movement. This movement underwent several organizational modifications, including the latest restructure in 1968, which officially named the denomination The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
Today, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has over 4,000 congregations and one million members in the
United States and Canada. While heavily concentrated in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas, it supports congregations in all 50 states and missionary ties in 80 countries worldwide.
For more information on the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), check out our denomination's website. Click here.
Or you can do some reading on our history and beliefs by consulting these texts:
* Cummins, Duane D. A Handbook for Today's Disciples
* McAllister, Lester and William Tucker. Journey in Faith: A History of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
* Osborn, Ronald. The Faith We Affirm: Basic Beliefs of Disciples of Christ
* Toulouse, Mark. Joined in Discipleship: The Maturing of an American Religious Movement
The Chalice
The official symbol of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is the red chalice bearing the Saint Andrew's Cross. The chalice represents the centrality of the Lord's Supper in Disciples worship services. Red signifies the blood of Jesus Christ, by which we are saved. The cross in the shape of an “X” is the national symbol of the Church of Scotland and pays tribute to our early Presbyterian roots. The lower left leg of the cross, touching the edge of the chalice, remains open to express our open fellowship and our belief in Christian unity.