Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-11
The Disciples of Christ
Bv Frederic j. Haskin

controversies in the form of religious
debate. 1t was during these debates
that Campbell learned the power of
the press, and he was always ready
to make use of it thereafter His de-
bate with Price at Lexington, KY, in
1912, at which Henry Clay was presi-
dent of the board of five moderators,
was one of the most remarkable relig-
ious discussions in history.
The Brush Run congregation Joined
the local association of Baptist
churches, and for many years the fol-
lowers of Campbell were subscribers
to the Baptist faith. Later, however,
they broke away from Baptist moor
ings, and soon the church of the Disci-
pies of Christ became an institution
Since then it has steadily extended it's
membership and its influence until to-
day is one of the greatest forces in the
religious world.
President Garfield was q member of
the denomination, and was at one
time president of one Of its colleges.
Before he was elected president of
the United states the church in Wash
ington was a struggling body, some
times meeting in rented halls, some
times in private houses, and at one
time in a house on wheels. Then it
became necessary to get a proper place
to worship, and that resulted in the
building of the first church in the
capital city. Garfield took the deep
est interest in the program, and
asked that it be an understood rather
than an diversified edifice, and that it
should be unadorned and as plain as
possible Before Garfield came, Judge
Jere Black of Pennsylvania was one
of the regular attendants. One day
his white-headed negro coachman,
Jealous of the honor of the family,
and impressed with the danger that
threatened that honor by the carriage
of the family standing in front of a
little hall during divine service, re-
minded his master that it was a
mighty insignificant place for big
folks to go, and that he would like
to drive his team down among those
of the Presbyterians during the ser
vice. The request was acceded to, and
Uncle Joe died thinking he had saved
the social and religious reputation of
the Black family.
Many were the overtures that the
disciples made toward other churches
looking to union. But they all ended
as did the one made by the Protes-
tant Episcopal church in 1886. That
looked for unity, and the Disciples re-
ceived the overtures. The representa-
tives of the two churches met after
preliminary proceedings. Each sub
mitted a description of itself, and laid
down bases which they declared 'fn-
capable of compromise or surrender"
Neither would be content with much
less than the absorption of the other.
Nothing came of it.
The people who constitute the
church of the Disciples of Christ are
strong believers in church literature,
and they support more denominational
no. @kI Il.
of its numbers. About thirty period
icals, most of them weeklies, are pub
lished by the church. Their ablest
writer's contribute to the most of them,
and one of the secrets of the wonder
full growth of the church has been
its prolific current literature.
The Disciples also have deep and
abiding interest in education. Start
ing with the founding of Bethany col
lege by Alexander Campbell, the move
ment for the education of the minis
ters as well as of the laity has gone
forward by leaps and bounds, until
today the Disciples have some schools
that compare with the best in the
land Garfield was one of it's earlier
college presidents, and his services at
Hiram college are still remembered by
those who saw him rise from bell
ringer to college president, and GO
from there via the congressionaI
route to the presidency of the United
States.
There never was a time when the
missionary spirit of the Disciples ran
so high as today, although the prog
ress between 1873 and the present has
been truly phenomenal In the former
year there was only one general work
society in the church having an in
come of only a little more than $4,000
year, contributed by less than half
million communicates. Today there
are some ten such societies, and their
contributions amount to but little less
than three-fourthS of a million dol
lars year Many are already look
Ing to the time when they can say
that they have two million members
on their rolls. There has never been
time when the financial and numer-
ical prosperity of the church has been
as great as today, vet the centenniaI
celebrants have resolved that the NOR
row shall write down new deeds of
achievements. The church is strong
est in the middle west, but it is grow
ing in every section of the country.
1t is the second largest Protestant de-
nomination in Indiana, the third in
Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois
and Ohio, in the order named. The
centennial celebration at Pitsburg this
week is the first great general meet
ing of the whole denomination.
! Tomorrow-'The Bureau of Standards"