Church of Christ
The Churches of Christ are autonomous, which means they are independently run, and not controlled by outside sources, or leadership. Church of Christ is a Christian church which can be traced back to the American Restorationist movement in the early eighteenth and nineteenth century which was started by the American Protestant preachers. Thomas and his son Alexander Campbell ascribed to be members of the Body of Christ as noted in the New Testament, without denominational influence.
In today's world, the Churches of Christ have a few distinctive traits that they hold to. In order to make their own identity:
1) the refusal to hold onto any creeds other than those specifically outlined in the Bible
2) the practice of an adult Baptism as a requirement for the forgiveness of sins
3) autonomous congregations, overseen by a plurality of elders
4) the weekly observance of the Lord's Supper
5) the belief of a capella congregation during worship singing
Despite the origin of the Church of Christ starting in a movement with Baptist and Presbyterian, some members refuse to be called "Protestants," stating that Christ's church did not start in "protest" of anything, other than the protest of Satan alive in the world.
Governing Body of The Church
There is no main headquarters for the Church of Christ, each congregation has its own structure consisting of Elders, Deacons, and Preachers/Ministers. Normally, Churches of Christ participate with loose, informal networks of other local Churches of Christ. Congregations also value the influence of affiliated col ...