The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1909-09-16
Centennial of the Disciples of
Christ.

L ~
year in Pittsburgh, Pa. The date, Oct.
lilo, 1909, is taken from the appearance
of "a Declaration and Address by
Thomas Campbell, father of Alexander
Campbell, September 7th, 1909, which
was the first and only publication of
1.-THE Christian Association of Washing
ton, Pa" an organization composed of
members of different churches bent on
Christian union and missionary propa-
ganda. Their first church was organ
lied in 1911 at Brush Run, Washington
Co., Pa. but the year before friends of
theirs had established one in New York
City and in 1903 Barton w. Stone, who
in 1882 formed coalition with the
Campbells, had taken the same position
in Kentucky. These forgleams were to
Declaration and Address what the
Mecklenburg Declaration and the
Boston Tea Party were to Thomas
jefferson immortal document of July
4th, 1875.
From 1918 to 1929 the Campbels were
connected with the Baptists. But hav-
ing been received without endorsing
the Philadelphia Confession OF Faith
and evincing no disposition to conform
to it's tenets their relation with the
regular ministers of the denomination
was increasingly strained. Originally
the Campbells, Stone and Walter Scott,
who soon became q man Of might in the
movement, were Presbyterians, either
Seceder NOW United), or regular. IA
The Disciples have grown Westward
with the progress Of the nation. In
this country they rank 9th numerically
among religious bodies. In Missouri
they are first and nearly or quite so in
Kentucky, Indiana and Oklahoma.
Throughout the upper Mississippi
Valley their influence is proportionate
to their membership and they are en-
listed aggressively in the cause of Pro-
hibition and other reforms.
| Pleading from the first for Christian
Union and insisting that the abandon
ment of human creeds, denomina tional
names and post-apostolic authority and
restoring the primitive church just as
the Apostles left it would give at once
union, liberty and truth, they seemed
to be only adding confusion to the
sectarian strife of the day.
For hundred years they have stood
balance between liberty and union, the
centrifugal and centripetal forces of
church life, has wavered but has never
failed. Denounced by the other
denominations as heretics and Ishmae-
lites in almost every new field, the day
of their success finds them in cordial
fellowship. The Y. NJ. G. A., Y. P. S. G..
E., international Sunday school Asso-
citation, Young Peoples Missionary
Movement and Inter Church Federation
Council accord their representatives
full place and power.
The sincerity of their plea for Chris
tian Union is attested by their general
readiness to cooperate in evangelism,
missions and reform. 1t is further
demonstrated just now by the character
of their Centennial Campaign. "That
they may all be One that the World
may Believe" is their chief watchword
and Where the Scriptures speak, we
speak; where the Scriptures are silent,
we are silent" defines their method as
it has been for a hundred lyears. No
denominational monument is being
erected and sectarian feeling is ener-
getically discouraged. The endeavor
is not to do something spectacular and
extraordinary, but to make fuller
approximation to the Christianity of
Christ, in it's fruits especially.
Seven of the Centennial Aims are for
individual and household piety and
progress, from "Daily Worship in Every
Home" to livery Home Anti-saloon
Territory" Seven look to betterment
Of each congregation: GAIL the Church
and as Many More in the Bible School,"
Every Church it's Mission" etc. Each
of the seven departments of missionary,
benevolent and educational activity
has it's goal or goals. Seven general
aims stand out before the entire
brotherhood.
Many of them look impossible of at
tainment. So we are surprised to learn
that several have already been sur
passed. Reaching the aggregate Mis-
sionary aim of million dollars two
years ahead of time seemed to justify
increasing it by fifty per cent for 1909.
The present enrolment of $4,000
teacher-training students warrants
hope of 100000 in October. Reports in
one church paper within one year Of
100 revivals in which, under As evange-
lists, 24,518 accessions were gained are
taken to indicate widespread applica-
tion of the personal principle, each
One Win one," as we'll as unusual
ability in the preachers.
But the greatest rejoicing in Conven-
tions and journals is reserved for actual
, steps toward union. Many occasions
for this have come within the Centen-
NAL period, since October, 1905. A
number Of local congregations Of Bap-
: lists and Disciples have united. In
| Western Canada their provincial mis-
sionary organizations have been COM
bined. In Southern California college
is held jointly with the Congregational
lists. In Chicago the Memorial Baptist
and First Christian Church have been
amalgamated. The high tide of en-
thusiasm in every Convention OF
Congress of the Disciples is reached
when some representative Baptist or
! Free Baptist pleads for the reunion OF
these two bodies as step toward the
answer to the savior's microscopy
prayer.
r Five great auditoriums with ag
gregate seating capacity of 10000 have
been engaged by the Pittsburgh Com.
mittee for the parallel sessions of the
e Celebration and Convention. All are
f in compact group at the entrance tc